Who Can Malta Choose?

The lengthily Maltese national final takes place tonight and after a long semi-final last night will anyone be awake? Last night was fairly unsurprising and succeed in eliminating some of the real junk though surprisingly knocked out one of my favourites, Klinssman. Anyway what can the choose from tonight?

Scar – Superstar

I’m half expecting either the wimax ad (You’d have to be Irish to understand) or else a tribute act to Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan. This is certainly a potential winner but I still am not convinced this is an ideal Eurovision choice. Grade: B

Dorothy Bezzina – Starting From The End

I never got Dorothy, her songs are always very good vocally but are never particularly warm. This one is no different. Probably will do well with juries. Grade: E-

Corazon Mizzi – My Stranger Love

Corazon’s song is probably similar in ways to other songs in this national final. However something about her voice makes me think that she might just standout a little more in the national final however perhaps I just prefer her voices to others in MESC this year. Grade: D-

Jessica Muscat – Ultraviolet

Can fiery red heads go to Eurovision? Yes of course, remember Niamh Kavanagh? Certainly Jessica has a pretty distinctive look. Her song is also fairly good and reminds me a bit of Lena Meyer Landrut. Maybe has an outside chance? Grade: B-

Gianni – Us Against The World

Gianni may have his fans from last year but I doubt that they will be overly impressed with this teen pop song that really is unimpressive. Last year I had him down as someone who could represent Malta at Eurovision in the future, however I don’t think 2013 is the future. Grade: D

Davinia Pace – Betrayed

I don’t like this, for no reason at all. I just don’t. Sorry. Grade: G

Kevin Borg - Needing You

For some reason I overlooked this last night and when I was writing up my first reviews. This is a strong ballad but that's only by Maltese standards. It doesn't really go that far. Grade: D

Richard Edwards – Fall Like Rome

Seasoned MESC competitor returns with another dramatic song. This is certainly one of the more stand out song in MESC however I still wonder if he could actually win given that he has missed out so many times before this. Never the less I think this is a possible winner and could be in Malmo. Grade: B+

Janice Debattista – Perfect Day

This is a vanilla song, plain and simple. Not that it is never a bad idea to err on the side of caution in a national final this is just lacking in many areas and there are so many similar songs in this national final. Grade: E

Deborah C – Love-O-Holic

This is my favourite song in the competition. I loved Deborah last year and once again I find myself in the same position this year. Sadly vocally she was way off last year, hopefully the year has done her some good. If this worked it could have a chance of winning but if it goes wrong it surely won’t be as bad as last year. Grade: A

Claudia Faniello – When It’s Time

Claudia is back for yet another national final with yet another dull song. Personally speaking I think if they weren’t go to send her with the song Pure I cannot imagine her doing well enough with this one. It is dull and predictable. Grade: E+

Gianluca Bezzina – Tomorrow

Anyone else thinking Train’s Hey Soul Sister? Certainly I am. I think this is somewhat like it but none the less this is a very sweet song and Gianluca’s charisma helps to boost the song. A strong entry that may well win. Grade: B+

Chris Grech – Never Walk Away

Another plain song with some U2 overtones. Chris is quite an introverted performer so this song may not come across as well as it should. Slow rock songs also don’t tend to do extremely well in national finals. Grade: E+

Petra/Richard Edwards – Wonderful Today

I personally would prefer their individual song than this duet. It really does not show off Richard’s vocal abilities and the age difference (apologies if there is no difference). Taxi for this one then. Grade: E

Amber – In Control

Also a dull song. It tries to be right but gets it so wrong. Grade: E+

Dominique Azzopardi – Too Little Too Late

Another dull ballad. Dominique has a delicate and gentle voice but it still will not take away from the fact that the song really is just not that outstanding. Grade: E+

Malta's Endurance Contest: The Review

Love or hate the Maltese national final it is always difficult to find a fan that will take complete offense to the Maltese entry at Eurovision. Sadly, their national final is one that always runs all night and just when you think the result is going to come we have another interval act. Malta is well up there on the endurance contest list along with Festival i Kenges in Albania and The Late Late Show in Ireland.

Anyway there is the standard MESC in Malta with virtually the same singers as last year. So lets have a look at what is on this year:

Janice Debattista – Perfect Day

This is a vanilla song, plain and simple. Not that it is never a bad idea to err on the side of caution in a national final this is just lacking in many areas and there are so many similar songs in this national final. Grade: E

Chris Grech – Never Walk Away

Another plain song with some U2 overtones. Chris is quite an introverted performer so this song may not come across as well as it should. Slow rock songs also don’t tend to do extremely well in national finals. Grade: E+

Claudia Faniello – When It’s Time

Claudia is back for yet another national final with yet another dull song. Personally speaking I think if they weren’t go to send her with the song Pure I cannot imagine her doing well enough with this one. It is dull and predictable. Grade: E+

Corazon Mizzi – My Stranger Love

Corazon’s song is probably similar in ways to other songs in this national final. However something about her voice makes me think that she might just standout a little more in the national final however perhaps I just prefer her voices to others in MESC this year. Grade: D-

Richard Edwards – Fall Like Rome

Seasoned MESC competitor returns with another dramatic song. This is certainly one of the more stand out song in MESC however I still wonder if he could actually win given that he has missed out so many times before this. Never the less I think this is a possible winner and could be in Malmo. Grade: B+

