If "Think About Things" hadn't stolen the show...
Say hello (potentially) to this year's KEiiNO!
Yes, it is Ben & Tan (they really needed to have sorted their standing positions out, like Ant and Dec did), the winners of Danske Melodi Grand Prix 2020 and the owners of the biggest earworm of this year's Eurovision, "YES". I'll explain my thinking later as they are part of this week's segment that is known as Martin's 2020 Preferences, moving through 25 to 11. There are some matters that happened this week but I suggest that you listen to this week's show first:
Of course my playlist does give away my mid-table order this year but there is no way around that. Here is who was on the show...
"Universo" - Blas Cantó
"SUPERG!RL" - Stefania
"Divlji vjetre" (Eurovision edit) - Damir Kedžo
"Empires" - Alicja
"Hasta La Vista" - Hurricane
"Chains On You" (Eurovision edition) - Athena Manoukian
"Prison" - Natalia Gordienko
"Violent Thing" (stage version) - Ben Dolic
"Cleopatra" - Efendi
"Release Me" - Hooverphonic
"Fai rumore" - Diodato
"Still Breathing" - Samanta Tina
"Move" - The Mamas
"YES" - Ben & Tan
"Répondez-moi" - Gjon's Tears
"Telemóveis" - Conan Osiris
"Jana Mori" - Eye Cue
"My Number One" - Helena Paparizou
"All Kinds Of Everything" - Dana
"You Let Me Walk Alone" - Michael Schulte
"Birds" - Anouk
"No Fear" - Saara Aalto
"Let Me Be The One" - The Shadows
So without further ado, let's look at my preferences that were on the show this week, giving you a bit more meat as to why they are where they are. Remember that all pictures are c/o eurovision.tv and all entries were scored for the SECHUK Jury 2020 on first listen (ideally live) in the following way:
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)
My 25th placing got 7.0/10, whereas my number 11 was up to 8.5/10 - a great year all round and scoring these all like a juror does give all entries a chance to get a decent score, even if it is only based on one aspect. Unlike last week, I went straight into the list and we start off with...
25 - SPAIN (Blas Cantó - "Universo")
Vocal Capability 4.0/5
Composition / Originality 3.5/5
Overall Impression 3.5/5
Score 11.0/15 (7.0)
One of the earliest artist and song reveals often means that you are compared to all the others that follow and not necessarily on the entry's own merits - Blas has a great voice, potentially even better than the 4/5 I gave him but not having heard a live version I was being cautious. I have nothing against "Universo" at all but it didn't grab me right from the start as a studio version - could a live performance change my opinion? Perhaps I will eventually get to hear it when we seen Blas at 2021's promo parties, given that Spain immediately backed him for next year. He has indicated that although he will keep the same team, the entry for next year will be a 'different chapter', possibly suggesting something that is not a power ballad. That could go either way - Spanish language entries like "Universo" tend to be a sure fire way to get decent points and at least a mid-table finish, whereas most uptempo songs from recent Eurovision history for this nation have not had the best times. Something to look out for but at least Spain know who their act will be and "Universo" is a song that I am happy to listen to whenever it hits the airwaves and has longevity - not so sure about my number 24 in that regard...
24 - GREECE (Stefania - "SUPERG!RL")
Vocal Capability 4.0/5
Composition / Originality 3.0/5
Overall Impression 3.5/5
Score 10.5/15 (7.0)
There were two singers destined for Rotterdam who had both been to JESC and in my opinion will potentially do better in 2021, as they will possibly get better songs to sing. Destiny for Malta is one and Stefania is another for Greece - I like "SUPERG!RL", even typing it as the "!" requires the shift lock on too, but there are pros and cons when writing a suitably aged song for a teenage female singer. It fits her perfectly and the official video works well too but there is the danger that this was more of a JESC song than one for the adult version, and that might have led to this entry not picking up the votes that Stefania as an artist deserved. Since the voting for the Jury has finished, I have seen her sing this live in her bedroom during lockdown and I can safely say that my score would have nudged up for Vocal Capability! Would this have been a cert for Final qualification? I am not sure - I had this as just outside my ten for SF2 and gone are the days where the Greek diaspora across the nations would have guaranteed this a Final place. I am delighted that the Greek delegation announced that she will be singing next year though - perhaps a sound appealing to Eurovision rather than JESC might be the way to go though....
