TIME-WARP TUESDAY | Almost invincible
Normally, TWT is totally random, but I thought it would be appropriate to make the one and only Sweden the focus as Malmö approaches (it’s now nearly three months away, FYI!). So if you’re not in the mood to get all nostalgic over the Land of ABBA, this is your warning.
Anyway, on with the Time-Warp.
Where Athens, Greece
When 2006
Who Carola
What Invincible
It wasn’t a case of ‘third time lucky’ for Sweden’s Eurovision queen Carola when she appeared on the contest stage yet again in Athens. Not that it needed to be – she’d already placed 3rd on her first try and won on her second (what a showoff). No, she wasn’t Invincible, but she was pretty darn close.
From 2002 to 2006, this year’s host country sent basically the same entry five times over, but they didn’t always succeed. In Kyiv, Martin Stenmarck’s rock-schlager number Las Vegas had only managed to drag its leather-clad self into 20th position by the end of the night. But it was schlager all the way the following year, which begged the question: did the Swedish public vote for Carola’s song or Carola herself? It’s easy to see how Invincible may not have won Melodifestivalen if someone less well-known and with less Eurovision success (anyone but Johnny Logan) had been singing it.
Either way, it was Carola who literally flew the flag – or at least her backup singers did – for Sweden in 06, and she certainly lived up to her reliable reputation, showing experience that younger competitors from the likes of Macedonia and Moldova couldn’t mimic. Add that to her faultless vocal, nifty “costume reveal” and timely dance moves, and it isn’t too hard to see how she ended the grand final in 5th – more than enough to secure Sweden a place in the 2007 final.
Could she crack the top five for a fourth time? Who knows, maybe we’ll find out sometime in the next few years. Like Dana International for Israel, Carola for Sweden is never off the table.
What do you think? Did Carola earn her place on the scoreboard, or did she snatch it from someone who deserved it more?
eurovisionbyjaz.com 
7 Responses to “TIME-WARP TUESDAY | Almost invincible”
I feel like I haven’t commented here in ages! I’ve just been so busy with school. Anyway, I actually love this song. The hook is “insatiable” (see what I did there? 😉 ) and sticks in your head forever. The staging is perfect schlager and Carola herself is an excellent performer. A Eurovision classic for sure. 🙂
Off-topic, it seems like NF season has really gotten into gear! Slovenia picked an American (!) girl to sing for them and most, if not all, of the German songs are out. At the end of the year, I think that Germany will probably top my NF list. SO much good stuff. Greece released all four of their songs and they too are fantastic! Hungary also seems promising. SO excited to see 2013 hit its stride, especially after the failures of the first selections (Lithuania, Albania…) I can’t wait! 😀
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Priorities, priorities, Nick!! Commenting on ESC blogs is obviously FAR more important than studying.
Jokes. But seriously, don’t bother with maths, you will never use it again.
The staging of Invincible is probably the best part. I love all the wind-blown chiffon, it’s just majestic.
So will you be cheering for Slovenia this year, even if their song is rubbish?
I haven’t heard any of the Greek songs yet, so it’s good to hear nice words about them. I take it they are less cookie-cutter than Aphrodisiac?
Side note – I am so happy that the Cypriot song will be in Greek! Unless they’ve changed their minds already. I can’t wait to hear it. Even the title sounds promising.
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lol, I’m not even taking a math(s) class right now. I took one last semester, but I couldn’t fit it into my schedule. Actually, I spend most of my time studying economics and communications. I can see the benefit of economics for my major, but I have literally no idea why I have to take a communications theory class.
The staging very Eurovision and very schalger, which isn’t a bad thing at all. Actually, it’s pretty ace, especially when compared to some of the other stage shows that year (Moldova’s slut-fest, Switzerland’s leering creep, Monaco’s mess that I love nonetheless…)
Possibly. Even if the song is rubbish, it’s just something interesting/nice to consider. However, I hope that it won’t stink.
Very much so! Between the four songs, there are only pop “influences” and real ethnic touches. Considering the strength of the Greek voting bloc, they should easily be back in the top 10 this year.
Yay! I’ve actually liked Cyprus quite a lot for the past four years. I hope they can make it five. 🙂
Other side note – Have you been watching A Dal in Hungary? I watched the first semi final over the Super Bowl (!) and all I could think was “They really need to win ESC so they can organize it.” Seriously, the production values are excellent! The same can’t necessarily be said for the songs, but it’s still an interesting show.
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I’ve loved Cyprus since 2009, but now I can officially say…yaaaaaaaawwwwwn. I dig the Greek, but yeah. Boring X 100. There’s nothing to latch on to there.
I haven’t been following Hungary so far, but I totally am on board with watching it over the Super Bowl!
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You don’t have to take maths?? My high school self HATES you =P
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Totally agree with you there.
I literally have no idea why the Super Bowl is so big here in the United States, but also all over the world. I mean, the game is silly, which is an opinion I have on all sports (except catwalk strutting and synchronized wind-machine choreography) and the commercials, while funny, are still just commercials! It’s a foreign concept to me and I’d take the worst NF over the Super Bowl any day.
Nope, no maths for me! I took a high school level class in junior high school, so I finished all of my four years in junior year. I just took that maths class (AP Calculus, fyi) because I was too lazy to argue with the teacher to drop me.
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I do like the ads! But it says a lot that the ads are more interesting than the event itself. I really hope no hardcore Super Bowl fans ever read this. We may be assassinated.
Synchronised wind-machine choreography. MUST. SUGGEST. THAT. TO. OLYMPIC. COMMITTEE!!! Or maybe we could start a Eurovisiolympics. There would be so many entertaining categories. Hair-flicking, skirt-flouncing…the list goes on.
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