"Let Me Be The One" - Eurovision Through The Ages!

A wonderful French Horn player, a possessor of a voice totally suited to jazz and an interviewer's delight, Martina Bárta gave everything to her song "My Turn" in Kyiv but unfortunately ended up singing just the once, in much the same way as every other Czech artist at Eurovision has done (bar Gabriela Gunčíková). The mood, pace and visual staging of her song really counted against Czechia qualifying in 2017:

We'll never know if having Martina dressed as though she was going to perform in a jazz club, perhaps sitting on a stool or even at a piano, might have helped with the initial impression of this entry - she always sung this beautifully so it was never about the voice or the passion that she always imparted into her delivery. The Czech Eurovision delegation were yet again destined to return back to their nation before the Final - what could be done for 2018?

What has been done is quite the departure for this nation - setting up a NF! No internal selections this year and lots of teasing, what with the artist's legs on show and how one of them could fix a chair - what we were all waiting for was the big reveal and we found out the Facebook way:

So we have six artists and six very distinct genres of music to compare and contrast. One of the artists had been flagged up as a participant for quite some time and therefore has a slight advantage as far as recognisability is concerned with his entry - as you all know, I tend to go with my gut instinct on these things and go for the track that grabs my attention on first listen. Who are these six artists? This is what they look like in stills (courtesy of Wiwi):

Going downwards from top left we have:

Pavel Callta

Doctor Victor

Debbi

Eva Burešová

Eddie Stoilow

Mikolas Josef

Two bands, two male soloists and two female soloists - you can't say that things aren't even! Now as for what they all sounded like in full - there was one track that immediately caught my attention, even though the snippets in the Facebook clip was so short. Who that was, you'll have to wait and see as we enter the realm of the 'Let Me Be The One' review of the Czech six - much like the Swiss ones, as there are only half a dozen to listen to, it would seem churlish to ignore any of them.

And like Switzerland, there were three I discounted quite readily but a slight difference at the top as I have a middling song plus two that, for me at least, will be going for the win.

So what did I feel about them all? Keep reading but bear one important fact in mind...

This is EFFECTIVELY the Czech NF!

How come, you might all ask? Well, there will be no live show to test out these six artist's vocals under pressure, no way to see what their stagecraft will be like, no method of seeing how they connect with the camera. These promo lyric videos ARE their performances to try to make it to Lisbon and that means that rather than having just one shot at this, having a great video and a strong social media profile might swing the top spot in one artist's favour. I'll chat about that later but here is what I thought about all six entries, scored as it will be on Eurovision Song CZ ...

1 Point (5.0/10) : Pavel Callta – "Never Forget"

The promo video playing over his silhouette is far, far more exciting than "Never Forget" ever will be. The best that can be said is that it is a pretty tune with its xylophone and guitar mix that would probably sound quite good as an instrumental track. The let down for me here are the lyrics - for instance, what is a 'space-ark'? Something lost in translation, judging by how the English scans at times, which isn't the smoothest. To be honest, a lot of the words are lost anyway as I listen to this song, as Pavel's distinctive low tones make picking up what is being sung difficult.

This entry is so, SO repetitive too and not in a good way - this three minutes is not one that I want to repeat too often, despite the beautiful places that Pavel seems to inhabit.

I was waiting for this to end from an early point of the track and bizarrely enough him looking worn out and depressed as the video closes (to be fair, that look matches what the song is about) was exactly how I felt. I would be surprised if this entry got anything other than bottom or second to that placing, which would make the potential issue of this song needing EBU dispensation to overcome the September 1st rule not a real problem...

2 Points (5.0/10) : Doctor Victor – "StandUP"

This group sounds like Extreme during the verses and AC/DC during the chorus (a nod to their opening for that band in Prague?) - a tribute to both but nowhere near good enough to even be in the same room as their sound-a-likes. It is always good to have a bit of rock at Eurovision and Czechia is a relative 'hotbed' for the genre but this isn't anywhere near a strong entry.

This is very nice and gentle soft rock but it is all a bit underpowered and slow -
less 'head banger' and more 'head nodder'.

I suspect that their fans will love this but "StandUP" will never ever grace the Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Fame - it drags after a while due to its lack of power and if it wasn't for the guitar solo towards the end, this would be totally forgettable. Worth the inclusion in the list purely for adding to diversity and this nation's leaning towards soft rock but I cannot see this finishing in a position other than the one that Pavel has left vacant (see above)...

3 Points (5.5/10) : Eddie Stoilow – "We Rule This World"

Apparently this is a band rather than the lead singer, which might be the most interesting part of this entry. This isn't a bad song at all but it is all very forgettable, mainly due to the one level setting that exists throughout "We Rule The World".

The sentiments and message of the song are admirable but with such a title, this all sounds very apologetic, despite the imagery throughout the video.

It took me so long to get into this song as there was no hook at all, musically or vocally, and by the time you reach the best bit of the song in the chorus, I had totally lost interest in the whole of it. If the chorus intensity that has a certain level of foot tapping to it had been there from note one, this might have stood a chance but in this line-up, I expect that this will finish fourth - better than the 'soft rock boys' and the 'depressed man' but way behind my top three...

4 Points (7.0/10) : Eva Burešová – "Fly"

Intentional or not, the first few seconds of this entry would give Czechia a nice 'intro piece' for all of the Eurovision songs in 2019 if they won this year! Those intricate few bars set the stage for the undercurrent of some excellent instrumentation, the highlight of "Fly" for me. The other thing about this that I love is the Bondesque silhouette dance that Eva performs, which is very engaging, more so in fact than the vocals and the lyrics of the song itself.

"Fly" as a song is all very downbeat, it ebbs and flows throughout and it reminded me a little of how Agnete's "Icebreaker" totally threw me on first listen.

Eva has a voice and a lyrical delivery that you will either like or not - for me, I'm not a fan and that blocks me taking on board the words and message of the song. I suspect that this would be a great watch in a live NF as there is so much you could do with staging and Eva appears to be very engaging, judging from the promo video...but using this video alone? "Fly" didn't sell itself to me but it is much, much better than three other songs in the NF. I suspect that this will have a solid podium finish but trail a long way behind my top two picks...

6 Points (8.5/10) : Mikolas Josef – "Lie To Me"

All of a sudden, we take a huge jump from who is unlikely to get to Lisbon to the two entries that, in my opinion, will be vying for the win. There isn't much between them and it is likely to come down to personal preference and taste - I have "Lie To Me" as my runner-up in the Czech line-up, purely due to it not quite giving me that same 'wow' and also that it isn't as well constructed as my number one. What "Lie To Me" does have in its favour is sounding A LOT like a Prince track, with the sax/trumpet combination, superb bass guitar licks and the lyrical composition of the song, the words of which I could well imagine flowing from the nibb of the one of the greatest performers of the last thirty years.

Some of those words would have to be changed for Eurovision -

those 'f*cks' might need to become 'fecks' and the BBC subtitling department managed to cope with 'motherf*ckers' when Kanye West played Glasto with switching the 'm' for a 'd'...

What Mikolas has in abundance is video and stage charisma, that oozing through to the listener in how "Lie To Me" is delivered. He has a great voice and this song really suits him and the lyrics, the story being a bit basic and earthy but totally relatable and modern. My only concern would be "is this deliverable live" - there is an acoustic version of part of the entry which suggests that he can but the intensity there is totally different. With the Eurovision version, there are so many interlacing vocals on this track that I wonder how it would sound in Lisbon. This entry is so different to all the others here and this guy has an advantage in that this song was already all over the internet and social media before the official reveal of all six songs. That may, given that is the medium through which all these entries are to be judged, give Mikolas a massive advantage - of course, it is only the votes of Czech fans that will count. I would not be unhappy to see this entry win and I think that it would give Czechia a real opportunity to get their second Final showing at Eurovision...

8 Points (9.0/10) : Debbi – "High On Love"

Regular readers of my blog will know that I go a lot by what I felt on my first listen to a song - did I like it? Did I stop what I was doing and immerse myself in the song? Did I get those 'goosebumps'? "High On Love" did all three for me when I first played the Czech entry playlist and it still does after repeated listens.

From the first strum of the guitar and Debbi singing her first word, I was taken away to my happy place!
"High On Love" is HAPPINESS personified in song.

Debbi sounds a lot like Jacqui Abbott from The Beautiful South to my ear and she provides the flow for this song, making this a huge earworm from first listen. I love the lyrics and how they are delivered, vocally and onscreen in the video - everything is seemingly so simple and yet if you really concentrate on it all, there is actually so much to cram into those three minutes. It is a joyous song and it even has a bonus that the others don't have (apart from perhaps "StandUP"), a crowd participation section of clapping, something that will only be a benefit if this makes it to Lisbon. Repeat listening benefits this too in that you can sing along almost at the end of the first play but definitely after two or three run throughs, something that wouldn't be possible in a live show. The change of pace two thirds of the way through rounds off the whole composition of the entry as a top class one - for me, this is the best all round entry of the six and the one that combines words, music and voice the best. On first listen this was my favourite and it still is - my Czech choice for Lisbon is Debbi...

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Of course, I am a Brit, not a Czech, and my choice doesn't count, although I am able to vote already on the Eurovision app where those of the Czech fans will be counted, combined 50/50 with an international jury and the winner announced on 29th January. So just for fun, here's the evidence of my pick:

In a strange way, I think that "High On Love" has its best chance of winning in this format, primarily because this shows off Debbi's strengths of vocal excellence and the lyrical video is clear enough so all the words can be read and even sung to. Mikolas would probably walk a live NF as I can imagine that he has stacks of on stage charisma, "Lie To Me" would lend itself to a high-end visual show and his entry would be so much more memorable than any of the other five. There would also be a UK connection in Lisbon if Debbi won - the song itself is composed by Greig Watt's team of songwriters at DWB Music Ltd, who of course penned "My Turn" for Martina last year. Apparently she has had songs penned by them in the past so the connection between writer and singer is already a strong one...

So will we be seeing this lady on the Lisbon stage singing "High In Love"? This was the picture on Debbi's Facebook page announcing her participation in Eurovision Song CZ - whoever wins this unusual NF, the Czech Delegation have already announced that the artist concerned would undertake a pre-Eurovision tour of six nations to promote their entry. It is therefore certain that I will be seeing and hopefully meeting Debbi or Mikolas (in my opinion the only two who have a chance of winning the Czech nomination) at London and Amsterdam, with the assumption that the other performances will be in Latvia, Spain, Israel and probably Russia. Fingers crossed for those press passes...

All in all, I am very impressed by this Czech selection, mainly because there are at least two entries that should get this nation to its second ever Eurovision Final...

The polls may be predicting Mikolas to win Eurovision Song CZ
but I hope to see Debbi in Lisbon...

When I trawl around the internet trying to find suitable pictures to have as my 'headline photo', I sometimes find real gems that perhaps didn't have the significance when they were taken that they do now. Above, care of "Armenia In Eurovision" on Facebook, is a picture of four artists from last year's Depi Evratesil, the Armenian selection process that I got to love, surprisingly as it was more or less a X Factor clone but mainly because it was full of great singers and all happened during the Autumnal quiet time! Above is Amaliya Margaryan (who doesn't possess horns in reality), Alexander Plato, Asmik Shiroyan and of course last year's Eurovision artist Artsvik - who would have thought that two of the other three would be in the running to go for the Depi crown once again? If Mr Plato with his genius jazz monologues had been one of 2018's twenty, we would have had the whole set...

2017 ended up being a disappointing year for Armenia as far as their final placing in Kyiv was concerned - despite Artsvik being more suited to the power ballads she sung all the way to her national selection process victory, I grew to love "Fly With Me" with its intricate staging and her sublime vocal tones:

18th was not a deserved finish for this entry, Armenia's joint lowest placing in the Final itself. After a selection process that had been tasked with just picking the artist and having a song composed for them, it seemed for a time that Depi Evratesil might not be happening or at least not in the same format. What we did find out was that the 2018 contest would be different - artists would present their own material and compete across several live shows - how that is to be done is still to be confirmed but what we do know now is the twenty acts fighting it out:

As I have waxed lyrically before, two of my hopes are here - Tamar and Asmik. Apart from Amaliya as a returnee from last year, we also have Gevorg who might be barefoot again! Over those four days, all of the entries were released on Depi's YouTube site - here is my playlist as per the reveal order above:

I'm sure that you will all agree that there is potentially something there for everyone - from totally ethnic Armenian ("Shogha"), something akin to musical theatre ("Stand Up"), club tracks ("Enamorame" and "Unbreakable") through to what can best be described as a comedy entry ("Puerto Rico" - not a 'lovely island' in this case). Now I've done my usual thing of sitting down and listening to all twenty of the Armenian entries to get an idea of which I feel could take the Depi Evratesil crown at this stage, based on first listen of the audio alone. Out of those 'score', I have SIX entries with a rating of 7.0/10 or better, my definition of good or excellent, and realistically those entries that stand a chance of taking those artists to Lisbon. All of my impressions could alter when heard and seen live but at the moment, the above videos are all we have to work with.

So who are my top six? Which entries took my fancy? Let's give you a big (and not totally unexpected) hint - I've mentioned three of them already...

5 points (7.0/10) : Nemra - "I'm A Liar"

Musically, the Crash Test Dummies sprung to mind when listening to this but without the bass-baritone vocals! I love the musicianship on this one, what with the delightful drum and guitar interaction, topped off with the superb guitar solo halfway in. There are some really interesting lyrics in here, fun in part and even comedic if you are that way inclined.

The changes in pace really give this listenability all the way to the end,
particularly with the 'pod popping' sound at the end.

It has a hint of an earworm within the chorus and the lead's vocals suit this song right down to the ground. I'm looking forward to this one live - I suspect that it is be staged as a traditional gig performance and the interaction of the band members should send this to the Final. I cannot see this being the victor but it will add some enjoyment to the proceedings...

6 Points (7.5/10) : Amaliya Margaryan - "Waiting For The Sun"

Being Artsvik's backing singer in Kyiv appears to have given this lady a boost in confidence that she perhaps lacked a little during last year's process. Amaliya has quite a beautiful voice that combines well with the piano as this song begins, supplying an emotional delivery and sentiment that takes your breath away throughout.

Her full range comes to the fore later on, layering over the tension and tempo created by the wave effect that leads into the 'low level opera' supplied by her backing singers.

There is a surprise in store after those operatic tones - Amaliya opens up her voice to supply amazing high notes at the close of "Waiting For The Sun". There are some worries for me with this entry - the lyrics are difficult to discern during the first half, possibly due to English not being her first language, and those high notes at the end are bordering on 'shrill' as the song closes. Could that be a concern when this is sung live? If Amaliya can nail all of those intricacies and this comes off as a masterclass of her vocal range and control, we could have a possible outsider for the top spot...

7 Points (8.0/10) : Robert Koloyan - "Get Away With Us"

The best male vocal here by far, Robert provides a silky texture to every word he sings, a truly wonderful listen. His voice fits perfectly with the music and the lyrics of this break up song, the quietness of the piano providing a baseline throughout whilst the orchestral drumming in the chorus hooks the listener to take it through to the end.

Robert provides a powerful refrain from start to finish, his delivery is impassioned and forthright
and that keeps you focused despite the slowness of the beat.

I would love to hear more of this guy's material as this is a superb listen - if Armenia decides that they want a change from attractive female soloists representing them at Eurovision, this guy with this song is definitely a viable alternative. If some of the favourites cannot get it together live, he might stand a chance...

8 Points (8.5/10) : Lusine Mardanyan - "If You Don't Walk Me Home"

Kyiv showed us that simple, well sung, neatly constructed songs CAN win Contests - if the Armenian voters see that too, "If You Don't Walk Me Home" might end up being a surprise winner of Depi Evratesil. I'm not sure if Armenia has a C&W 'scene' but this mixture of a thoughtful lyrical story and simple understated musical accompaniment to Lusine's voice would nicely fit the bill.

She has such a delightfully crisp and clear timbre that really penetrates the light guitar playing throughout
but the standout here are the lyrics which, to be honest, are the best on offer this year.

Those words are delivered with such a heartfelt passion that you can feel it with every phrase, every quivering tone - Lusine's voice and delivery provides us with the best song overall. I could have listened to this all day, mainly to just focus on her and what she is singing about. If this is staged simply with just her singing (and playing a guitar, if she does that), this will stand out and take the wind out of the sails of the more recognisable artists who are perhaps more favoured...

10 Points (8.5/10) : Tamar Kaprelian - "Poison (Ari Ari)"

Obviously the artist with the most Eurovision experience, Tamar will be hard to beat at Depi Evratesil 2018. Combining her (as always) soft and melodic vocals with a lot of ethnic Armenian charm throughout has provided us with a real crowd pleaser. "Poison (Ari Ari)" is an excellently crafted love song with the overall musical feel being the driving force with this entry.

I love the wind and drum instrumental intro that leads into Tamar's first sound and the song has a beat that sticks in your head, with clever nuances such as having the same wind instrument starting and ending the track.

Needless to say, the chorus is spot on and set to stay playing in your head long after hearing for the first time. The beat is hypnotic and although the lyrics end up repeating themselves, that is not noticeable at all due to the synergy between voice and music. I am intrigued to see how this is staged, as my only concern is that Tamar's vocals come across a little bit subdued due to that ethnic combination of drums and strings. Having said that, I have no worries about this entry potentially being the slickest one at Depi this year and it is going to take a superb song and/or performance to stop Tamar getting to Eurovision for the second time...

12 Points (9.5/10) : Asmik Shiroyan - "You & I"

If Armenia want to send a very chart friendly entry that wouldn't sound out of place being played on radios and via YouTube during the Summer of 2018, then this is the one! This ticked all my 'first listen' boxes - totally engaging from the start, something that made me stop what I was doing and listen to it through without any other activity such as typing what I thought about it, and an entry that lifted my mood and spirits. What it did do was make me think about this not only winning Depi Evratesil but also potentially 'doing the business' at Eurovision itself.

As you can tell from those three sentences, I loved everything about this song - Asmik gives "You & I" a massive dose of pop and club authenticity, assisted by a set of decent lyrics for a song of this genre.

It is all very upbeat and happy and the music fits perfectly with her vocals, not overpowering nor understated. The beat throughout carried me along and there is even a nice audience participation section with hand clapping included. I feel that this will stick in my head forever, ensuring that this will become a real fan favourite - it is a great pop song, there really are no downsides to it, no issues with this entry at all. If this is staged as excellently as it sounds, Asmik will find that it is 'second time lucky' and that perhaps singing a Michael Jackson song that got her knocked out in 2017 was a blessing in disguise. Just a thought, that intriguing piano solo at the start of "You & I" - a possible 'heads up' piece before the entries at Yerevan 2019? Far too early to say but due to its near perfection as a song, I would at the very least be expecting Ms Shiroyan to be heading to Lisbon in May...

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With my choices made, all we have to do is wait for those live shows. As far as I am aware, there are going to be three stages - live shows, SF and Final. 3rd February is when the twenty songs will be first heard out of the studio and start to get whittled down for the Final on 24th February - I am pretty confident that my top six will be there, with Tamar and Asmik being the front runners for the Depi title. Of the others, Lusine and Robert are my outside bets but a lot of how they come across will depend on their staging. Of course, all of these opinions come from a UK perspective, rather than an Armenian one - by the time we know the Finalists, I'll have a better idea of how well those views intersect!

With nothing else to go on bar the official audio of each of the Armenian entries, the entry that I would choose to go to Portugal would be...

Asmik Shiroyan with "You & I"

A top notch pop song that might fit the prevailing mood of Eurovision 2018 and give Armenia their best chance of winning the Contest yet. We can't go another year of having a lively uptempo piece of pop reach number 3 and no further at Eurovision, can we?

This was where the UK's 2017 Eurovision journey all started - in the studio with Lucie Jones laying down the first version of "Never Give Up On You", ready for the 2017 reveal of the songs entering "Eurovision: You Decide". We all know where that ended - a 15th placing in Kyiv and Miss Jones becoming Mrs Boroian in September with her musical theatre career still intact. Overall this was a successful collaboration between BBC Eurovision and Lucie - she was a great artist to have PR-wise and performed the song as well as we in the UK could have hoped. It is unlikely that any of the other National Finalists who performed at the Eventim Apollo last year could have done any better...

So onto 2018 and we all know where and when the NF is taking place and who our hosts are. We have reached the next base camp - what do the six entries for this year sound like? Måns had already had a listen:

Of course we can't tell a lot from the soundbites he was coming out with as to what our selection would be like - what did:

'Interesting'

'Ed Sheerany'

'Bit Of Flute' (maybe)

'That's Quite High'

'Ballady'

'Stringy'

'Give me a good chorus now, please'

'Clubby'

all mean? Who did they refer to? I have to admit that when Måns said these fateful words:

'Those are six really, really good songs'

my heart did drop slightly as that didn't sound an amazing qualification of the songs - 'damning with faint praise' came to my mind. I hoped that I had got that impression wrong...

So the big reveal came yesterday (24th January 2018), a full fortnight before the NF itself on 7th February, which I will be attending. The media embargo was lifted at midnight and the names of the artists and the songs were revealed, leading to much scampering around by the Eurovision press to see if they could find anything resembling the artist's songs that had been listed. I decided that, as I was working and would miss the predicted dissection of the entries all day by Eurovision Fandom Inc., I would leave my first listen to the evening, avoiding any contact with social media and commentary that might influence me. I did know what they all looked like though before pressing those play buttons:

So who caught my attention on first listen? Would any of these artists have songs that matched or even beat some of my top tips in other NFs this year? Maybe this is what Mr Zelmerlöw was hinting at when he mentioned the word 'interesting' - as there are only six, they all get a review. None of them are bad and yet only one borders on 'amazing'...

