The Eurovision Song Contest Thread

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  • Posts: 7,500
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    jobo wrote: »
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    Euro vision? We Brexit and then finish with nil points. How predictable! Fake and irrelevant.

    Indeed. No big surprises there. It seems that political pointscoring continues unabated, no matter how the contest voting system is reformed.

    Yes, there is no possible way the song was actually not that great. That would be unthinkable...

    The songs must never have been great then for the last near quarter of a century? What are the chances? Or could there be another reason... 🤔

    I didn't watch the show itself, but I have listened to many of the songs (out of some curiosity, but mostly boredom) and I have to break it to you: England's entry was pretty bad, even slightly cringy. And many of the English entries through out the years have been as well. I am not denying there has been a history of political voting in the ESC, but it is not a legitimate excuse in this case.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited February 2022 Posts: 17,727
    jobo wrote: »
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    jobo wrote: »
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    Euro vision? We Brexit and then finish with nil points. How predictable! Fake and irrelevant.

    Indeed. No big surprises there. It seems that political pointscoring continues unabated, no matter how the contest voting system is reformed.

    Yes, there is no possible way the song was actually not that great. That would be unthinkable...

    The songs must never have been great then for the last near quarter of a century? What are the chances? Or could there be another reason... 🤔

    I didn't watch the show itself, but I have listened to many of the songs (out of some curiosity, but mostly boredom) and I have to break it to you: England's entry was pretty bad, even slightly cringy. And many of the English entries through out the years have been as well. I am not denying there has been a history of political voting in the ESC, but it is not a legitimate excuse in this case.

    I didn't watch any of it though I caught part of a BBC news report about it the other day. It was saying that the contenders had had two years this time to get the song and dance perfected as the Contest was cancelled last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. So I think if the UK entry still couldn't make a breakthrough even with the added time to prepare they must've been well below average. If the song is bad, that's fair enough. I'm not English so I'm not too bothered about that. However, the song and performer represents the UK as a whole and not just one constituent part of the Union, albeit the predominant one in terms of influence and population.

    That said, I think that any show that has or even had in the past political voting or other types of devious skulduggery should have questions to answer and be accountable for what goes on in its name. In my view the contest is still in need of further reforms to bring confidence back for all of the entrants, viewers and voters alike.
  • Red_SnowRed_Snow Australia
    Posts: 2,493
    Generally baffled how Germany managed to get more points than the UK.
    Like wtf even was that?!?

    I though it was one the better UK entries in recent years, but I don't think James Newman nailed the vocal performance.

    It's great the UK has been trying different things in the last few years to try and get a better result, but I wonder if they're focusing too much on trying to create a great Eurovision song, when they should just be focusing on creating a great song.

  • Posts: 94
    I watched this last night, and even gave a vote to Switzerland.

    I like that song too.

    I guess he could make a decent Bond song with that voice?


  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    edited May 2021 Posts: 6,757
    I really liked the Swiss entry too. My favourites though, were the Ukrainians. Can't get enough of that song.

  • TripAcesTripAces Universal Exports
    Posts: 4,548
    Well, count me down as a brain-dead "American Idiot." I had no idea that this was actually a thing. Where have I been?
  • R1s1ngs0nR1s1ngs0n France
    Posts: 2,002
    GoldenGun wrote: »
    I really liked the Swiss entry too. My favourites though, were the Ukrainians. Can't get enough of that song.

    I’d go as far as saying this song is easily the best this contest has seen in over a decade.
    It’s absolutely brilliant. And that singer... 😍
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    edited May 2021 Posts: 6,757
    R1s1ngs0n wrote: »
    GoldenGun wrote: »
    I really liked the Swiss entry too. My favourites though, were the Ukrainians. Can't get enough of that song.

    I’d go as far as saying this song is easily the best this contest has seen in over a decade.
    It’s absolutely brilliant. And that singer... 😍

    @R1s1ngs0n Glad you liked that too. I loved it so much I went looking for more and they have a whole catalogue of excellent work.

    Such as this one:


    And if you, like me, are really into them, here's a livestream of an acoustic concert they made during lockdown :) :

  • ImpertinentGoonImpertinentGoon Everybody needs a hobby.
    Posts: 1,351
    Switched it on for a couple of songs in the middle there and by the time the Ukrainian lady came around my girlfriend told me to either turn it off or she's leaving. The room, not me, but I think in that moment she wasn't far off :-). She never appreciated the camp all that much.

    Swiss guy immediatly made me think of Sam Smith, so the Bond connection was there for me, too. As I don't like Sam Smith, the comparison wasn't a flattering one sadly.

    Of the maybe 10 songs I saw, I must say I was disappointed. The wackiest was our German entry, which is never a good sign. And the generic "pop song with a pretty blonde"-entries where even more prevelant and even more boring than I remember.