23 - CROATIA (Damir Kedžo - "Divlji vjetre")
Vocal Capability 4.5/5
Stage Performance 2.5/5
Composition / Originality 3.5/5
Overall Impression 4.0
Score 14.5/20 (7.0)
Every year at Eurovision, one of the Balkan states send a Balkan ballad without fail and this year, it seems to have been Croatia's turn. Damir has a great voice that was demonstrated superbly at DORA 2020 and at the Miss Universe show that he sung live at too, although not having five backing singers did mean that the power of the NF performance was lost a bit and his stage presence wasn't as on point. I do like "Divlji vjetre" and Balkan ballads of this type never bore me but then again it has never made me see Croatia's place in the 2020 Contest as more than just scraping into the Final (I have it as my number 10 in SF1) and then finishing bottom 5. Given that his nation has not made Saturday night for two years, that would probably be viewed as a good result! HRT, Croatia's broadcaster, have announced that they will be at Eurovision 2021 but no word yet about whether Damir will get another chance...
22 - POLAND (Alicja - "Empires")
Vocal Capability 3.0/5
Stage Performance 4.5/5
Composition / Originality 3.0/5
Overall Impression 4.0/5
Score 14.5/20 (7.0)
Just as there always seems to be a Balkan ballad at Eurovision each year, there is also at least one entry that could easily be used as a Bond Theme - "Empires" was THAT song for 2020. It has the quiet intro and build-up that is needed as the audience is getting comfortable in their seats but that switches into the all important chorus that has the name of the film title in it, together with the crash of the big guns in the orchestra to get your nerves jangling and blood pressure raised for the excitement to come. This entry has an environmental angle but everything is about the artist here - Alicja was amazing in the Polish NF as far as stage presence was concerned, she sold this track to the camera and you believed she was living every emotion. The one weakness there was her vocals which could be explained by her only having been given the song a matter of days before the show to sing and her NF winning rendition actually being the first time she had sung it outside the studio setting. In my opinion, the only way was up - I had this as my number 10 in SF2 but I think that if her vocals were at least as good as the studio version, easing into the Final would not have been a problem for Poland, the first appearance there since 2017...
21 - SERBIA (Hurricane - "Hasta La Vista)
Vocal Capability 3.0/5
Stage Performance 4.0/5
Composition / Originality 3.5/5
Overall Impression 4.0/5
Score 14.5/20 (7.0)
In the well worn terminology of Eurovision fandom, this was what is known as a banger! My half way entry sees two out of three returning singers within Hurricane and it is on their shoulders, Sanja's in particular, that all of the vocals would have rested. The choreography and dance routine in Beovizija 2020 was amazing and a real eye catching delight but with all that movement, the singer's vocals did suffer. It seemed to be an 'either or' matter, what with their singing being absolutely perfect when Sanja, Ksenija and Ivana all sung "Hasta La Vista" acapella at the PreParty ES2020 At Home together, all being entirely still on sofa or floor! A balance between the two would have been worked out by now, when the first round of rehearsals would have been going on in The Netherlands and I am certain that this would have been opening SF2, showing itself as THE uptempo song of the show and getting enough points to reach the Final, breaking the pattern of 'two years in, one year out' of the past six Contests for Serbia. Fingers crossed for Hurricane, arguably the biggest act in that part of the world at the moment, that they get another chance in 2021...
20 - ARMENIA (Athena Manoukian - "Chains On You")
Vocal Capability 3.5/5
Stage Performance 4.0/5
Composition / Originality 4.0/5
Overall Impression 3.5/5
Score 15.0/20 (7.5)
So we are now in my top twenty and also have moved up to the next score category, 7.5/10. In my opinion, we have also moved onto the most modern, with it and commercially radio friendly track out of all 41 Eurovision 2020 tracks - I have chatted with a couple of friends who aren't into Eurovision but are into their music and they also went with this belief too. "Chains On You" is something that could easily slip into the playlist of Radio 1 or 1Xtra, this mix of hip hop and pop musically giving a nod to Cardi B, and Athena gives bags of attitude and sass with every word. As for the official video, it looks as slick and professional as any from the charts at the moment - so much so that it has made it onto MTV playlists and would have therefore increased her profile among those would wouldn't have normally watched Eurovision. That might have been the major issue for Armenia qualifying - the demographic that would love this song might not be watching the Contest! We were probably looking at the 0-21 age range of the Melodifestivalen app for big votes for this - at the very least, it proves that nations are prepared to send entries that match what is happening in the last year or so in the charts, much like "Soldi"...