Ylenia Vella – Tides of Illusion

I like this. It is the first genuine uptempo piece of Eurodance that I have listened to in the MESC entries. It bounces along nicely however I’m not convinced that this will do as well as it can live. It is more of a song that belongs as track 7 or 8 of a pop CD. It has more introverted qualities which probably will not be recognised by a live audience and this style of song does not tend to score overly well with juries in MESC. Grade: B-

Gianni – Us Against The World

Gianni may have his fans from last year but I doubt that they will be overly impressed with this teen pop song that really is unimpressive. Last year I had him down as someone who could represent Malta at Eurovision in the future, however I don’t think 2013 is the future. Grade: D

Jessica Muscat – Ultraviolet

Can fiery red heads go to Eurovision? Yes of course, remember Niamh Kavanagh? Certainly Jessica has a pretty distinctive look. Her song is also fairly good and reminds me a bit of Lena Meyer Landrut. Maybe has an outside chance? Grade: B-

Dorothy Bezzina – Starting From The End

I never got Dorothy, her songs are always very good vocally but are never particularly warm. This one is no different. Probably will do well with juries. Grade: E-

Gianluca Bezzina – Tomorrow

Anyone else thinking Train’s Hey Soul Sister? Certainly I am. I think this is somewhat like it but none the less this is a very sweet song and Gianluca’s charisma helps to boost the song. A strong entry that may well win. Grade: B+

Danica Muscat – Fanasty

Another dull ballad from Danica. ZZZZZZZ…….ZZZZZZZZZ……Grade: E

Melanie Zammit – Loverdose

Here comes the strange woman that is a bit overenthusiastic. Everything about this song is the right thing to do but everything feels a bit overdone. Maybe this will work better on the big stage but in the meantime I’m not impressed. Grade: C

Dominique Azzopardi – Too Little Too Late

Another dull ballad. Dominique has a delicate and gentle voice but it still will not take away from the fact that the song really is just not that outstanding. Grade: E+

Davinia Pace – Betrayed

I don’t like this, for no reason at all. I just don’t. Sorry. Grade: G

Raquela – Keep Believing

I like this one. Probably a bit too cold to be a potential winner but none the less I like it. It does get too slow at times though. Grade: C

Scar – Superstar

I’m half expecting either the wimax ad (I’d have to be living Irish to understand) or else a tribute act to Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan. This is certainly a potential winner but I still am not convinced this is an ideal Eurovision choice. Grade: B

Saska Hunt – Dress Rehearsal

This reminds me of some of Lena Meyer Landrut’s dull songs that I just don’t listen to. Otherwise it is fairly dull. Grade: D-

Amber – In Control

Also a dull song. It tries to be right but gets it so wrong. Grade: E+

Petra – No One’s Home

Petra has a blues song that does make it stand out from all of the other dull ballads in this show. Nevertheless I can’t see this as a winner. Grade: D

Deborah C – Love-O-Holic

This is my favourite song in the competition. I loved Deborah last year and once again I find myself in the same position this year. Sadly vocally she was way off last year, hopefully the year has done her some good. If this worked it could have a chance of winning but if it goes wrong it surely won’t be as bad as last year. Grade: A

Franklin Calleja – Let Your Heart Talk

More of the same dull ballads. Please read any other comment on dull ballads to understand what I think of this one. Grade: D-

Klinsman Coleiro – The Remedy

If he can pull this off live then it would  certainly be the winner of the contest hands down. However MESC is a great place to hear off key vocals and this could a just another one of these songs. I like this as a studio song. It reminds me of a toned down version of Danny’s Amazing last year. Grade: A

Petra/Richard Edwards – Wonderful Today

I personally would prefer their individual song than this duet. It really does not show off Richard’s vocal abilities and the age difference (apologies if there is no difference). Taxi for this one then. Grade: E

Could It Be Denmark's Year?

This year Denmark have presented one of the strongest fields for their national final, DMGP, which brings me to the question could they select the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest tonight? Regardless of your answer there are some real gems in the final tonight. Let's take a peek:

Frederikke - Jeg Har Hele Tiden Vidst Det
This is a fairly normal song. It starts slow and builds, however unlike many of these songs I actually think that there are too many changes in this song and the overall rhythm of the song is damaged, but still it is pretty good and should be a nice opener to the show. Grade: B-

Brinck - Human 
Brinck, having represented Denmark at the contest in 2009, returns for the first time to DMGP since his win with the gentle song Human, which could be a big hit in a final which does not really include many slow songs. However I find the Danes are not really prone to going for this style of song. Personally I think it is one of those songs I like to have for quieter times on the MP3 player. Grade: A-

Kate Hall - I'm Not Alone
In total contrast to Brinck we turn to Kate Hall and her complete Disco stomper I'm Not Alone. This takes a few seconds to get going then it delivers a real schlager song that may not do extremely well with the Danish public but is bound to light up Twitter on the night. This really will need a bit more bass though to carry it on the night to make it a possible super finalist. Grade: B+

Louise Dubiel - Rejs Dig Op
I've actually been a fan of Louise for some time now though she has never participated in DMGP before I always though that she would be there at some stage. Personally, even as a fan, I'm disappointed by this overly poppish song she has entered which not exactly her best material but it is easy to understand why she is in last place with the bookies. Grade: C

Daze - We Own The Universe
Another disco oriented song which gathers pace and then lets fly with a real strong schlager-ish song. I have not paid much attention to this song but it actually is a great one. Because of the standard in this national final I don't this has much chance of being a surprise winner but still it is a great one to listen to. Grade: B+

