The current Eurovision King until...
That is the big question, isn't it? We are at the end of April and ordinarily we would all be getting excited in many ways - the press pack would be ready to be out in Rotterdam on Saturday 2nd May, for the start of rehearsals and us regular fans (remember that I was not applying for a P badge this year) would start arriving a week later. Many would have been staying in their respective nations and watched it all on tv/YouTube and in about 18 days Eurovision 2020 would have been all over! Maybe in an alternate reality, perhaps?
As it is, we are now looking forward to alternate Eurovision programming, led mainly by "Eurovision : Europe Shine A Light" from AVROTROS/NPO/EBU and also with individual broadcasters doing their own thing. One major positive has been that Eurovision artists all over the globe have been presenting their own material online and that has filled in the time that would have been normally covered by the promo parties admirably. There isn't any of those on this week's show, apart from the official EBU endorsed "Eurovision Home Concerts", because most of this week's show showcases something that I have done every year on my blog and also last year on this show - I told you last week, remember?
Yes, my 41 PREFERENCES - not predictions, as that is too presumptuous and goes wrong immediately you pass out of SF stage when the Contest actually happens. Blog readers will know that all bar Kate Miller-Heidke were 'cursed' by my favouritism - look at Greta Salóme, Norma John and Laura Rizzotto as proof of that! All this year's tracks have been rated on first listen, when they were either selected internally or won their NF - two (Switzerland and The Netherlands) were re-rated as a far superior live version came to light, in one of those cases raising their placing 21 places! I have mentioned their scores on the show but I will do a brief summary here on each and the reasons why I graded them that way. Bear in mind that on the SECHUK Jury 2020, I was the second most generous marker and only two tracks were given a score below 5/10. Have a listen to the show first...
The playlist is here - obviously Duncan Laurence had to start the show and I got to my number 26 mid-way through hour two. You got six songs relating to news that happened this week too...
"Arcade" - Duncan Laurence
"Solovey" - Go_A
"Da Vidna" - VAL
"Running" - Sandro
"FREAKY!" - Senhit
"Medo De Sentir" - Elisa
"Don't Break Me" - Montaigne
"What Love Is" - Uku Suviste
"Mon alliée (The Best in Me)" - Tom Leeb
"UNO" - Little Big
"Take Me As I Am" - Tornike Kipiani
"Let Me Breathe" - Slashkovic ft Rgbeatz
"Kemama" - Benny Cristo
"Looking Back" - Aksel Kankaanranta
"My Last Breath" - James Newman
"Voda" - Ana Soklič
"YOU" - Vasil
"Tears Getting Sober" - VICTORIA
"Als Het Om De Liefde Gaat" - Sandra & Andres
"Mercy" - Madame Monsieur
"Queens" - Saara Aalto
"Limits" - PAENDA
"Stones" - Zibbz
"Kinky Boots" - Daz Sampson & Nona
"Let Me Be The One" - The Shadows
So let us start the run-down but a quick mention of how I scored these songs. As I am now a juror on several juries, I use the Eurovision method to get my marks:
Vocal Capability out of 5
Stage Performance out of 5
Composition / Originality out of 5
Overall Impression out of 5
Score out of 20 (final score out of 10)
So off we go and we will start with my bottom placed entry (all pictures c/o eurovision.tv)...
41 - UKRAINE (Go_A - "Solovey")
Vocal Capability 1.0/5
Stage Performance 2.0/5
Composition / Originality 3.0/5
Overall Impression 1.5/5
Score 7.5/20 (3.5)
Ever heard of 'Operation Nifty Package'? This was where the US military used psychological harassment to try to displace General Noriega out of the Apostolic nunciature of the Holy See in Panama City, including three days of deafening rock music. I would have been fine with that but this song does something to my ears and head that I cannot listen to it with headphones on in the studio or at home and so this would have got me to surrender within three hours easily! I liked Tulia's white voice vocals last year but this song had that continually and the harmonics just cut right through me. I am pleased that the group have another chance in 2021 but I hope that a repeat of "Solovey" is not on the cards. Some will say unfairly but my scores put Ukraine firmly at the bottom of my 2020 list.