19 - MOLDOVA (Natalia Gordienko - "Prison")
Vocal Capability 3.5/5
Stage Performance 4.0/5
Composition / Originality 3.5/5
Overall Impression 4.0/5
Score 15.0/20 (7.5)
Let me just say first of all, when Wiwi do their 'Most Attractive' polls for this year, Natalia will be my pick. Having her as the singer and the Dream Team behind the song was as good a deal as Moldova could have got this year out of 'Finala națională 2020', "Prison" just pipping "My Wine" by Pasha Parfeny to the Jury win but beating all comers out of sight with the televote. Now I have to admit that Natalia is not the strongest solo vocalist and that was proved when she performed at the Romanian NF as an interval act, a traditional 'bonus' for the Moldovan winning artist. The main things missing in the performance in her neighbouring nation were the backing singers and the 'light chairs' - two items that were crucial for the NF win and, as you can tell from my scores, to my preference ranking of this entry. Natalia is an experienced performer and the way she acted out this staging, interacted with the backing singers and used the chairs to divert light was a visual masterclass, making the whole a really intriguing watch. "Prison" has not had much fan love in the numerous polls that are filling the gaps created by lack of promo parties and Eurovision rehearsals - I was hoping (more so than predicting) that I would get to watch the lovely Natalia more than just in Jury and Public SF2 in Rotterdam. Given the stature of the Dream Team organisation and her level of popularity in Moldova, perhaps an internal selection might be on the cards rather than a last minute NF that materialised in 2020...
18 - GERMANY (Ben Dolic - "Violent Thing")
Vocal Capability 5.0/5
Composition / Originality 3.5/5
Overall Impression 4.0/5
Score 12.5/15 (8.0)
And so we move into the realms of the 8.0/10 entries, the first of mine being Germany's internal selection, "Violent Thing" by Ben Dolic. First thing to say, what a voice - Ben was on Eurovision Home Concerts 5 (you'll be able to watch that later) and his cover of Kristian Kostov's "Beautiful Mess" was absolutely sublime! As for his Eurovision entry, I put "Dance You Off grows up!" as my phrase in the SECHUK Jury 2020 - this entry is catchy, another track that could easily find itself on any commercial radio station playlist during the breakfast show or at drivetime, and Ben has pushed this into fan favourite status right up to when Eurovision would have been happening. I love the sound of the studio version - the main question mark about this has always been "what would the staging have looked like?" We will get the opportunity to find out about that as he will be showing what he's got during one of the German Eurovision programmes in the next week. This would have been one of the stand-outs this year and potentially one of Germany's best results ever too - top ten definite in my eyes, top 5 on a good day? I have heard that German fans will take the poor results as long as every 4-5 years they get a good placing - I think that 2020 might have been up with their 2018 entry in that regard...
17 - AZERBAIJAN (Efendi - "Cleopatra")
Vocal Capability 4.0/5
Composition / Originality 4.5/5
Overall Impression 3.5/5
Score 12.0/15 (8.0)
If the Azeri A&R man's remit was to find a great singer who looks like an Egyptian Queen, they definitely earned their money when they fitted the beautiful Samara Efendi together with the song "Cleopatra"! I won't go into the whys and whats about how the song was originally in the hands of San Marino and Senhit, and how it ended up being the entry for Azerbaijan, because to be honest, the song is perfect for Efendi. She has the vocal prowess to bring a modern pop and hip hop twist to a historical legend, she can sing Buddhist chants and also can roll her R's like nobody else. The official video is also out of the textbook "MTV Bass classics" and the only question I had was: was the incredible studio version what we were going to get live? I would never give full marks for an entry's vocals until I heard it live but she is a great singer from the back material I have heard and that might have propelled this entry higher. The track's composition is superb, what with the chant totally coming out of left field and the almost rap section that makes this a really interesting listen. I have been told by Greig Watts, whose DWB Music Ltd songwriting team was behind "Cleopatra", that the Azeris were really going for it as far as staging was concerned - on that side of things, we will never know, but as Efendi has already been picked for 2021, perhaps we might hear "Cleopatra" live one day. Fingers crossed she comes to a promo party...