Simone - Stay Awake
Returning from her surprise loss in 2010 Simone returns to DMGP, once again as the favourite. Personally I do not understand why she is the favourite of the contest. While her song is good and has a great beat to it I don't think that this will be the ultimate winner of DMGP. Clearly she proved in 2010 that Denmark will not vote for her simply because it is Simone. There are better songs in this national final which would get Denmark a better result at ESC. Grade: B

Jack Rowan feat. Sam Gray - Invincible
We have to have a male duet simply because it is Denmark don't we? This one of the weaker pop songs in the final and given the fact that this show will be full of them this song is unlikely to progress to far. Grade: C

Emmelie De Forest - Only Teardrops
Many people will have noticed that I have suggested that there may be a potential winner of the entire Eurovision Song Contest in this final and in my opinion you are looking at it. Emmelie takes part in the national final for the first time with what I think is currently the best song in the 2013 national final season so far. This is different in so many ways that it does have to do well even if it is somewhere between the second and third favourite with the bookies. Grade: A+

Albin - Beautiful To Me
Another dull pop song that actually be a surprise qualifier to the super final, though I do think that the song is not that impressive though Denmark does have a record for going for this style of song. Grade: B-

Mohamad Ali - Unbreakable
Simple question, why call yourself Mohamad Ali? Does he not have any clue how hard it is to find a music video on Youtube with a name like that. This probably one of the stronger pop songs in the the Danish national final this year. I like it, and I would certainly consider it a possible super finalist and even a surprise winner of the whole competition. The song itself is modern enough to widely appeal to the masses but also carries some schlager elements which will boost the song with the fans. Grade: A-

The Favourites
According to Nicerodds the favourite is Simone, with Emmelie and Mohamad behind.

Prediction
I'm predicting a victory for Emmelie

Is It Just Me Or Has Norway Slipped A Little?

This time last year and the year before that, and the year before that I would always look forward to the Norwegian selection process, MGP. In my mind it has always been a great selection process though it may not have the musical quality of Melodifestivalen or Dansk MGP, it still was Melodifestivalen come early. However I find myself rather disappointed with what has come through in the first semi-final for MGP.

It's not that any one song is particularly awful or indeed it is not that two or three songs are not great. It's just that overall I am left feeling very underwhelmed by this semi. I know that I should be more optimistic about this. This is only the first semi-final, we've only heard one third of the songs. Yet I just feel that everything so far about MGP this year has disappointed me. I know they are trying to change the show a little after the last three years, but still, I had higher hopes anyway the songs (along with some brief thoughts) on them are:

Vidar Busk - Paid My Way
This 1950/1960's music style has performed extremely well in the Nordic national final with bands such as The Lucky Bullets and Top Cats registering a substantial impact on their national finals. Though this style is popular I think that this song lacks something to genuinely lift the song and to make the average Norwegian pick up the phone. I would particularly note the chorus would appear to be weak. Having said all that I am rarely impressed by this style of music. Grade: D

Carina Dahl - Sleepwalking
In a complete change of style from the sexy but superficial song "Guns and Boys" in 2011 Sleepwalking is a much slower R+B style song. It has a very strange opening where we can hear music in the background and then it bursts into a tune. I'm very surprised by this - I didn't expect that sound effect to be used in a Eurovision Song. Overall this song has grown on me with multiple listens, and it is now one of my favourites in this semi-final. Grade: B

Tom Hugo - Det Er Du
A rather unusual song for a Nordic ballad in a national final. It is unusual to find a song that this relaxed and as acoustic as this song is. Overall it builds into a song that is very pleasant to listen to. However it does remind me a lot of a song that was knocked out in the first semi-final last year [Singing from the same position in fact]. Personally I like this. Grade: B

Gromth feat. Emil Solli-Tangen - Alone
Heavy rock meets what could be a relative of Didrik Solli-Tangen [Anyone know are Emil and Didrik actually related?]. This might be just one cross over too many. While I have always been an opera fan, particularly outside of Eurovision I have seen sorts of crossovers with artists such as Katherine Jenkins however really I don't think that this all works together perfectly. This is a song that will probably attempt to appeal to rock fans. I think Opera fans will not appreciate the rock elements of this song. Grade: C

Julie Bergin - Give A Little Something Back
This reminds me of Carina Dahl's song mixed with Tom Hugo, though sadly I don't think that this is as good as either of them. It lacks either an interesting song nor a good hook. Dull and boring. Grade: D+

Mimi Blix - Catch Me
I've always had a soft spot for Mimi. Her extremely sexy performances are wonderful and they generally make up for a discernible lack of genuine talent. Nevertheless I am looking forward to hearing this disco anthem being sung in the semi-final. I think that the song is not perfect as it has too many breaks and style changes and the verses are extremely dull and do not really build the tension in the sense that a normal disco song would. Grade: B-

Datarock - The Underground
It is difficult to put an exact style on this song. In some ways it reminds me of The Showbears and there are elements of current boyband songs and also there is a certain Stayin' Alive (The Bee Gees). This is a rather intriguing song. Very difficult to call this one. Grade: B+

Having reviewed these songs I probably do think that the songs this year are probably not as unimpressive as I first though, but still I think that it is missing some of the genuinely great songs of last year.

My Favourites: Datarock, Carina Dahl and Tom Hugo.