    Twitter reactions between Germany and Britain where kind of interesting to follow. The Brits seemed far more hurt by the bad placement. Maybe because they thought they had a serious song, while us Germans knew this one was doomed the second we first heard it. Going for the ironic vote can work (see Iceland), but this was just too daft.
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 6,757
    Well as far as the Swiss entry is concerned. Didn't remind me at all of Sam Smith, whose singing (read: whining) I cannot stand. This guy had energy and could actually sing. Or maybe it's the French lyrics that do it for me. Could be.

    As for the rest, you're right that it's all about the camp but hey that's Eurosong for you. However, as kitschy as most of these acts were, a few of them surely were catchy. Azerbaijan's Mata Hari, for instance, has been stuck in my head for almost a week now.

    Still I'd say the Ukrainians actually brought a few cultural elements to the show, mixing modern sounds with folk tunes and a traditional Ukrainian spring ritual about hemp no less. That's every bit as crazy as it sounds, but for me that's neither camp nor daft.
  • Posts: 12,506
    I really do not understand why the UK bothers with this?
  • zebrafishzebrafish <°)))< in Octopussy's garden in the shade
    Posts: 4,310
    I think they should bother because of exactly their history. Out of all the countries in Europe, the one with a history of Pop music and a legion of musicians that can cut it on any stage, the UK only manages last place. The problem is they are not taking it seriously and need to overhaul their selection procedure. The same holds true for my country, Germany, by the way.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited May 2021 Posts: 17,727
    zebrafish wrote: »
    I think they should bother because of exactly their history. Out of all the countries in Europe, the one with a history of Pop music and a legion of musicians that can cut it on any stage, the UK only manages last place. The problem is they are not taking it seriously and need to overhaul their selection procedure. The same holds true for my country, Germany, by the way.

    If that's the case (and I see nothing to argue with there) then it's a real wonder why the UK doesn't do a lot better than it does in the contest. I know a lot of continental European acts sing in English in order to break into the global music market but it seems that the UK is continually beat at its own game. It's also said to be easier to get lyrics to rhyme in the English than in some other languages possibly due to the abundance of words that mean the sane thing. It's the same thing with cricket and football too of course. The British create and popularise the game but other nations become much better in the playing of it. I suppose you could say that the same is true of the Eurovision "game".
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    edited May 2021 Posts: 6,757
    Personally I find it a real pity most of these acts are in English. Wish more acts would sing in their own language.

    I don't mind a catchy dance tune in faux-English mind you, though I wish that would be the exception and not the rule.

    Glad four of the top 5 were non-English language acts. Must have been a long time ago.
  • Red_SnowRed_Snow Australia
    Posts: 2,493


    A really fascinating look into the music theory behind Eurovision songs, and why it's more than just the acts the UK is sending that are effecting it's results.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 23,447
    Red_Snow wrote: »


    A really fascinating look into the music theory behind Eurovision songs, and why it's more than just the acts the UK is sending that are effecting it's results.

    Nevertheless, Eurosong itself is stuck in a time capsule. Most of the songs/acts are rethreads of what was popular 20 years ago. That abysmal "thing" the Italians call a song feels a lot like a poor man's ripoff of the Guano Apes when they were hot in the late '90s. When was the last time that Eurosong managed something truly original? Secret Garden, early '90s?
  • zebrafishzebrafish <°)))< in Octopussy's garden in the shade
    Posts: 4,310
    The Eurovision Song Contest never was about some truly original song. The largest part of the music business is not about something original, but about appealing to the taste of consumers.
    Also, the ESC winner is not necessarily the best song, but the one leaving the best impression that night - and that includes the show and visuals. One year it is glam rock, the other year a singer songwriter, the next year it is a fresh talent. That's what makes it interesting over and over again.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,727
    zebrafish wrote: »
    The Eurovision Song Contest never was about some truly original song. The largest part of the music business is not about something original, but about appealing to the taste of consumers.
    Also, the ESC winner is not necessarily the best song, but the one leaving the best impression that night - and that includes the show and visuals. One year it is glam rock, the other year a singer songwriter, the next year it is a fresh talent. That's what makes it interesting over and over again.

    A case in point then of Pop will eat itself.
  • Posts: 7,500
    GoldenGun wrote: »
    Well as far as the Swiss entry is concerned. Didn't remind me at all of Sam Smith, whose singing (read: whining) I cannot stand. This guy had energy and could actually sing. Or maybe it's the French lyrics that do it for me. Could be.

    As for the rest, you're right that it's all about the camp but hey that's Eurosong for you. However, as kitschy as most of these acts were, a few of them surely were catchy. Azerbaijan's Mata Hari, for instance, has been stuck in my head for almost a week now.

    Still I'd say the Ukrainians actually brought a few cultural elements to the show, mixing modern sounds with folk tunes and a traditional Ukrainian spring ritual about hemp no less. That's every bit as crazy as it sounds, but for me that's neither camp nor daft.

