Malmö Reviews | Part 3 (Latvia-Russia)
The artists and the press have descended on Malmö like vultures…only nothing like vultures. Basically, the majority of them are now on Swedish soil, and that means Eurovision is excitingly close. That also means that I have a heap of reviews and predictions to cram in before Tuesday the 14th. So without further rambling, I present to you the third installment of my 2013 reviews (where I get a bit nasty for the first time in relation to a certain ballad). I’m kicking things off with Latvia. Here we go…
LATVIA
Here We Go by PeR
Better than 2012: No
IMO: Is there anyone who’d name Latvia as one of their favourite Eurovision countries? Really? Aside from epic debutants Brainstorm and a few other saving graces, they have not impressed me much over the last decade-and-a-bit. This year the trend continues, but I do hear a glimmer of hope in PeR’s Here We Go. It was one of the few passable songs in the dreadful Latvian final, so it’s a plus in that respect. The three boys (two pieces of guy candy, one not so much) put a lot of energy into their performance from what I’ve seen, although they could put more into perfecting their vocals which are ropey at best. But this is a repetitive song – an almost-decent chorus interspersed with brief episodes of rap (which very rarely goes down well at the contest, right Trackshittaz?) with some trumpeting thrown in for good measure. That trumpeting is the best part. I’m not in the mood to be too cruel to Latvia though, so I’ll finish with a positive. The more I think about it, this will be a suitable opener for the second semi, especially if the group manage to pull off a show just as enthusiastic but more polished than what we’ve seen so far. If they incorporate the audience participation, that too should be well received. I’m not excited to see it up first, but I’m not completely repulsed by the thought either.
Winner, loser or grower: Grower. 6 points.
LITHUANIA
Something by Andrius Pojavis
Sounds like: Human by Killers
IMO: This was one of the earliest picks of NF season, and while some of those initial selections get boring by May, this one has grown on me. It’s a strange song, mainly in terms of the verses, but the chorus is rockin’ (and I, having used the term ‘rockin’’ am apparently a fifty-year-old man going through a midlife crisis). It reminds me so much of the Killers’ back catalogue, which may also be latched on to by voters. Lithuania does have a way of qualifying against all the odds, as proven in 2011 and 2012. I do feel that the odds are out of their favour again in 2013, even though I have a sneaking regard for Something. It’s got a bit of quirk, but probably not enough to be considered memorable, unless everybody keeps talking about ‘that weird dude wearing a top hat’, should that weird dude wear his top hat. Speaking of which, Andrius is one gentlemanly gentleman, dressing up in his finery to sing a rock song and asking us all if we mind that he’s in love with us. They just don’t make guys like that anymore, do they?
Winner, loser or grower: Winner. 7 points.
MACEDONIA
Pred Da Se Razdeni by Lozano & Esma
Top 10 material: No
IMO: Thanks to a few negative Tweets (or something like that) Macedonia tossed the amazing Imperija in the trash, and cobbled together another entry for Lozano and Esma (the loveable older lady of this year’s comp) in the space of about five minutes. You know, like Belarus did for Anastasia Vinnkova a few years ago (except that was thanks to a rule violation). The difference here is that I like this second song almost as much as the first one, even though it’s such a mish-mash of styles that I know I should be saying ‘WTF is this circus of a song?’. Pred Da Se Razdeni is more ‘by Lozano, featuring Esma’, and has the shortest opening verse I’ve ever heard on a song in Eurovision or elsewhere. True fact. But why waste time getting to the chorus when the chorus is so awesome, in my opinion? And what little airtime Esma has is taken advantage of – I LOVE her parts. I can’t wait for her to strut out with her grandson…er, I mean, singing partner, and get the crowd clasping their hands and whispering about how adorable she is. Lozano, meanwhile, will be doing most of the legwork and doing it very well – he has a great voice (and trendy eyewear collection). He, his chaperone and this song are a jigsaw puzzle that shouldn’t fit together, but together they work for me.
Winner, loser or grower: Winner. 10 points.
MALTA
Tomorrow by Gianluca Bezzina
Best lyric: ‘Risk assessment is his investment in a life of no surprise/ she threw affection his direction, a collection of her smiles.’