The Odds
Tom Hugo, Datarock, and Julie Bergin are the favourites with two bookmakers, and Tom Hugo, Datarock and Carina Dahl are the favourites with other bookmakers. Though personally I think that Datarock will win and Tom Hugo will do very well to qualify.

First Review of The Year!

So with Junior behind us, we now can begin to look forward to another season of National Finals. This year surely sees the earliest start to the contest in memory (if you can think of an earlier one please let me know) and also this year sees many countries opting to hold their national finals in December whereas up until now we'd be lucky to get two. Though some complain it is nice that we can enjoy national final season rather than the rushed end to it we always seem to have in March. Anyway what are Belarus up to?

Max Lorens - The latino sound in this song reminds me of some of the songs we saw around the earlier half of the noughties. However I would say that generally speaking the song fails to deliver substantially as it cannot seem to figure out if it is a ballad or an uptempo song. Grade: D

Alena Lasnkaya - Well every national final has one of these. A pop song that just has spent to long in the studio and has far to many gimmicks in it. However I like the general raw feeling of the song. The song develops a nice beat but its a little strange. The song also doesn't seem to reach a climax which means it just doesn't seem to hang well together. Grade: D+

Alexy Gross - Seriously is early 00's pop the theme of this national final or something. This song is fine. It starts as a sophisticated Eastern ballad with western influences and then BOOM! Westlife B side. Grade: D-

Daria - Daria brings a song that I'm surprised that we don't see it in a Swiss national final. It is a little amateur but I still have a soft spot and it certainly the best we have heard so far in this tranche of songs. This could be great fun on the night. Grade: C

Satsura - This sounds like it was one of the first songs to be rejected from Loreen's album. However it develops into a club song that does make for very nice listening. The verses are certainly lacking something but the violins in the background are nice but have I just listened to a bit to much Loreen? This is still going to challenge for the ticket to Malmo though. Grade: C 

Nutika Band - Is it a rock song? Is it a pop song? No its pop/rock. Then there's some rap in the background. However I really like the sounds of this one. It is getting me going at a quarter to eleven at night which is quite an achievement. This is probably a possible winner and it would be a credible song from Belarus if they can pull it off live. Grade: B-

Uzari - The whistle in the background of the song makes for a very dramatic opening. However the song develops into a relatively average song in the first verse and chorus. The arrangement is a good mix but there's just something in this song that is not making me love it. Grade: C-

Beaver Band - Here we go, time for things to get a little Finnish. The was a song in the Finnish national final Hullana Humpasta, by a band whose name a cannot remember but it certainly sounds like a carbon copy of the song except it is in English. It still is a bit of fun though. Grade: C

Yankey - Big dramatic and dull open. We've heard this song before, remember that song? You know the one with the good singer bit dull though. No? Well you'll hear it tomorrow night. Grade: D+

Vitaly Voronko - Time for a bit of electro-something with some other musical instrument thrown in. Nice but could do much better, I don't like his voice that much either.Grade: D+

Looks like I'm supporting Nutika Band so.

JESC Reviews Part 2

We'd all like a little extra time to do something, and with end of semester exams knocking on the door I sure am one of those people. Anyhow somehow I shall get these finished with the joy of Junior Eurovision and the  rehearsals to look forward to. Anyhow time to look at a couple more songs (and hopefully not shredding them to death).

Georgia
FUNKIDS - Funky Lemonade
After the very successful Candy Music, Georgia appear to be trying a similar strategy this year. JESC is most unusual, as the winning country does not have to host the contest the defending champion appears to be more inclined to come back stronger. The song though does lack the impact of Candy Music, though the kids are cute, the song lacks a lot and gets a bit repetitive. Personally, it reminds me of the nineties
Verdict: Not a winner and not what we saw last year.
Grade: D

Ukraine
Anastasyia - Nebo
The strange staging is the first thing that stands out almost instantly at me. The song itself is difficult to like however maybe this is all just a weird package that when its all brought together will look great at JESC. Though the song picks up towards the end. The change to English is nice but still it is not quite what I was hoping for.
Verdict: Don't like it but stranger things have happened at JESC....
Grade E

Belgium
Fabian - Abracadabra 
Belgium has stuck to the formula and gotten a catchy song that lacks a knockout punch to send to JESC. I like this one and I think that Fabian has a lot more charisma than many other JESC contestants will offer. The song is a good listen on the first hearing though my interest in it began to fade in it after multiple listens. While it is to late to say it now the song could be changed somewhat to substanically improve it with only minor changes.
Verdict: In spite of its faults it's a good attempt from Belgium.
Grade: B-

Azerbaijan 
Omar and Suada - Girls and Boys
"Kids wrote this song". In your dreams, Azerbaijan, maybe a child was present in the room while this was drawn up, but seriously, pull the other one. However this is Azerbaijan's debut entry at JESC and it certain is going to be in serious competition to take the top spot and take yet another trophy to Azerbaijan. In compassion to the other songs that we have heard this definitely stands a head and shoulders about the others. It's catchy and has all the elements of a winner. However I would just question whether or not this is all just a little bit clinical, and it may not be in the best place in the running order.
Verdict: Strong song that will be in contention but not a definite winner.
Grade: A- 

JESC 2012: Reviews - Part 1

It's hard to believe that another Eurovision year is nearly upon us. And, like every year, it kicks off with the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. This year, as you should know, Netherlands is hosting it. In the run up to the rehearsals here at the Best Eurovision Blog, I'm taking the time to look at the contestants and what they have on offer this year.

