By jove, it’s Jedward! And other miscellaneous musings

By Jaz, February 12, 2011

It’s Eurovision 2011’s first Super Duper Saturday (I took the liberty of adding that duper as I am rather excited). But before we can bask in the downpour of goodness that is February 12^th, there are a few other things that I need to take care of. Namely the main attraction of last night’s selections: The Irish final!

It has been a subject of much discussion over the last month or so, to a much greater extent than usual. This is partly (okay, totally) thanks to the participation of everyone’s favourite twins-who-have-been-on-the-X-Factor-and-sung-with-Vanilla-Ice, Jedward, with their song Lipstick. They, alongside Nikki Kavanagh, had been the favourites to win from the word go.

And they TOTALLY DID!

There has been very mixed results over their win, with seemingly no middle ground – Lipstick is either despised by ESC fans or adored. As for me? I’m quite chuffed. I’ve always thought that J-Ward were made to be in Eurovision, and what do you know – here they are. Their vocal performance on The Late Late Show wasn’t the best, but I’m confident they can polish up prior to Düsseldorf and deliver something at least passable. I love the song more with every listen.

As my silly Internet wouldn’t let me post last night (so annoying as I had a pre-Ireland piece ready to go), I’ll finish off my Emerald Isle update with part of that post – just my brief opinions on the five competitors. Notice that I got the first three in the right order…I feel so intelligent! 

=1. Jedward – Lipstick – I couldn’t decide if I liked this better than Nikki’s or not…they are quite different. And I do like it, very much in fact. I was one of those people who kind of wanted to hate it. But it is SO DAMN CATCHY and electro and Schlager and other adjectives.

=1. Nikki Kavanagh – Falling – Someone on Youtube mentioned that this song reminds them of Drip Drop, by Safura. I can see why that is so, as Falling has an r & b, slickly produced, American sound that is reminiscent of Azerbaijan’s 2010 entry. I loved that, and I love this. Nikki has an amazing voice…just like her lovely cousin Niamh!

3. Don Mescall – Talking With Jennifer – This was a lot better than I’d expected. I really liked it, although I don’t think it hit the heights necessary for it to win. It could have been a track of The Script’s latest.

4. Bling – Shine On – I have absolutely no idea whether I like this song or not. It’s strange.

5. Vard Sisters – Send Me An Angel – Bore. Ring. Drearier than Lena’s efforts in Unser Song für Deutschland. May have won in ’92 or ’93 just because it was Ireland. FOR JOHNNY LOGAN’S SAKE, PLEASE DON’T LET THIS WIN!!!

 

PS – Azerbaijan has picked its artists. They are Eldar and Nigar. Need I say more?

No. So, on we go to Super Duper Pooper Scooper Saturday, in what has to be my most garbled post ever. Tonight, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, Croatia and Lithuania are all holding semi finals, whilst Iceland, Norway, Finland, Malta and Belgium all pick their entries for two zero one one. I’ll leave it to you to wade through the semis…although I have to say one thing in relation to Latvia: go Lauris go! Go Lauris go! Goooooooooooooooooooo Lauris!!!

A-hem.

And actually quite a lot to say on Sweden’s 2^nd semi final. I don’t believe it to be as strong as the first, but there is still some great stuff in there. Highlights for me are Elektrisk by Anniela, which is a nice, catchy pop song; Like Suicide by Christian Walz, which isn’t half as depressing as it sounds, and could well be 2011’s Keep On Walking; and Loreen’s My Heart Is Refusing Me, which is my favourite at this point. It’s a bit similar to Danny Saucedo’s winner from last weekend, but I still hope it qualifies. I found my biggest disappointment in Elisabeth Andreasson, who I had pictured charging out on stage in a sparkly cocktail dress and belting out a stomping diva-worthy schlager hit. Instead, she’s belting out what I imagine the Swedish national anthem sounds like. Still, I think she may get to the second chance round on pedigree.

I’m going to say (probably incorrectly) that Christian Walz and Sanna Nielsen will make the final, while Elisabeth and Loreen proceed to Andra Chansen.

Right, next up, I’ll say a few words on the finals, beginning with….

ICELAND/ Will Yohanna win? Probably. Does she deserve to? Of course! Nótt is a really nice song, and I desperately want her to get the chance to redeem herself sartorially.

NORWAY/ Will Stella Mwangi win? Probably. Does she de…okay, okay, I’ll give you some variation in syntax as a special treat. I have made it abundantly clear how much I want Aste & Rikke or Hanne Sorvaag to win MGP, but I just have a feeling that Stella will haba-haba her way into the top spot. I do like her song, but I would find it odd to be for Norway. I mean, that style of music is the LAST thing you would associate with Norway. I predict Sie Gubba will be last.

FINLAND/ I am a terrible Eurovisionary. I have been so caught up in whirlwind blogging and other activities that I have totally forgotten about the Finns this year! I haven’t listened to any of the contenders, so the winner will be a total surprise to me, which is good in that I can’t be disappointed. There is one prediction I can make for Finland, however – and that is, that someone WILL win.

MALTA/ Raquela’s song, If I Could Do It All Again, is stunning, and I really hope she wins. It’s a really climactic, powerful ballad that avoids the cheese that Thea Garrett’s song last year was dripping in. Fabrizio Faniello, Malta’s most prolific Eurovision chaser, made it to the final with a song that different to his 2006 entry, I Do, which is not promising when you remember how he ended up that night in Athens. But I do think it is better than that song. I wouldn’t be unhappy to see him win. 

BELGIUM/ C’est La Musique!!!

I really must dash now. I know I skimmed the surface of most of the upcoming events, but I’ve been gallivanting around the countryside all day, have a busy day ahead of me tomorrow, and am knackered. I will, nonetheless, be back on the morrow with the results of this monumental night. I’d be jumping up and down with ectstatic-ness if I wasn’t so *yawn*…ah…tired….zzzzzzzzzzzzz.

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