40 - BELARUS (VAL - "Da Vidna")
Vocal Capability 3.5/5
Stage Performance 2.0/5
Composition / Originality 2.0/5
Overall Impression 2.5/5
Score 9.5/20 (4.5)
I am always in a quandary as to whether to rate an entry from the Belarusian NF as the sound quality is never the best and perhaps this rating was a little unfair to Valerie and Vlad. Having said that, I wasn't keen on the staging and the routine, plus the song itself just left me cold - I did like the Moloko headwear that Valerie had on though! I have to admit that I was more impressed with the acoustic version of this entry that was performed on the 'PreParty ES 2020 At Home' show but that wouldn't have been what was going to Rotterdam. My next preference was far better sung acoustically too but as for VAL, Sandro would have had to taken his EDM studio version to The Netherlands...
39 - CYPRUS (Sandro - "Running")
Vocal Capability 4.0/5
Composition / Originality 2.0/5
Overall Impression 2.5/5
Score 8.5/15 (5.5)
Bear in mind that this was marked as per the studio version so vocals are always going to be high - I say that as I did see a live version of this track sung by Sandro and it didn't sound anywhere near as good, but it did appear to be a tough crowd and not great sound systems. The main problem for this entry for me is that it is totally forgettable - when I see the song title "Running" and think Eurovision, Hungary's 2014 entry by Andray Kallas Saunders immediately plays in my head and I cannot for the life of me remember any of this one, no matter how often I have played it. I would say that this entry isn't bad but truthfully I would have to play it again to be sure...
38 - San Marino (Senhit - "FREAKY!")
Vocal Capability 4.0/5
Composition / Originality 2.0/5
Overall Impression 2.5/5
Score 8.5/15 (5.5)
Okay, so we now know that "Cleopatra", the Azerbaijan entry, was originally up for grabs by San Marino, Senhit did a demo and then either didn't like it or the songwriters didn't like the idea of a mini NF and touted it elsewhere. Whatever happened, "FREAKY!" is not the same quality of song and disco throwbacks have not been that popular in the past ten years - ask Valentina, Jimmie and Ralph! The video is bright, fun and Senhit sells it for all she is worth but I was not convinced that a live version of this would have improved matters and it all seemed very dated to me, hence the low score on originality. I had this bottom of SF2 but it might have got a bit higher but San Marino's Final appearances have relied on the overwhelming backing for fans for Valentina and Serhat - I don't think we would have had a repeat in 2020 of that...
37 - PORTUGAL (Elisa - "Medo De Sentir")
Vocal Capability 3.0/5
Stage Performance 3.0/5
Composition / Originality 2.5/5
Overall Impression 2.5/5
Score 11.0/20 (5.5)
For the SECHUK Jury 2020 voting, we were asked to provide a pithy phrase to go with our score and mine for "Medo De Sentir" was 'Same OId Portugal'. Now I meant that in a nice way - Elisa is a beautiful singer who presents this song nicely with nothing over the top, all in Portuguese, and in a manner that would almost certainly be overlooked at Eurovision. She was delightful at the last Eurovision Home Concert, sitting on her bed, playing her ukulele and giving a delightfully different rendition of this song. Unfortunately I can just imagine the production team in Rotterdam placing this in SF2's running order between "Chains On You" and "YES" and Portugal being totally forgotten by voting time. I really hope she gets another go at Festival da Canção, as Elisa deserves her crack at Eurovision but this song just said 'average' to me...