Egor Zheshko - A More-More
Belarus
Belarus kicks off this years contest with a rather odd but catchy song for Junior. This is vocally pot on but may be hard to pull off on the night, though some might argue that he survived the national final so should put up a good show at Junior. Backing dancers are distracting and I think that they might be Belarus's acceptance that the song is not really that good. Personally I could see this doing very well with the juries on the night but I don't think it is a winner by any stretch. It bounces along nicely but does feel longer than 10 minutes.
Verdict: A good show and vocal but not a winner.
Grade: C

Lova Sonnerbo - Mit Mod
Sweden
This is what I love to see at JESC. A simple song and good singer who capable of performing a moving performance of the song. However as much as I love it is difficult to see it doing extremely well at JESC and Sweden have entered more interesting songs than this to the contest and yet have not really reaped the rewards of it. So it is difficult to see this one doing extremely well.
Verdict: Strong song but lacks a lot, though I still love it.
Grade: B+

Igzidora Gjeta - Kam Nje Kenge Vetem Per Ju
Albania 
At any level it is difficult to understand what Albania will send to the contest and sadly this year is no different. There song this year has a really promising opening but then descends into the dangerous hell that many we have heard so many times at JESC. Though Albania's light jazz song may have done well at grown-up Eurovision this one clearly is disorganised with the strangest combination of instruments I've heard in recent years. Not a winner, but maybe I've set the bar to high for a debuting country.
Verdict: Poor debuting entry
Grade: E

Compass Band - Sweetie Baby
Armenia 
The last review for today is for the Armenian entry. Once again this does not live up to my expectations but then again it is JESC. However this song does not work on any level. It sounds like a poor school choir and I just don't get what is good about it. However some parts of the song are ok, so I shall not tear it to shreds.
Grade: E

Disappointing first set of reviews, but you are more than welcome to disagree with me. Bring it on (Bitch!)

Reaction to Rehearsals: Day 3: Part 2

So this afternoon 4 more entries took to the stage. Belarus, Portugal, Ukraine and Bulgaria. There has been a lot of discussion around these so once again here we go:

Belarus - Rehearsal Video
I never got a chance to review Belarus's entry to Eurovision (It would have graded as a B-) but I was uncertain about which version of the song that they would sing. They've gone with the disco version which unlike many people online I think that this is a very good interpretation of the song. The yellow and black background really helps this song and this looks set to have some very dramatic staging. I still believe that the song is lacking something and I'm on the fence about this qualifying.

Portugal - Rehearsal Video
Say what you like about the Portuguese entry this year I think that they have hit the nail on the head with this one. This is working as well as it could at the moment on the stage. Vocally this was good. The background is really fantastic and the whole performance makes for a lovely break between Belarus and Ukraine. This may not qualify but I will look forward to this.

Ukraine - Rehearsal Video
Vocally this was a joy to watch and to listen to. The song might not be the best we've had from Ukraine and the performance might have looked better if you never heard of Shady Lady but overall it looks and sounds really good and should qualify with ease.

Bulgaria - Rehearsal Video
This rehearsal was fine bar her often missing her cue. Some people have mentioned that as a result of having nothing else on stage with her the visual on the screens is really dull as a result of a lack of variety on stage. Vocally it was good. I cannot see this as a qualifier though.

More tomorrow.

Reaction To Rehearsals: Day 3: Part 1

Today seems to be a bit dull and given that the songs that have been on stage in the first half this does not surprise me. However there is much to discuss.

Serbia - Rehearsal Video
Without a doubt Zeljko is more than able to perform on stage. The performance is awfully similar to the 2004 performance and based on the number of steady cams on stage there will be a lot of close ups of instruments. The background is very blue. Zeljko is going to walk out onto stage as the instrumental starts [reminds you of anything].

Macedonia - Rehearsal Video
Once again I was not sure what to expect here. I don't like the song particularly. Vocally this is spot on and people are very impressed with the vocals but that is not surprising. The background is blueish and fairly unremarkable. All in all this is getting positive feedback but really am unconvinced about this song in a very vocally strong.

Netherlands - Rehearsal Video
This is the highlight of the start of this semi-final for me. As I have previously mentioned I never really liked what she wears but I think overall this is working really well on stage. It hasn't really lifted itself immensely but it is a song that is really dividing people. While I cannot look at this without thinking that Lesley Gore is going to jump out and launch into a verse of Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows. The background is not to different from the national final. I can't call this at the moment.

Malta - Rehearsal Video
I'm not a massive fan to this song but at the same time the remix has done a lot for it. Vocally it is risky particularly that note at the end which might have to be dropped after a couple of nights at the Euroclub. The shadows of people dancing in the background is something that I'm surprised that they have not been used before. Vocally though risky the rehearsal was good. The backdrop is fairly unremarkable, being very similar to the one from the entry before.

My Thoughts On Our Own Entry

We have just a small number of entries left to review for Eurovision 2012. This means though that we have come  my own country, home to green hills and leprechauns and Jedward. I might say though that despite all I say here I am not a real Jedward fan, I'm the bog standard hetrosexual Irish male (think farming type). But I do love it when Jedward come to Eurovision.....

Once again Ireland has decided to send the dynamic duo/the Haribo boys to Eurovision. Having been one of the most successful acts that Ireland has sent to the contest in the past ten years as well as the extra revenue that it  brought in for RTÉ it was decided that Jedward should return to the contest. Surprisingly Ireland held a national final which in retrospect seemed completely unnecessary, as many serious Irish acts declared from the outset that they were not going to go up against Jedward.