IMO: Here’s an entry that, I’m afraid to say because it is so delightful (as is Dr. Bezzina), has started to bore slightly. But at the same time, there are so many things I like about it that I am mentally unable to stop wishing it into the final. The first time I heard it, it put a smile on my face. I loved the lyrics that told a story using language we don’t often hear at Eurovision – see the above example for proof – and within seconds I was shipping IT man Jeremy and the nameless woman who keeps running off on him. The song itself has been heard plenty of times in the past, but cruisy, inoffensive little ditties always have their place; in fact, one of them secured the Swiss a place in the final two years ago. If “the people” and juries alike are ready to have their hearts warmed and can be won over by a song that more or less forces a smile onto their face, then I officially declare Malta a front runner to make it through to Saturday night. I think it would help if they really played up the cuteness – bringing in the bench seat from the video, or introducing a bunch of balloons somehow (not that relevant, but cute. And I like balloons). After all, how often do you get to be surrounded by whimsical props when you’re a medical doctor?
Winner, loser or grower: Grower. 7 points.
MOLDOVA
O Mie by Aliona Moon
Better than 2012: No
IMO: Can we all just take a moment to mourn the English version of this song? The version that tackled such subjects as the ‘men are from Mars, women are from Venus’ theory, and the possible legitimacy of the Mayan calendar? Oh god, I’m getting all misty-eyed just talking about it. I miss A Million, and not because I’m some lazy listener who wants everything in English so I can understand it (how dare you accuse me of that!). I think it was because the English version was the one originally chosen to represent Moldova, and I fell in love with that (and it was unsettling for that language switch to even happen – it usually goes the other way round). Take that moment to mourn with me, won’t you? Okay, moment over. I still really like this song as Romanian O Mie. It’s a pretty and well-constructed ballad that was – unbelievably – composed by Pasha Parfeny (how weird was it seeing him at the NF, sitting stiffly at the piano in a dinner suit, after all of that gallivanting he did in a leather apron in Baku?). It is repetitive, I’ll admit, but so are other ballads from the likes of Israel, for example, and I think Moldova has the better song. Unfortunately they aren’t in the same semi final, so Israel can’t make Moldova look good. But Aliona should be able to do that on her own. She already has ESC experience up her sleeve from last year, and with her voice and the architectural hairdo/dress combo she’s likely to be sporting, she’ll put on a show. Whether that show gets her to the final or not is a matter for later discussion.
Winner, loser or grower: Winner. 8 points.
MONTENEGRO
Igranka by Who See
Top 10 material: No
IMO: It would be a fair call to say this is Montenegro’s best entry ever, simply because it’s not verging on lame (like Zauvijek Volim Te), totally cliché (like Just Get Out of My Life) or anything to do with Rambo Amadeus (need I say more?). Such a fair call that I’m going to go ahead and say it: this IS Montenegro’s best entry ever. That’s from a girl who had high hopes after the song title and description were released, had her hopes dashed and labeled the song a ‘hot mess’ once she’d heard it, then finally grew to love the hot mess after another listen or two. Igranka is far from being a typical Eurovision song. It’s essentially a rap song with badass-female-soloist intervals, and features some hardcore dubstep that gives Slovenia’s all the impact of a soggy tissue. It’s a very interesting song that makes you want to know where it’s going. I love badass-female Nina’s opening part, and the little riff/melody (whatever, I’m not up with musical terminology) underneath the rap verses. The chorus is where things get messy and noisy, but for those expecting to hear the opening lines again, it’ll be a surprise. And if Nina is in tune and attempts to sing with power more than shout, the live effect will be impressive. I’d love Montenegro to do well at last, especially since they have a song that’s more complex and original than Serbia’s, but speaking of the live, this could be a disaster come show time. Igranka in studio is great, but the slick production and that air of messiness could come across a shambles when put to the test in Malmö Arena. As I write this, the trio have completed their first rehearsal, but I’m steering clear of pre-ESC video footage as usual, so I can’t say what went down.
Winner, loser or grower: Winner. 10 points.
NETHERLANDS
Birds by Anouk
Sounds like: Mary Poppins needs anti-depression pills
IMO: Do you remember this time last year, when Joan Franka’s You And Me had been tipped as an almost-certain qualifier and potential winner by a ton of fans and bookmakers? Do you remember how those predictions panned out? Mmm-hmm. Well, it’s happened all over again with Anouk’s haunting ballad Birds, only this time, I’m one of the people hoping the Netherlands meet those high expectations (and suspecting they might). Well, maybe not the winning expectations, but the qualifying ones. I want this to go through, damnit! I didn’t think much of it initially, but a second or third listen can be crucial, and in this case I’ve really grown to appreciate the merit and sadness in the song. There’s nothing contrived or cheesy about it, unlike one of the ballads that comes before it in the running order (more on that in a bit) and I hope that works in its favour. Anouk is a big star and a reliable performer, and her rehearsal yesterday was, by all accounts, excellent. She won’t get in the way of her own success, but voters who want something less depressing and more instant may do. It’s been almost a decade since the Dutch song made a final, and I think if it happened this year, the looks on the delegation’s faces would be priceless. Like, Robin Stjernberg, ‘I won Melodifestivalen?’ level priceless. Who’s up for making that epic-ness a reality?