36 - AUSTRALIA (Montaigne - "Don't Break Me")
Vocal Capability 2.0/5
Stage Performance 4.0/5
Composition / Originality 3.5/5
Overall Impression 3.0/5
Score 12.5/20 (6.0)
What a difference a year makes! Kate Miller-Heidke with "Zero Gravity" was my number one in 2019, realistically from the moment I first listened to the song, reinforcing my feelings about the artist after getting a tip-off that she was to be involved in 'Eurovision: Australia Decides'. Her tour de force at Tel Aviv with THAT staging just topped it all off for me and so 2020's offering from her nation is like chalk and cheese. Don't get me wrong - I love Montaigne's back catalogue, the fact that she is an indie pop artist and that she had the balls to put the choreography she had on the Gold Coast stage earlier this year all counted in her favour. However, it was that staging that, for me, made her vocals suffer A LOT, as you can tell from my scores. It was one of those entries that looked better than it sounded and the poor vocals was almost certainly down to the erratic movements on the stage. I am pretty certain that the Aussie delegation would have sorted all of this out for Rotterdam and we will get to see her actual routine during the special Eurovision programming on SBS - I suspect her score would have gone right up in the end but based on that NF performance, Montaigne is my 36 this year...
35 - Estonia (Uku Suviste - "What Love Is")
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The voice and the look - for me, those were the two things that might have got Estonia into this year's Final because the staging at Eesti Laul and the lyrical composition sure weren't! Uku has a great voice and a stage presence that has got him the runner-up spot in 2019 and the Eesti Laul win in 2020 but having a floor full of candles and a big IKEA-type sign spelling "LOVE" was never going to cut it in Rotterdam. The song itself was not up to the standard of his entry last year, "Pretty Little Liar", and that lack of interest in the song itself more than likely would have seen Estonia not make it to the ESC Final. Uku does get another chance in EE 2021 but having to do it the hard way through SF and Final - having said that, his past record and the Estonian people's love for returning artists will probably give Uku another go at The Netherlands next year...
34 - FRANCE (Tom Leeb - "Mon Alliée (The Best In Me)")
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This is a combination score, based partly on the revamped entry that included more French and sounded more like "Tom's song" and partly on THAT reveal from the Eiffel Tower, where this guy showed us all of his on-stage persona. That splicing together of two events actually propelled France up my preference list but not enough to make a song and dance about - from 36 to 34! Like Uku, Tom would have had his fans purely for physical reasons and he also has a great voice but "Mon Alliée (The Best In Me)" just doesn't hit the spot for me. It is nice, a calming listen that you have in the background but out of all the Big 5 entries this year, France was destined to be the lowest of the pack unless they had a prime slot in the running order on Final night. Will we see Tom next year? He was an internal selection and an easy choice to repeat but I am sure that French songwriters will be the only ones allowed to submit a song...
33 - RUSSIA (Little Big - "Uno")
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Yes, you read that right - on first listen and watch of the official video, I had "UNO" all the way down in 33rd! It seemed very simplistic, a bit novelty and not up to the standard of previous Little Big tracks, so I was really basing this on previous material, which was not the thing to do as a juror. Since then, I have watched the band sing this twice live and I have realised that not only are their live vocals and performances EXACTLY the same as the video, a major plus in my book, the entry no longer comes across as novelty but as a deliberate attempt to create a bit of fun and provide a visual wow, all within a relatively 'straight' band performance. I still would have the songs above it in the same positions as all these choices are my PREFERENCES but I can say for certain that this would not have finished in 33rd overall - this was a nailed on certainty to qualify and a definite contender for a televote podium (perhaps challenging Iceland for that crown). A winner? I don't think the juries would had this much higher than top ten and so I think a top 5 finish was on the cards for Russia this year - I now admit that whenever I see or hear this song, I have to smile! I'd also like to see Florida, the female backing singer from the band Leningrad, have a try out for Eurovision sometime...
