EBJ’s top 10…should-haves and could-haves of the 2014 NF season
FYI, I’m going to stop apologising for the unintentionally large gaps between my posts. If I don’t, you’ll never want to read anything I manage to produce anyway, because you’ll be so sick of everything starting with ‘I’m soooooooooorrrrrrrryyyyyyyy!’. Know that I will get the job done eventually, though. I may be a slowpoke in most areas of life, but I have blogged pretty religiously for almost five years now *insert gasps of shock and awe here*. Just assume that all the posts I say are coming in the next few days will actually come in the next few weeks, and you’ll never be disappointed.
Let’s move on to le subject of this post now. It’s been over a month since the Wurstmeister (© Jaz 2014, because I know you’ll want to steal it) rose like a lace-clad phoenix to the top of the Eurovision scoreboard; but with sporadic JESC selections and the enigma of the 2015 host city making up the bulk of current affairs, we have to keep chatting all things Copenhagen.
One of those ‘things’ is which countries made the right choices for Denmark, which countries so did not, and which had a plethora of dope songs to pick from. In retrospect it’s easier to justify exactly who made mistakes or could have ended up in a similar position with a different entry, and you can bet your autographed copy of Valentina Monetta’s Guide To San Marino-oh-oh-oh that I want in. So, I’m revealing my top 10 songs from the national final season – which I believe should have been sent, or could have been sent for an equally impressive/unfortunate result – right now.
Although, it wasn’t just me who compiled this list, guys…I had major help from Rory over at ESC Views (which just celebrated its 1st birthday *blows kazoo enthusiastically*) who discussed the subject with me at length until we’d settled on the possibilities from every single country. Thanks for a great conversation, Rory. I hope this list at least partially does your opinions justice!
Let’s count backwards from #10…
#10 | Finland
Could have chosen Kertakäyttösydän by Jasmin Michaela (unplaced in UMK)
It is true that I ended up enjoying Something Better – so much so I completely stopped complaining that ‘something better’ was exactly what I wanted – and I realise that 11th place is nothing to be ashamed of (unless you’re Azerbaijan, so that 22nd must have hit real hard!). But my soft spot for a couple of other UMK entries meant I would have enjoyed seeing other songs in Copenhagen. One such song was Jasmin Michaela’s, which could have signaled another year of Fun Finland had it not been inexplicably knocked out in the semis. Kertakäyttösydän would have been an equally quirky, but less novelty and much more Finnish successor to Marry Me; not to mention a precisely choreographed, trendy and vocally impressive one. Basically, Jasmin would have repped her country in style, and that could have taken her to 11th place.
Rory says: Jasmin should have gone. She had amazing vocals, and okay, the visual performance was a little out there…but she should have at least qualified!
#9 | Spain
Could have chosen Más (Run) by Brequette (2nd in Mira Quién Va A Eurovisión)
Sí, they could have! And they very nearly did, with Ruth’s victory the narrowest of the whole NF season. A lot of parallels can be drawn between Ruth and Brequette, including the fact that both are female belters of the highest order, who arrived at the Spanish final armed with powerful ballads. But Brequette’s Más was more contemporary and less cliché-Eurovision than Dancing In The Rain. Though I see those aspects as pluses, they may have been reason enough to rob Spain of their second 10th place in three years. Still, I think Más would have been a worthy entry, and who could say for certain that even with the right staging and draw etc, it couldn’t possibly have done as well as DITR?
Rory says: I love Más but I love Ruth…maybe Ruth could have sung Más?
#8 | Greece
Could have chosen Petalouda Stin Athina by Crystallia (3rd in Eurosong)
I’m glad they didn’t, as I will fawn over any up-tempo song with trumpeting in it. But the only other decent song in the Greek line-up IMO did come courtesy of Crystallia, who was flawless in her rendition of a very Greek ballad/national anthem. Petalouda would have been distinctive in a year of little ethno-pop, and would have qualified at the least, this being Greece we’re talking about. It wouldn’t have taken much for it to best 20th place once in the final. With Crystallia, I suspect we would have seen a similar or slightly better result to that of the boys with the oh-so-freaky flow (STILL not over it).