Jedward's song Waterline, is a very interesting one. More because it is not exactly the style that we have come to expect from Jedward. This is a far cry from Lipstick. Equally though I have argued for them since well before January and I have no interest in stopping now. The song Waterline may not have played as well with Eurovision fans as may be expected. I think this song is far more what we would expect from something like One Direction or those other Boybands that I know absolutely nothing about. (I really mean that). I think though that Jedwards song last year did require a little listening and may have been a bit to hard to get into on the first go. Waterline is much better at catering for this. It probably will attract votes from non-Jedward fans too.

I really cannot tell how this will play with the juries. Last year Jedward bet off stiff competition to come 6th with the juries. It is difficult to fully understand what it is about Jedward that got them such a score and though it is impressive, I'm not entirely sure as to how they will repeat that. The other problem is that I'm slightly unnerved by the fact both of my parents saw it on the Late Late Show last Friday and they both thought that it was a good song. While this may sound like a good thing my parents are both getting on in their lives and really the music that they are into is not Jedwards music.

Having said all that all I am saying is I don't think that this is my absolute favourite in the contest this year and I also do not think that it is a perfect entry. Like entries it has faults. However these faults should be somewhat offset by the great running position that Ireland got in this years contest. Last is a great place to be singing from.

Verdict: I could go on and on but I am sure that I will have a lot more to say about Jedward this evening after they have their rehearsals and I see how they are going on stage. Personally speaking Jedward at Eurovision are a guilty pleasure for me. They are almost disestablishmentratrian in the way they roll through Eurovision and I think they are excellent ambassadors for Ireland. The very best of luck to them.

Grade:  As it is my own country I will not given them a grade.

Reaction To Rehearsals: Day 2: Part 1 Israel-Denmark

A very good morning to everyone! (Or Afternoon if your in Baku). It is time to start viewing the tapes again and go back to the rehearsals in Baku and see what is coming out of the Crystal Hall. This post will be updated as the day goes on.

Israel - Rehearsal Video
There has been a definite lift in support over the last month for Izabo, who have gone from being a marginal qualifier to a likely qualifier on some peoples lists. While the song might be good I think that the performance might just be lacking the killer blow to push this into the final. It remains a very strong song but there is something more that the performance needs. That said the staging is still good with lots of strange clocks in the background and the backing singers are very strangely positioned which might aid the entry.


San Marino - Rehearsal Video
No one is expecting San Marino to really improve their odds of qualifying drastically. The song is still pretty poor, but the general reaction to her first rehearsal is that it was rather strong, it still was not quite to the standard that we've seen from Iceland and Romania yesterday but overall I think that this vocally good. This song is 7/1 to qualify to the final - surely those odds will shorten just a little today. The problem I felt that was there today was I wondered would people really "get" the song if they are not told explicitly that it's about Facebook?

Cyprus - Rehearsal Video
Vocally I think that this has certainly proved us wrong. Vocals are still a bit lat but it is certainly not the car crash that was expected. The backdrop does have echos of their 2007 entry. I don't fully understand why people are so into this entry and I think that it is one of the weaker entries in this semi-final however there does seem to be a broad expectation that this will qualify. I'm unconvinced though. I haven't seen the camera angles and when there is so much choreography involved you really need to see how it looks on camera. I'm going to sit on the fence for a bit on this entry.

Denmark - Rehearsal Video
There is a very interesting choice of background here and it is a good improvement on the national final. Vocally I think that this is great. The whole package has come together really, really well and I suspect Denmark are most likely going to win this semi-final at this point in the rehearsals. Some have complained that there is too much going on onstage but I think that this is a spectacular performance. Anna Bergendahl comparisons might be on the rise but I think that they are totally out of place here. 

The Most Artistic Song This Year!

Portugal this year decided to send Filipa Sousa to Eurovision to represent them, which was interestingly one of the few times in Festival Da Cancao that the public agreed with the juries, known for their conservative nature. Filipa will sing the song Vida Minha in Baku.

Without a doubt I love this song despite it breezing over me completely during the national final season. However soon enough I came back to it and found that the relaxed style is really interesting to listen and I like the almost Balkan influences in a piece of music that is undeniably Portuguese. The backing singers and arrangement of the song really help to make it a memorable song and it builds from a simple Portuguese ballad to a rather complex one while remaining relatively easy to pull off on stage. Overall though this has to be the most artistic song in Eurovision 2012.

This will need to be well staged in Baku for this song to stand out and in moving to the Eurovision stage it means that Portugal will have to lose two backing singers or else the two dancers. I suspect that they will cut the latter two. While this might not jump out at you on TV with some clever staging work it cut. But this is not something that we have seen from Portugal before so I suspect that we may not see it again.

I can't really see this as a qualifer as it is running early in a semi-final full of ballads. Portugal is also lacking neighbours to get them through to the final.

Verdict: This is probably going to be the best Eurovision entry to get left behind in the semis but I really hope that it doesn't.

Grade: A

Rehearsals: Day 1: Part 3 Switzerland - Finland

Rehearsals continued today in earnest and videos have now appeared for them all. But now onto the last three.

Switzerland - Rehearsal Video
Switzerland have come on in leaps and bounds since the national finals in December [then again they've had since December]. The staging is really well done, the vocals and more importantly diction have stepped up to the mark and the whole thing is looking rather polished. The general consensus is that this has indeed improved but no matter what I read today I still think that this just screams non-qualifier. I don't fully know why that is though.