32 - GEORGIA (Tornike Kipiani - "Take Me As I Am")
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Most fans have heard the adage when it comes to Georgian Eurovision entries - one year is for Europe, the next for Georgia and repeat. I am not sure that we have kept that pattern going, as I could not tell you which market "Take Me As I Am" is targeted at! This is a very intriguing entry and a very thoughtful lyrical story played throughout, even if it seems very simple but the passage of time is too slow and a lot would have rested on Tornike's shoulders to get Georgia back into the Eurovision Final for the first time since 2016. It is memorable in as far as you look at his face and the song title and those lyrics "Do You Want Me To Be..." come rushing back into my head - would that have been enough? We will now never know but I am delighted that he will have another chance in 2021, because I know that we are in for an artistic treat from this singer but in what direction, I have no clue. One of those that I wanted to make the Final but realistically couldn't see it happening...
31 - CZECH REPUBLIC (Benny Cristo - "Kemema")
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And so we have the entry with the most revamps, the song that stopped my favourite Czech artist from making it of Rotterdam (to be fair, Barbora Mochowa's "White & Black Holes" was good but not at the level of "True Colors"), ending up with an average rating all round. "Kemema" has a summer hit vibe all over it but the one thing missing was a live performance of that final revamp - we got one of the original NF winning version in Ukraine and that wasn't too bad but it didn't change my opinion of this entry. That opinion was that I didn't think that this was going to make it out of SF2 and that was the one I felt was weakest. There is a hook there and if this had been performed well, Benny might have had his international breakthrough hit but that was a big IF in my eyes. As Benny chopped and changed with this song, depending on what Eurovision fans were thinking, I wonder if he will get another chance in 2021 or whether we will see another ESCZ online again, perhaps with him as one of the Finalists. I'd be hoping for third time lucky for Barbora, I'm afraid...
30 - FINLAND (Aksel Kankaanranta - "Looking Back")
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Finland had picked the best vocalist at UMK 2020, indeed potentially the best male vocalist at Eurovision, but the rest of this nation's entry was middling at best. "Looking Back" was all about Aksel's voice and really, that was it - the staging was interesting but not outstanding, his stage presence was minimal and I could not have seen this making the Final out of SF2. Erika's PVC catsuit and two huge bears would have been the song to pick to guarantee a Final place, especially as fan support DOES make a difference at the SF stage, but that will probably give Finland wins in the OGAE Second Chance Contest and Second Cherry, if nothing else. I am glad that Aksel is giving it another go and it wouldn't surprise me if he made the UMK Final again, based purely on this year's experience and his Voice exposure but will he win again? He made 30 on my list anyway...
29 - UNITED KINGDOM (James Newman - "My Last Breath")
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At least it isn't my lowest Big 5 entry this year and it is a decent entry but in my opinion overrated by many fans, I think mainly because of that wonderful official video set in mountains and lakes. As I have always said about this song, if the last 90 seconds matched the intensity, drive and power of the first 60 then I would have been raving about our entry from when this was released. The intro and that first verse, all lead by a great acoustic guitar sound that merge into those pounding drum beats, grabbed me and for once with a UK entry, I was entranced. But then the chorus and the rest of the song at best plateaued and at worst drifted away - the song title is very unfortunate now, given the current world crisis, something that could not have been foreseen when the song was written. Perhaps not a bottom five this year but lower mid-table obscurity was probably the best that could have been hoped for. We have not heard anything from James or the BBC about next year, all bar the Corporation thanking him for his efforts - damning with faint praise? Maybe James could write something for his brother John...