#7 | Norway
Could have chosen Heal by Mo (3rd in MGP)
Silent Storm remains a sentimental favourite of mine, and I don’t want to imply that Norway made a wrong choice this year. But, had Carl fallen too deep into his own void (judging by the lyrics, it’s a big one) and been unable to surface in time for Eurovision, Mo would have made a top replacement. You could compare Heal to Vilija’s Attention if you were looking for hypothetical competition, both of which would have been in the same semi, but I still believe it would have been Norway winning out over the less slick and more divisive Lithuania. With no other songs like it in the final – and those awesome dance moves Mo busts out – Heal could well have done what Silent Storm managed to do. Alternatively, it could have done some of the crashing and burning that Mo sings about…but as nobody will ever know, I defy you to prove that would have been the case.
#6 | Malta
Could have chosen One Last Ride by Daniel Testa (3rd in MESC)
This song is one of the most un-Malta-like songs to come out of their final in years. Scribble out the giveaway ‘Testa’ (it screams ‘HEY! I’M MALTESE!’ like Micallef and Debattista, et cetera) and it could have been lifted from NMGP, DMGP, Melfest…any one of a number of other finals famed for, shall we say, more modern offerings. It’s an instant, stadium-suitable pop song with a lil’ box ‘o’ cutesicles at the helm, and when you combine that with the fact that it wouldn’t have been compared with the Dutch and Swiss entries – as Coming Home was, and in the end it was beaten fair and square by both of those songs – it’s plausible that Daniel could have broken the curse of JESC contestants alongside the Tolmachevy Sisters, by qualifying and succeeding in the final.
#5 | Romania
Could have chosen Hearts Collide by Anca Florescu (4th in Selecția Națională)
Ignore the shocking camera work, bare-bones presentation and misplaced ball gown (this song calls for a Getter Jaani-style party frock, stat) and imagine that Paula and Ovi gave everyone else a shot by bowing out of the Romanian NF, and Hearts Collide = the clear choice. It’s only a could-have rather than a should-have because I don’t think it’s necessarily stronger than the power of Paula and Ovi. Not even they managed to escape from the 11th-13th-place rut that Romania and Moldova are constantly stuck in. Anca would probably have been similarly placed, but she would absolutely have been selected based on her song and talents, not her name.
Rory says: I loved Anca!
#4 | Belgium
Should have chosen Need You Tonight by Yass (4th in Eurosong)
The first ‘should have’ on this list – i.e. the first big mistake – comes from Belgium, and can be 95% blamed on Ruslana. The main point I want to get across here is that humble Frenglish guitar pop should ALWAYS triumph over what sounds like the opening theme of The Young and the Restless’ Mother’s Day special. It’s not that I don’t appreciate Axel’s talents, or his appreciation for the woman who gave birth to what I can only assume was an impressively-sized baby. It’s just that OH DEAR GOD THE CREEPINESS AND MELODRAMA! And neither Yass nor his hopeful song for Belgium had creepiness or melodrama. He had good looks, a great falsetto and a guitar (and the man-with-guitar thing kinda worked for Belgium in the past) and his song was a charmer that did not once mention anybody’s mother, if my rusty school French isn’t failing me. Accompanied by an intriguing interpretive dance routine, and some (literally) colourful drumming, á la the NF, Need You Tonight would have served Belgium a lot better – and obliterated the ick factor.
#3 | Latvia
Should have chosen Stay by Samanta Tina (3rd in Dziesma)
I’ve got the guilts, saying that Latvia made a non-ideal decision. Taking the rights of representation away from Aarzemnieki (if only in my mind) is like telling a puppy it’s too ugly to play with all of the other puppies. However, if we’re talking results, Samanta Tina pulling a Sanna and finally getting to Eurovision would have been the best way for Latvia to go. Dziesma was pretty woeful this year, with the eventual top three a bit of a step up. But as I don’t ‘get’ Dons, and taking Aarzemnieki’s fate into consideration, Samanta got my vote as the best hope of the trio. Copenhagen was better for Cake To Bake’s cuteness (and Jöran’s charisma) but Latvia’s shocking qualification record wasn’t. The drama, epic light show and amazing outfit that Samanta would have accompanied her dance track with would have given Latvia a better chance of changing that.