5 Points (5.0/10) : Liam Tamne - "Astronaut"

Looking at this guy's biography, I saw that he has appeared in world famous musicals such as Wicked, Hairspray, Les Mis etc and so I would have expected one certainty about his vocals - clear, precise pronunciation and something that resembled normal sung English. For some reason, "Astronaut" comes across as though it is being sung by a singer who has been taught the "world's second language" in a rather odd way. Because this feature stuck with me throughout this entry, my focus on the song itself was rather distracted but everything about this was quite bland, the music was more like muzak and I needed to have repeated views to remember much about this entry.

The fact that nothing much about this stuck in my head is all the more ironic when this song contains probably the most unforgettable line of this NF : "I could be your Astronaut".

That possibly is the only bit of this that I remember as there is no real hook to the music, it all being so quiet and subtle that it was lost in amongst all the other entries - a fate that I suspect will be repeated in Brighton in a fortnight's time. One thing I am certain of - this was the 'Ed Sheerany' entry but perhaps in an alternate reality where Ed Sheeran didn't just have the best year of his career in 2017...

6 Points (5.5/10) : Raya - "Crazy"

Now this is the artist that had a hard time from The Sun Entertainment (oxymoron there) reporter who correctly identified her as participating in this year's NF a short while ago. Having Greta Salóme as one of the co-writers to "Crazy" should set Raya up for a great entry, with interesting lyrical content and a catchy musical hook...shouldn't it?

Unfortunately, this entry is a low level club track that sounds like lots of other floor fillers from that genre,
with lyrics that are basic in the extreme.

I have to say that I'm not that keen on this (could you tell?), especially with her vocals which stretch a lot of the words out without quite finishing them off. I know that I like a song with a decent set of lyrics but I can tolerate a club anthem that has a good mix of catchy words and a thumping tune - this wasn't it. With the combination of the bulk standard club music on offer here and the same lines repeated over and over, this was quite an average entry to my ears. As a positive, it does have the only real punchy chorus of all the songs at the NF, which is a high point but that is it. Maybe repeated listens might improve my view of "Crazy" but Raya won't have that privilege on February 7th - this is the 'Clubby' entry, for certain...

7 Points (6.5/10) : Goldstone - "I Feel The Love"

I could imagine this being the start-up song for a girl group of the recent past, someone like Girls Aloud or maybe even Little Mix, a track that gets played first up at their concerts, not one of their massive hits, perhaps an album track, one to warm up their voices, one that would be drowned out by the cheers and adulation shown by their fans.

I have to admit that this is a decent pop song - it is upbeat, it is fun but it isn't amazing
and nothing really grabbed me in the way you need a song to if it is going to be a winner.

There is a decent audience participation section here with the clapping encouragement that I am sure will be utilised in Brighton but that might be the most memorable part of "I Feel The Love" - that and the song title itself, the only bits I remembered immediately that the song finished. I wouldn't be surprised if this kicks off the NF as it will get the crowd up and jumping, assuming that the staging matches the ladies' watchability. This actually gets better with repeated listens but you all know my opinion on growers at Eurovision. Maybe this track was the 'Give me a good chorus now, please', as the inclusion of one of those might have given this entry an outside chance of the win...

8 Points (7.0/10) : SuRie - "Storm"

A total change of pace to most of the other entries, bar one ballad - that helped this song stick in my head more than a lot than others due to SuRie's vocal tone, which is pleasant and clear. This is a song of lost promise however - the intro is a delight, really interesting and I was hoping that it would lead onto a wow moment in the chorus or at the end of the track.

Unfortunately, neither of those things happened - everything about 'Storm' stayed at one level
and that was disappointing for me as there is so much potential here for a masterpiece.

SuRie hits some wonderful high notes but instead of kicking onto an amazing memorable climax or vocal zenith, "Storm" always drops back to the same level it began with. If I was comparing this to anything in previous NFs, I would say that this was another 'Miracle' - everything in place bar a climactic finish or chorus. There is a part where the Brighton crowd could get involved and the music has a particularly beat and rhythm that made this the 'toe tapper' of the six for me but there is something missing and this led to the song and my hopes for it being the UK winner fading away. Was this the one that was 'stringy' or 'bit of flute'? An entry that was almost there but not quite...

10 Points (7.5/10) : Jaz Ellington - "You"

Now I remember this guy from The Voice, mainly because the judges were fighting over him at 'The Chair' stage and made him sing two songs, quite the unusual thing at that stage. Jaz does truly have a superb voice ('Cool voice'?) that nails any note sung from low to a superb high ('That's Quite High'?) and he brings loads of passion into this superb ballad.

For me, this is the best sung entry of all six - his vocals are sublime (a bit like Terence Trent D'Arby)
and he knocks all of the notes, his audible range and lyrics 'out of the park'.

What stops this from being my number one here and an excellent entry? I think that he deserves a better lyrical package than what he has to work with here - the words are nice enough and "You" does have the only 'story' in the NF but they do put him in a 'bad light', making him sound like a bit of a git! The slowness of the music makes you focus on them even more but despite the lyrics, he sounds absolutely sublime - having said that, I feel that "You" is more a showcase of his voice, rather than being a strong contender for a Eurovision selection process winner. This could still do it though - if staged with him alone on stage, spotlight over him, camera focussed solely on his face, everything being about his vocals, his facial expressions and his emotional delivery then we could see a guy singing about how he should be honest with his current beau flying to Lisbon...

12 Points (8.0/10) : Asanda - "Legends"

Now regular readers will know how important I find first impressions with any Eurovision song and how I have always felt that is the only way to get an idea how someone who will only watch the Eurovision Final and have no clue about any entry beforehand will possibly vote.

"Legends" was the first song listed on the BBC Eurovision playlist, it was the entry that immediately caught my attention and made me think that this was a definite entry for the Contest.

I loved the distinctive African-style acapella intro and the drumming throughout is totally infectious. Having a trumpet/'vuvuzela' effect over the chorus made this an intriguing listen musically and this was a solid hook throughout. Asanda's vocals are superb and match the hip hop feel of the song and her voice has a strong attitude as she spits out those lyrics, the only slight weakness compared to the rest of the composition of this entry but decent nonetheless. What does cause a problem for me is that the intensity and power is stalled continually with the slow parts before each chorus - it is obviously an attempt to give some light and shade but for me it loses some of the drive of the music and Asanda has to more or less 'restart the engine' each time. The first half of this entry is amazing, the second half less so - perhaps something to be adjusted? All things being equal, if this is staged right in Brighton with Asanda providing a visual attitude to match her vocal one, I cannot see any other entry out of the UK Six preventing "Legends" from winning Eurovision: You Decide...

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So, on first listen, the standout entry for me was 16 year old Asanda with "Legends". Compare this with last year's audio reveal, where I had Lucie Jones and Salena Mastroianni as my two favourites 'on first listen' and we all know how that turned out! Looking back on that article, there was something that I said there that rocked me, as I had the very same reaction this year when I played all the tracks first off this year too. And what was that?

"First Listen" has underwhelmed me to be honest...
Here's hoping for a National Final pick-me-up like no other!

Thinking back to the previous two NFs, 2016 is still the high point as far as having a wide spread of acts AND almost all the entries sound great on audio only. Of course everything connected to Eurovision now is about the whole package - the vocals plus how it all looks to those all important viewers who make up almost all the voters on the night. The live show in 2016 and even to a degree 2017 changed my view on who was going to win and that will be the one true test for the class of 2018...

Having said that, I would be expecting the UK to be sending the tribal vibe of "Legends" to Lisbon but I wouldn't be surprised if that odd love song from those dulcet tones of Jaz Ellington didn't run Asanda close on the night. I really cannot see any other entry taking the title - Raya and Goldstone will get the party started and keep it going (one of those WILL be opening the show), SuRie will provide a nice contrast after one of those pop/club numbers and as for Liam...it will be a question of where to put him in as filler. It is all too early to start pontificating about a particular entry and its chances in Lisbon as we all know how NFs can throw up some funny old results!

In a fortnight it will be all to play for...

How will the UK decide?

I'll be there in Brighton to find out first hand!

Internal selections were finally paying off nicely for France in 2016 and 2017 - 6th with Amir in 2016 and 12th with Alma this year. Most nations would have happily continued this process, picking a photogenic artist with a great voice and a catchy song, ensuring a top half finish each year...

But this is FRANCE!

There has always been that urge to involve the French public, to get them back into loving Eurovision again, as they did decades ago, when singing in that language was the sure fire way to get at least a top five at the Contest. Bearing in mind that the last time we had a NF in France, these guys won and promptly provided a last place finish and two points:

I think that "Moustache" got a bit of a bum rap in Copenhagen and suffered, like many others, from being lost in the cavernous void that was the B&W Halle stage. It is catchy as anything and it is rapidly becoming a fan favourite at Euro Discos everywhere - will the 2018 NF process produce something like Twin Twin or another Amir/Alma who will be there or thereabouts for the top ten in Lisbon?

It might help matters that Amir was one of the three judges during the SF segments, along with Isabelle Boulay and Christophe Willem and so has more current Eurovision experience to guide the best of the artists at Destination Eurovision 2018 in the Final. They provided 50% of the vote in the SFs, along with a triumvirate of HoDs from around Europe - Christer Björkman (Sweden), Nicola Caligiore (Italy) and Olga Salamakha (Belarus) who provided the other half. Those of you who watched this probably noticed a difference of opinion on some acts between France and International...

Hopefully some of you watched the SFs in the same way I did - for once my XL tv package on Virgin actually paid dividends with a buffer free HD 55'' view of proceedings! Some of my thoughts on the shows themselves?

Neither of the SFs dragged at all - admittedly they weren't live but both shows were well produced, flowed well and had a superb host in Garou. If we in the UK have anything to aspire to as far as our NF, 'Eurovision : You Decide', should look then this selection process provides a possible answer. Two and a half hours seemed a big ask but it was all effortless.

One aspect that I wasn't too sure worked that well, apart from allowing the artists to warm up their voices and get used to the studio environment, was the cover song 'snippet'. 90 seconds of someone else's song worked really well for some, not so much for others - ironically the best one of these over the two shows then went on to sound the worst during her song:

I have no idea what went wrong with her 'Eurovision entry' as I thought we might have a wow moment on our hands...

Now I'm not going to focus on each entry in the SF as you will have your own ideas on why certain artists didn't make the cut but I will point out one from each that I felt should have made it instead of the fourth placed finisher - first up is my SF1 playlist:

My entry that should have been there? A bit of a controversial one, seeing how few marks it got from the jurors:

The guy who opened the show, Masoe - admittedly nowhere as strong as my first two picks of Lisandro and Emmy but this guy's unusually high voice really had a quality that the others in SF1 didn't have. I had the feel of Mihai in my head with this one and Masoe had amazing confidence on stage, working the camera and crowd really well. The repetitive nature of the song would probably his downfall and possibly this was quite 'love or hate' to those jurors - "Paradis" deserved far more than 6 marks.

Onto to my 'what could have been' artist from SF2 - first the playlist:

Again, this particular entry was woefully undermarked in my humble opinion and would have made for another genre in the Final:

Perhaps a bit too old-fashioned compared to most of the entries at Destination Eurovision 2018 but didn't something resembling a chanson just win Eurovision in Kyiv? "Tu me manques" was my favourite song on the night - Sarah provided a tour de force as far as emotional connection with the camera was concerned, loads of angst that really gripped me, taking me through those three minutes and almost tiring me out by the end, those sentiments were totally heart-rending. I loved her voice too and how simply this was all set up, just Sarah singing into the microphone in her LBD. Maybe the intensity of this was too much for the jurors to consider sending this on into the Final - whatever the reason, eight marks was a very poor return and totally undeserved. Sarah's vocal and powerful display will be one of my highlights of this Eurovision season...

As for who made it into the Final, SF1 was close for the fourth place, SF2 really was not much of a contest:

So we have a Final 8, which means that I can get out my reviewer's scoreboard and give you all my thoughts on how I'd rank them and why. So from my number 8 up to my tip for Lisbon, here we go with Destination Eurovision 2018, with the scores that have been used so far, where only the top six gets any credit. So two of the Finalists will end up with nothing...

0 Points (4.0/10) : Nassi - "Rêves de gamin"

Don't get me wrong, "Rêves de gamin" wasn't all bad - I loved the music and its thumping 'quiet hip hop' beats, together with the chorus backing that made this an instrumental triumph. The issue I had with this entry is Nassi - he can't sing and he looked totally out of place on that stage with the backing dancers.

If another male singer with a decent voice was singing this, I could see this entry being there in Lisbon representing France and potentially doing quite well.

As it is, I cannot tell whether the vocals are just how Nassi sings or whether they were just incredibly weak on the night but it always sounded as though he was trying to catch up with the music and he wasn't the best in stagecraft. He might have been having fun here but I wasn't - no points for this guy...

0 Points (5.0/10) : Malo' - "Ciao"

'Unique' vocal deliveries have always been very hit or miss with me - remember how much I disliked the yodelling and rap of Ilnica and Alex in Kyiv? Romania were my number 43 last year and if France send this entry to Lisbon, there is a very, VERY strong possibility that they will end up as my number 43 in 2018! Having said that, there is one big plus an entry like this has over all the average ones - memorability. I might think that this is an abomination but it is the sort of performance and vocal that will attract votes purely due to that unique character and voice that Malo' has - you could tell from Isabelle's face and her manner that she loved this guy.

"Ciao" would either get zero or 12 from a jury or televote - no shades of grey with this one.

This guy's voice seems childlike to my ear and his breathing and lilt as he sings is all over the place, all of it cutting right through my head. This entry is really distinctive though and he does have amazing stage presence, what with his piano playing and interaction with the crowd. All of that could lead the voters in the Final to go for this guy and that wouldn't surprise me at all...

2 Points (6.0/10) : Louka - "Mamma Mia"

Moving on from the entries that have their issues as far as I am concerned, we move onto the one song in the line-up that is...well...a bit 'meh'. And it really shouldn't be because as a concept, "Mamma Mia" has everything going for it, including using the title of a ABBA hit. This should be the party song here in France, their 'beach song' and for the first verse it sounded as though we were going to get that.

However, once we reached the chorus and the second half of the song,
everything was really quite disappointing, Louka's vocal and performance lost momentum
and it got quite dull as we reached the end of the track.

The music is quite the toe tapper and deserves a decent vocal and staging by this guy - he's made it into the Final by the skin of his teeth - will we see a far better show in the Final? Or is this being used purely to get the party started?

4 Points (7.0/10) : Madame Monsieur - "Mercy"

If you understand French (which I don't, having last studied it 36 years ago) or have a good translation tool (that's the one), this is one of two entries that have a real conscience vibe going on.

If you don't understand the lyrics, you will have no idea that this is about a baby being born on a refugee boat, as their mother attempts to escape their old life by travelling to a hopefully more beneficial and happy life.

Perhaps that explains the 'puppeteer's black' outfits, both Émilie and Jean-Karl wanting to have all the focus on the lyrical content and their message, rather than what they look like. The concept is amazing and if Madame Monsieur win Destination Eurovision, their 'political' message will be pushed towards a wider audience. Having said all that, the song itself is pleasant enough but I didn't think that it was anything out of the ordinary. Émilie sings superbly and is totally engaging with her stagecraft and movements around the stage - it is a good pop song but there wasn't enough of a hook musically or vocally for me to feel that this could even match France's last two Eurovision finishes. Not bad by any means but no wow moments either, hence the 4 points...

6 Points (7.5/10) : Igit - "Lisboa Jerusalem"

There are some songs and styles of performance that are stereotypically 'of that country', that would not be found anywhere else - Igit and 'Lisboa Jerusalem' came together to provide us with something quintessentially French. Everything about this went against every other performance in SF2 - the winding of the clock, Igit dressing a little disheveled and this piece possibly fitting a musical theatre stage better than one for a Eurovision competition. I am not really sure how the crowd and the judges took this 'all on board' at first but the quirky, even idiosyncratic style of this singer and song must have hit a nerve somewhere as he made it into the Final.

In the nicest sense of the term, this was a complete 'mind f*ck' as far as I was concerned but in a good way - this tour around Europe might seem cynical and cheesy but it worked totally unexpectedly.

I suspect that this will be for 'the local market' primarily and I couldn't see this doing that well in Lisbon but Igit's passionate delivery and amazing vocal talent was definitely one of the best showings last Saturday.

8 Points (8.0/10) : Max Cinnamon - "Ailleurs"

Of all the qualifiers from SF2, this was at the top of my list. Given Sarah's shock (in my eyes) DNQ, Max Cinnamon provided a fresh and fun delivery of what is going to be part of every NF through to Lisbon, the latin beach song. There were lots of engaging latin rhythms here and it had the best hook of the night for me - the French verses holding my attention more than the English chorus, to be fair.

This was a good watch with Max having a quiet charisma and likeability that made me want to listen to him more - this is a young guy who I feel could provide a shock result in France IF he can grow into the competition and gain more confidence with his connection and singing.

Will the beach song scenario be his undoing though, seeing that every NF seems to have their version and by the law of averages some of those getting through? Whatever happens, this will still be that upbeat bit of fluff that gets the audience jumping, seeing that we have two entries with some heavy content in there...

10 Points (8.0/10) : Emmy Liyana - "OK ou KO"

For a performer experienced in reality music shows, Emmy really appeared to be nervous all the way through SF1. This might have explained why I felt that there was something missing from this performance, something that would turn a good entry into a great one that could take her to the NF win and Eurovision.

What Emmy does have is an incredible voice and a wonderful look that makes her stand out from the crowd - both of these aspects made "OK ou KO" a fascinating entry to watch and listen to.

This is a nice paced pop song that compliments Emmy's voice perfectly, especially that wonderful high note, and I felt that another try in the Final will allow her to nail this entry in its entirety, keeping the momentum of the opening bars throughout until the end. This lady has attitude in abundance - can she bring everything together for the win? She was my second favourite over the two SFs so I'm hoping so - if this is say 80%, 100% could get her the title...

12 Points (9.0/10) : Lisandro Cuxi - "Eva"

And so the song that caught my ear and eye in SF1 is still my number one after all the entries have been played. "Eva" was the entry that gave me that 'wow' moment instantly, a mix of pure pop and social commentary in one.

If you want a comparative Eurovision song, András Kállay-Saunders singing "Running" came to my mind with its combination of a pop song that has social comment delivered with an infectious beat.

Even I understood the premise of this song from the snippets of English sung during the chorus but having seen the lyrics in English, I now know that this is another 'deep' entry in the French line-up - Eva appears to be a single mum who makes ends meet as a dancer in a club. Whether this is at the 'Private Dancer' level that Tina Turner sung about, I'm not sure whilst reading the translation, but it is obvious that she is an anonymous figure who performs for the love of her child. Away from these thought provoking lyrics, Lisandro is a star on stage. Super charismatic, he provides some sharp dance moves whilst delivering a solid range of notes and being extremely listenable and totally watchable. He had everyone in the studio eating out of the palm of his hand by the end of the song - I fully expect him to be doing so in the Final too. This was my 'goosebump' song during the French selection process and my tip for the win at Destination Eurovision 2018...

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So we are only a few days away from the French National Final - the polls appear to have Madame Monsieur and Lisandro Cuxi as the two acts who will be battling it out for the win. To be honest, that could be not far from the truth and to have two entries dealing with such social hotspots that could be at Eurovision would be a very interesting scenario, especially as it is somewhere other than Hungary, the current kings of the conscience song. I still feel that Emmy Liyana could be there or thereabouts, if her nerves can be brought under control but we have an unknown quantity involved in the result of the Final:

The French Public!

How will they view the eight acts above? Who will be THEIR favourite? I have no idea where they will be coming from - will they still like an act like Twin Twin (2018 - Nassi?) or will the more modern pop performances grab their attention? 50% public and 50% jury, which will have no Amir, Isabelle or Christophe in it - an interesting mix that will provide the winning entry for France this year. It is likely to be a close affair on Saturday 27th January...

What will I be doing? I'll be spending my third Saturday night in a row watching TV5Monde Europe, hoping that the best sung and performed entry makes it to Lisbon. If the SF performances are replicated in the Final, my prediction would be that this guy is going to Lisbon in May:

Pop songs with a social conscience -

France are becoming the 'new Hungary' at Eurovision!

The clear choice for the French public, even if it wasn't heavily backed by the International juries, Madame Monsieur came through Destination Eurovision 2018 and emerged as the winners last night (27th January). We now have our ninth set of artists, our second song and potentially our first complete entry (given that Eugent Bushpepa's "Mall" has to still lose 90 seconds). If you remember back 24 hours, you will have read that this wasn't my favourite of the French line-up - it was down at number 5 due to it being a decent pop song but to my ears and eyes nothing more. What I do recognise is why it won the French NF but to demonstrate that, I need to quickly summarise what happened in the Final.

Louka was there just to warm up the crowd...

In his leather jacket, he looked as though he was trying out for the T-Birds in 'Grease' but had forgotten his hair wasn't out of the 1950s He played second fiddle to Maître Gims in his duet and he ended up way behind the field in 8th place but someone needed to kick things off...