    Ok, I feel a need to defend Sam Smith here! I am actually no fan of his, but if you claim he dings worse than thus swiss dude, you need to get your head straight! The vocal performance of the Swiss was actually not that good. That is probably not because he is a bad singer, but because the song was to difficult for him. He managed to get through it reasonably well, but ge struggled with both intonation and sound quality.
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    Red_Snow wrote: »


    A really fascinating look into the music theory behind Eurovision songs, and why it's more than just the acts the UK is sending that are effecting it's results.

    Nevertheless, Eurosong itself is stuck in a time capsule. Most of the songs/acts are rethreads of what was popular 20 years ago. That abysmal "thing" the Italians call a song feels a lot like a poor man's ripoff of the Guano Apes when they were hot in the late '90s. When was the last time that Eurosong managed something truly original? Secret Garden, early '90s?

    What exactly is "original" I wonder? Is there even such a thing as original pop music these days? If what Justin Bieber, Drake and Ariana Grande does is "original", I'd rather take the music of the 60s and 70s (not to mention the 18th and 19th century) thank you very much! ;)
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 23,447
    You certainly have a point, @jobo. If an orchestra walked on stage and played Debussy like it's nobody's business, I would be a big Eurosong fan.
  • Posts: 7,500
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    You certainly have a point, @jobo. If an orchestra walked on stage and played Debussy like it's nobody's business, I would be a big Eurosong fan.

    It would certainly get my vote! Imagine if every country would participate woth the best classical music of their history? That would be something... Germany would definitily do better than in the Eurovision this year, that's for certain ;))
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 6,757
    jobo wrote: »
    GoldenGun wrote: »
    Well as far as the Swiss entry is concerned. Didn't remind me at all of Sam Smith, whose singing (read: whining) I cannot stand. This guy had energy and could actually sing. Or maybe it's the French lyrics that do it for me. Could be.

    As for the rest, you're right that it's all about the camp but hey that's Eurosong for you. However, as kitschy as most of these acts were, a few of them surely were catchy. Azerbaijan's Mata Hari, for instance, has been stuck in my head for almost a week now.

    Still I'd say the Ukrainians actually brought a few cultural elements to the show, mixing modern sounds with folk tunes and a traditional Ukrainian spring ritual about hemp no less. That's every bit as crazy as it sounds, but for me that's neither camp nor daft.

    Ok, I feel a need to defend Sam Smith here! I am actually no fan of his, but if you claim he dings worse than thus swiss dude, you need to get your head straight! The vocal performance of the Swiss was actually not that good. That is probably not because he is a bad singer, but because the song was to difficult for him. He managed to get through it reasonably well, but ge struggled with both intonation and sound quality.

    Ok, maybe. But I much rather listen to the Swiss song again than give WOTW another go. And my head is fairly straight, thanks for the concern ;)
    jobo wrote: »
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    Red_Snow wrote: »

    A really fascinating look into the music theory behind Eurovision songs, and why it's more than just the acts the UK is sending that are effecting it's results.

    Nevertheless, Eurosong itself is stuck in a time capsule. Most of the songs/acts are rethreads of what was popular 20 years ago. That abysmal "thing" the Italians call a song feels a lot like a poor man's ripoff of the Guano Apes when they were hot in the late '90s. When was the last time that Eurosong managed something truly original? Secret Garden, early '90s?

    What exactly is "original" I wonder? Is there even such a thing as original pop music these days? If what Justin Bieber, Drake and Ariana Grande does is "original", I'd rather take the music of the 60s and 70s (not to mention the 18th and 19th century) thank you very much! ;)

    Again, I'd say Ukraine's entry was rather original. However, I do agree the popular music scene has been going downhill for a while now.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Favourites to win the Norwegian finals in a couple of weeks. At least for me.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,727
    Favourites to win the Norwegian finals in a couple of weeks. At least for me.

    Some more of your neighbours? ;)
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    Favourites to win the Norwegian finals in a couple of weeks. At least for me.

    Some more of your neighbours? ;)

    No, I don t know these guys. I think.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,727
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    Favourites to win the Norwegian finals in a couple of weeks. At least for me.

    Some more of your neighbours? ;)

    No, I don t know these guys. I think.

    That's a shame. There are some interesting folks over there.
  • M_BaljeM_Balje Amsterdam, Netherlands
    edited February 2022 Posts: 4,415
    For 2022 The Netherlands wil send the 21 year old (born in 2000) S10 (Aka Stien den Hollander) to Italy. She is singer and rapper. She going to sing in Dutch, last time that happend be in 2010 with Sieneke. That was not big hit, but in 1998 Edsillia Rompley (One of host from contest in 2021 in Rotterdam) end 4th place with her Dutch song ''Hemel en Aarde''.

  • Red_SnowRed_Snow Australia
    Posts: 2,493
    🇲🇩 Moldova



    🇪🇸 Spain



    🇲🇰 North Macedonia



    🇮🇪 Ireland



    🇮🇱 Israel



    🇮🇹 Italy

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