Winner, loser or grower: Grower. 8 points.
NORWAY
I Feed You My Love by Margaret Berger
Best lyric: ‘You put a knife against my back and you dare me to face the attack.’
IMO: A lot of people love this, and a minority do not. The former group would willingly let Margaret feed them her love; the latter would spit it out and tell her she’s a terrible cook. So which group do you belong to? I hear you ask (and if you didn’t ask and don’t care, why are you reading opinion reviews in the first place?). Well, my friends…aagh, no more stalling. I love it, alright! Bravo, Norway, bravo. This country had two excellent Eurovision prospects, and they chose the less fun, less summery, but edgier and more reliable of those two. There aren’t many other words I can think of to describe it – industrial? Electro-rock-ish, perhaps? Different, definitely. Different from anything else on offer in 2013. I love the sound and I love the lyrics, and the contrast between such a dark song (with complimentary lighting) and the blonde-in-a-white-dress look (as Margaret modeled at NMGP) is really interesting. I would prefer this to win over Denmark, but I realise that’s unlikely. A top 10 result is more achievable, unless there’s another inexplicable lack of points for the Norwegian song that confuses me for months to come. Because I Feed You My Love can’t be compared to anything else it’s up against, unlike Stay, that too is unlikely.
Winner, loser or grower: Winner. 10 points.
ROMANIA
It’s My Life by Cezar
Sounds like: Illusion by Krassimir Avramov
IMO: Romania had bamboozled me this year, and as fun as it is to use the word ‘bamboozled’ in a Eurovision review (or at any time) I’m not pleased about it. The tropical party thrown by Mandinga is over, and now we’ve been invited to one where the background music is Beethoven’s Fifth and the punch bowl is full of pumpkin soup, and we’re all like ‘are we supposed to take this seriously?’. Let me tell you how I feel about It’s My Life in a way that makes more sense: as much as it reminds me of Bulgaria ’09 for obvious reasons, it also makes me think of Israel’s entry into the 2004 contest – To Believe, by David d’Or. In both cases, the song I like, but the crazy-high vocal the singer ascends to, I can’t help finding comical. I realise that Cezar is very talented, and the song certainly shows off his range. But I just can’t take this seriously; not when the voice of Alenka Gotar on helium is coming out of an imposing, suited-up dude with a beard. That dude scored the sought-after performance position of last in the second semi, following Switzerland. He will appear, and three minutes later, nobody will remember that Switzerland even existed. Whether or not that will help maintain Romania’s 100% qualification record, I don’t know. Like I said, this entry has me generally bamboozled. God, I love that word.
Winner, loser or grower: Grower. 6 points.
RUSSIA
What If by Dina Garipova
Better than 2012: No
IMO: This song makes me want to do so many things, and none of them are enjoyable – things like jumping off a cliff, and/or vomiting come to mind. Well, maybe it’s not everything about What If that makes me want to do that stuff. Now that I think of it, I find the song part of the song (i.e. the music and the melody) perfectly listenable. What makes my skin crawl is the sickeningly sentimental, cheesy, clichéd, anti-war, ‘let’s put away our firearms and embrace each other’ LYRICS. Oh. My. Gosh. And don’t even get me started on the music video, which only serves to bring the nauseating sentiment to life, as a theatre-load of strangers become so overcome by the message of Dina’s song that they are unable to resist joining hands and swaying as one. Pass me a sick bag, somebody. Russia sent a novelty act of sorts to Eurovision in 2012, and they were adorable. Give me that over this schmaltz any day of the week. I am horrified at the prospect of this qualifying with ease and possibly cracking the final top 10. Dina’s voice wouldn’t be out of place there, but…nyet. Just nyet.
Winner, loser or grower: Loser. 3 points.
That’s another ten songs that can be crossed off my review list. But just before I go do that, here’s an overview of my rankings this time around. Although I think I’ll call them ‘igrankings’.
- Norway 10
- Macedonia 10
- Montenegro 10
- Moldova 8
- Netherlands 8
- Malta 7
- Lithuania 7
- Latvia 6
- Romania 6
- Russia 3
How do you rate the above entries? Let me know where we’re thinking alike, and where we’re really, really not.