Igit was almost made to look 'a bit of a puppet'...

After a storming duet with Alain Souchon, where Igit really took command and increased my belief that perhaps he could be a possible outsider for the win, everything fell totally flat for me when I saw that he had decided to add a mannequin and three black clothed extras operating it. Three people? Was CGI not available for the television broadcast? Perhaps this form of entertainment is still popular in France, despite puppet shows dying out a few decades ago in the UK, but the presence of three extra people plus this figurine detracted from his passion and delivery of this unique song so much that my eyes (and the camera) were barely on him throughout this performance. This was my 7th placed entry on the night because of that but "Lisboa Jerusalem" still managed a respectable fifth place, only seven points off third...

Malo' was still as annoying as he was in the SF...

Ah, my perfect view of this guy - in picture form where there is no sound at all! Unfortunately the microphone didn't stop him singing and his voice still cut through my head. However, as I said, you either love his vocal style or hate it and we had a 'Michał Szpak' moment at Destination Eurovision 2018, where a low score with the juries was counter to the second highest televote, pulling him up from 7th up to a very respectable third. At least he didn't win but to give him credit, he did have the best stagecraft of anyone in the Final - if only he had a 'more pleasant' voice...

Nassi found his voice...

This guy was the major improver from SF to Final, bar none. Nassi was an absolute smash in the duet with The Gipsy Kings (who took seemingly ages to set up, despite their having only acoustic guitars) and he almost sung his actual entry spot on. A little breathless at times was the worst you could say about his vocals and the infectious nature of the music plus the dancers who added to this entry boosted his standing in my eyes up into the top three. Unfortunately no-one else agreed and he ended up 7th but at least I could now see why he was selected in the first place...

Max had the best night of his life...

From being praised by Patrick Fiori and holding his own in their duet to walking out of the crowd to start his song and absolutely nailing his guitar move at the chorus of "Ailleurs", Max exuded uber amounts of confidence all the way through the NF. He owned the stage during his entry and he was obviously delighted with all the praise that he was getting - the song was still not punchy enough to get him big marks from jurors or public but I am sure that if you had told him that he would end up being 5th in the Final when he first applied, he'd have exclaimed some French expletive that teenage guys utter...

We all discovered that Emmy wasn't popular with the public...

I wanted to flag up the actual performance of "OK ou KO" because this was the staging highlight of the night for me. She came out looking absolutely amazing and then we had the massive twist of her having three 'clones' of her on stage, mimicking her actions and adding so much to this visual show that it became a massive 'wow' moment. She was sassy, she had bags of attitude and nailed every note, every look, every camera angle - I was positive that she was going to be there or thereabouts, vying for the win with Lisandro and Madame Monsieur. After the ten jurors had voted, that seemed to be the case:

5 x 12 - Lisandro Cuxi

3 x 12 - Emmy Liyana

2 x 12 - Madame Monsieur

Imagine everyone's shock when Emmy was the third name read out during the televote stage, only gaining 30 points out of a possible 420, pulling down from a clear second to a very distant fourth, only two points clear of Igit and five behind Malo'. In the big scheme of things, it was obvious that the public only wanted one act to win so this really didn't matter but her vocals and staging deserved so much more than this in the end - this was on par with a "Rhythm Inside" performance but it all faded away like a damp squib for Emmy...

Lisandro was close but no cigar...

This was when my idea of "Eva" from the lyrics being an anonymous single mum, dancing at a club to make ends meet and feed her family, was totally shattered! I wonder if a lot of viewers felt the same way in that this lady seemed to be less likely not to be noticed in that sort of environment - it was just a moment that didn't sit right with me. Up to that point, everything had gone to plan, with Lisandro singing this perfectly, the staging worked well, the dancers added to the act without getting in the way and the tempo made this a crowd pleaser. Even the judges were impressed, Lisandro being their winner and I think that the portable screens used might be seen more frequently in Lisbon as a method of dealing with the lack of LED screens in the Arena. The public went for Madame Monsieur however and the gap between the two acts was too much for Lisandro to retain the lead - there was nothing wrong with "Eva" at all, apart from perhaps having too much going on as far as staging was concerned but you sometimes have to accept that another entry catches the public mood more...

And so to Mercy...

Apologies for the poor quality of this screencap - the typical 'red mist' took over in the director's box when the winner was announced, with hardly any time being spent focussing on the final scores and no one noticed that the TV channel logo might be hiding the winner's total! It was conclusive in the end and it seemed to match the mood of the French crowd and public - Madame Monsieur were clearly their favourites, getting 118 out of 420 (28%). To be fair, they weren't out of the running with the jurors, two top marks from Iceland and Bulgaria did keep them within touch of Lisandro and Emmy. Let's remind ourselves of the performance that won them the French spot in Lisbon:

This wasn't as good as their SF2 winning performance in my opinion but only because Émilie appeared to be 'playing to the crowd' more than the camera. Whether that was because she had been given the wrong marks by the production team, she had forgotten them or perhaps she was caught up with the studio audience's mood and their waving hands (a bit like the ocean?), I don't know, but in the end it made no difference at all. The package as a whole won the day - her vocals being spot on as always, her emotional delivery and movements gave enough interest throughout without being distracting but I am convinced that the major selling point of this entry has always been its message. As I hinted to in my review of the Final, "Mercy" has an amazing tale to tell but is only understandable if you are either fluent in French or have a decent translation package on your internet browser:

French:

Je suis née ce matin, je m’appelle Mercy

Au milieu de la mer, entre deux pays, Mercy

C’était un long chemin et maman l’a pris

Elle m’avait dans la peau huit mois et demi

Oh oui, huit mois et demi

On a quitté la maison, c’était la guerre

C’est sûr qu’elle avait raison, y avait rien à perdre

Oh non, excepté la vie

Je suis née ce matin, je m’appelle Mercy

On m’a tendu la main et je suis en vie

Je suis tous ces enfants que la mer a pris

Je vivrai cent mille ans, je m’appelle Mercy

S’il est urgent de naître, comprenez aussi

Qu’il est urgent de renaître

Quand tout est détruit, merci

Et là, devant nos yeux, y avait l’ennemie

Une immensité bleue peut-être infinie

Mais oui, on en connaissait le prix

Surgissant d’une vague, un navire ami

A redonné sa chance à notre survie

C’est là que j’ai poussé mon premier cri

Je suis née ce matin, je m’appelle Mercy

On m’a tendu la main et je suis en vie

Je suis tous ces enfants que la mer a pris

Je vivrai cent mille ans, je m’appelle Mercy

Derrière les sémaphores

Serait-ce le bon port

Que sera demain

Face à face ou main dans la main

Que sera demain

Je suis née ce matin, je m’appelle Mercy

Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy

Mercy, Mercy, je vais bien, merci

Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy

Mercy, Mercy, je vais bien, merci

Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy

Mercy, Mercy, je vais bien, merci

Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy

Mercy, Mercy, je vais bien, merci

English:

I was born this morning, my name is Mercy

In the middle of the sea, between two countries, Mercy

It was a long way and mom took it

She had me in the skin eight and a half months

Oh yes, eight and a half months

We left the house, it was the war

She was right, there was nothing to lose

Oh no, except life

I was born this morning, my name is Mercy

was reached out and I'm alive I'm all these children that the sea took

I will live a hundred thousand years, my name is Mercy

If it is urgent to be born, also understand

That it is urgent to be reborn

When everything is destroyed, thank you

And there, before our eyes, was the enemy

A blue immensity maybe infinite

But yes, we knew the price

Emerging from a wave, a friend's ship

A gave back our chance to our survival

That's where I pushed my first cry

I was born this morning, my name is Mercy

was reached out and I'm alive I'm all these children that the sea took

I will live a hundred thousand years, my name is Mercy

Behind the semaphores

Would it be the right port

What will be tomorrow

Face to face or hand in hand

What will be tomorrow

I was born this morning, my name is Mercy

Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy

Mercy, Mercy, I'm fine, thanks

Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy

Mercy, Mercy, I'm fine, thanks

Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy

Mercy, Mercy, I'm fine, thanks

Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy

Mercy, Mercy, I'm fine, thanks

A song written about a real incident of a mother fleeing Africa in a boat to Europe and then going into labour on another ship that had rescued her out of the sea - superb investigative work by Ellie Chalkley of ESC Insight found this tweet about it:

Here she is! Both baby Mercy and proud mama Taiwo are doing amazingly well. May #Europe treat them with the kindness they deserve. pic.twitter.com/cMCqG46FYS
— MSF Sea (@MSF_Sea) March 21, 2017

Incredibly emotive words within, interwoven into a gentle pop song that must have tugged on so many heartstrings and provided an intellectual thread contrary to the other entries. Even "Eva", discussing the plight of a single mother and her struggle to survive, faded into the background and lost out in the battle for France's social conscience. A story with a social message - hopefully it will not be bogged down by some who might point to a political message but '1944' let that "genie out of the bottle"...

A song then for the French primarily, rather than targeted at Eurovision in general? Will this entry fall down the same 'language hole' that befell "Occidentali's Karma" in Kyiv, with its dancing Gorilla linked closely to the lyrical content of the song, which was understood fully by all Italians and most Eurovision fans but not by the 99.9999% of viewers of the Eurovision Final in May? If this entry is kept 100% in French (which personally I hope it will be, otherwise it is obvious that the change will be cynically trying to garner votes from the English understanding public), then "Mercy" is a very pleasant pop song but with little in the way of musical hook or unique character of voice, sounding a bit repetitive by the end of the track. As for Madame Monsieur's styling, their 'puppeteer' outfits were almost usurped by the three operators of Igit's mannequin and I am still a little unsure why they were chosen:

Apart from French expats, half the Belgian population, a third of Swiss, some Armenians and assorted Francophiles spread across the continent, the crux of this song - its extremely well constructed lyrical format and message - will be not be passed on in those three minutes that Madame Monsieur will perform the song to the voting audience. Jurors across Eurovision will have more of an opportunity to discover the lyrical content in their own language, although it might have been worrying for the French delegation that only half of the jurors gave "Mercy" an 8/10/12. For for most of the televoters on Final night, reliance on the 60 seconds that each national commentator has to provide a quick sound bite of what the song is about will not begin to tell the whole story. One suggestion would be to have the French lyrics shown behind them as the song is being sung but we all know that there will be no LED screens in Lisbon - perhaps screens the size used in Lisandro's set might work. There is now a lyric video for "Mercy" - just having a visual representation of the fact that the word 'merci' ("thank you") is NOT what is being repeated numerous times would help out a little in Lisbon:

So we have our second 'complete' entry of artist and song at Eurovision 2018 - it is obviously far too early to compare like for like or predict where Madame Monsieur may end up on that Final scoreboard in Lisbon. Comparisons can be made with "J'ai cherché" and "Requiem" though - it is not as instant as Amir or Alma's efforts and requires more involvement from the listener. For us Eurovision fans, that is not a problem but in the 'white heat' of the Eurovision Final, in amongst 25 other songs of varying styles and standards, the fact that this has such an interesting and distinctive subject matter might be lost, as the entry overall (for me at least) is not as memorable as France 2016 or 2017. France 2018 might be a harder sell than the previous two entries but one thing is certain...

"Mercy" was the choice of the French public -

having your nation support you provides a massive confidence boost at Eurovision.

Hopefully that backing will translate into a decent placing for Madame Monsieur...

Okay everybody, be honest - did you expect this lady to be going to Lisbon? After what happened in Kyiv, most fans thought that Julia Samoylova would not be the Russian representative this year, despite the reassurances of Channel One in Russia that she was their choice, assuming that the trials and tribulations of 2017 and the political stand-off between her nation and Ukraine hadn't put her off. Recent social media footage has seen her preparing for Eurovision but there was still this doubt in my mind that she WOULD be singing in Lisbon and that some other artist would be sprung onto the Eurovision faithful in March, casting her into the 'bin of what might have been', a footnote of the 2017 season, seemingly a pawn in the games of two warring nations over a musical song contest. Of course, the prospective song that was going to be sent to Kyiv will always be history, having been revealed before September 1st 2017:

To be honest, that song was always a poor one, not highlighting the strengths of her voice or delivery at all, it sounding so awkward in English. I am not going into the political whys and wherefores of her situation last year at all because there are other people interested in such things and I, quite frankly, have grown tired of this story from that viewpoint. What is important is that this lady now has a real chance of putting forward a decent Eurovision entry, done her way and not rushed at the last minute like 2017, that shows off her talents. There will still be rumblings all the way through to Lisbon about what happened last year and there might even be the threat of booing again but at least the broadcaster has been true to their word about her staying as Russia's artist and she has their backing. There have been rumours of the subjects of 'space' and 'fairytales' being worked into possible projects for Julia to sing - something that we will learn more about in the coming weeks. At least the lady herself is the focus now - her life story in video form is below:

Interesting information that gives a different view on this singer that wasn't revealed in the run up to Kyiv - it is good to see that her favourite Eurovision song isn't "Euphoria"! I cannot imagine that we will see Julia much in the run up to Lisbon at any of the pre-Parties, all bar the Moscow one, assuming that is on the calendar this year with Russia returning to the Contest - getting her story across, one that is not intertwined with the Crimean crisis, will be a tough one for the Russian delegation to overcome, at least amongst the fans. In the big scheme of things, however, having a great song that doesn't have the level of smaltz that "Flame Is Burning" had would be a start - most voters in the SF and (probably) the Eurovision Final will have little or no memory of the events of March and April 2017 and will vote purely on the entry itself and how it is all staged. I at least am willing to 'wipe the slate clean' as far as last year's political maneuvering was concerned - I await her Eurovision 2018 entry with interest...

Artist number 11 for Lisbon doesn't have an issue with not having an song ready - he's had his sorted for months...

It really was a foregone conclusion - no matter how much Debbi's "High On Love" caught my attention the most out of the six videos for the Czech NF, it was always going to be "Lie To Me" that was going to make the trip to Lisbon, particularly after we learnt that the International Jury had selected it as their favourite. ESCToday provided the confirmation of who finished where after the public vote:

Mikolas was always the man to attempt to double the number of times that Czechia had reached the Eurovision Final. And do you know something?

I think that this will provide a shock result in Lisbon...

Not just a Final placing but also Czechia's first top ten (or better)!

He is already relishing the challenge:

Dokázali jsme to! ❤️🙏🏻😭 Jedeme na Eurovizi!!! Už za 3 měsíce zazní Lie to Me čtvrt miliardě lidí u televizních obrazovek a 20.000 divákům v Lisabonské Altice Aréně. 🙏🏻 INSANE!!! Čeká nás jedna z největších Eurovizí v historii a co jinýho říct, než že děkuju za tu možnost hájit tam naše barvy. 🙏🏻🇨🇿 /// We did it! ❤️🙏🏻😭 We are going to ESC!!! In 3 months Lie to Me will be heard by 250 million people in front of their TV screens and to 20.000 people in the Altice Arena. 🙏🏻 INSANE!!! One of the biggest of ESCs awaits us and what else to say then thank you for allowing me to stand there for my country. 🙏🏻🇨🇿
A post shared by Mikolas Josef (@mikolasjosef) on Jan 29, 2018 at 10:23am PST

And judging by his material so far, he is not short of confidence! You need a lot of that to ride a camel, if nothing else. He is also not afraid of challenging the norms or conventions of Eurovision, especially with the 'story' of this song and a few of the words chosen. What I have noticed when watching the 'camel video' (as it shall be now known) is that the offending 'f*cks' and 'motherf*cker' are not so obvious without having the accompanying lyrics on the screen. Can he get away without changing those words? Will the EBU have an issue with this? I am sure that we will get the opportunity to attempt to hear them live at the pre-Parties...unless of course Mikolas has already sanitised the song before then.

Even though this wasn't my prefered choice from the Czechia Six, Mikolas was only second to Debbi by 0.5/10 (8.5 instead of 9.0) and "Lie To Me" had this superb combination of guitar licks and sax/trumpet arrangement, together with a lyrical arrangement that could be found in any pop song around the world right now. That is the reason for this track winning the Czech vote - its modern sound, albeit earthy and gritty, together with his visual charisma and obvious good looks. If this has little in the way of current pop competition in May, I can see this being a "commentator's favourite" on SF and Final night, raking in lots of points from jurors who appreciate this ticking lots of their boxes and from the public who just like the groove and sound. "Lie To Me" is possibly the most memorable of all the entries revealed so far for Lisbon - will the staging of this take it up another level and secure a Czech second Final?

Hopefully no politics this year for Julia...

Hopefully no need to cut out the profanities for Mikolas...

Early stages but "Lie To Me" could well be a dark horse entry!

2017 was a complete nightmare for Spain at Eurovision - starting with the acrimony at their National Final where Manel Navarro was effectively selected by two of the jurors, overriding the televote and the third judge, and finishing with this nice guy having a vocal breakdown in the Final and only the televote of 5 marks from Portugal to show for his efforts. He failed to 'surf the Despacito wave' and Spain finished with their fifth 'bottom five finish' out of seven since the formation of the 'Big 5' (excuse the number of fives there). How have this nation responded to this ongoing predicament? That was uncertain up until December when it was announced that the reality music show, Operación Triunfo 2017 (OT), would be used to select the Spanish artist for Lisbon.

Why have no details of this appeared in my blog until now? The reason is quite straightforward - I have not engaged myself with the competition until now because, to be honest, I do have a life and there is only so much time I can spend watching out for Eurovision shows and news! I decided at an early stage NOT to watch anything to do with OT as there was no guarantee early on that this would be used as a Eurovision selection process and even when it was decided how the show would be used in that way, it was only in the last few days that we knew exactly which singers would be in the 'National Final' and even less time since we knew the songs they would be singing...

One (or perhaps two) of (l-r) Amaia, Miriam, Alfred, Aitana and Ana Guerra

was to be the Spanish act for Eurovision 2018.

So apart from there being an 80% chance that the singer's name would start with the letter 'A', what else do we know about their entries? All we initially had to base any sort of commentary on was footage of rehearsals from the 'Fame Academy' (as that is what this whole process appears to me to be about) and a short clip of studio footage. Nothing polished in advance of the NF (29th January) but in the intensive world that is this sort of show, I suspected that a lot of polishing up of each entry had happened in a very short space of time. So first of all, the choices - each of the five got a solo, they also had a duet with another of the Finalists or in Miriam's case with the losing 'semi finalist' Agoney (great name for someone just missing out on the Final, eh?) and there was a song involving all five of them. The public vote for their favourites and the top three went into that 'Super Final' for one last vote by the public - got it?

So let's look at the entries, in reverse order of popularity on the night:

The OT Finalists - "Camina"

These collaborative efforts never work, not even in a 'look how we all get along and love singing together' sort of way. What it did show right from the off was how the show's producers were focusing on the 'relationship' between Alfred and Amaia, showing off the others as individuals. I felt that none of the finalists had a great vocal performance here throughout and the fact that only 1% of the voters chose this to go to Lisbon was a massive blessing in disguise, not only for me but it was quite obvious that none of the five wanted to repeat this in a hurry...

Alfred - "Que Nos Sigan Las Luces"

This was one of the solos that drew a sharp intake of breath from the studio audience, as Alfred was announced as finishing second from bottom out of the nine. Was it the song itself that was quite MOR and not that memorable? Maybe it was the bizarre golden embellishments on his jacket? Or maybe it was because Alfred needed some help during this Contest and the Spanish public wanted to see him in a duet, not on his own. 3% was perhaps a strong indication of the last one although I have to say that I prefered his vocals here, perhaps because they weren't being compared directly with a better singer...

Amaia - "Al Cantar"

The crowd were a bit shocked about this one being third from bottom and this was perhaps more of a surprise than Alfred. Amaia has a beautiful voice and a lovely reserved stage persona but in this instance it was all about the song. More of a musical theatre song somewhere in the middle of the show, just to keep it ticking over just before accelerating into the final third, this very slow paced and peaceful ditty seemed to run out of steam and words 120 seconds in and there was nothing that this lady or her 'skirt of many colours' could do about it. It was almost as if the production team had decided that Alfred and Amaia shouldn't have the burden of singing more than once later in the show - but that would be a very cynical view, wouldn't it? Only 4% liked this sing-song entry to progress to the SuperFinal...

Ana Guerra - "El Remedio"

You could say that every NF has a 'Latin beach song' this year but to be fair, this is Spain and that is what they do! Not very well some years granted (Manel turned up at the end of the show) but these songs sound best in Spanish. Unfortunately for Ana, she gives great presentation and a show here but her vocals suffer big time - one that is best viewed on mute than with the sound up. She looks amazing and the staging with the numerous dancers really took the show by the scruff of the neck and woke it up but as happens with lots of artists who go for full on dance and movement, it sounds very rough and probably accounted for that 5%. Remember how Ana struggled with her vocals in her solo - it may offer a hint as to how her duet panned out...

Miriam and Agoney - "Magia"

Now we move onto the halfway point of the nine entries and we find the unluckiest two artists in OT. Agoney was down on his luck because he was the beaten semi-finalist and Miriam because she ended up finishing 4th and 5th, just outside the Super Final. Only one person did better with their songs but enough of that later. The main reason why this ended up with only 7% of the vote was that Agoney WAS the sixth best singer here, also that the song was very lightweight pop and that this was a stereotypical 'two singers on stage singing the same song but with no real connection'. How often we have seen that with entries in NFs and at Eurovision itself - this was nice enough but at no point was it ever 'magic'. At least it was his last hurrah...

