[LMBTO] No Depi 2019 - Armenia have the first artist for Eurovision...

It 'only' took until November 30th but we eventually have our first confirmed artist for Eurovision 2019 in Tel Aviv...


Armenia are the first nation to reveal their representative and they do so this year internally after two indifferent years using the selection process Depi Evratesil, 2017 just for their singer and 2018 for the whole entry.  Srbuhi Sargsyan was revealed to the Eurovision world by a previous Armenian contestant, Aram MP3, on his evening show 'Lav Yereko' on Friday 30th - the Armenian public were well aware of who she is but we needed a bit of background information.  Her biggest hit to date is this track:



"Yete Karogh Es" was a chart topper for weeks in Armenia in 2016, Srbuk providing great entertainment and fun within these four minutes and watching it immediately suggests to me that she will be able to perform and engage with an audience, always a big plus for a Eurovision artist.  Much of that background will have come from her time on X Factor Armenia and The Voice Ukraine, ably demonstrated here with a performance earlier this year in a Yerevan club:



Bags of energy and engagement with her audience, something that the new Heads of Delegation for Armenia, David Tserunyan and Anushik Ter-Ghukasyan, were looking for after having to deal with their nation's reaction to a rare DNQ in Lisbon.  Sevak Khanagyan gave a superb vocal performance in his native tongue with "Qami" there but the static staging and irrelevant choreography did lead to the entry being forgotten once voting came around.  We don't have a Eurovision song for Srbuk yet but we do have a new EDM single to listen to:



"Half A Goddess" is in English for a start and obviously has a much more modern feel than "Yete Karogh Es", although I personally prefer that song, especially as it is in Armenian and more fun.  Srbuk definitely acts the part yet again with this new song, this time as the sassy and bold lead in the desert, providing a show on a par with solo pop goddesses anywhere, a whole one to boot and not just a half!
Look at those names for last year - remember all of the organisation, recriminations and hassle that Armenia had to deal with, just to end up 15th in their SF in Lisbon?  Not having to organise another Depi Evratesil this year has allowed the delegation to dedicate more time and resources to prepare for Eurovision itself - selecting Srbuk internally means that all that is needed now is to match the right song to her.  That will come in the New Year as AMPTV, the Armenian broadcaster, has just opened up the song submission process to all comers.  The track can be of any genre and in either Armenian or English - those criteria should suit Srbuk down to the ground, given that the songs she has already released are so varied in content and style and that she appears to be able to cope with singing in either language.
To date, the Armenian HoDs have said that they have only received praise for their selection and no criticism - from what I have seen across Eurovision fandom, I'd have to agree - as internal selections go, it appears that all the Contest boxes for an artist are ticked:

I think that her nation have struck Eurovision gold here - might we have yet another Armenian female artist who intrigues and delights fans and viewers alike come May?  There are lots of other factors such as the song and staging to consider but as far as artist selection is concerned...