28 - SLOVENIA (Ana Soklič - "Voda")
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Each year, there is at least one artist that I was totally unaware of before the Eurovision season starts but by the end of it, I am so in awe of their vocals and/or their stage presence that I then follow their career from then on, delighted that I have found an incredible talent due to the Contest. There are two this year - the first of those is Ana and yet her winning song at EMA 2020 was not the reason I have come to love the voice and performance skills of this lady (it doesn't hurt that she is beautiful too). "Voda" is a powerful ballad in Slovene, a language that is rapidly becoming a staple of the Eurovision Final but that isn't the reason why this entry won its NF. It was all about Ana - she has this amazing vocal range, from a low point that most women could not hope to match, through to hitting all the high notes at the end. She also has a connection with the camera that was absolutely mesmerising to all that watched her sing that night - she included me in her 'voyage' and kept me watching her subtle movements around the stage, exuding an attitude that was almost certainly the key to her victory in EMA. She has also been one of the online stars since the cancellation of Eurovision, what with her 30 minute jazz/soul session and her outstanding cover of "Suus" on Eurovision Home Concerts 4 (have a look below), and she is someone that I will be listening to her material, old and new. To be honest, if she had been singing some jazz or soul at EMA, my scores would have propelled her into my top ten easily - perhaps Slovenia will give her another chance next year and play to her genre strengths?
27 - North Macedonia (Vasil - "YOU")
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One of the more artistic and interesting official videos this year was from Vasil and it showed off what a multi-talented performer he is. My first exposure to him was on the Orange Carpet in Tel Aviv where he posed with his crown and 'Proud' sign for a one-off photo opp whilst accompanying Tamara - I was looking forward to chatting with him about that experience, together with delving into his extremely varied musical tastes and background. "YOU" does not show off the best of this singer's vocal talents (although I was wondering if he would be staging his performance in Rotterdam like the video), and I could imagine him tackling something more classical, something that is niche but is proven to make the Final every time - maybe next year if Vasil is picked again? He was internal so you'd think he would get a go in 2021 but that might depend on North Macedonia confirming their attendance - still plenty of time to go though, we haven't even reached when 2020 would have happened! The first on my 7s though on the list - my top 27 on first listen all got a GOOD rating at least...
26 - BULGARIA (VICTORIA - "Tears Getting Sober")
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"A Pleasant Fairy Tale" was how I described this in my phrase for the SECHUK Jury 2020 and listening to all the nuances and subtle Disney-like music throughout "Tears Getting Sober" has reminded me why I said that. VICTORIA has proved beyond any doubt that how the song sounds in the studio and video is how it was going to sound live, having seen her perform it online three times now. This was also the second entry that I played in this show that was totally out of kilter with where it would have finished in reality as against my preference list - this was the bookies favourite when Eurovision was cancelled on March 18th and it was always going to be one of this year's contenders for the 2020 crown. It never grabbed me in the way it did most fans - nice enough and very pretty to listen to but I think that Eurovision was due a fun song this year as a winner. I am delighted however that we will be hearing from VICTORIA in 2021 because she is an incredible talent with a superb voice and also a developing writing career - with a song I can get on board with, I would not be disappointed to see her get Bulgaria's first Eurovision win!
As for the rest of the show, I did say that I would embed a couple of items - first Eurovision Home Concerts 4:
Highlights for me are Eugent Bushpepa singing "Mall" and "Silent Storm", along with my new fav Ana Soklič who did a phenomenal cover of Rona Nishliu's "Suus" - both artists make this episode a must watch. What is also a must watch is the Daz Sampson documentary mentioned right at the end of the show - it made me remember what a big act he actually was before Eurovision and how I (and many, many other fans) have really misjudged him:
I hope that he gets his autobiography sorted and makes back some of that money he lost. I also hope he can get more involved with Eurovision again, as he clearly still loves the Contest.
So Show 91 will feature the second part of my 41 preferences but what else? EHC5 will feature somewhere, maybe the odd new release but there will be a couple of online sessions to feature, including one that I didn't have time to include on this show...
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I'll tell you more about what one of my 'house bands' were doing in Skopje on the next show of LET ME BE THE ONE!