Rory says: Latvia always pick the wrong song to go to Eurovision. Samanta should have gone to Copenhagen.
#2 | France
Could have chosen Ma Liberté by Joanna (2nd in Les Chansons D’Abord)
Seeing as Twin Twin couldn’t have ended up further from the win win, you may think France should have sent Joanna. But as a Moustache-aholic, I can’t bring myself to admit that. Besides, somebody has to come last in the final, so that doesn’t automatically mean that somebody should never have been chosen in the first place. If France had selected Joanna though…well, I don’t believe theywould have come last, and I think they would have scored more than two measly points. The case for Ma Liberté? It would have worked better in the arena and on TV than Moustache; as a ballad, it wouldn’t have been performed right after/directly overshadowed by major player Undo; and it would have had broader appeal, with the possibility of Joanna’s big vocal wooing anyone who didn’t like her song.
#1 | Estonia
Should have chosen Kui Tuuled Pöörduvad by Sandra Nurmsalu (5th in Eesti Laul)
Many people would have viewed Sandra as a predictable choice for Estonia this year, in spite of Tanja’s status as favourite. I know I thought Miss Nurmsalu had Eesti Laul all sewn up, and not just because she’s ESC alumni (and a perfect angel sent from heaven to make us and our wayward bangs look average). From my first listen of her solo attempt to get to the contest, I was in love. Quite a few months later, I’m just about ready to propose marriage to it. This song is pure energy, joy, light, and a host of other cheesy nouns. It’s also instant, irresistible and distinctive, with the same Lion King-esque majesty that secured Zlata Ognevich’s Gravity the bronze medal in Malmö. I am 110% sure that Estonia’s failure to choose Sandra – i.e. placing her 5th even after she’d won her semi – was the biggest mistake of the whole NF season. With her, Estonia would have been dangerous; perhaps not for Conchita, but for Sanna, Aram Mp3 and Kalláy-Saunders. There’s no way they would have been sent packing prior to Saturday night.
Rory says: SANDRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
And that, my friends, is that! Please keep in mind that all of the above is a mixture of two opinions only, and not the be-all and end-all of which countries could and should have taken a different approach to Eurovision 2014. If you happen to disagree (or if, by a miraculous chance, you don’t) get it off your chest in the comments below. Just don’t use too many swear words if you can *&%#$ing help it.
Next on my agenda: the EBJ Awards for Eurovision Excellence, AT LAST. They’re taking place so post-ESC, they themselves should win an award for being the most belated of the year. I’m keeping the People’s Choice polls open for a few more days, so if you haven’t voted yet, do it here. Thanks to everybody who has voted so far, though – you’ve exceeded my expectations.
Swing by in a few days’ (weeks?) time to check out the results, plus all the winners I’ve selected.
Until then…
eurovisionbyjaz.com 
7 Responses to “EBJ’s top 10…should-haves and could-haves of the 2014 NF season”
[…] maybe should – have been sent to Eurovision, based on the results of the songs that were (á la this post from last […]
LikeLike
Estonia
I agree 100% for Sandra and was quite disappointed that she didn’t make it to ESC. Much more compelling than an Amazing gymnastics routine that had me wondering if the Olympics were still playing out. As Randajad is in my top 10 all-time ESC songs (10yrs of viewing from the US) nobody should ever deny Sandra a spot if she chooses to enter a song. *slight bias*
Norway
Mo and Linnea were my favorites and Carl was lurking as the dark horse in the meantime. Knut, despite the initial recoil at 80s flashback, somehow grew on me. By the third installment of MPG I had him as the front-runner with Carl and Linnea rounding out the top three. They could have choosen any of those four and I would have been satisfied.
LikeLike
Ya hear that, Estonia?? NOBODY should deny Sandra a spot if she chooses to enter a song!! On that note (so to speak) let’s hope she enters again in the near future with another masterpiece a la Randajad (nothing against Urban Symphony, but let’s face it, it was all about our gurrl Sandra) or Kui Tuuled. Or any other Urban Symphony/solo effort. PS – you may increase that slight bias to a major one on this blog!