Miriam - "Lejos De Tu Piel"

I have only watched the rehearsals and the Final performances of these five singers in the last week and I have to say that only two of them really impressed me vocally, one of them being this lady, Miriam. To put it bluntly, she has a 'great set of pipes' on her, one of the best and loudest voices of the five Finalists and if there had been absolute total control of her vocals here, this performance would have deserved far more than the 8% she was awarded by the Spanish public. Her presentation reminded me of Ruth Lorenzo and Pastora Soler in that she just stood there and belted it out but it was all still a bit raw - not good enough for the Super Final but a 'highly commended' award at least. The other thing that made me like Miriam was her absolute involvement that went on during the show and the rehearsals - she sung along, she congratulated all the other artists and was so happy to be involved. She was kept out of the final three by a singer who was far better than her, a duet that made me smile and was fun all the way through and...the act destined to go to Eurovision, aided by all the forces that OT could muster...

So who did make the Super Final? As far as I am aware, we have no breakdown of the top three after round one of voting - I wonder how the other 72% was chivvied out? We may never know - what we do know is that four singers made it through and we were treated to two duets and a solo. One of those singers ended up singing four times on the night and two of the singers ended up being dressed differently for their Super Final gig. I have to say straight up that I did predict the top 3 but not the order they finished in. So who was third with 26% of the Super Final televote?

Ana Guerra and Aitana - "Lo Malo"

If Ana could have hit her vocals as strong from the first note as she did when this song reached the first chorus, this would have been the best entry of the night, in my opinion. From what I have seen and heard, Ana's strength was not her voice but her stage persona, sassy attitude and acting which was absolutely superb in both performances of "Lo Malo". And may we say hello to Aitana - for me the best singer of the five and the one who carried the vocals throughout in this performance. As a duet, this worked brilliantly, each of the ladies having a real strength in one aspect of the entry and together carrying it through. The crowd loved this and this was the track that caught my ear when I listened to all these entries in the rehearsal room. Both of them were loving this entry too, they were super relaxed and enjoyed playing the role of strong women discarding the men around them. This song also showed Aitana's versatility, as she breezed through a duet with Ana of this pace, together with her intense solo. There was a change to the version they sung in the Super Final - one of them had a different outfit on:

Notice that Ana had her 'solo gear' on? Forget the thumbnail, Ana had her 'barely there' dress on - now why would that be? I can understand Aitana having her 'revealing club gear' on for the Super Final, as there would be no way that she could do the raunchy moves required in her solo outfit (you'll see that soon) but the OT production team must have known that Ana wasn't in the Super Final as a soloist and therefore could have changed to her 'duet' costume in time for this performance. Now I could suggest that perhaps there was something afoot to ensure that this entry didn't win by making it look different and not as coordinated as it did first time but that would be me with my cynical hat on. It still worked and it could be said that Ana upped her game vocally - if there was any pickiness here, it could be said that Aitana was tiring at this point and she wasn't as slick as before . For me though, this song made me smile and I absolutely loved the staging and these two great artist's interaction whilst singing 'Lo Malo'. If there was to be an upbeat song for the summer to come out of OT, it would be this one...

So then there were two and the entry that finished runner-up, in my opinion, was undeservedly beaten - for me, the best entry was...

Aitana - "Arde"

The purest performance of the night

The best vocal control and delivery

provided by the best singer -

Aitana would have given Spain the best chance of success in Lisbon

Now I may be one of the most predictable fans on the planet but this was an amazing performance, absolutely spellbinding. Such a powerful voice that delivered every word with overwhelming passion and spirit, Aitana gave this song such a memorable spin with her focus right down the camera lens to this viewer at least. Everything was so simple - a single coloured cocktail dress, Aitana stood on a staircase, her face and then a match superimposed behind her, the music just so stark and yet so cutting with the Spanish guitar complimenting her voice absolutely perfectly. The single spotlight on her just topped it all off - for me, this WAS the performance of the night and I would have been so happy if this was going to Portugal in May. Unfortunately only 31% of the Super Final vote went the way of "Arde" - I have to say that I hope that nothing was lost because of another 'odd occurance' between this performance and the Final one, see if you can spot what that was:

Bit obvious, wasn't it? Apparently there was no time for Aitana to swap outfits during the Super Final, she had to do this performance in her raunchy half-dressed clubbing gear for 'Lo Malo'. Doesn't have the same ambiance, does it? Why didn't the OT team arrange things so that Aitana could have quickly changed from one outfit to the other? They should have allowed her to repeat her amazing performance the first time - not that anything else about this was different but it did seem to me that it was an unnecessary obstacle put in her way when she was trying to win this Contest to get to Eurovision. In my eyes, this was the best entry of the night but then I'm not Spanish and I haven't been following the OT process - perhaps the winners were always destined to be there at the end, winning the Super Final with 43% of the vote...

Alfred and Amaia - "Tu canción”

Not exactly "Playing With Fire", was it? It seemed that this was the entry that was alway going to win - the OT sweethearts of Alfred and Amaia sing this slow love song, matching their blossoming relationship within the Academy. The perfect end to a perfect series - apart from the fact that the Eurovision show wasn't the end - if you like that sort of thing. For me, this was all very 'Glee', all that was needed was a school gymnasium and a sarcastic PE teacher. Alfred's vocals weren't suited to this slow paced song and I felt that he sung better in his solo - Amaia was the vocal powerhouse here, she had a wonderful tone and delivered the perfect half of this love song, which is okay at best for me. For a couple who clearly have feelings for each other, it is a superbly targeted song, showing off the fact how much they like each other and how comfortable they are in each other's company, even dancing a 'slowie' as they sung.

As duets go, this was possibly one of the best I have seen for a long time as it is totally believable, unlike most of this type where it is obvious that the two parties are acting for all they are worth. The staging is supreme and if they can repeat this for every future performance - all the tv shows they sing at, the pre-Parties and the Eurovision Final - this will provide a massive 'ahhhhh' moment for the viewers at home.

What will be an absolute nightmare is if their relationship sours in any way - their acting skills would then be put to the ultimate test. The song itself is a Disney dream and can be best described as 'saccharine' - how well this does will be determined by its competition and how much it 'stands out from the crowd'. There was something about the Super Final performance that struck me however:

That it was identical in every way to the first version. Alfred and Amaia were able to wear their duet outfits both times (although I prefer her multi-coloured skirt to this business attire) - no restrictions as to having to wear their 'solo clobber'. No mix and match outfits for these two, unlike for Ana and Aitana - all in all, this was my least favourite of the Super Final three, mainly because Aitana wasn't involved and because "Tu canción" is too sickly sweet for my tastes. Miss Ocaña's solo was by far and away the best entry for me, closely followed by her and Ana grinding and grooving with 'Lo Malo'. I think that either would have done a better job in Lisbon - perhaps one of those choices could find its way into the OGAE Second Chance Contest...

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So the selection process that I only engaged with for one week was over as far as Eurovision was concerned - Operación Triunfo 2017 had provided the ultimate love song "Tu canción" sung by Alfred and Amaia, to hold all of Spain's hopes in Lisbon in May:

If nothing else, they will both get a kiss out of it at the end and perhaps a burgeoning relationship to boot. Even I have to admit that this is a lovely song that will appeal to a lot of televoters and they do make a very nice couple - it did seem as though the whole of Spain was willing them on to win, the most beautiful end to a wonderful story for that nation. I have to admit that I can't remember the last time that a duet of love such as this pairing appeared on the Eurovision stage...

If Alfred and Amaia can repeat this performance in Barcelona in the Altice Arena,

then Spain might well have a very rewarding Eurovision 2018 -

hopefully heartfelt and true...

So it wasn't John Lydon and neither was it Heathers - Ireland will be sending Ryan O’Shaughnessy to Lisbon. A male soloist singing a ballad might sound as though we've all been there before but from what I have seen and read, this guy might (but only whisper it) bring something resembling good times back to Ireland's Eurovision hopes. I suspect that a lot of UK Eurovision fans might be saying "I know that face from somewhere" (nice picture by his management agency, so it is) and they'd be right - fifth place on Britain's Got Talent 2012, admittedly being beaten by Ashleigh and Pudsey (girl and dog). "No Name" was the song he was linked with:

Tick for being able to sing live and perform in front of Simon Cowell, the studio audience and a massive television audience. Bonus points for being able to play guitar although that won't be a necessity in Lisbon. A beautiful self-penned song that got him some airplay and a number 1 EP in Ireland, #9 in the UK. Reading through all the press sites over the last few days, it seems that, like a lot of 25 year old Irish singer-songwriters, Ryan has had limited commercial success since then but he did release an album in 2016, "Back To Square One". From that is this track, "Supermodel":

It seems as though a gentle, stripped back, thoughtful love song is his 'raison d'etre' - will "Together", the song he will be singing in Lisbon, be of that ilk? That entry hasn't been revealed yet but we do know that he was one of the co-composers and that he sung the demo, deciding to sing it himself when he realised that the song suited him the best. We know that it is a ballad (with a 'bit of a gospel feel', according to his words to The Irish Times) and that it inspired Ryan to say the following to the Irish broadcaster RTÉ:

“As one of three songwriters on Together, I’m delighted it has been chosen to represent Ireland in Eurovision 2018, and on top of that, to be asked to perform for my country is an absolute honour. I plan on doing Ireland proud by bringing a song and performance to Eurovision that we haven’t seen since the days of ‘Rock and Roll Kids'. Last year’s winning song from Salvador Sobral was a beautiful, melodic piece, and I think it may have carved the way for the Eurovision to revert back to being a song contest where true songs can flourish. I can’t wait to get onto that stage and perform an honest piece for millions of people.”

For a start, he wants to be there in Lisbon, which is always a massive bonus for a delegation and having a lesser known artist who is hungry for success is always a better bet than a more seasoned professional who views being at Eurovision as 'just another gig' or a boost to a flagging career. As for confidence, comparing your composition with one of the most iconic and successful Irish winners ever is putting yourself out there, almost to be shot down - can 'Together' be in the same league as this song?

His statement isn't a soundbite - it is a carefully thought out and intelligent assertion that puts this guy on a par with his heroes and also 'tips his hat' to last year's winner. Ryan sounds as though he will be providing us all with a song to really listen to, something that will silence the Altice Arena and perhaps hoover up jury points by the dozen. Of course it is easy to say these sorts of things based on a strong statement - when the entry is released in the next few weeks, we will then be able to judge whether his words are backed up by fact...

Whilst Ireland's entry sounds as though it will be a song that will be poignant, reserved and very refined, it is very unlikely that Cyprus will be sending anything like that, given who their artist is...

I can't imagine that this nation's entry at Lisbon will be a sweet and understated ballad, can you? The lady is Eleni Foureira, confirmed as the Cypriot entry on 1st February and who earlier in the season was linked with the Greek NF, until the delegation there decided upon a very authentic ethnic sound and ignored her plea to represent them (again). Apart from her many recorded attempts to be a Eurovision artist in the past (her closest being 2nd in the 2010 Greek NF), one of her main musical successes has been a Greek version of a certain Israeli hit from not so long ago - she tends to choose to wear thigh high boots rather than golden shoes though...

That's the 'fireworks' that the vocal purists rally against and it is the polar opposite to any performance of 'Amar Pelos Dois' ever performed. Having said that, despite all the jigging and OTT movement there, Eleni can sing live:

Eleni offers the most 'in your face' sexuality of any artist that has been confirmed as going to Lisbon so far - it has to be said that someone of her stage presence will probably suit what we know about the song that will be sung by her for Cyprus...

"Fuego" is the title - Spanish for 'Fire'

It is composed by Alex P and will be sung in English...
The song will be an uptempo "explosive" dance track...

It is being staged by Sacha Jean-Baptiste, artistic director for four entries last year,
including the excellent Armenian and Bulgarian ones.

You cannot say that Cyprus aren't pushing the boat out this year! Whether or not you believe that Helena Paparizou and Tamta were approached first is now moot, this is now Eleni's gig and judging by the shows she puts on and the professionalism she shows every time she performs, we might see this island nation not only qualify as they have done for the last three years but also do a lot better than finish in the bottom five. 2004 was the last time that Cyprus made it into the top half of the Final Table - it seems such a long time ago...

We may never know why the Cypriot selection process changed from what was meant to be a NF set-up (with singers such as Nelena Paparisva putting their names forward) to a clear internal one. Was there no other artist who was deemed suitable for the song written? Was this another UMK 2018 scenario, where an established artist was chosen over many unknowns? What is certain is that if the song does have all the elements that have been hinted at (and that possibly includes the rest of the team that composed "Cool Me Down" for Margaret in 2016), to do it absolute justice would require a singer who has the pedigree of singing such dance tracks and supplying top notch staging too...

Sounds like a job for Eleni Foureira!

We will all know more when "Fuego" is released and when Eleni performs it live - at the very least Eurovision 2018 will have at least one 'party tune' to potentially open or close the SF or Final...

So Ireland and Cyprus joining the 2018 'gang' means that we now know a third of the artists who will be in Lisbon - there is already an encouraging variety of musical genres, stylistic choices and 'fast food' or 'from the heart' entries...

I'll leave you to work out which variety Ryan and Eleni fall into...

Christabelle

Christabelle Borg, of course - one of the many Maltese artists who have tried and failed to win MESC before. It is fourth time lucky for this singer, having finished 8th in 2014, 4th in 2016 and missing out to Amber in 2015 with "Rush":

I have to admit that the above song was my favourite that year and indeed my preference when it came to all of her Maltese entries, even this year's when I just heard the audio version:

It didn't really impress me on first listen alongside the other MESC entries, where I thought that the song 'works well on the level of intelligent lyrics' but it had no 'major wow moment' in the studio version. I felt at the time that unless there was something special to watch, Christabelle would be relying on her previous fame to keep her up near the top of the table. The one positive that she had was her consistency of vocal ability in every show that I had seen Christabelle perform in - that and the fact she was always engaging and knew where the cameras were. Having said that, the only entry that I really had out in front from Malta this year was Eleanor Cassar with "Back To Life", so if any of the others upped their game visually, they stood a chance and I said as much in the review:

"Maybe that stage can give some of the artists from previous editions, who have less than inspiring songs to sing, the chance to blow me away with amazing choreography and staging under that arch - I'm thinking of Brooke, Christabelle and Jasmine primarily. The voting in Malta always seems to veer towards those artists who have been in the public eye for a long time which might benefit those three too..."

Looks as though I'm starting to get the hang of this Eurovision lark:

From the black panther standing out so bold on the red background, 'metamorphosing' into Christabelle in her all black outfit, through the screen effects of the concentrated light and the spinning world, past the dancers trapped in the 'box' representing the subject matter in visual form and all the way through to the pyros at the end of "Taboo", Christabelle held everyone watching spellbound.

This singer's incredible ability to connect with the viewer and present the song with such passion and emotional connectivity brought together a stunning three minute presentation.

Christabelle supplied the only staging of the night that I wouldn't have been disappointed to see on a Eurovision stage, it was that complete, interesting to watch and think about. It definitely made me ignore the continual Maltese advertising that is present across the bottom of every song here and also gave the lyrical content of this song some meaning to me, more so than it had done at any time before that choreography:

In the silence, you'll find gold

Where you feel warmth, I feel so cold

Can't get no sleep, I'm up till dawn

These demons have broken my goal

And I know

That you see my life

In foreign eyes

And I know

That you hear my cry

Tears tell no lie

Let our guards down

It's time to break the taboo

Before we all become

Animals, animals

Echoes in my head

Gotta break the taboo

No, we will never be

Criminals, criminals

Sticks and stones

Won't break my soul

Gotta be your own

Miracle, miracle

It's in my bones

Gotta break the taboo

Before we all become

Animals, animals

I know that I am not alone

Let all our thoughts and ghosts unfold

In the darkness, I've found home

But what is next is still unknown

And I know

That you hear my cry

Tears tell no lie

Let our guards down

It's time to break the taboo

Before we all become

Animals, animals

Echoes in my head

Gotta break the taboo

No, we will never be

Criminals, criminals

Sticks and stones

Won't break my soul

Gotta be your own

Miracle, miracle

It's in my bones

Gotta break the taboo

Before we all become

Animals, animals

Break the taboo

Let our guards down

It's time to break the taboo

Before we all become

Animals, animals

Echoes in my head

Gotta break the taboo

No, we will never be

Criminals, criminals

Sticks and stones

Won't break my soul

Gotta be your own

Miracle, miracle

It's in my bones

Gotta break the taboo

Before we all become

Animals, animals

A heavyweight subject to be bringing to the Eurovision but this had the right harmony, in my opinion. The panther at the start and her being almost in total darkness, eventually coming out of the song in the brightness and heat of the pyros brought a positive progression out of the lyrics about mental health - there has to be a delicate balance between treating such a subject in name only and not getting too complex in its treatment when you only have three minutes to do it. We are only six songs into 2018 and we already have subjects such as bullying, refugees and mental health being dealt with - Salvador wanted songs that have meaning, he's getting it!

As for Christabelle, she had been so close to winning three times before, so being so obviously emotional was totally understandable:

As for incorporating that stage show into her Eurovision one, I will be all for that - that, more than anything, won her the Lisbon ticket. Every juror and the public went for her as their winner:

I felt that her vocals on the first go weren't 100% and were slightly shaky at times but the reprise was far better in that regard - the relief of having won, as so often happens, led to a far better sound, although she was too delighted to stick to the 'visual script'. Here's the 'advert clean', HQ reprise:

Hear the emotional release with that intake of breath before she starts? And the pleasure that she exudes as she invites the Maltese fans to rejoice with her as she sings for the first time as Malta's Eurovision representative? Good things come to those who wait...

What are Malta's chances in Lisbon? The subject matter of "Taboo" will make this entry an interesting topic of discussion amongst fans and press alike, possibly leading to more PR interest than if the song was your typical love song or Euroclub banger. Christabelle is a superb performer and a great singer, being able to cope admirably with a visual story that requires her to act and emote straight down the camera.

As for this entry, I really hope that the staging isn't changed too much from the 'competitive' version we saw here at the MFCC, as it was really engaging, totally suited the song and fitted perfectly with Christabelle's infectious personality.

This being only the 6th singer/song package revealed so far for Eurovision 2018 and it is only February 4th, it is unfair to give any opinion as to whether this nation will be back in the Final after a year's absence - all that I can say now is that, from originally being a song that passed me by on first listen,

"Taboo" as a complete package is a triumph...

If Christabelle can repeat, or even better, what we saw at the MESC,

A Final placing and more in Lisbon is totally in her grasp!

It is always good to be right once in a while - Zibzz winning in Switzerland at Die Entscheidung Show 2018 provided me with bragging rights for the second time this Eurovision season, doubling my count from Albania and "Mall". I can't remember there being too many brother-sister acts at Eurovision (you all have permission to prove me wrong), especially ones as dynamic and powerful as these two. Corinne and Stee Gfeller won the Swiss NF on Sunday (4th February) quite comfortably in the end when jury and televotes were combined and deservedly so in my eyes, they being my tip to win from the first time I heard all the songs. I was delighted to see that the pair's stagecraft matched their studio excellence:

Up first and opening the show is always a tough ask and Coco (as Corinne is also known) had an obvious issue with her sound pack and monitors but dealt with that admirably, just calmly reaching back and making the necessary adjustments as if this was any other live gig. Once past the technical tweaks, it was all plain sailing from then on and the siblings (do you know how long it took for the penny to drop before I worked out how their name came about?) really stole the show. Masses of confidence with this staging, Coco was the focus of the camera continuously, carrying the song throughout, Stee sharing the stage just enough to show off his musicianship with the drums and keyboard.

It helped the focus on the band when she had that look -

being all in black apart from the red neckwear over her top and her 'hippy chick' hair shining out from under THAT hat! Waylon's got some competition for headwear now in Lisbon...

"Stones" kicked the NF off superbly - a show that was a very entertaining and watchable one, more so than previous Finals from Switzerland that I had watched before. You missed it all on Sunday? Here you go, welcome to a very enjoyable 118 minutes:

I have to say that this year's show was extremely slick and the voting process was really improved with the use of international jurors. Sven as host still reigned supreme and there was less naff Green Room stuff. The entries overall were better as a group and it was all a better show to watch. You saw what I thought about everyone's audio versions - my thoughts on the live renditions?