35 - Estonia (Uku Suviste - "What Love Is")
Vocal Capability 4.0/5
Stage Performance 2.5/5
Composition / Originality 3.0/5
Overall Impression 3.0/5
Score 12.5/20 (6.0)
The voice and the look - for me, those were the two things that might have got Estonia into this year's Final because the staging at Eesti Laul and the lyrical composition sure weren't! Uku has a great voice and a stage presence that has got him the runner-up spot in 2019 and the Eesti Laul win in 2020 but having a floor full of candles and a big IKEA-type sign spelling "LOVE" was never going to cut it in Rotterdam. The song itself was not up to the standard of his entry last year, "Pretty Little Liar", and that lack of interest in the song itself more than likely would have seen Estonia not make it to the ESC Final. Uku does get another chance in EE 2021 but having to do it the hard way through SF and Final - having said that, his past record and the Estonian people's love for returning artists will probably give Uku another go at The Netherlands next year...
34 - FRANCE (Tom Leeb - "Mon Alliée (The Best In Me)")
Vocal Capability 4.0/5
Stage Performance 3.5/5
Composition/Originality 2.5/5
Overall Impression 3.0/5
Score 13.0/20 (6.5)
This is a combination score, based partly on the revamped entry that included more French and sounded more like "Tom's song" and partly on THAT reveal from the Eiffel Tower, where this guy showed us all of his on-stage persona. That splicing together of two events actually propelled France up my preference list but not enough to make a song and dance about - from 36 to 34! Like Uku, Tom would have had his fans purely for physical reasons and he also has a great voice but "Mon Alliée (The Best In Me)" just doesn't hit the spot for me. It is nice, a calming listen that you have in the background but out of all the Big 5 entries this year, France was destined to be the lowest of the pack unless they had a prime slot in the running order on Final night. Will we see Tom next year? He was an internal selection and an easy choice to repeat but I am sure that French songwriters will be the only ones allowed to submit a song...
33 - RUSSIA (Little Big - "Uno")
Vocal Capability 3.5/5
Composition / Originality 2.5/5
Overall Impression 3.5/5
Score 9.5/15 (6.5)
Yes, you read that right - on first listen and watch of the official video, I had "UNO" all the way down in 33rd! It seemed very simplistic, a bit novelty and not up to the standard of previous Little Big tracks, so I was really basing this on previous material, which was not the thing to do as a juror. Since then, I have watched the band sing this twice live and I have realised that not only are their live vocals and performances EXACTLY the same as the video, a major plus in my book, the entry no longer comes across as novelty but as a deliberate attempt to create a bit of fun and provide a visual wow, all within a relatively 'straight' band performance. I still would have the songs above it in the same positions as all these choices are my PREFERENCES but I can say for certain that this would not have finished in 33rd overall - this was a nailed on certainty to qualify and a definite contender for a televote podium (perhaps challenging Iceland for that crown). A winner? I don't think the juries would had this much higher than top ten and so I think a top 5 finish was on the cards for Russia this year - I now admit that whenever I see or hear this song, I have to smile! I'd also like to see Florida, the female backing singer from the band Leningrad, have a try out for Eurovision sometime...
32 - GEORGIA (Tornike Kipiani - "Take Me As I Am")
Vocal Capability 3.5/5
Composition / Originality 3.5/5
Overall Impression 3.0/5
Score 10.0/15 (6.5)
Most fans have heard the adage when it comes to Georgian Eurovision entries - one year is for Europe, the next for Georgia and repeat. I am not sure that we have kept that pattern going, as I could not tell you which market "Take Me As I Am" is targeted at! This is a very intriguing entry and a very thoughtful lyrical story played throughout, even if it seems very simple but the passage of time is too slow and a lot would have rested on Tornike's shoulders to get Georgia back into the Eurovision Final for the first time since 2016. It is memorable in as far as you look at his face and the song title and those lyrics "Do You Want Me To Be..." come rushing back into my head - would that have been enough? We will now never know but I am delighted that he will have another chance in 2021, because I know that we are in for an artistic treat from this singer but in what direction, I have no clue. One of those that I wanted to make the Final but realistically couldn't see it happening...