NEXT TIME: In my second-last post before the main event, I’ll be critiquing the entries from San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and the UK. Eight songs, one more set of reviews. Who will come out on top, and will one of you FINALLY agree with me on everything? I doubt it, but why don’t you drop by just in case?
eurovisionbyjaz.com 
9 Responses to “Malmö Reviews | Part 3 (Latvia-Russia)”
Hi there Jaz. This is really weird, I’m sure I posted a comment here yesterday but apparently I didn’t and I can’t find it anywhere now.
Interesting that you say that you love the lyrics to Norway. It took me centuries to figure out what they were about and I’m sure what they are about so I’m demanding an explanation xD I belong to the second group btw 😛
I prefer zauvijek volim te to Igranka tbh, I still know the lyrics to it But yes, Igraka is more memorable. But too much dubstep for my liking.
And I agree with you on Malta. It’s cute but gets slightly annoying at times.
My ranks for these:
1 Moldova
2 Malta
3 Macedonia
4 The Netherlans
5 Norway
6 Lithuania
7 Montenegro
8 Latvia
9 Russia
10 Romania
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It looks like my blog ate your first comment without telling me about it =( Bad blog!
Are you after an explanation as to why I like Norway’s lyrics, or an explanation as to what they are about?? TBH, I’m not even certain what they’re about (if anything). They come across as being kind of animalistic, like the title. It’s like Margaret is some sort of creature in a relationship with another creature…aaah, I don’t know. I just like them. You could all into the implications of ‘I feed you my love’, like she’s forcing it on the guy/girl/creature because they need it to survive…I could write an essay full of made-up crap like that about these lyrics! I enjoy the freedom of interpretation 🙂
Woohoo, Aliona at #1! I’m really torn as to whether she’s going to qualify or not. Thoughts?
Russia #9, Romania #10…so you prefer cheese to nuts then? #lolnot
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An explanation as to what the lyrics were about, oh sorry I should have been more clear there. Thanks for that 🙂 and I’m glad to see my interpretation isn’t far off xD
as for Moldova, well they are one of my absolute faves this year so of course I want them to qualify and do very well, and judging by a bunch of tweets I’ve seen they could do very well, but just now there was some problem with the Moldovan delegation today and they refused to hold a press conference. I really hope they get the problem sorted and that it doesn’t get them disqualified and doesn’t affect them because it it does I’m going to cry 😥
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HOLD THE PRESS CONFERENCE, MOLDOVA, JUST HOLD IT!!!!!!!!
Ahem. That does not sound good. I’d much rather Romania get disqualified than Moldova. Not that I want anybody DQd really.
PS – I’m glad to see my interpretation resembled yours in any way, shape or form =P That’s just what I get from those lyrics. I really would like a debriefing from the lyricists.
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What did make change your mind about Anouk’s Birds, the last time you where far about positive about it…
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I know!! I think it was simply listening to it again a few more times that did it. And I always want the Netherlands to do well, so I went into the listens with an open mind, hoping I’d become more fond of it. I guess it worked!
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Love IFYML, but worried that Margaret’s naturally soft voice won’t be able to dominate where needed, and the overall effect will be too muted.
PDSR sounds great, but is conspicuously contrived.
Also disrespectful to Esma, who sings “Me, Esma, singing to you, will warm your hearts.”
And the fast part goes, “So, shake your hips, come on now, get up all gypsies.”
Neither having any relevance to the ballad Vlatko sings.
I enjoy “Ingranka” as music, but there are reasons that rap doesn’t work at ESC besides the tastes of its audience. It will be just the three of them on stage, too. Who See? We shall see.
“Birds” is a personal fave; a waltz in the key of blue. If Anouk can enchant the audience live, a win is conceivable. But it’s crowded at the top, and other factors will probably come into it.
“Something” is trying to be normal. What kind of Lithuanian entry is that? 😉
PeR is like a high school variety show act to me. It’s kinda fun, and makes a good crowd-warmer, but I don’t respect it as a credible effort.
“What If” is in the saccharine style that Russia excels at, reminiscent of “Believe.” In both cases I can’t shake the sense of insincerity. But they are still good at what they do, and this will do well.
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What you said about Macedonia is partly why it’s a guilty pleasure of mine, as opposed to a regular pleasure.
I guess Lithuania hasn’t had great success recently with bonkers entries, so they figured ‘why not try something normal?’ So they went for the normal Something! I say bring back We Are The Winners. That (shockingly) worked in their favour.
Don’t tell me Russia’s going to succeed! I have to keep fooling myself into thinking they won’t for as long as possible.
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Fair enough 😉
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