Chiara Dubey - "Secrets And Lies" : as expected, the staging was just her singing, what I felt had to happen but her vocals weren't as clear and crisp as on the official audio and that was a real shame. Not being 100% on that score totally scuppered any chance of this lady winning this NF;

Vanessa Iraci - "Redlights" : in total contrast to Chiara, there was too MUCH emphasis placed on Vanessa's staging and acting which detracted from the song itself and her vocals. She finished third in the end, matching my prediction - a decent entry but was never in contention for the win;

Naeman - "Kiss Me" : on the night this was the oddest staged and worst sung entry. It being placed last wasn't a total surprise for me, one to listen to, rather than watch;

Angie Ott - "A Thousand Times" : now this impressed me visually more so than the audio. Angie looked stunning in red and this came across really well live - not enough to challenge for the top half of the scoreboard but well enough to have a decent standing and impress me, at least;

Alejandro Reyes - "Compass" : the entry that I didn't get at all when listening to it and yet it seemed to tick all of the juror's boxes and get a decent televote too was this one. He did put in a great performance, probably second only to Zibbz and also sold his vocals big time. Alejandro putting his left hand up to show what number act he was to phone for and then jokingly putting it down to show off five fingers on his right hand was one of the 'smile moments' of the night. Deservedly second on the night - he ran the winners close as far as the juries were concerned:

Four 12s for Zibbz, 2 for Alejandro and one for Vanessa. The televoters were what made the victory for Zibbz a comfortable one:

And so we got to see it all again - maybe Coco playing with her backpack is 'her thing' but this sounded even better vocally (as it always seems to after an act has won, probably the relief of winning removes all the tension):

Such a beaming smile out from under that headwear showed the delight of becoming Switzerland's representatives in Lisbon. Their first English interview also showed off their PR savviness, which has almost certainly been picked up from their time in the USA - hopefully I will have the chance to experience that first hand later in the season:

So the Swiss have another entry via the Die Entscheidung Show process - will Zibbz attain the heights of Sebalter or end up being yet another Timebelle or Mélanie René? If their Lisbon show is anything like it was in Zurich then "Stones" will definitely be watchable and a real treat to listen to. Coco gives a perfect vocal (once she sorts her sound out) and keeps your watching her throughout the entry - Stee doesn't entirely play second fiddle though, as he pounds out the beat on those drums and provides a nice symmetry to the always moving singer.

Whether there will be more than the neon triangles and the 'stonework' bursting out into the screen is unknown but I think that Coco and Stee provide enough attitude to make lots of complicated staging at Eurovision irrelevant.

The balance between rock and pop will also retain a lot of viewer interest and I am already looking forward to seeing them perform at preParties, assuming they attend. The other factor that this song has over recent Swiss entries is the subject matter of the song - bullying and persecution :

Wild joker on a gold throne

Blood diamond, summer home

Wrong people with the right to know

But I can’t do anything about it

All saying that life’s hard

Don’t want it in our back yard

We should be further from the start

But I can’t do anything about it

We so afraid, we fire away

What’s a life’s worth

We so afraid, repeat the mistake

Just to come first

We’re the liars in the face of facts

Different weapon but the same attack

No I ain’t throwing stones

Every lesson lost in the past

Pardon me but I don’t wanna go back

No I ain’t throwing stones

Think the boogie man will get me

Think different is the enemy

It’s been this way for centuries

And I can’t do anything about it

Can’t wait to light the cannonball

Can’t face the mirror says it all

Sins of the father make us fall

And I can’t do anything about it

We so afraid, we fire away

Just to come first

We’re the liars in the face of facts

Different weapon but the same attack

No I ain’t throwing stones

Every lesson lost in the past

Pardon me but I don’t wanna go back

No I ain’t throwing stones

Because I know I ain’t standing alone

I ain’t standing alone

No, I ain’t standing alone

I ain’t the only one

Who don’t wanna throw stones

We’re the liars in the face of facts

Different weapon but the same attack

No I ain’t throwing stones

Every lesson lost in the past

Pardon me but I don’t wanna go back

No I ain’t throwing stones

We’re the liars in the face of facts

Different weapon but the same attack

No I ain’t throwing stones

No I ain’t throwing

No I ain’t throwing stones

Blimey, Eurovision 2018 is getting quite a social conscience and we are only six complete entries in! Such complex lyrics and yet it doesn't seem a chore to listen to them at all when Corinne belts them out in her distinctive way - loads of power in her delivery, demonstrating that she is the one in control of the situation as far as lyrical attack is concerned.

I was delighted that Zibbz won in Switzerland and they both thoroughly deserved their bouquets (although I get the feeling that they would indeed have a glass or two of something later on, as hinted at the interview). It grabbed my attention on first listen and the Gfellers didn't disappoint at all on stage - it is also extremely radio friendly, has an authentic sound and I feel that "Stones" will pick up lots of plaudits and hopefully votes in Lisbon. Of all the songs so far released, it is one of my favourites and has a great overall package visually and audibly.

Now here's the thing - you know how winning songs at Eurovision seem to have that instant hook that is unique and distinctive, something that then gets used before the entries the following year as a lead in to those songs?

That 'Hmmm' at the start and end of "Stones"...

Could that be what we hear in 2019?

Long odds on that happening perhaps

but Zibbz will give it everything to make that happen!

A typical Aussie and their competitive spirit! Last year's Danish representative Anja Nissen was celebrating her win at DMGP with her wonderful heartfelt song "Where I Am", a year after the disappointment of losing out to the manband Lighthouse X with her song "Never Alone", an entry that I (and others) felt could have been a contender for the Eurovision win in 2016. What a year did allow Anja to do was co-write her own song and it mean something special to her, being about her first relationship:

Having been stitched up as the 'patsy' between pre-show favourite "Occidentali's Karma" and the eventual winner "Amar Pelos Dois" in the Final running order, Denmark limped to a 20th placing and 77 points. Anja has now attained her dream of singing for her adopted nation in Eurovision and so the path is clear for a new set of artists to represent their nation, the Final being this Saturday, 10th February at the Gigantium in Aalborg.

There is the usual mix of old hands at the NF (Ditte Marie and Albin Fredy), reality show artists (Anna Ritsmar) and even a 1990s pop star best known for a very infectious hit:

Could a three minute version of this have won Eurovision? Of course in 1994 it would have had to have been in Danish but still - Whigfield is now known by her birth name Sannie but she is still high profile, probably more so than most artists in this year's Eurovision NFs (bar Alexander Rybak). Unusually for Denmark, it has all been quite low profile stuff to date with the full official versions of the entries having only been released earlier this week on various streaming sites - many thanks to Rares Alex for putting them in an easily accessible form:

Now those of you who have followed my blog from the very beginning will know that I have a soft spot for the Danes, Emmelie De Forest's win in Malmö being the trigger for starting to write it in the first place. Having the very attractive and yet complicated blonde Miss Nissen participate in the last two DMGPs has helped make this nation one of my favourites and I will be watching who qualifies with interest on Saturday. Just to make that an interesting experience for us all, I have undertaken my usual task on having my 'first listen' of all ten of the Finalists, passing on my thoughts about who I would like to see make the Super Final and then win the Danish ticket to Lisbon. I've used the DR 'running order' on their website for guidance so here we go...

Ditte Marie - "Riot" (5.0/10)

Ditte has a very nice tone to her voice but this is such a clunky club anthem - too many words for a dance track classic and too few to make an interesting pop song. The chorus is all a bit one dimensional too and the music is low key with no real memorable hooks throughout. If it wasn't for the word 'riot', this would have passed me by without incident - if this is the running order, it will provide an uptempo start to DMGP but I don't expect to hear this more than once on the night...

Anna Ritsmar - "Starlight" (6.5/10)

First off, I have to say that I love the plucked strings and drums pulsing through this and that the music is the highlight of this track. Her voice has a nice tone to it but she has that 'childlike' quality about it that really puts me off a song - that and the fact that the first minute just seems to go round on a repeat loop twice more before the three minutes are up. If there had been even a minute of different lyrics and singing then this might have been a contender rather than pleasant filler...

Rasmussen - "Higher Ground" (8.5/10)

Now we have a real chance at the Danish win! A very bold and big sound, a journey song a bit like "Mall" from Albania's Eugent Bushpepa, "Higher Ground" sounds as though it has been lifted from a film score, something like GOT or even a passage from a documentary on the Vikings. I could imagine this accompanying a backdrop where a Longship is cutting through the waves, the Norse warriors getting ready to make shore and motivating themselves into a frenzy.

Rasmussen's voice fits the music superbly, it complimenting the backing and the drums perfectly - I am hoping for a real spectacle in Aalborg somehow, something that will really boost the visuals of the song.

If they aren't there then this entry might be bold and brash without any substance to back it up - I cannot imagine that his vocals will be anything other than amazing but the only nit picking that could be made is that the lyrics aren't on the same level as everything else. One to watch on Saturday - one of my definite picks for the Super Final...

Sannie - "Boys On Girls" (4.5/10)

So Sannie has a boppy pop song yet again but it is not as huge an earworm as 'Saturday Night' and that might be the big downside for this entry - will everyone be expecting Part 2 of that, especially those outside Denmark if this wins? I'm liking the lyrics which are understated and yet quite raunchy but I found that her vocals are quite an acquired taste and everything about gets tedious quite quickly. The chorus doesn't stick with me at all and I found this really dragging over the second half of the song. She might be the 'biggest name' here but if the Danish voters base their decision on that alone, I think that they might be missing out on the Eurovision Final yet again...

Sandra - Angels to my Battlefield (7.0/10)

Slow but eventful were my first impressions of this entry - "Angels To My Battlefield" is a track to sit back with a drink and have a real listen to, absorb it fully and appreciate its beauty. The problem for me is that this is a perfect album track but not an instant hit, which is what Sandra needs to become the winner here. She has a clear and pure voice and I love the musical theatre that goes on behind, with the battlefield drums echoing around her. The lyrics are strong but the slow pace of this song will almost certainly mean that it will not be able to compete with most of the other songs - a real shame but a reality in the world of Eurovision instant gratification...

Lasse Meling - "Unfound" (4.0/10)

Loving the music of "Unfound", the beat is infectious and I could imagine whistling or clicking my fingers to this. The main issue for me with this entry is Lasse himself or more specifically his voice - I haven't heard such a nasally sound for quite a while, especially one that makes some of the lyrics difficult to understand. Because of that, I found this song very difficult to listen to each time I have played it - it doesn't help that it is very, very repetitive too. If this was released as an instrumental, I'd be very happy - with Lasse singing over the top, no...

CARLSEN - "Standing Up For Love" (7.0/10)

Now it is always a pleasure to hear such wonderful solo vocals and harmonies at a competition as you know that they will be properly rewarded. The three sisters of CARLSEN (my other half would vote for this based purely on the name), Vanja, Laila and Barbara, provide us with a Country & Western inspired, almost gospel and hopeful anthem - like all songs of this genre, it is all about the words and they are something to behold, if a touch evangelical at times. I feel that this entry is a bit too 'middle of the road' and bland to win DMGP but it will provide a beacon of pure vocal joy in amongst the ten tracks and CARLSEN should have a decent finish just outside the Super Final places...

KARUI - "Signals" (10.0/10)

Yes, you read that right, 10.0/10. When I was quickly listening to all of the ten tracks so I could make a prediction for Tommy's Eurovision Show on Tuesday just gone, I heard this for the first time - then the second time, then the third time. I was absolutely blown away with this song - KARUI has an amazing voice, one of the most soulful and R&B exemplified tracks that I have ever heard linked with Eurovision. She has a wonderful playful tone when she manoeuvres her voice up and down the scales and the vocal gymnastics she puts herself through whilst doing so? WOW!

The groove of the music is top drawer too - a nice piano intro to start, onto that cool bass guitar, through the factory percussion and all of it in total sync with KARUI.

The lyrics are sound and yet instinctive - overall this is the best song that I have heard at Eurovision 2018, whether that be internal selections or National Final songs. "Signals" deserves not only to be in the DMGP Super Final but also being heard in Lisbon, potentially giving Denmark its best chance of its 4th win. Can she repeat this studio perfection on stage in Aalborg? I will have my fingers crossed that she does AND that the Danish public want to send something that would be played on any R&B or Soul radio channels across the world right now...

Rikke Ganer-Tolksøe - Holder Fast I Ingenting (6.5/10)

Respect due to Rikke for being the only artist this year in Denmark to be singing in Danish, which puts her at a disadvantage if her entry doesn't have some sort of unique hook or look to make it stand out. As far as the audio of this entry is concerned, that earworm isn't there. It is a nice light song, I love her voice and the electronica beats allows the entry to bounce along at a decent pace. Of course I have no idea what is being sung about here but it is a good listen - unfortunately good doesn't tend to get you more than a mid table finish. Unless there is some amazing visuals that aren't springing into my mind to see on Saturday, this will be potentially filler - "Holder Fast Ingenting" is just, well, there...

Albin Fredy - "Music For The Road" (7.5/10)

Yet another C&W style song but this one takes you on a journey, admittedly a well trodden one by almost every male singer that has ever tried that genre on for size. It is energetic, well written and he has a very mellow and smooth vocal style. There isn't really any climax or high point here but the wholesomeness of the entry made me smile and want to share that journey with him, raising a glass as I did so. I can see this getting votes on that basis alone - its enthusiasm and joy with which this is sung may see this being a surprise Super Finalist at the end of the night...

-------------------------------------------------------------

So you can see that I have two clear favourites for the Super Final and several acts clamouring for that third slot. The 50/50 split of jury and public will decide who gets to have another go and then go onto Portugal - if I had to pick three that I'd like to see there based on the audio alone, it would be:

KARUI

Rasmussen

Albin Fredy

Having read my reviews, you can predict who would be my pick to send to Lisbon but it is not standard Eurovision (or even Danish) fayre so I am not that optimistic, especially when looking at the latest betting odds where KARUI is currently 7th at 17-1!. Rasmussen would perhaps be more Eurovision friendly with its big sound and the staging could be epic - the odds follow that with him being the current bookies favourite at 5-2. We shall see on Saturday February 10th if my hopes for "Signals", that stunning entry on reloop in my head, will make it - if not, then at least I have a new favourite track to play on my phone...

KARUI with "Signals"...

Fingers crossed that the live version matches the audio...

Are Denmark brave enough to recognise a potential Contest winner in their grasp?

For a change, when it comes to the UK's representative for Eurovision, I've started with the reveal - this year's 17th artist for Lisbon is:

SuRie

Susanna Marie Cork, how I am going to get to May 13th without tearing my hair out because I have to type a capital 'R' in the middle of your stage name, I don't know! There is really no point in teasing out who won because every Eurovision fan and his dog have had an opinion on the UK's 2018 entry and its singer since 9pm on Wednesday 7th 2018. Being at the gig itself, then having to return back to Bristol AND, for a full and frank review, watching the tv coverage back has led to a slight delay in my musings about what did and didn't happen at the UK National Final, "Eurovision: You Decide". You knew what I thought about the audio versions of the six entries - being at The Dome itself gave me a whole different perspective on some of the songs live, as did that tv footage. There were definitely winners and losers amongst the six acts - given that the BBC are still going for the 'only the winner gets announced' route, here is my top six based on those performances on Wednesday night...

6th : Asanda - "Legends"

At least Salena Mastroianni will be relieved that "Legends" will now be the benchmark for how an odds on favourite, based on the audio alone, can be totally screwed by a poor vocal performance. Asanda was barely audible on this screen showing for at least 75% of the track, the 25% coincided with her standing relatively still.

The energy for the dancing and the visual show was all there and this looked great in The Dome but even there it was obvious that the sound wasn't great. Asanda wasn't really off key but she was out of breath throughout most of the three minutes and lacked any real power or volume.

The music totally overpowered her and my interest drained away rapidly as the seconds passed. It was obvious that the live gig environment covered up many sins as this didn't sound as bad in Brighton as it did on the screen - or maybe it did, as the expert panel of Tom Fletcher, Rochelle Hulme and Rylan focussed almost exclusively on the staging and her costume. Such a shame with this one - it was a total shocker on the night and I had it a clear last...

5th : RAYA - "Crazy"

A good solid opening song for this sort of Contest but that was about it. Another entry that suffered from the movement that the singer had to provide for the choreography but not as much as "Legends".

RAYA is an experienced singer and dancer in gig environments and that showed as ALL of her attention was on the crowd in The Dome, very rarely did her gaze connect with the camera - if you want votes from the television viewers who make up most of the scores, that is unforgivable and fatal to your chances of winning.

Don't get me wrong, I liked the routine and the interaction between RAYA and her dancers made this a superb show for us at the venue but she did get more and more breathless as the song went on. She hit all the notes but did seem to miss some of the endings of words which would be down to the high tempo of this staging. One to get the crowd going but watching it back on tv, there were more issues seen. The judges did give her more credit and praise than possibly "Crazy" was due but as this was the opener, some slack needs to be given...

4th : Jaz Ellington - "You"

We are now getting to the entries that had just one thing wrong with them which would keep them from challenging for the win. In the case of Jaz Ellington, I felt that he TRIED TOO HARD. Let me clarify that - arguably he has the best voice of all six of the EYD artists and sounded absolutely amazing live for 90% of "You". I could get past the weird scenario that his lyrics set up and the fact that he was so laid back at times he was almost horizontal but the one thing he did that really spoilt any chance of winning this NF was that he went for one set of vocal gymnastics too far.

Not that he was off key but he went for one big high note and for me, he didn't quite hit it spot on - the annoying thing was that he didn't need to go there, he had already proved that he is a brilliant singer with a sublime tone but it was as if he just wanted to push it to the limit.

There was a nice emotional connection but this entry was crying out for something more than him just singing, with a smokey backdrop (which I loved). There wasn't really much in the way of movement either and any comparisons with Salvador that were drawn by the panel would have him a poor second on the watchability score. I felt that his studio version was better because 'less was more' - I would not have been disappointed to see Jaz go to Lisbon but this performance didn't deserve that...

3rd : Goldstone - "I Feel The Love"

The one thing that went wrong for Goldstone in Brighton? Nothing to do with their routine, which provided us with some slick moves around the stage that was enjoyable but not excessive. Nothing to do with their voices, as they were the only ones who combined movement and singing without spoiling either. Nothing to do with the song itself, which came alive on stage and sounded really interesting in the venue and on screen. No, the only thing that went wrong for these three ladies was this...

The Draw!

Having the pimp slot in a show like this 'should' provide the act on last with a massive advantage when it comes to memorability of song, the ability to show that they are better than everything that had gone before and to be able to finish last gives you the opportunity to tick all of the voter's boxes...

Apart from when you are immediately following
what has become THE performance of the night.

Look at the footage again - the crowd at The Dome are not engaged with this at all, are not cheering, are not waving flags, are not dancing along. The emotional connection and wonder at what had happened a few minutes earlier has disappeared from everyone in the venue and Goldstone didn't stand a chance! This act was this NF's 'Anja Nissen in 2017' or 'Giannis Karagiannis in 2015' - being next to the standout act of the Contest just killed all their hopes for making it to Lisbon. I really liked this in the venue and there was some of the best interaction with themselves and the crowd on the night, it was a decent party tune and a solid closer of the show. They got lots of positive feedback from the judges but being after the winner made their job almost impossible. They deserve some success or at least some corporate gigs on the back of this...

2nd : Liam Tamne - "Astronaut"

As big a drop as Asanda had from the top, this guy went almost as high in the opposite direction for me and that was based only on the tv footage that I saw the day after the NF itself. I wasn't that impressed in the venue and I had him down near the bottom of the pile, based on what I heard and saw from the back of the stalls. When I watched this back though, I was blown away! Liam was absolutely superb and I could now see why he had played so many different roles in musical theatre.

He totally owned that stage and acted this song so brilliantly, right down to the emotion he showed as the lyrics were obviously affecting him towards the end of the song. His connection with the camera was excellent, he missed nothing vocally and did the best he could with the staging he had been provided with.

For me, this was flawless and the best rendition of "Astronaut" I had heard to date, even better than the studio version - we don't know who was second to sixth but after watching all the acts on tv, it wouldn't surprise me if Liam wasn't there or thereabouts at the end, with a definite podium finish at least. The professional training and experience he has shone through and in my opinion he can return to his 'day job' (much like Lucie Jones), safe in the knowledge that he has gained more fans who will now come to see his next theatrical role...

1st : SuRie - "Storm"

Much in the same way as Lucie won last year's NF totally because of her overall performance in Hammersmith, this year SuRie brought everything together and to be honest, being there in The Dome and then watching it afterwards, there was never going to be any other winner. That could be viewed as a surprise for me, for when I reviewed the entries just as the songs alone, this is what I said about her entry:

"SuRie hits some wonderful high notes but instead of kicking onto an amazing memorable climax or vocal zenith, "Storm" always drops back to the same level it began with. If I was comparing this to anything in previous NFs, I would say that this was another 'Miracle' - everything in place bar a climactic finish or chorus. There is a part where the Brighton crowd could get involved and the music has a particularly beat and rhythm that made this the 'toe tapper' of the six for me but there is something missing and this led to the song and my hopes for it being the UK winner fading away"

Those highlighted musings showed that I felt pre-show that something was missing from this entry, that it needed a hook, a wow moment, a climax, something that made it memorable and that the crowd could get involved with - that happened alright on the night! The crowd were hooked in straight away and I then realised that 'Storm' is an incredibly interactive track, perfectly suited for clapping and that happened at the venue right from the off. The need for the crowd to interact with the song and singer spread like an infection and everyone was up for supporting SuRie as she provided one of the most powerful and engaging performances that I have seen at any edition of Eurovision: You Decide, all bar for last year's winner...

Now this is where I want to tie in my cryptic headline for this article - what on earth do I mean when I am trying to equate SuRie with Lucie Jones or even with Lena's Eurovision winning performance in Oslo? Well here goes:

SuRie gave the perfect performance as far as connection with EVERY viewer was concerned - it was obvious from watching the rerun on tv that she is a seasoned performer and had a 'sixth sense' of where the cameras are and which one has that red light on. She probably was better at that than Lucie was at the 2017 NF - try and spot her miss a mark. Of course you can't because SuRie doesn't, much in the same way she was spot on perfect when supporting her lead in Vienna:

"Storm" was sung with such emotion in its acting as each family member was referenced - the song might not have been written by SuRie but she took on the role of storyteller amazingly well and put so much passion into the delivery of each word, making it look as though she was telling the tale for the first time to us in the audience. To be honest, anyone would be hard pressed to not be emotional conveying these lyrics:

Hey, hey brother

Do you remember when we were kids with no fear?