31 - CZECH REPUBLIC (Benny Cristo - "Kemema")
Vocal Capability 3.0/5
Composition / Originality 4.0/5
Overall Impression 3.0/5
Score 10.0/15 (6.5)
And so we have the entry with the most revamps, the song that stopped my favourite Czech artist from making it of Rotterdam (to be fair, Barbora Mochowa's "White & Black Holes" was good but not at the level of "True Colors"), ending up with an average rating all round. "Kemema" has a summer hit vibe all over it but the one thing missing was a live performance of that final revamp - we got one of the original NF winning version in Ukraine and that wasn't too bad but it didn't change my opinion of this entry. That opinion was that I didn't think that this was going to make it out of SF2 and that was the one I felt was weakest. There is a hook there and if this had been performed well, Benny might have had his international breakthrough hit but that was a big IF in my eyes. As Benny chopped and changed with this song, depending on what Eurovision fans were thinking, I wonder if he will get another chance in 2021 or whether we will see another ESCZ online again, perhaps with him as one of the Finalists. I'd be hoping for third time lucky for Barbora, I'm afraid...
30 - FINLAND (Aksel Kankaanranta - "Looking Back")
Vocal Capability 4.5/5
Stage Performance 2.5/5
Composition / Originality 3.0/5
Overall Impression 3.0/5
Score 13.0/20 (6.5)
Finland had picked the best vocalist at UMK 2020, indeed potentially the best male vocalist at Eurovision, but the rest of this nation's entry was middling at best. "Looking Back" was all about Aksel's voice and really, that was it - the staging was interesting but not outstanding, his stage presence was minimal and I could not have seen this making the Final out of SF2. Erika's PVC catsuit and two huge bears would have been the song to pick to guarantee a Final place, especially as fan support DOES make a difference at the SF stage, but that will probably give Finland wins in the OGAE Second Chance Contest and Second Cherry, if nothing else. I am glad that Aksel is giving it another go and it wouldn't surprise me if he made the UMK Final again, based purely on this year's experience and his Voice exposure but will he win again? He made 30 on my list anyway...
29 - UNITED KINGDOM (James Newman - "My Last Breath")
Vocal Capability 4.5/5
Stage Performance 3.0/5
Composition / Originality 3.0/5
Overall Impression 3.0/5
Score 13.5/20 (6.5)
At least it isn't my lowest Big 5 entry this year and it is a decent entry but in my opinion overrated by many fans, I think mainly because of that wonderful official video set in mountains and lakes. As I have always said about this song, if the last 90 seconds matched the intensity, drive and power of the first 60 then I would have been raving about our entry from when this was released. The intro and that first verse, all lead by a great acoustic guitar sound that merge into those pounding drum beats, grabbed me and for once with a UK entry, I was entranced. But then the chorus and the rest of the song at best plateaued and at worst drifted away - the song title is very unfortunate now, given the current world crisis, something that could not have been foreseen when the song was written. Perhaps not a bottom five this year but lower mid-table obscurity was probably the best that could have been hoped for. We have not heard anything from James or the BBC about next year, all bar the Corporation thanking him for his efforts - damning with faint praise? Maybe James could write something for his brother John...