Belgium - Rehearsal Video 
Despite some peoples arguments this is a song I have a soft spot for. I think that this has really come up in the rehearsals. The staging of the whole song is wonderfully understated and I think that Iris has the voice to carry this song off. Interestingly there is a very little we learned today. The rehearsal has been very similar to the national final performance. Possibly the closest so far today.

Finland - Rehearsal Video
Finland were the last to take to the stage for rehearsals today. The song is vocally good but coming after Belgium this is a lot less dramatic. To be honest this song was one that I have really loved but today I felt that it stopped short of actually coming up to the mark. Many acts have impressed me today but Finland really has not. This might come up a bit in second rehearsals but at the moment I'm not feeling it.

Rehearsals: Day 1: Part 2 Latvia - Romania

Unfortunately due to my usual Sunday routine I was not in a position to stay in live mode for the afternoon. Anyhow here's how the rehearsals look to be going for the first half of the the first semi-final.

Latvia - Rehearsal Video
Those who have followed the blog will know that this is far from one of my favourite entries. Anmary's vocal performance today is really, really good but I don't like the display behind her. I think it lacks a strong colour. This is as close to my lovely horse as you can get and I suspect that it will stay this way. Anmary still is a very strange performer onstage too. This needed something really special to stand out onstage and it has not delivered on this. I cannot see this qualifying.

Albania - Rehearsal Video
Without a doubt I am really delighted by how well this is working onstage. Vocally this is just outstanding. The only issue that could be a problem is that Rona needs to make far more contact with the camera for this song to really score well on the public televote, but otherwise it has been a great performance. The extra drum towards the end should lift it and make it a little more anthemic. This does mean though that sound mixing will need to be very, very good for this all to work. Media reaction to this song has been equally positive but no one seems to be predicting this as either a qualifier or not.

Romania - Rehearsal Video
Romania has impressed me today. I found this a bit boring up until now but the extra bass in the song is excellent. If it doesn't come across on TV this will flop. Up until now I have felt that it is just a bit soft. But no, instead it is more like something from a club which I would listen to. This is well listened to and liked by the press and people seem to have a soft spot for this. Vocal concerns were also knocked today with a strong showing from the lead singer. After the first five songs this really should stand out to the televoters.

Rehearsals: Day 1: Part 1 Montenegro-Greece

Rehearsals today are running about an hour and a half late, and based on previous ESC's this is unlikely to change. As I am not actually in Baku I will be blogging here as videos and opinions come through. I will be updating this page as the day goes on. I don't embed videos onto the blog as I find it slows it down but if you click on the link you should get a video of the rehearsal. I'll try to use eurovision.tv videos but they take a while to appear so you may notice some videos from escXtra who look to be shaping up to have the best coverage so far this year.

Montenegro - Video of rehearsal
No one really knew what to expect from Montenegro as it was never on live TV. This is one of the few songs where vocals really don't matter. I would say though that the overall staging of the song looks very messy and this seems to be the general view.No expects this to qualify and that is my view also but there is a little voice in my head asking me if I'm right in saying that.

Iceland - Video of rehearsal
I had forgotten just how amazing the Icelandic entry was. The rehearsal was really strong and seems to have cleared up any doubts about the song. It is just a pleasure to listen to it live. The back drop is Icelandic mountains which really impressive and keeps in tune with the Icelandicness of it all. The backing singers really lift this and it all looks like the usually excellently produced Icelandic entry. Most people seem to be identifying  this as a definite qualifier.

Greece - Video of rehearsal
Well at least it's not in a shopping center. When I first saw the video of the rehearsal I have to say that I though it now fits so much into the standard Greek entry. Yes this does remind me a lot of other Greek entries. But it still lacks anything tangible that will push it on. In my opinion My Number One would not do very well in this day and age. Lead vocals are fairly poor. This was a problem which I had flagged earlier but the general consensus is that Greece needs more backing singers. But then again remember the shock we all got when we saw Greece won last years semi-final?

Latvia's rehearsal is running a bit later than expected and I have to pop out for a while. More reaction later this afternoon.

Is This A Sea Shanty?

Somehow I shall endure to write as many reviews, though preferably all of them today even if they are a bit spread in the publishing dates. If I should seem to go of the rails in doing this I apologise. 


Turkey are always a strange basket case when it comes to Eurovision. This was complicated even further last year when they failed to really come up with anything amazing, instead going with the predictable rock song "Live It Up" by a band I cannot even begin to spell. After the usual discussions about who Turkey would send to the contest, it was announced that Can Bonomo would be going to Eurovision.

Can then presented his song to Turkey during the main evening news as is the case in Turkey, many people seemed to be really impressed by this song. I for one was not, I found the off rhythms hard to get and I don't really see what everyone was getting so hyped up about. We've heard all this kind of music before. This might be very good for the genre but it's not the whirlwind that it should have been. There has also been a relative cooling period around this song. It has gone from being well up on everyone's lists to being only mid table with everyone.

As regards qualifying the situation is no different. People seem to have breezed over this as a definite qualifier. I think that it does fall into this category but then again we said that before (and look at how right we were). Equally Turkey surely has a better chance because of its running order position. The performance will be everything with this song. The song does appear to be a sort of sea shanty in the videos and promotion so far but it still leaves more questions than answers and must find an identity very, very quickly.