16 - BELGIUM (Hooverphonic - "Release Me")
Vocal Capability 4.5/5
Composition / Originality 4.0/5
Overall Impression 3.5/5
Score 12/15 (8.0)
One of the first 2020 artists to be revealed, one of the first songs too and I was so delighted that Hooverphonic were at Eurovision. Having said that, I think that they are the main beneficiaries of the 2020 Contest being cancelled as I had this feeling that the beautifully constructed and lyrically poignant "Release Me" might have led to Belgium being a shock DNQ this year. I love this song - Luka has a wonderful voice for this type of song, as you will know if you have listened to the band's back catalogue since she joined in 2018, and the atmosphere created by the music is perfect, meshing perfectly. The official video didn't give much away but I suspect we would have seen a regular band performance, which in itself would have stood out from the crowd. The problem is that this entry is so downbeat and 2020 was looking for fun and upbeat songs, after Duncan's angst-ridden win last year. Even Alex Callier has said that he will be writing a more upbeat entry for 2021 - yes, they are returning, which is another major plus of selecting internally. This classy song will find its way easily onto the band's albums, given its meaning to Alex himself but I am pleased that Hooverphonic will have something new to bring to the Contest in 2021.
15 - ITALY (Diodato - "Fai rumore")
Vocal Capability 4.5/5
Composition / Originality 3.5/5
Overall Impression 4.0/5
Score 12/15 (8.0)
The spread of COVID-19 led to the cancellation of Eurovision 2020 due to the need to lockdown citizens to stay safe - out of the nightmare that was happening in Italy, a beacon of golden light appeared that pulled Italians together in song from their apartments and balconies. That light was Diodato's Sanremo winning song "Fai rumore", a very traditional winner of the annual contest, but one that struck a chord with many and fed off the incredible voice of this singer. Italy had chosen to return to a power ballad, a song that made full use of the Sanremo orchestra and also of Diodato's vocal intonation and delivery to the audience. Obviously 2020 is now out as an option for him - will he get the chance in 2021? Ordinarily the winner of Sanremo gets first refusal but the owner of the Theatre Ariston has stated his preference for a Sanremo with the full orchestra and crowd, something he would be prepared to delay the Contest for to do so. Could that mean we might have the first 'internal' selection for Italy in 2021, the first time since 2014? If Diodato was to be singing for Italy in Rotterdam next year, he would have the full backing of a grateful nation. Another 8.0/10 from me - a probably top ten would have been on the cards for him this year...
14 - LATVIA (Samanta Tina - "Still Breathing")
Vocal Capability 3.0/5
Stage Performance 4.5/5
Composition / Originality 5.0/5
Overall Impression 4.0/5
Score 16.5/20 (8.0)
Samanta Tina is the artist that I feel most sorry for, given current circumstances in the world - she eventually makes it to Eurovision after nine attempts (seven for Latvia and two for Lithuania) and then her dreams are snatched away from her, just when she has in her possession the best song she has sung and arguably the most out there but thoroughly engaging staging too! "Still Breathing" is yet another track this year that had a very modern feel to it, a mix of electropop and hip hop that took the lyrics of Aminata into territory that I am sure even she didn't see coming. Samanta is always full on with her presentation and commands the stage but the beauty of this entry was the sharing of the action with her three backing singers who drew the eye with their visors, leotards and cleaning sprays! All about the empowerment of women, this would have attracted the attention of non-fans watching, perhaps unfairly as a throwback to more eye catching comedy entries, but this was so much more than that - I loved this in Supernova and I think that Samanta would have been one of the 'most wanted' interviewees at any of the promo party press events that she might have attended. I am convinced that this would have eased into the Final in Rotterdam, a major achievement in itself for Latvia seeing that Justs in 2016 was the last artist to do that, and I think that this would have caught the public's imagination, maybe even finishing mid table like he did. LTV have yet to decide what they are doing next year as I type this - she has said that she would not compete in a Supernova style contest again but would willingly go if the broadcaster internally selected her. Apparently we will find out more next week...
13 - SWEDEN (The Mamas - "Move")
Vocal Capability 4.5/5
Stage Performance 4.0/5
Composition / Originality 3.5/5
Overall Impression 4.5/5
Score 16.5/20 (8.0)
Sweden has to be the most clinical and least sentimental of all Eurovision nations at the moment - it seemed that barely had Jon Ola stopped talking on the EBU's official video, stating that Eurovision 2020 was off, than we found out that MF was going to be the method of determining their artist for 2021 and that The Mamas got the standard "thanks for being ready for Rotterdam and...er, that's it, try again next year if you want to". 'Indecent haste' was the thought in my head, especially as this nation was probably on for another definite top ten this year. As they were when backing John Lundvik in Tel Aviv, The Mamas were vocally pure, harmonised perfectly and had a stage performance that was enjoyable to watch and memorable, all of which came together to pip Dotter to the post in MF 2020. This has a likeability feel among quite a few friends who aren't massive Eurovision fans but who do like Motown, soul and R'n'B - I think that Sweden would have had their best televote for years with "Move", maybe even a top five, but having said that, perhaps not quite the jury scores they have been getting, as I think this wouldn't have come across as original to most jurors. I hope that we do see The Mamas again but I get this feeling that unless they try out for a different nation, we won't have the pleasure of their company on a Eurovision stage, which is a great shame. One track that always gets me moving whenever I hear it and long may it continue to do so...