Hey, hey sister

Do you believe in the things we dreamt we’d discover?

I still have faith

I still believe in chasing rainbows

Storms don’t last forever, forever, remember

We can hold our hands together

Through this storm, through this storm

Storms don’t last forever, forever, remember

We can hold our hands together

Through this storm, through this storm

Hey, hey mother

Am I making you proud or could I do better?

Hey, hey father

There’s weight on my shoulders but it’s not over

I still have faith

I still believe in chasing rainbows

Storms don’t last forever, forever, remember

We can hold our hands together

Through this storm, through this storm

Storms don’t last forever, forever, remember

We can hold our hands together

Through this storm, through this storm

Spread your love, give all you got

Hold your head up, don’t give up, no no

Hey, hey brother, don’t give up, oh woah woah

Storms don’t last forever, forever, remember

We can hold our hands together

Through this storm, through this storm

Spread your love, give all you got

Hold your head up, don’t give up, no no

Spread your love, give all you got

Hold your head up, through this storm

but she gave me another reason to keep watching for the full three minutes with this acting masterclass. This was up there with Lucie's gift for emoting last year - a different story, that is true, but the passion that each lady gave to the song made that aspect a particular highlight for me.

SuRie provided a spot on vocal in a NF where the pre-show favourite stumbled badly - remember last year? See the similarity? No issues with Susanna's vocals, absolutely spot on, note perfect, a real pleasure to listen to and they were more interesting and more powerful than the studio version. I was starting to see why some other fans had tipped this lady to win - as she got more into the performance on Wednesday, the crowd's immediate positive response towards her and the song appeared, to me at least, to allow her to open up even more, to take the entry to a higher level soundwise. That matched another aspect of the entry that draws in my attempted comparison with Lena and "Satellite":

On Wednesday 7th February, SuRie and "Storm" provided something that I felt the entry lacked just on its first listen, that wow moment, that memorable staging, that hard to define factor that was more than the sum of its parts...

Much like Lena, SuRie herself brought that something extra
that took "Storm" to a whole new level...

Much like Lena, SuRie brought that climax to her song...

SuRie WAS that wow moment, that 'X Factor'!

It was only whilst watching the whole song live on the night and again the tv show that I realised that the reason that SuRie won the UK NF was mainly down to her. She sings this song perfectly, she acts it superbly well, she used subtle ways of keeping the crowd involved (not that she really needed them on the night) by waving her hands upwards to encourage the clapping to continue and most of all she supplied the professionalism and calmness that only years of experience of being in front of a camera at a big event can provide. It was only then that I realised, much like Liam, that this was an artist who is perfect for the medium - on screen with her calm stage charisma and off screen where she is obviously highly skilled already with PR, something that we were blessed with last year when Lucie showed how to be dignified and skilled in interviews. This was the oikotimes view of SuRie's post-win press conference:

Hopefully her PR ability will not be restricted to the Eurovision press and the UK media - I trust that the UK delegation will get more active abroad and really sell this lady's talents and our seriousness about the Contest. Lucie was constrained a little last year with her commitments to her musical theatre schedule - if SuRie can do more than the Eurovision pre-Parties and the Graham Norton show before flying out to Lisbon, it will be a step in right direction. She is personable, funny and intelligent when being subjected to the press junkets that I have seen - she is also fully engaged with social media...at least she was before EYD! Let's hope that the BBC don't quiet her down too much.

SuRie became Eurovision 2018's 17th artist artist and won the ticket to Portugal. All that there was left to do was to get the winner to sing it all again:

The reprise of "Storm" was as flawless as the first go - this is now an entry that I 'get' and it had taken watching it through the visual medium to see how brilliant it actually is, a major plus for how this will be presented in May. Will there be changes to the structure or musical emphasis? Will there be lots of staging improvements? We will only see the finished article in Lisbon but what will be a big plus is if there are enough UK and EU flags waving in Lisbon, then perhaps the memory of SuRie's crowning triumph in Brighton might bring yet another amazing show. Who knows...

Perhaps the UK will be less 2017 and 15th place

and perhaps closer to Lena and 2010...

Sometimes the pre-show favourites come through - 50% in the DMGP Super Final is a landslide win and we have a very interesting cultural trip to enjoy in Lisbon alongside Jonas Foldager Rasmussen. Based on the story of viking Magnus Erlendsson, "Higher Ground" was the clear winner as far as the stage show was concerned, albeit with not as powerful a vocal treat as perhaps the studio version might have led us to believe we were going to hear. See what you think:

Viking theme or maybe a touch of 'Pirates Of The Caribbean'? Not being an expert in Viking clothing throughout the ages might have confused my view of this but the braided hair on some of his hired help looked a bit Captain Jack Sparrow. I suppose as long as they don't go down the road of helmets with horns on they will be culturally sound, as even I know that is not the done thing historically (fans at DMGP front row, take note!). The blue colours were visually stunning and will fit in perfectly with the nautical theme being championed at Lisbon but I feel that a lot more can be done with the staging, as the two sails looked a bit puny for a Viking longship. The actors on stage were all visually dominant and Rasmussen definitely looked the part as leader of the crew though.

What was slightly disappointing was the sound - for something set up to be this epic, you need a huge reverberation, a massive powerful vocal that cuts through the music and drums. Rasmussen's live singing, tone and volume on the night weren't as good as in the studio version and it really needs to be spot on and awe inspiring if Denmark are going to make the Eurovision Final again.

The other issue that this song might have is that it screams 'INTERVAL ACT' to me, rather than Eurovision entry - it will be one to watch but I'm not sure that it is necessarily one to vote for. At least Rasmussen has all his own hair and beard - he'll have to keep it all preened for the next few months:

There were some perks of being the winner at Aalborg on Saturday night - green and red do compliment each other:

Vikings all the way!! 💪🏼 #winner #eurovision2018 #DMGP2018
A post shared by • A N J A • (@anjanissen) on Feb 10, 2018 at 4:59pm PST

And so Anja's reign was over - I would hope to be able to see "Higher Ground" at least twice in the Altice Arena but Final qualification will, I suspect, be the primary goal of the Danish delegation this year, rather than anything much loftier...

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The same night (Saturday 10th February) saw the end of Sanremo, primarily the musical extravaganza and the secondary 'will they, won't they' Eurovision selection process. Italy chose a winning act and that act did decide to take that ticket to Lisbon. These are those guys:

Ermal Meta and Fabrizio Moro made it through the tortuous path from Tuesday to early Sunday morning, avoiding a scare early on about reusing material from a previous work of one of the composers from 2016, and winning almost as convincingly as Rasmussen did in Denmark (45% this time). The song they sang?

As you can see, that is the official video and not the Sanremo live version - if you haven't watched that version yet, here you are:

Now there is one big similarity between the two - the passionate delivery is the same, even more so live, and that is a huge plus for the Italian entry this year.

Both singers brought their A game to Sanremo as far as their vocals are concerned, spot on as far as the live and studio versions sounding exactly the same are concerned. For a non-Italian speaker, the show that got them the win is very engaging and watchable but the big downside for me is the song itself. It is a 200 mile an hour train ride, one where you cannot catch your breath, one that is quite terrifying because you don't have a blooming clue what is going on!

No pauses, no real breaks to recover and take in what you have just heard and of course like all good Italian Sanremo winners (remember 'Occidentali's Karma'?), 30 seconds too long for Eurovision. Now I base everything on what I see and hear with all these entries on first listen - that means that I don't have a universal translator and the obvious links between lyrics and official video, which appears to the foreign listener to be about not wanting wars and violence, are totally lost when you watch the Sanremo show. Translated from Italian, the words read a bit like this...

In Cairo they do not know what time it is now

The sun on the Rambla today is not the same

In France there is a concert, people have fun

Someone sings loud, someone shouts to death

In London it always rains but today it does not hurt

Heaven does not even give discounts to a funeral

In Nice the sea is red with fires and shame

Of people on the asphalt and blood in the sewer

And this huge body we call Earth

Wounded in its organs from Asia to England

Galaxies of people dispersed in space

But the most important is the space of a hug

Of mothers without children, of children without fathers

Of faces lit like walls without paintings

Minutes of silence broken by a voice

You did not do anything to me

You did not do anything to me You did not take anything from me

This is my life that goes on

Beyond everything, beyond people

You did not do anything to me You did

not have anything

Because everything goes beyond

Your useless wars

There are those who make the cross

And who prays on the carpets

The churches and mosques

The Imam and all the priests

Separate entrances

From the same house

Billions of people

hoping for something

Arms without hands

Faces without names

Let's swap the skin

At the bottom we are human

Because our life

is not a point of view

And there is no pacifist bomb

You did not do anything to me You did not take anything from me

This is my life that goes on

Beyond everything, beyond people

You did not do anything to me You did

not have anything

Because everything goes beyond

Your useless wars

The skyscrapers will fall

And the subways

The walls of contrast raised for the bread

But against every terror that hinders the path

The world rises up

With the smile of a child

You did not do anything to me You did

not have anything

Because everything goes beyond

Your useless wars

You did not do anything to me

Your useless wars

You have not taken anything away from

your useless wars

You did not do anything to me

Your useless wars

You did not have anything

Your useless wars

I am aware

that everything no longer comes back

. Happiness flew

as a bubble flies away

Wow, now those are really heavy words! Superbly written, the official video is now making so much more sense - there is so much to sing there that the only way to cram it all in IS to sing at 200 miles an hour. Now that I understand the lyrics, it is obvious that we have our second 'social conscience' song of the year, adding to "Mercy" by Madame Monsieur for France, with its message about the struggle of refugees and the birth of a baby to such a family. The big question will be:

Will these two entries now cancel out each other's supposed unique selling points?

Both entries designed for the home market, both in their native tongue in their entirety, both bordering on political issues but in a general way, probably not close enough for the EBU to consider if lyrics need to be changed or the entries to be banned altogether. "Non Mi Avete Fatto Niente" directly references six different terrorist acts (Cairo, Barcelona, Paris, London, Nice and even the Twin Towers) and that could be viewed as the writers of this song are making a political point but it is likely to be viewed by the EBU in the same light as "Wars For Nothing" on the scale of incisive political commentary:

Don't get me wrong, this is a masterpiece of prose and poetry - to be able to craft such events into a song and make it sound as good as it does on paper is an amazing feat. Once you understand the lyrics, it becomes a very powerful and intelligently challenging track and I can now see why this won Sanremo so easily. The issues that the Italian delegation will have to overcome this year are much the same as last year:

Where to chop 30 seconds out of this entry and

How to get the lyrical message across to non-Italians.

I've listened to this a few times now and much like "Occidentali's Karma", I can't see immediately where that half minute is going to be lost, as there is so much content there and little room to chop even the odd second out without leading to the perceptively clunky change that Francesco had to deal with last year. So good luck with that one guys! As for getting the message across, I have already read that the duo are keeping “Non mi avete fatto niente” totally in Italian, so no help to anyone bar San Marinese and some Slovenians, Croatians, Romanians and Swiss. So all of that lyrical power is lost to 99% of the Eurovision voting public, all of that social commentary will be totally ignored by commentators across the tv networks who might mention that it is about war and some terrorist acts in the 30 seconds that they talk about the song. At least there won't be most of the comments focussed on a dancing gorilla this year:

but this entry's strength (much like "Mercy") will be lost, leaving a powerfully performed, vocally competent song that doesn't have much of a musical or vocal hook to it. If that is what everyone sees then Italy won't be repeating their 6th place finish in 2017 this year...

So Italy provides Eurovision yet again with a very cerebral and complex song that wowed the Italian viewers and jurors and deservedly won the Sanremo trophy, that ornate of all song contest awards:

The question is, will that social message be 'lost in translation'

to leave Ermal & Fabrizio suffering the same Eurovision communication issues
that beset Francesco Gabbani in Kyiv?

Alekseev's journey through Eurovision 2018 has been nothing if not interesting, to say the least. From originally having his entry "Forever" in the Ukrainian selection process, then withdrawing it and submitting it to the Belarusian one, then everyone finding out that a Russian version of his song had been performed before September 2017, leading to seven out of the other ten acts protesting about that and threatening to withdraw (one, Sofi Lapina, carrying out her threat as some of her songs were blocked due to that rule), which then led to Alekseev changing the melody of his entry so it no longer infringed the rules of the NF...

Got all that?

Add to this that Shuma, who are also competing, had to revamp their entry "Chmarki" due to it containing traditional folk lyrics in the song and we have already had the usual excitement and intrigue that tends to go hand in hand with Eurofest, the Belarusian NF. At least we have a couple who know how to take it in their stride:

Yep, Mr and Mrs TEO (Yuriy Vashchuk and Olga Ryzhikova) will have a 'steady hand on the tiller' and will be presenting Eurofest 2018 this Friday, 16th February. Ten acts are performing, all of them having already endured the tough audition process of a month ago, when up against 85 other songs:

Adagio - "Ty i ja"

Alekseev - Forever"

Suma - "Chmarki"

NAPOLI - "Chasing Rushes"

Anastasiya Malashkevich - "World On Fire"

Gunesh - "I Won't Cry"

Radiovolna - "Subway Lines"

Alen Hit - "I Don't Care"

Lexy - "Ain't You"

Kirill Good - "Deja Vu"

Needless to say that all the song titles are the same as at that stage but "Forever" and "Chmarki" have changed their entries a bit. So you get an idea of what they will sound like in that Final, here are all the audition performances plus the updated versions of Alekseev and Shuma's entries:

Now I have undertaken my normal 'first listen' review and to be honest, the standard isn't that high across the board.

On my first listen, I only have THREE entries based on the live audition performances that I rate as good or better (7.0/10+) and Alekseev isn't one of them!

Controversial I know but I will now tell you why I don't rate "Forever" that highly before I flag up my top three - I always try to use live footage to decide how well an act will perform at Eurovision, rather than any official videos, because they show me how well someone performs and sounds in real life. To be fair to him, Alekseev sounds great on the official video and if he could have replicated that in the audition, he would be up with my top two (as you will see, my number three ain't that much better!). At the audition, his low section at the start sounds a bit off key and his voice throughout sounds quite overpowered by the music and very nasally. The music is great and it flows and pulses in a very listenable way but Alekseev's voice really gets to me after a while, making this seemingly go on 'forever' but not in a good way. Despite all that, I still had him down in fourth place with 6.5/10, so those polls could be right, although I can safely say that I won't ever be a fan of his song.

So who is in my Belarusian top three? Let's start with the act that barely makes it in ahead of the pack...

8 points (7.0/10) : Alen Hit - "I Don't Care"

I know, I know, we have seen and heard this all before and the comedy dancers really need to go - if they feel that they are in any way 'street', they need to be chucked out of the stage door onto one! I like this - it is a well sung pop song, very catchy with a memorable chorus, albeit very repetitive. Alen has a decent stage presence and I could see this doing well with the public - the jury perhaps not so much. If he has a stage routine that isn't so cringingly hilarious for the Final, this might stop being a fun show and start being a contender for at least a podium finish. Even though this makes it as my third option in Belarus, I don't rate it really that highly and I cannot see this troubling the potential winners. One of those would be my number two...

10 Points (7.5/10) : NAPOLI - "Chasing Rushes"

One year, this lady will get to Eurovision based on perseverance alone! Belarus's equivalent of Sanna or Claudia in that regard, Olga Shimanskaya has her best entry to date here. She still sings much the same as before, in a way that makes it obvious that English isn't her first language but overall this is a passionate performance with a decent chorus hook and she really gives it everything. What is more important is that she seems to hit every note and her vocals are good all the way through which is a major improvement on most years. We have yet to see what she will wear in the NF as that is always a 'highlight' but based on the audition videos, Olga has her best chance of making it to Eurovision ever. I would have one act in front of her...

12 Points (8.5/10) : Shuma - "Chmarki"

Now I will post the audition clip first, even though the lyrics have been reworked and the entry extended slightly, as that doesn't affect why this is my number one:

The reason why I have this song as my tip to win Eurofest is for its niche qualities. This is the version that would be put forward to Eurovision:

Remember Onuka who played as an interval act at the Eurovision Final in Kyiv? Their blend of electro-folk immediately came to mind when I heard "Chmarki" for the first time and every time since then. The same genre is focussed on by Shuma and it is not surprising that a nod to traditional Belarusian folk songs was inadvertently made with the first release. This entry was the standout for me when I heard all the audition tapes on that first listen and in my opinion it is still head and shoulders above everything else.

The electronic pulsing drum beats, the barely perceptible tapping from the start and the integrated wailing vocals are bewitching, aligning nicely to provide an audible show that many electronica artists would be proud of and would use to get their fans really into their set, nodding approvingly throughout.

This is another highlight of the Eurovision 2018 season for me - I know that most Eurovision fans will not like this at all as it is not a 'traditional Eurovision entry' but it is a very contemporary track, something quite unique to be at a NF and I find this material really interesting to listen to. The other plus point for this winning? Belarus sending another entry in their own language, the second year in a row! I would love this to win Eurofest 2018, progress to Lisbon and really provide another level of entertainment that is typically missing from the Contest...

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So this post started with the probable winner (if you believe the hype and fan polls) and ended with my preference. Who will take the Eurofest crown? Remember that the jury holds sway in the event of a tie (50/50 jury/public vote) which has always been the way in Belarus and has led to results that seemed contrary to how it might have gone elsewhere. So who will be representing this nation in Lisbon?

NAPOLI because 'the world loves a trier'?

Alekseev because it seems almost fated to happen?

Or perhaps this act:

If Belarus want to send an entry that continues their journey with sending something Belarusian, in a music genre that also builds on folk influences that Naviband started but with a totally different twist and have something that will be unique, standing out a mile at Eurovision 2018:

Shuma and "Chmaki" need to go to Lisbon...

I for one would be cheering them on in the Altice Arena!

Tuesday 13th February 2018 turned out to be a very busy day as far as Eurovision reveals were concerned and especially for two of the Balkan nations - Croatia and FYR Macedonia both put forward their internal selections, with Frankabeing the first for the Croats. There had been a teaser on Facebook by Eurosong HRT as to who it might be the previous day:

Looking at the replies, it was pretty obvious who it was going to be, once the many fans of this singer flagged up this live performance from Franka Batelić, wearing the self same white blouse:

What this clip immediately proved to me, apart from the fact that Franka was INDEED the artist representing Croatia in Lisbon, was that she is a very impressive singer and could turn it on live, even at a radio recording, which aren't the best environments for a great audio. No duff notes there, a breathtaking vocal range and loads of passion in her delivery - on first listen, it looks and sounds as though Croatia have picked an experienced singing star for Eurovision 2018. Just in case you thought her radio gig was a one off, she sung for an morning tv show a couple of days ago and showed off more of that vocal quality and stage presence (and the ease that she appeared to have being interviewed) that will be so vital for her when we get to May:

“S tobom” has relaunched Franka's pop career and pushed her back into the public eye, ten years after she won a Croatian talent show at the age of 16. Reading through the reems of basic information rehashed by every Eurovision news website, I was reminded of her attempting to perform at Eurovision in the past through what was the Croatian NF Dora in 2009 and 2010. Neither attempt was very successful, leaving her seventh each time, although she did win the OGAE Song Contest 2008:

Ten years have passed and Franka has a different look and sound - will those continue Croatia's successful run of Final appearances over the past two Contests? One difference is that we know that she will be singing a song called "Crazy" in English, the lyrics of which she has written so there should be some emotional connection between her and the composition. We will see whether that is the case when she reveals the song on 26th February - finding something she has sung in 'the world's second language' was a bit harder but this sounded pretty damn good to my ears (she is fluent in English, Italian, German and Russian):

So Croatia have really varied their selections since returning to the Contest since 2016 - Nina Kraljić with her world music ballad "Lighthouse", followed by the 'madness' that was the pop-opera one voiced marvel of Jacques Houdek with "My Friend" and onto 2018 with Franka, twice a reality show winner (music and dance) with yet another song in English. I have to say that I am very impressed with the Croatian selection - Franka appears to be a very confident, beautiful woman with an amazing voice who has burst back onto their music scene with a bang. Whether she is singing a pop song or a ballad, I think that her nation have a decent chance of qualification through to the Eurovision Final yet again - once there, the competition that she is up against plus the running order will determine if she can emulate Jacques' 13th placed finish in Kyiv. I am looking forward to seeing what she has co-written for the Contest and I think she will also be good value for anyone interviewing her in Lisbon...