Verdict: Personally, it has grown on me but I do need to see more about it before I make up my mind. The performance and identity of the song are the two key factors here.


Grade: C

The Unconventional Eurovision Song

Fans feathers were very much ruffled when it was announced that Izabo would be going to Baku in May to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012. Izabo are a very orginal indie group and this starkly contrasts from the normal entry that we would expect from Israel [well maybe we won't discuss Dana International] but normally this is a seriously conservative country.

Izabo are an indie pop band. This automatically highlighted a change in stance from the previous years. Without a doubt though when we heard their song "Time" we were all pleasantly surprised.

This is a good song. It has very few of the normal hallmarks of a Eurovision entry. This could go either way as we have no real precedent to this song before. But it does bounce along very well and could get a lot of votes. It's in a very interesting semi-final, one of the stranger ones that we have seen in living memory. This might just stand out enough. This will depend on how good the stage show is, but given how randomly wonderful Izabo have done so far I'm expecting something big.

Israel is performing 10th in this semi-final which  is a fairly strong position. Really though there are far to many variables still with this song to actually call on how well it will do.
Personally, it's not my favourite in semi-final 1 but it is still a strong song. I'm looking forward to seeing it.#

Verdict: It could do very well but it is to difficult to say at this stage. But I would guess that it should do well.

Grade: B

Tractors, Noodle Soup and Woki Mit Deim Popo!

Without a doubt one of the most interesting national finals this year was Austria. The big battle between Conchita Wurst and Trackshittaz was well flagged and also well watched. Ultimately the Trackshittaz were victorious. Personally I would have accepted either, and I think they both would have been great songs.

Before I launch into praising this song I'd like to say that I completely understand those of you who do not like this. More for this song than any other. But despite my general disliking of rap I really like Trackshittaz. Perhaps it may be because of the tractors or maybe it is the fact unlike most rappers they don't aim to "keep it real". The song is really good. It is aggressive enough that rap fans should like it and it should also appeal to the wider Eurovision audience, maybe not the fan network but certainly the people who watch Eurovision but are not one of the diehard fans. Trackshittaz have a great likability factor and this, combined with a strong stage show will really stand out in Baku.

Moving away from the song and Austria are still really well positioned this year. Third last in their semi-final they stand to do really well, particularly as they appear after Hungary. In a ballad heavy year it is likely that this will stand out in the final. I think could do really well. Maybe not so much with the juries though.

Verdict: This is a favorite of mine but I love a good number of semi-final 1 songs but overall this is great ad could do better than expected in Baku on the Saturday.

Grade: A-

Macedonia: The Review

Macedonia this year have no doubt sent one of the most under-discussed song in this years song contest. No doubt that Crno I Belo is a reasonable song, but I just think that this is a very underwhelming entry from Macedonia. Kaliopi is a good singer too and Macedonia should be delighted to have her as a singer.

The song is a bit disjointed as a song. It starts as a normal ballad sort of song and this continues for about half of the song. This in my opinion is far to long, particularly after the ballad from Serbia. The song then bursts into a rock song. This in my opinion is far to different from the first part of the song. Therefore the song lacks any fluidity and consequently may be a total wash out on the night. In a tough year this just is not coming up to the mark.

Personally speaking I really dislike this entry. I think that it could not even be considered a "nice" entry. It is just one that is not at the standard that was required.

Verdict: Despite what some fans think (and I do respect your opinions), I feel that this just is not at the required standard and should have been left at home.


Grade: E-

Serbia: The Review

Before we begin today I know that the migration of Eurovision fans to the contest has begun, while this sadly I shall not be moving to as far (it's about 40 steps from my desk to the TV in the living room), I will be reporting from behind the lines from the home front. But for those who are travelling I wish all very safe journey's however you get to Baku.

Anyway in less pressing news, a couple of months back Serbia decided to send Zeljko Joksimovic to the Eurovison Song Contest on the basis that he is a very well known singer in the Balkans he also represented Serbia and Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 coming a very respectable second, an impressive start for a debuting country. There was much discussion about the sort of songthe Zeljko would bring to the contest. Would it be one which was a mirror image of the 2004 entry [which was really good back then]. 

There can be little doubt that Nije Ljubav Stvar is a great Balkan ballad. It builds slowly but rather well and finishes with a fairly large cresendo. The song no doubt is definitely going to get some extra coverage because it is Zeljko. The trouble is that this song is far to formulaic in comparison to the 2004 Lane Moje. There is a management concept that sometimes crops up that strikes me as I write this. Never do the same thing again.  In 2004 Balkan ballads were a new pure and fresh addition to the contest. Zeljko's really stood out too. This  year the same cannot quite be said again. Balkan ballads are now fairly normal in the contest, we would normally expect 2 or 3 of them per year. Zeljko has even brought the Luke Ming Flanagan look a like to the contest (as he did in 2004). 

This year Zeljko is in with about 4 other songs from the Balkans in a ballad heavy year. Given the Serbian starting position (first in semi 2), this is far from ideal. I'm not convinced that Serbia are going to do well enough in semi 2 in order to gain the momentum to do well enough in the final. While I don't think that getting to the semi-final will be a problem for Zeljko (he'll most likely do it on the back of massive Balkan support). But really this is not going make a Top 3 appearances.

Verdict: I think this is a reasonable Balkan ballad. However I do think that Serbia is not the best Balkan ballad is that amazing this year. That honour would fall to Slovenia. 

Grade: B-