My 2009 awards – the best and the worst
BEST ORIGINAL SONG – Bosnia & Herzegovina. ‘Bistra Voda’ had it all – drums, ethnicity, a mysteriously hot lead singer…I believe it was the most beautifully orchestrated song of the whole shebang. One of my all time favourites, for sure.
WORST ORIGINAL SONG – I’ve gotta say Slovakia (sorry). Their comeback ‘Let’tmou’ sounded like a combination of a catfight and ten different ballads mooshed together. Nela and Kamil had great voices, but they just didn’t harmonise. It was a big dog’s breakfast. Better luck next year.
SONG THAT SHOULD HAVE GONE TO THE FINAL BUT DIDN’T – Serbia! It came close. I loved it, even though it was about a shoe. It was something quirky and different, a real sing-along song. Great stuff.
BEST PERFORMANCE – A toss-up between Cyprus and Ukraine, the two extremes. Cyprus had the endearing simplicity of moving cubes, whilst Ukraine really turned it on with drums, centurions, flags, ferris wheels…you name it. Svetlana knew how to work it.
WORST PERFORMANCE – Montenegro. Andrea, Andrea, you have to pay some attention to the little people out there in the audience! Her vocals were fine, but I didn’t see her sing to the crowd once. It seems she was more interested in mounting her dancer. I think she may have been barking up the wrong tree on that one, though.
BEST GIMMICK – If you could call Dita Von Teese a gimmick, then I’d go for Germany. But Russia’s ageing Anastasia on the screens has to be the winner because it was a classy and interesting gimmick rather than a cheap and nasty one.
MR/MISS CONGENIALITY – Alexander from Norway of course! Whilst I don’t believe it was the best song, he is so cute! He knew exactly how to play to the camera and the audience using his boyish charms to full advantage. You have to love him.
BEST DRESSED – Armenia’s Inga and Anush. Their outfits must have taken FOREVER to create, with the fabric and braiding and headpieces – traditional, eyecatching and beautiful.
WORST DRESSED: Three 50+ males in sequinned purple suits was never going to work. Just ask the Netherlands.
WORST VOCALS – Turkey, Aysel from Azerbaijan, Spain…oh dear.
WHAT THE HECK? HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? – This goes to the country which seemed like a favourite, but fell to the bottom of the scoreboard for some inexplicable reason. And Malta – it’s for you. Poor Chiara – after a third and second place in the past, she probably thought her power ballad, lone woman on stage thing was foolproof. I think ‘What If We’ was her best song yet, so how did it end up almost last? Who knows.
MOST PLEASANT SHOCK – The UK finally getting back into the swing of things in the top 5! I was thrilled.
BEST LOOKING – I have a lot to consider here. Of course, it’s all personal opinion. I’ll stick with soloists coz it’s easier so Norway, Denmark and Romania – hubba hubba!
xoxox
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