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The second Balkan announcement earlier this week was from FYR Macedonia, totally out of the blue. The band representing them - Eye Cue:

Absolutely loving the name by the way and from first impressions of their back catalogue, I'm loving their sound too! Now there is a strong possibility that we might be seeing a duo rather than a trio in Lisbon - drummer Ivo Mitkovski (left) has not been mentioned in any of the PR released by the FYR Macedonia delegation, so it might be just Marija Ivanovska and Bojan Trajkovski singing at Eurovision. The song they will be singing is called "Lost And Found" but details of this weren't revealed at the same time as the band were - MRT, the broadbaster seemed very impressed with this choice though. As always, I am really interested to hear how all Eurovision artists perform live - acoustic sessions are perfect as everything is stripped down and you can really tell how well an act can sing. Here is a prime example of a wonderful female vocal that is spot on perfect, has a superb range of sound, is a real pleasure to listen to and shows that this duo has much more than a solid foundation to work on:

This was one of the first videos I watched of Eye Cue and I was suitably impressed - this duo is renowned in this region of Europe for their mixture of pop and rock but they could easily present something in this vein and juries especially throughout Eurovision would be blown away. I could even see that many fans would appreciate the pared down beauty of such a performance, given how that preference for 'the purity of the song' has prevailed for the last couple of years. Marija is obviously the focus of the group's songs across all their material, whether that be singing in Macedonian or indeed in English, as here last July on tv with 'A Million Times':

What a voice this lady has! To be able to produce such power and clarity of tone whilst dressed in your summer civvies and sitting on a sofa is a feat in itself and I can see that this pair will go down a storm at all the pre-Parties and press calls that they attend. This song is perhaps more in the pop-rock vein that Eye Cue profess to inhabit genre-wise than "Mojol Kral", although their official videos show that side of them off better. "Najdobar" is a good example of that and it shows that it isn't just Marija who does all the singing (but she is the one that always wears the shorts):

Eye Cue are a popular act at summer festivals across the Balkans and so will be a recognisable act to many in that region when they perform in Lisbon, which may assist their passage into the Final. That would be a major achievement for FYR Macedonia who have only made Saturday night once in the past ten years with Kaliopi and "Crno i belo" - anything more than that would be the icing on the cake. According to the panel that chose Eye Cue, their song "Lost And Found" is contemporary, has a powerful chorus and impressive refrain, together with wonderful lyrics and excellent vocal abilities - not really much to go on but whatever it sounds like, it should be well constructed, brilliantly produced and sound superb live, judging by the material the band have released to date. I for one am looking forward to hearing what comes out of this part of the Balkans - Marija has a vocal style that is always a pleasure to listen to, whether that be ballad or full on pop/rock. Her and Bojan are both at ease with whatever they sing and compliment each other well - will it be acoustic or electric guitar and will Ivo get a place in the biggest gig of Eye Cue's lives? We will find out very soon...

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So we have a female soloist from Croatia and a duo/trio from FYR Macedonia - will they both reach the Eurovision Final? Croatia have a better recent record of doing that but I have to say that I love Eye Cue's sound and I can imagine that whatever they produce could attract big points from juries and public alike. I suspect that each delegation will have different priorities - FYROM looking for a Final place, Croatia hoping to build on two qualifications and perhaps a mid table spot again. It is of course too early to say for certain but what is a definite for both acts and nations is that

The Balkans are definitely sending singers who will compete in Lisbon,

not there just to make up the numbers...

Netta Barzilai has burst onto the scene and into every Eurovision fan's consciousness by becoming Israel's artist for Lisbon. She did that by winning this competition:

HaKokhav HaBa 2018, the music reality tv show where many acts try to impress the judges and audience enough to reach 70% approval (or various totals in later rounds) and 'raise that wall'. After what seemed like a lifetime over numerous shows, the Final was reached and the lady above won by five points over her nearest rival Jonathan Mergui. Bearing in mind that everything sung is a cover version, this was her winning performance, a mashup of "Tik Tok" and "Gangnam Style":

For an artist on a reality music show such as HaKokhav HaBa (HH - "Rising Star"), Netta must have been an absolute godsend right from when the first member of the production staff saw her perform away from the screen. She is the whole package - she can sing (you will see that later, as the mash-up didn't show that side of her off that well), she has oodles of onstage charisma and presence and is willing to play a character to back up her staging. The intensity of her performances are something to behold and if you have watched HH throughout the series (all performances are online to watch) as I have then it was clear that she became the judge's favourite from a very early stage. That all started from this performance - there she was, stood behind a mic stand and a electrical box of tricks, what was about to happen?

A phenomenom for the first audition stage, that is what - she reached the 70% pass mark in double quick time, getting all 4 blue arrows from the five judges and a big audience response too. It was obvious that everyone was blown away by what they had just seen - her use of what was obviously a vocal loop station, almost certainly this one, was one of the factors:

Despite the technology having been around for a while, I have to admit that I haven't seen it used in such a way as Netta used it on HH. Her interaction with the loop station, her crafting of the track as she set up each section of noise/music/vocals, call it what you will, was amazing, as expert as if she was playing a 'regular' instrument on stage but this was a masterclass that only someone with a DJ and musical experimentation background would have. Being a fan of Kraftwerk and Jean Michel Jarre (yes, I know that ages me dreadfully), I 'get' this interaction between humanity and technology to produce music of a type rarely heard in this form, especially on a musical reality show and nearly never at Eurovision (more of that later). The looper can make anyone sound like an vocal noise but it takes great skill and artistry to apply the tech in such a way that it sounds this good and can make judges and hosts be amazed on first listen...

HH is primarily a tv show - the producers want decent viewing figures and for that to happen, it has to be entertaining. Having Netta provide this performance would have created a buzz, something different to what is typically the same type of singers that Israel produces in abundance each season - good looking guys who make the audience swoon and provide a bit of a dancing show and female balladeers who supply the big vocal shows. Netta's look added something different too and it would have been a no brainer to put her through to the next stage, a 1-2-1 acoustic session with the judges:

No chance to rock up with a vocal looper this time but what she did do was turn up with a one string guitar and her own way of singing the Israeli winning song from Eurovision 1978! Netta took the chance to show off her vocal prowess here and demonstrate yet again her ability to take a song and (it sounds so cliche and yet so apt here) make it her own. Loads of emotion and passion in the delivery of the song and she made it sound fresh, so different from the version that we all know and love. Again, it was a no brainer to send her back to the audience rounds and set her on the path to winning HH 2018. What sending her on her victory path did flag up though was her continued use of the loop station and how there was the beginnings of doubts in some of whether its use would be an issue at Eurovision. As far as the reality show was concerned, no rules against additional technology, no reason to get Netta to change things - as she kept progressing through the weeks towards the Final however, how her act would be transferred to the Contest became a talking point:

Ben El Tavori, the judge far right, was obviously raising the subject of Eurovision - unfortunately I have absolutely no knowledge of Hebrew, so everything i gleaned about his thoughts on her use of the looper was based on his demeanour, how he was always the 'odd one out' whenever the looper was used and how the other judges attacked his stance! It seemed to me that he was thinking ahead and flagging up whether the looper would be able to be used in Lisbon whereas the others were focussing on everything else and not viewing it as an issue. Was this spat a flash in the pan? Not when the loop station was an integral part of Netta's act:

Haddaway's "What Is Love" was transformed into a beautiful heartfelt show with such an understated staging that was perfect for how she performed this track but the use of the looper was still too much for him - being part of a pair meant that he wouldn't block his stage partner Static's vote though. His obvious issue with the use of the technology may be replicated by Eurovision experts, pundits and fans alike and using the looper so that it takes over the vocals almost totally as seen here was possibly stretching things too much, even for those who had accepted its use before:

Even Static backed up his partner here and I had to agree that 'Barbie Girl' did push the boundaries too far - this wasn't assisting the vocals and acting as a backing, Netta allowed the looper to take over and there was really little of her own voice left there, it was almost as though it was all down to the 'box of tricks'. Her 69% might have also suggested that the backing of the public wasn't as strong either - possibly to placate some of the judging panel, her next performance, "Wannabe", used the looper for a brief 'comedy moment' and got all onside, resulting in one of her best scores:

What this did show was that Netta doesn't need the looper to bring to the stage a kick-ass performance - her enthusiasm and energy is all that is needed for her to stand out from the crowd. She also has real vocal ability too, that being shown to its finest when she sung "Beautiful":

Superbly measured, totally pure in its delivery and a deserving way to claim a place in the Final - no looper, no gimmicks, just Netta's voice, her stage presence and her connection with the audience as a whole getting her there. There the conundrum lay - to loop or not to loop? Netta or someone within her camp obviously decided to return to the 'old ways' for the Final, knowing that having 80% support from the expanded number of jurors and public that would be watching should see her through and stonewall the doubters - and it eventually worked in her favour, as she returned to using the looper as an assistance to her voice, rather than taking it over:

And so we have our Israeli representative this year - Netta Barzilai. The big question is who will be right? Will she be able to have an entry at the Eurovision Song Contest that includes that vocal loop station? Will she have to revert to vocals with no technological assistance? We all know that 2017 saw JOWST break down the technological barrier a bit by convincing the EBU to allow 'sampled backing vocals' to be included in their entry - will a vocal loop station actively being used on stage be acceptable? JOWST used an Ableton Push, an instrument that could relay a palette of sounds from multiple instruments through one technological box, including vocals if necessary. Allowing Aleksander Walmann to effectively provide his own backing was one step - allowing Netta to do what she did on HH 2018, effectively set up her vocal wizardry as she went along during the process would be a different scenario and one that the EBU would need to look into, given the new ruling in the list of 2018 rules:

"Artists shall perform live on stage, accompanied by a recorded backing-track which contains no vocals of any kind or any vocal imitations aiming at replacing or assisting the live/original voice of the Contestant(s). The Host Broadcaster shall verify respect for this rule."

Now this is one hurdle for Netta and the Israeli delegation to overcome - the other is that many see this technology as an 'instrument' itself. And of course we all know that no instrument is allowed to be played live on the Eurovision stage - something that has been viewed as ridiculous by some (especially classically trained Slovenian flute player Tinkara Kovač) but that would be relevant here as Netta probably wouldn't be able to use her looper live anyway, as it is even sold by the manufacturer's tagline as:

"Infinitely inspiring, the RC-505 Loop Station has become an essential performance instrument for beatboxers, singers, and club performers around the world"

Given that fact, everything that Netta was able to do on the stage in Israel would have to be set up beforehand backstage on backing track and then played back, with Netta having to use her own vocals on stage. A lot of the magic that she brought to HH 2018 was how she set up the performance, how she provided the vocal snippets to loop, how that was all part of the act, how each performance was a little unique piece of wonder. Having to prepare everything beforehand would see that magic being lost, as Netta would then be doing the same thing that countless acts across time have done on tv - pretend to play their 'instrument' and it not really look that convincing. A lot of the excitement that she put across during those performances was equivalent to that of a top DJ working their set, feeding off the crowd as they whipped up a storm and brought energy levels to a peak. Netta did show that she can control the audience without the looper but that really loses her unique selling point - with her band in Israel on a roof in the middle of town, her personality, indomitable spirit and watchability aren't doubted as she uses the looper out of the studio environment:

If she does have to rely on a backing track as is likely, will she be able to set things up in the way that JOWST did or will she have to restrict what synthesised vocals she can use? If any? Will her playing with the looper be an acceptable step forward in the usage of technology at Eurovision, equated more like using a guitar reverb? All of these points will be for the Israeli HoD and the EBU to discuss (now, if they have any sense) - if I was the HoD, I would have raised this with the EBU Reference Group immediately after her win, supplying all of Netta's vocal loop performances so I would get a feeling for what may or may not be acceptable.

It will be a real tragedy for the Israeli judges on HH 2018 (all bar one) and the public who voted for Netta if she is not allowed to have free reign over what she can bring to Lisbon artistically. That being said, she is a damn fine singer in her own right - we didn't see the best vocals from this lady at HH 2018 because of the predominant use of the looper in her performances. I suspect if she had to 'play it straight', she would sound like this:

Pretty good in my opinion - maybe losing the looper might not be as tragic as might first be thought. It would put her at the same level as everyone else though and I suspect that there will be better vocalists out of the 43 in Lisbon. What most of them would be lacking would be this lady's entertainment value, her stage charisma, her artistry and connection with the viewer - Netta is an accomplished performer. Of course all of the above is based on the fact that whatever song is selected for her to sing will NOT be a cover that she can expertly adapt, it will be brand new, and knowing if she can use the looper will be key as to what this entry will sound like. If the looper can be used as it was at HH 2018 then there really is only one person who can write Israel's entry to make it have the special qualities that was brought to the table during her tv win - Netta herself. If no looper tech can be used then any song writer can provide a song.

How Netta will look and sound in Lisbon is going to be one of those issues that might rumble on and on, much in the same way that deliberations with JOWST did last year. I think that if she IS able to use her vocal loop station then we could be treated to something really special, something positively unique. How would that go down with the jurors and the viewing public? That is really hard to say - was part of the attraction in Israel her adapting songs that people already recognised in another form and therefore could marvel at the ingenious way that the songs had been treated? I think that either way, Israel have chosen a really talented performer, someone who will be able to wow any crowd and make for great television, and who can sing either in a 'normal way' or with technological assistance that truly provides a spectacle audibly and visually to make anything Netta perform stand out. Based on what I have seen, I would be looking for a definite Final qualification for Israel and potentially a top ten, based purely on the imagery and entertainment value of this artist. First things first though...

The Vocal Loop Station...

Unfair advantage or innovative?

A step too far or a technological new age for Eurovision?

Now it was way back in mid-October that the Greek broadcaster ERT announced that they were approaching all of the nation's record labels to get performers and songs for a NF ("Ellinikos Telikos 2018"), to be sung in Greek with a ethnic sound. Areti Ketime was one of the first names thrown into the ring and she even was one of the first to be announced to be taking part, preparing to sing this song:

Until six days ago, when she was one of three acts in a greatly slimmed down NF that had already lost two acts due to their not being 'Greek sounding enough'. What happened six days ago? Here is the ERT press release in English explaining all:

"ERT Management has decided at the beginning of the TV season to make a Greek final for the participation of our country in the 63rd Eurovision Song Contest. This decision is part of the EBU's regulatory framework, which gives its members the absolute freedom to decide in each country.

In this context, in October 2017, the first exploratory contacts were made with record companies in order to find their interest in the eventual participation of their artist in the process of the Greek final, singing in Greek lyrics and Greek sound.

Following this, 20 songs were received by ERT from 14 record companies for their evaluation. ERT's management established an Artistic and Organizing Committee from company employees, explicitly providing for the non-participation of a person in both committees, in order to ensure the transparency of the process.

The Artistic Committee selected the following three songs:

- "Min ksehnas ton ilio" with Areti Ketime - SPICY MUSIC

- "Apo tin Thraki eos tin Kriti" with Chorostalites - SPIDER MUSIC

- "Oneiro Mou" with Yianna Terzi - PANIC ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

After examining the artistic commission's contribution, the Organizing Committee concluded that these three songs would be part of a Greek final process, which would be organized with the means and responsibility of ERT.

The three record companies were invited to private and joint meetings with the ERT Administration in order to clarify the terms of a private agreement for the participation of their artists in the final. A basic prerequisite for the terms proposed by ERT was the artistic excellence of the product produced on the basis of the EBU specifications and the sharing of financial obligations after the Greek participation, in the interests of both the participating company and the ERT.

After many days of discussions with all three record companies, all parties reached a joint private agreement which provided for the aesthetics of the Greek participation of ERT and the artist's record company and the filing before the Greek final a letter of guarantee of EUR 20,000 from each record to ERT. It should be noted that ERT's original proposal provided for a Letter of Guarantee of EUR 90,000. Following the objections of the participating companies, ERT, accepting the tight financial limits of the Greek music market, reached the definition of the amount of the letter of guarantee at 20,000 euros, with a provision of a penalty of 70,000 euros.

At a joint meeting of the recordings with the ERT Administration, it was decided to conduct the Greek final on February 22, 2018, with the submission of the signed contract and the letter of guarantee until February 12, a date that was finally extended until February 15 on demand of record companies .

At the end of this period, the requested contract was only executed by PANIK ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, which has filed both the signed contract and the letter of guarantee of EUR 20,000 on time.

By strictly adhering to the commonly agreed terms of the procedure, ERT accepted the specific proposal, which automatically led to the unnecessary production of a Greek final, despite the initial intentions of the Administration.

Therefore, the ERT Administration announces that Greec will be represented in the 63rd Eurovision Song Contest by singing "Oneiro Mou" ("My Dream") by Yiannis Terzi, with music and lyrics by herself, Aris Kalimeris, Michalis Papathanasiou and Dimitris Stamatiou"

So ultimately it was all to do with the money - the other two record labels did not put up the sum of €20000 in the specified time requested by ERT and were therefore excluded from singing in that three-way sing off. Who was left? That would be the lady in the headline picture, Yianna Terzi, singer/songwriter, who is on the Panik record label. Recognise that company name? This lady sings for them too...

So there was not to be a televised NF, not three acts but only one, and there really is no need for a major televisual extravaganza when you effectively now have an internal selection. So what will Yianna be singing in Lisbon? The name of the Greek entry this year - "Óneiró mou":

Yianna has described this herself as "an orchestral soundtrack, atmospheric and touching...it has traditional elements but they are 'sung in a European way'...". I would probably categorise it as chill trance - very restful, something to sit back and relax to after a lot of heavy club music, a song to sink into, listen to and absorb. In amongst all that flute and drums, Yainna is conveying a really beautiful love song that hopefully will be staged in a way that does these words justice:

If you look into the depth of me

You revive my dream

And if you look into my heart

I will take you into my arms

How would you like me to say this

I would die for you

I would give my life for you

End and beginning, you are everything

Why do you want to change me

And remove my blue

If you talk about my mountains

My loneliness will listen to you

How would you like me to say this

I would die for you

I would give my life for you

End and beginning, you are everything

However much I may hurt

I would never remove you from the map

I would give my life to you

End and beginning,you are everything

How would you like me to say this

I would die for you

I would give my life for you

End and beginning, you are everything

However much I may hurt

I would never remove you from the map

I would give my life to you

End and beginning,you are everything

"Óneiró mou" definitely has the Grecian groove back after last year's club banger and will please lovers of everything Greek - it is definitely levels above "Utopian Land", the last all-Greek lyrical entry and this shouldn't suffer the same fate as that song. Based on this studio version, it should appeal to jurors and the public but of course this isn't live - how does she sound in that regard? The best I could find online was this concert footage:

She seems to be more than capable of producing a decent live version of the Greek entry this year, especially as she co-wrote it and therefore should have composed it for her style of singing and vocal range. Of course the proof will be in the pudding when we actually get to hear this sung live - whether that be in the next couple of weeks or perhaps at one of the pre Parties. Personally, whether by design or total fluke, I think that Greece have made a pretty good choice here and the likelihood of them getting into the Final yet again is strong based on the studio version of their entry. At least the decision to return to 'their roots' was the right one...

Belarus, on the other hand, decided that singing in something other than English was enough for one Eurovision and went with the pre-show favourite Alekseev:

Doesn't he look pretty, all lit up with his tech suit à la Wiktoria from MF 2016 and to be fair, the special effects were pretty good. Alas they were the only decent thing about his winning performance at Eurofest 2018 that guaranteed him a ticket to Lisbon:

I know that watching Belarusian NFs does require a certain step back in time as far as sound and visual quality is concerned but this really pains me to watch and listen to it again. I am fully aware that English is not his first language, at least I would be now if I wasn't before! The sound is quite painful as he tries to sing each word in a forced phonetic way and that also meant that his voice couldn't flow and sound in anyway listenable - apparently this was his first time singing the song in English on stage so that might explain some of the issues that I had with this on the night.

He doesn't go off key but it sounds pretty poor - as I said in my Final preview, if he could in anyway match his studio version of this, Belarus might be onto something. If he however continues to sound like this live then I cannot see his 'adopted' nation making it past the SF stage this year.

The most ironic thing about this performance is that the best bit might not be able to be replicated in Lisbon due to the potential restrictions on LCD screens and light shows! Back to the drawing board on everything potentially. And to think that this won both the jury and televotes in Eurofest 2018 - my tip for the top (Shuma - "Chmarki") at least got second place and will be on my phone playlist a damn sight longer than Alekseev will ever be!

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So we have one nation who have gone back to their roots and unwittingly have ended up with what seems to be a very good native song that is instantly linked to that country, whereas the other has discarded the gains made by singing in their native tongue and instead have put their faith in a singer from a neighbouring nation who appears to be only able to offer a poor rendition of his song in the English language...

I know who I'd be putting my money on to make the Final on May 12th...

Sorry Alekseev, it ain't you!