28 - SLOVENIA (Ana Soklič - "Voda")
Vocal Capability 4.0/5
Stage Performance 3.0/5
Composition / Originality 3.0/5
Overall Impression 3.0/5
Score 13.0/20 (6.5)
Each year, there is at least one artist that I was totally unaware of before the Eurovision season starts but by the end of it, I am so in awe of their vocals and/or their stage presence that I then follow their career from then on, delighted that I have found an incredible talent due to the Contest. There are two this year - the first of those is Ana and yet her winning song at EMA 2020 was not the reason I have come to love the voice and performance skills of this lady (it doesn't hurt that she is beautiful too). "Voda" is a powerful ballad in Slovene, a language that is rapidly becoming a staple of the Eurovision Final but that isn't the reason why this entry won its NF. It was all about Ana - she has this amazing vocal range, from a low point that most women could not hope to match, through to hitting all the high notes at the end. She also has a connection with the camera that was absolutely mesmerising to all that watched her sing that night - she included me in her 'voyage' and kept me watching her subtle movements around the stage, exuding an attitude that was almost certainly the key to her victory in EMA. She has also been one of the online stars since the cancellation of Eurovision, what with her 30 minute jazz/soul session and her outstanding cover of "Suus" on Eurovision Home Concerts 4 (have a look below), and she is someone that I will be listening to her material, old and new. To be honest, if she had been singing some jazz or soul at EMA, my scores would have propelled her into my top ten easily - perhaps Slovenia will give her another chance next year and play to her genre strengths?
27 - North Macedonia (Vasil - "YOU")
Vocal Capability 4.5/5
Composition / Originality 3.0/5
Overall Impression 3.0/5
Score 10.5/15 (7.0)
One of the more artistic and interesting official videos this year was from Vasil and it showed off what a multi-talented performer he is. My first exposure to him was on the Orange Carpet in Tel Aviv where he posed with his crown and 'Proud' sign for a one-off photo opp whilst accompanying Tamara - I was looking forward to chatting with him about that experience, together with delving into his extremely varied musical tastes and background. "YOU" does not show off the best of this singer's vocal talents (although I was wondering if he would be staging his performance in Rotterdam like the video), and I could imagine him tackling something more classical, something that is niche but is proven to make the Final every time - maybe next year if Vasil is picked again? He was internal so you'd think he would get a go in 2021 but that might depend on North Macedonia confirming their attendance - still plenty of time to go though, we haven't even reached when 2020 would have happened! The first on my 7s though on the list - my top 27 on first listen all got a GOOD rating at least...
26 - BULGARIA (VICTORIA - "Tears Getting Sober")
Vocal Capability 4.0/5
Composition / Originality 3.5/5
Overall Impression 3.0/5
Score 10.5/15 (7.0)
"A Pleasant Fairy Tale" was how I described this in my phrase for the SECHUK Jury 2020 and listening to all the nuances and subtle Disney-like music throughout "Tears Getting Sober" has reminded me why I said that. VICTORIA has proved beyond any doubt that how the song sounds in the studio and video is how it was going to sound live, having seen her perform it online three times now. This was also the second entry that I played in this show that was totally out of kilter with where it would have finished in reality as against my preference list - this was the bookies favourite when Eurovision was cancelled on March 18th and it was always going to be one of this year's contenders for the 2020 crown. It never grabbed me in the way it did most fans - nice enough and very pretty to listen to but I think that Eurovision was due a fun song this year as a winner. I am delighted however that we will be hearing from VICTORIA in 2021 because she is an incredible talent with a superb voice and also a developing writing career - with a song I can get on board with, I would not be disappointed to see her get Bulgaria's first Eurovision win!
Preferences 25 through 11 on next week!
As for the rest of the show, I did say that I would embed a couple of items - first Eurovision Home Concerts 4:
Highlights for me are Eugent Bushpepa singing "Mall" and "Silent Storm", along with my new fav Ana Soklič who did a phenomenal cover of Rona Nishliu's "Suus" - both artists make this episode a must watch. What is also a must watch is the Daz Sampson documentary mentioned right at the end of the show - it made me remember what a big act he actually was before Eurovision and how I (and many, many other fans) have really misjudged him:
I hope that he gets his autobiography sorted and makes back some of that money he lost. I also hope he can get more involved with Eurovision again, as he clearly still loves the Contest.
So Show 91 will feature the second part of my 41 preferences but what else? EHC5 will feature somewhere, maybe the odd new release but there will be a couple of online sessions to feature, including one that I didn't have time to include on this show...