12 - DENMARK (Ben & Tan - "YES")
Vocal Capability 5.0/5
Stage Performance 3.0/5
Composition / Originality 3.5/5
Overall Impression 5.0/5
Score 16.5/20 (8.0)
Remember that I said that this could have potentially been this year's KEiiNO? There is a reason for saying that...
THIS IS TELEVOTE GOLD!
From the moment I heard this song sung on the Danish radio heats in the lead up to Danske Melodi Grand Prix, I knew that this was going to be a smash as far as the general public were concerned. Every time I look now at the names and the song title, I get the whole song, their Royal Arena performance and that incredible earworm of a title, "YES" come flooding back into my mind. Even though the Danish NF was performed to effectively an empty shell of a venue, the duo nailed the performance (as you'd expect from The Voice alumni) and made their relationship believable, even though Tanne always seemed to be out of Benjamin's league! The backing singers became an integral part of the vocals, and DR's use of pyro and fireworks worked as well as it did with "Only Teardrops", to bring out one of the most genuine responses to the end of a song - watch the official video and look at how Tanne greets the very end of the song, a look and smile that screamed out "that was perfect, we nailed it"! We already know that DR will be going for DMGP yet again next year and that Ben & Tan have already turned down the opportunity to get a free pass to the Final - I just hope that they are at least invited back to perform "YES" in front of 10000 fans in 2021 as an interval act. This is one of those songs that will stay with me for ages and I hope that both singers get the rewards they deserve in their careers...
11 - SWITZERLAND (Gjon's Tears - "Répondez-moi")
Vocal Capability 5.0/5
Stage Performance 4.0/5
Composition / Originality 3.5/5
Overall Impression 4.5/5
Score 17.0/20 (8.5)
And so we have reached two milestones on my list of preferences this year - the entry just to miss out on the top ten and the first to get an 8.5/10 score. It was almost all so different as this was based on the first live performance I saw on YouTube of this artist sing "Répondez-moi" in a small venue, him playing the piano and being accompanied by acoustic guitar and absolutely nailing every single high note in that studio track, something that I couldn't really believe was possible. The official video was stylish and beautifully composed but it all left me cold, so seeing the live version was a real eye opener and I feel that Switzerland's position on March 18th as a decent outside chance of a Eurovision win was a justified one. The bonus was that we still had the staging for the Contest to see - how would that add to his phenomenal vocals? I would say we shall never know but as Gjon's Tears is returning to Eurovision in 2021, we might see something of what was planned and we will hear the delights of this song at promo parties next year, I am sure of it. He just missed out on my top ten this year but this entry is in many fan's and site's top fives, so I am pretty confident that this would have given his nation a successive top five at least. But which ten songs are above this masterpiece? Tune into the show next week where you will hear the following - I'll put them alphabetically to keep you guessing:
ALBANIA
AUSTRIA
ICELAND
IRELAND
ISRAEL
LITHUANIA
MALTA
NORWAY
ROMANIA
THE NETHERLANDS
I am sure you could have worked it out for yourselves and if you have a good memory and have been REALLY listening closely during this 2020 season then you will have a pretty good idea what my numbers 1 & 2 are but no spoilers! Top ten next week so by 9pm Tuesday 12th May (what would have been SF1 night), you will know my list for 2020.
And of course, I chatted about the latest Eurovision Home Concert, number 5 in the series, a must see...
In my opinion, Zibbz and Senhit were the stars of the show this week - THIRTEEN artists this Friday! EHC 6 will be one of the items on show 92 - the week of what would have been Eurovision, so there will be great internet and tv productions too but hopefully you will all catch my show either live or on Mixcloud. As I said before, my top ten will be the focus of hour one, with some more reveals about "Eurovision : Europe Shine A Light" and also a nod to a band who have been intertwined with this blog and my radio show from the very beginning - it was a special anniversary this week and so they will have pride of place on next week's show:
No Outro next week!
Opening the show is a deserving thank you for these guys!