'My Dream' would be to hear Yianna sing twice in Lisbon

As far as 'headline' pictures go for my blog articles, I have to say that this is perhaps the best of the lot! Made you look twice, didn't it? Maybe even psyched you out as you tried to process what was going on - unlike the winning entry for Montenegro, which could be viewed as unremarkable and almost quite predictable, in as far as the style of song was concerned. After sending perhaps the most 'out there' entry they could have sent to Kyiv :

Montenegro went for audible quality this year, avoiding an internal selection and going for a NF to send their representative to Lisbon. Only five acts in the line-up and despite only just making it into the three artist Super Final in third, Vanja Radovanović turned it around in the sing-off to take the win with 37% of the vote. "Inje" is the entry we will be hearing from now until its final performance in Lisbon:

From 2017 where it was all style over substance, Montenegro are now back with a very traditional Balkan ballad. Vanja gives a technically perfect vocal performance that is absolutely flawless and compliments it all with a professional delivery and a suitable amount of passion. Those are the pros of this entry - the cons are all to do with the song itself. "Inje" is very emotionally dark and downbeat, which to be fair matches the lyrical content of the song, becoming obvious to me when I read the translation ("Hoarfrost"):

Hoarfrost fell on us

it's freezing the blood in my veins

and you, oh, heart, are shrinking

and forgetting fast

Love is shaking like a leaf

in the middle of summer, I stand frozen

I'm shaking too, my voice is shaking

ever since I lost us

The duvet is warming my body in vain

because the draught is flowing through my soul

I'm living pointlessly

losing even when I'm winning

but when no one sees

I let you come visit my heart

I'm living just to pass by

like a slave in a solitary confinement

but when no one hears

I let my heart rejoice

Me and my life are like a dog and a cat

my heart is its most expensive toy

I'm living pointlessly

losing even when I'm winning

but when no one sees

I let you come visit my heart

I'm living just to pass by

like a slave in a solitary confinement

but when no one hears

I let my heart rejoice

Hoarfrost fell

Blimey, not the happiest set of lyrics in the world! Beautifully written and a wonderful piece of poetry but it can only lend itself to the music and vocal style that "Inje" already has and Vanja provides perfectly. Difficult to equate these heavy, depressing words with how the actual subject of the song can look:

Any chance of some beauty in there somewhere, Montenegro? The fact that this song is SO demotivating in its sound and delivery means that it does become a struggle to concentrate on, especially as all you have to focus on is Vanja in his posh military coat, the piano and player and nothing else. My attention does tend to drift away from actively listening to this, long before we arrive at the final 'Adio' flourish, adding a tiny pick-me-up at the end. One positive is that Vanja is keeping "Inje" in Montenegrin and his explanation why is one of the most strikingly succinct I have ever read (c/o Cafe del Montenegro):

"We also present the language, not just music. It’s more natural. Music is not a book, you do not have to translate it to understand it, but you understand it no matter which language. We do not say in Montenegro the songs should be in English. It’s not excluded that we will make a version in English, but we will sing on our own in May"

Even though this entry might struggle to escape the SF stage due to the song's lack of power and warmth, this singer has already become a 'fan favourite' in my eyes purely for his modesty in the interviews that I have seen, his humility of promoting the song over himself and the fact that Vanja wants to remain true to his language and culture. "Inje" is a real departure from much of his past material which varies from blues to uptempo pop, all found on his album "Svi životi moji". Listening to some of those tracks, I think that a couple of those might have had a better chance of qualifying for the Lisbon Final than his actual entry but he has a couple of months to perhaps improve the staging of "Inje" and give it a chance of being placed somewhere other than DNQ...

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Serbia were next up, weighing in with a SEVENTEEN act NF - I actually managed to choose the winner for only the third time this season - Sanja Ilić & Balkanika singing "Nova Deca":

The reason I selected this one before the NF itself? It sounds traditional and that is a good starting point for me in a Balkan entry, but this also had the electronic undercurrent which made this a standout amongst the other 16 entries. Add to that the synergy provided by the female and male vocals, together with the wailing that wasn't too piercing and you have a very solid Serbian entry. Admittedly the vocals did remind me a lot of Bosnia & Herzegovina's last entry, at least of the non-rap parts:

What "Nova Deca" has that B&H's didn't is a far better mix of ethnic and modern music, the combination of traditional wind instrument and those synth drums and keyboard fitting better with the powerful vocals of Nevena, Danica and Mladen, helping the sound of this entry reverberate in my head long after the song had finished. For a fairly static gig performance, there is plenty of visual interest too - from the older member of the outfit going for it big time whether or not he was playing his recorder, the two ladies with their wing-effect dresses and Mladen all in black with his Docs on. Even Serbia's "Trevor Horn look-a-like" is quietly playing away at the back of shot, content in the knowledge that his band was going to be the winners at Beovizija, taking the top spot with viewers and jury alike (table c/o ESCplus):

A convincing win then - "Nova Deca" or "New Children" in English is complicated musically and sounds vocally challenging but it is only when you look at the words that you realise how simplistic it is lyrically:

The world is ours, you are still dreaming

See in the sun of happiness, attainable, take it

Begins another day for us

Our world and our time cease to rush

When you are with me

your Holy One is ours and I grow taller

Because you exist

The clearer the Sun is,

the more different the World,

our new children with us create a better world

Our world and our time cease to rush

When you are with me

your Holy One is ours and I grow taller

Because you exist

The clearer the Sun is,

the more different the World,

our new children with us create a better world

The clearer the Sun is,

the more different the World,

our new children with us create a better world

It really is a song of praise, mixed together with ethnic and modern influences, all delivered by a group of singers and musicians who really know what they are doing. According to the band's website, they are trying to revitalise and modernise Serbian musical traditions. Their most recognisable pose is this one:

As there are normally eleven members of the group, five of them have missed out on the Eurovision journey. By the way, think you've seen the brunette sing before? I had - Danica Krstic came third out of three in 2015 behind Bojana Stamenov. Hopefully she will be able to keep her mic headset in place in Lisbon, unlike during her performance in Serbia - the sound production team at RTS (the Serbian broadcaster) dealt with it on their sound decks but it still led to one of their competitors crying foul. That accusation did lead to a classic quote by the band's leader, Sanja, a man who has been in the business long enough (he composed Yugoslavia's 1982 entry "Halo, Halo") to shrug off anything thrown at him:

“If we win in Portugal, you know what they will say – it was fixed.”

I think the likelihood of that coming true is quite remote but as Sanja's purpose was to send "Nova Deca" purely to win the NF, I suspect that the main priority in Lisbon will be to qualify for the Eurovision Final, something that Serbia failed to do last year. Their standing within the Balkans will not be affected whatever their finish is in May and their years of exposure to those music markets will at least garner as many votes from that part of Europe as possible. Enough to qualify for May 12th? Bit too early to tell but personally I wouldn't be unhappy to hear this twice in Lisbon...

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So the Balkan 'force' is strong with these two acts - two very traditional sounds and presentations hoping to take their nations to the Lisbon Final. I feel that Montenegro need to really go to the max as far as staging is concerned to make a very downbeat song come alive somehow, whereas Serbia might just need to repeat their Beovizija performance and hope for enough points to come in to let them sing on Saturday night. Swapping from internal selections to NFs has provided us with some real positives in 2018:

Two different styles of entry, both successfully promoting their native tongue and

providing two very professional, well established acts to take to the Portuguese stage.

There have been a few nailed-on certainties during the NFs already this year and Michael Schulte singing "You Let Me Walk Alone" was one of them. Top of the international jury, top of the Eurovision Panel and top of the televote, thereby totally negating any element of surprise during the result presentation, Michael was clearly the winner of "Unser Lied für Lissabon" in Berlin with this performance:

As far as the 'message entries' are concerned this year, this one will be understandable and most relatable to those watching than any other, it being a tribute dedicated to Michael's father who passed away 13 years ago. Very poignant, all the lyrics absolutely heartfelt and guaranteed to touch the heart of anyone listening:

I'm a dreamer, a make believer

I was told you were too did

I love the silence and a clear horizon

And I got that all from you

Every now and then I'm drawn to places

Where I hear your voice or see your face and

every little thought will lead me right back to you

I was born from one love of two hearts

We were three kids and a loving mom

You made this place a home

A shelter from the storm

You said I had one life and a true heart

I tried my best and I came so far

But you will never now

'Cause you let me walk this road alone

My childhood hero will always be you

And

I'll come and go I'll lead you when my life misleads

That's when I miss you most

Every now and then I'm drawn to places

Where I hear your voice or see your face and

every little thought will lead me right back to you

I was born from one love of two hearts

We were three kids and a loving mom

You made this place a home

A shelter from the storm

You said I had one life and a true heart

I tried my best and I came so far

But you will never now

'Cause you let me walk this road alone

Whoa, oh oh

I was born from one love of two hearts

We were three kids and a loving mom

You made this place a home

A shelter from the storm

You said I had one life and a true heart

I tried my best and I came so far

But you will never now

'Cause you let me walk this road alone

As Andrea Kümmert once said, you'd have to have a 'heart of stone' to feel nothing as Michael was performing and putting everything into the delivery of "You Let Me Walk Alone" (YLMWA). This entry was clearly the best entry put forward for Germany this year and it was a deserved winner on the night.

All well and good, surely then?

Well it would be if we hadn't been here before with Germany - there is something about this sort of MOR 'Radio 2' ballads that draws the German voters towards them and they really haven't done that well at Eurovision in the recent past. This entry is lovely and sentimental, it is reasonably well sung (although some of the vocals made the clarity of the sound of the lyrics a little weak) and there is obviously that emotional connection between Michael and the song itself. The downside is that I found it quite forgettable relatively quickly because of the nature of this entry - there is no way that a tribute to his father was ever going to include a massive crescendo or power ballad climax, nor any sort of artificial key change and as a tribute to his dad, YLMWA is nigh on perfect. As a Eurovision entry though, Germany may hope that this will drag them out of the bottom five, where their entries have languished for four of the past five years, but I am not convinced that this will have the memorability needed to garner masses of votes - if the draw is particularly bad, this might have been forgotten in the length of time that the next Eurovision postcard takes to play.

There is another matter which is my issue alone - the song title and its abbreviation reminds me so much of this pop and sporting classic:

Unfortunately whenever I now see Germany's song title, I immediately think of YNWA and the pop anthem that has been taken up by numerous football teams around Europe, in particular Liverpool! As far as Michael's entry is concerned, it is immaterial of my hang-ups about this, I fear that the song being written about his relationship with his father has tied his hands as far as musical complexity and staging is concerned - no chance of dancing or lots of instruments, or anything else for that matter. A good result in my opinion would be a mid-table finish but another bottom five wouldn't be a major surprise...

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The next artists, number 28, just beat the rest to the punch on Saturday night - Moldova is sending DoReDos to Lisbon:

The title really doesn't match how the Moldovan NF, O melodie pentru Europa 2018, panned out as "My Lucky Day" was always destined to be the winner and no luck was needed to help it across the line. Much like Michael in Germany, DoReDos were miles ahead with the juries and had almost TEN TIMES as many public votes as second place. That wasn't luck, that was an absolute landslide. How did they manage that? Marvel at this piece of NF slickness:

A bit rough and ready but here we have some staging that COULD transfer to a LED-less big screen stage at the Altice Arena, together with a well choreographed dance routine between professional dancers and the act themselves, along with note perfect vocals (including great harmonies), interlayered with incredibly catchy music involving trumpets this year, rather than a sax. This is a whole different Eurovision nation now, Moldova having attained their first podium finish in Kyiv with Sunstroke Project - just getting to the Final won't be good enough, at least not for this year in Lisbon. Most acts from that nation would not have a hope in hell of getting that high again and a straight singing act would probably have returned to barely making it to the Final - I have to say that Moldova have struck gold yet again! Could DoReDos emulate the Ukrainian placing? That might be a tall order but as far as staging, acting choreography and musicality are concerned, there won't be many acts better in Lisbon than Marina, Eugeniu and Sergiu. "My Lucky Day" as a song? It is frivolous at best and an incredibly annoying earworm too:

You got secrets to unfold

You got stories never told

You’re holding information

Standing right in front of me

A hidden rhapsody

I walk into temptation

Something tells me we can make some music

The rhythm is drivin’ me wild

And something tells me we ain’t gonna loose it

Keep pushin’ way into the night

Number one, keep rollin’

Say you’re real, I’m hopin’

Do you feel the way I do

Bring it on, it’s magic

Are you real, fantastic

Say you feel the way I do

Number two, keep turnin’

Feel the heat, we’re burnin’

I’ll do anything for you

We can be forever

Number one, together

We can make a dream come true

Well I guess it’s up to you

Do you feel the way I do

When bodytalk is magic

So is this my lucky day

Will you stay or walk away

Right now you’re stoppin’ traffic

Something tells me we can make some music

The rhythm is drivin’ me wild

And something tells me we ain’t gonna loose it

Keep pushin’ way into the night

Number one, keep rollin’

Say you’re real, I’m hopin’

Do you feel the way I do

Bring it on, it’s magic

Are you real, fantastic

Say you feel the way I do

Number two, keep turnin’

Feel the heat, we’re burnin’

I’ll do anything for you

We can be forever

Number one, together

We can make a dream come true

The lyrics will never be up for a Booker prize but they suit the light hearted nature of the music, a 1920/30s sound but not in a "Still In Love With You" way (ie. "My Lucky Day" is good). Having everything in place at this stage to this level is unusual for most NF winners but of course we all know that this group have the backing of one of the most recognisable faces in Eurovision at the moment, Philipp Kirkorov:

They also have John Ballard as co-composer, he of "You Are The Only One"/"Shine"/"Hold Me"/Ace of Base fame. A heavyweight pairing suggests that Moldova are in it to, dare I say it, win it? Will this nation suddenly join Bulgaria as the 'new stars' of Eastern Europe? DoReDos appear to be the consummate professionals and their NF winning performance wasn't a one off - they didn't stop to rest on their laurels and 24 hours later, they performed as one of the interval acts at Selecția Națională 2018 in Romania:

Obviously 24 hours wasn't enough time to get those mirrored boxes down to Bucharest but it is obvious that this entry has already been rehearsed a thousand times and the question will be whether what they are wearing and the props used in the Moldovan NF will stay the same. No issues with the vocals, no issues with the interactivity between the singers themselves and them and the dancers, and no problems when it comes to connecting with the audience. "My Lucky Day" is totally different to every other Eurovision entry so far and I strongly suspect that it is unlikely that anything we have yet to hear with have this infectious rhythm and earworm effect. A definite qualifier and potentially a dark horse status for Moldova in my opinion...

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So we had two acts that sailed through their NFs with few obstacles in their way - the likelihood is that Lisbon will be a far tougher proposition for both of them. Germany as one of the 'Big 5' are already into the Final but I feel that YLMWA may suffer as far as being remembered is concerned, despite its heartfelt lyrics and personal connection to Michael Schulte, and may continue Germany's run of bottom five finishes. As for Moldova, it has the plus points of fun, catchiness and probably uniqueness as far as the overall package is concerned - I would be surprised if this doesn't easily qualify for the Final AND make a decent fist of providing Moldova with another good finish on Saturday night. With the backing that DoReDos have this year, this would now be an expectation than a hope...

In Lisbon, Moldova will be looking for a higher placing in the Final than Germany...

Who would have thought that, even in Kyiv?

Saturday 24th February provided five NF winners and possibly the most 'of the moment' one was provided by this lady - Lea Sirk, winner of Evrovizijska Melodija (EMA) 2018, with her song "Hvala, ne!". Styled in an outfit that only became relatively revealing when she stopped moving, her high energy well-worked performance convinced the jurors and enough of the televoters to send her to Lisbon:

Lea definitely knew how to sell this clubland head bobber to the audience, giving a superb visual show and engaging the camera throughout. Her confidence and charisma on stage helped pull what didn't seem to be an amazingly complex song through the three minutes, utilising her four dancers and their associated picture frames to the fullest, along with a snazzy floor light show.

She had to cope with leading the show off too, perhaps not too big a chore in an eight act NF, but it was obviously felt that her ability to pseudo-rap her song with perfect sounding vocals, despite the amount of movement around that stage, was a great opener.

Even singing in Slovene didn't seem to impede her progress to Lisbon, seeing that BQL, the fans favourite, had swapped to English before the Final. Five jurors out of six gave her their top marks which led to her just hanging onto the lead after only taking third place with the public (according to INFE Greece, this is the tenth time the juries in Slovenia have not agreed with the televote and have sent an act that topped their selection):

And so Lea has made it to Eurovision for a third time, twice as a backing singer (for Tinkara in Copenhagen and ManuElla in Stockholm) and now for the first time as the lead - bit like a certain UK singer I could mention, although unlike us Brits, Slovenian broadcaster RTVSLO actually stumped up the funds to present Lea with a trophy:

Lea seems a very exuberant woman on stage and off, someone who knows her own mind and judging by this ESC Bubble interview, someone who should be a very interesting artist to chat to in London and/or Amsterdam:

She might not get as much time to party in Lisbon, being the main Slovenian act but maybe she'll enjoy performing at Euroclub or at the Village! As for the Contest itself, as "Hvala, ne!" stands, I could see it either picking up the tempo after an interval in SF2 or even closing the show - it is a very entertaining watch and this could be one of the stand out visual moments of the SFs but as far as the song itself is concerned, the musical 'chorus' does break the flow of the entry up, perhaps a bit too much. What does become apparent, when the lyrics are translated, is that Lea's attitude on stage is perfect for the lyrical content of the song:

My name is Lea

and I have a new look for you.

Lots of laughter and freedom,

like some virtual trick,

It’s a step towards victory,

a step towards light,

a step toward perfection.

I am fighting with smile to the sun,

I am fighting for the people.

The path to the truth blinds me.

The first love comes to fool you,

But I take what sets the body free.

Don’t believe everything

they offer you.

Think loud and have hope.

The secret is in this

that you don't sell yourself to everyone.

Because that is passè

Thank you, no!

Thank you, no, no!

Thank you, thank you, no!

Million people already said,

that there’s too many people living.

The ones that are miserable,

the ones without light.

It’s a smile for happiness,

a smile for these people,

for the ones full of fear,

wooh!

I don’t give my soul to no one,

I keep it for myself,

the real art,

without speaking.

Every answer is within me,

i find it when i fall asleep,

when my body is relaxed

and open to everything.

Don’t believe everything

they offer you.

Think loud and have hope.

The secret is in this

that you don't sell yourself to everyone.

Because that is passè

Thank you, no!

Thank you, no, no!

Thank you, thank you, no!

I’m a marionette to those

hiding behind masks

all the same, all perfect,

but unhappy - thanks, but no, no, no, no, no.

Don’t believe everything

they offer you.

Think loud and have hope.

The secret is in this

that you don't sell yourself to everyone.

Because that is passè

Thank you, no!

Thank you, no, no!

Thank you, thank you, no!

If you understood Slovene last Saturday, this was the complete package - an entertaining show of artist, staging and lyrics all coming together to provide a fun performance by someone who doesn't take any messing and is confident in her own skin. The issue with using her native tongue is that almost nobody else will understand the words and something of that perfection will be lost on SF2 night. For winning the NF, it was perfect - to get Slovenia back into the Final since Maraaya did so in Vienna, this entry might need some work on it, even it is just getting some different picture frames! Having said that, I am looking forward to seeing it at any of the pre Parties that Lea may attend though...

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Another act called to perform for their nation in Lisbon that Saturday was from Ukraine - what ended up being a tight affair between six acts that took 4.5 hours to decide, with Tayanna missing out in second place for consecutive years, led to this guy taking the Eurovision ticket with "Under The Ladder" - Mélovin:

He of the quirky contact lenses that were kept firmly fixed on the viewer gave Vidbir a visually impressive show, two thirds high intensity pop and then a third playing a piano on a flaming podium:

This guy has the charisma and stage presence to keep anyone watching throughout, no matter how naff the concept of warming his seat and instrument up at the end was. "Under The Ladder" is a very listenable tune that is catchy and builds well up to that dramatic fist salute at the end - his performance also gives this entry loads of life. The only downside with Mélovin's singing in Ukraine was his English diction and occasionally his tuning but to be honest, the staging and his persona overcame any imperfections in his vocals, especially the raised piano on the podium, tacky though it may appear at first. I am not sure whether him appearing as a minor villain from "Gotham" at first was intended but removing the dark jacket before ascending the ramp in his white shirt may have been an unintentional masterstroke (darkness into light). As happened in 2017, he won the televote - this year gave a different outcome, as there was no dead heat and no way for another act to get the nod from the jury vote:

A deserved win in the end - the most entertaining and radio friendly song won the day. Luckily it wasn't based on lyrical content and what the words all meant because I have looked at these a fair bit and I still have no idea:

Curtains down, I’m laughing at the trial

Help me to unravel

Tangle of my innocence inside

Faith’s bout to be severed

Oh oh oh oh, won’t get any better

Oh oh oh oh, walk under the ladder

Shout out just one reason what’s this for

You can see that whatever the weather

That the wind’s always there, always fair, oh oh oh

And it has always been now or never

The decision has got to be made, oh oh oh

(Oh oh oh, yeah)

Desperate thoughts, your hope calls you a liar

Fear begins to revel

Nothing but your will sets you on fire

Fire lasts forever

Oh oh oh oh, can’t get any better

Oh oh oh oh, dance under the ladder

If you dare, so what you’re waiting for

You can see that whatever the weather

That the wind’s always there, always fair, oh oh oh

And it has always been now or never

The decision has got to be made, oh oh oh

(Oh oh oh, yeah)

You can see that whatever the weather

That the wind’s always there, always fair, oh oh oh

And it has always been now or never

The decision has got to be made

You can see that whatever the weather

That the wind’s always there, always fair, oh oh oh

And it has always been now or never

The decision has got to be made, oh oh oh

(Oh oh oh, yeah)

Nope? Maybe if I get to chat with him, Mélovin might be able to explain his lyrics. Unless he uses that 'wonky eye' and the ramp of fire to distract me...

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So we had two more entries, both very radio friendly, both up tempo and entertaining, both staged in a way that made you want to keep watching and ignore the fact that the singing and/or the song itself weren't the hottest ever. Out of the two, Ukraine will probably have the best hope of a Final qualification and possibly even a top ten if the wind blows in the right direction. Slovenia would have a far better chance if the entry was able to be swapped into English as the lyrics are really witty and so expertly written for Lea's act as a confident woman - unfortunately the language sung at EMA 2018 is the one to be used at Eurovision. Shame in a way but the floor show, if it could be better than in her NF, might help sneak Slovenia into their first Final since Vienna. The props that Lea has in her entry need a bit of an upgrade however...

Fire under a piano beats a set of plain picture frames anyday...

Lea's outfit was far more interesting though!

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