There was something about Knut that freaked me out…it may have been a very scary ESC for me if he’d won! I think MGP was average with a small group of gems this year, rather than 100% awesome. Mo, Linnea and Carl were three of those gems. But I’m sure Norway is satisfied with the choice they made.
LikeLike
Both of us are still dwelling on NF entries, for better or for worse. LOL 😛
10) Nope. Jasmin’s song was fun and fresh and would’ve been worthy in Copenhagen, but not before Softengine, Madcraft, Hukka ja Mama and about half of that NF, actually.
9) Nope. Brequette’s performance was the definition of cringe-fest, especially the big note, as she stumbled around the stage as if she’d lost oxygen. I do like Rory’s suggestion though. 😉
8) Nope. “Rise Up” was just too good to lose to anything else in that NF. 😛
7) Yes. Mo’s song was anthemic and totally relatable in a way that Espen’s could only dream of. He, Linnea Dale, Dina Misund, and Moi would’ve been amazing Norwegian reps.
6) Nope. No no no no no. This got on my nerves by the third listening. Firelight was my Malta NF winner, and if they couldn’t go (and feature ME on the selfie wall for the 180 million viewers), I would’ve rather seen DeBee, Pamela, Deborah C, and a swarth go and fail first.
5) Yes. The utter scream-fest that made it to Copenhagen was a total trainwreck. “Hearts Collide” would’ve been presented better, sung better, and placed better.
4) YES. Belgium picked the absolute worst song of the year, so anything would’ve been an improvement. But Yass, along with SIL, were near the top of my Eurosong ranks. Either would’ve been great.
3) Nope. Dons. That’s all. XD
2) Probably. Twin Twin ruined their chances with their awful presentation but “Moustache” deserved more than last. Joanna certainly would’ve been a top 20 finisher, but would anyone remember it?
1) Probably. For no apparent reason, I took to Tanja’s song incredibly well, so anything other than Norman Salumäe, Traffic, Kõrsikud, or MiaMee could ever take its place, but then it did finish 12th in the semi. Although, I don’t know what would’ve made Sandra do any better.
LikeLike
It’s definitely for the better, this dwelling!! OGAE Second Chance hasn’t even happened yet, so we’re actually on-trend with our coverage 😉
So much ‘nope’!! I guess we will have to agree to disagree. I’m sure there are people who would disagree with both of us anyway…it’s all subjective.
I do like your description of Brequette. Heh. She probably HAD lost oxygen after attempting that mammoth note. She did well not to pass out. Methinks Ruth’s winning margin might have been more considerable if that had happened. Or maybe not…
Well, I kind of related to Silent Storm…I like to think of myself as a strong, silent type a la Carl who keeps their emotions bottled up sometimes *insert sad violin music here*. But I love that Mo. The man can moooove. Andsingatthesametime.
Re: France, I guess whether the most successful choice possible was made depends on how you define ‘success’. I wouldn’t really have wanted Joanna instead of Twin Twin, and I suspect they shrugged off the last place. They will be remembered as France’s first losers! And I doubt that will be of detriment to their future career. A league of new fans has been formed. Like you say, Joanna’s more impressive score would have placed her in meh territory, so she wouldn’t have been such a success based on life after Eurovision.
Not that this can ever be proven, but I am telling you – Sandra would have done wonders for Estonia (at least in comparison to Tanja)!!!
LikeLike
I agree with you on all of these except Latvia. Samantha is good, but Olga and “Saule Riet” would’ve been a great addition to Saturday night (even if it does sound a little too much like “Wake Me Up”) 😛
Also, in Germany, Madeline Juno could’ve been a solid top 10 with either of her songs; both really great and on my iPod now. Love her!
LikeLike
But would Olga have MADE it to Saturday night?? Sometimes I just sit and think how weird it is that Latvia qualified with the likes of ‘Wolves of the Sea’ and yet they haven’t at all since then.
I LOVED Madeline Juno’s ‘Error’ personally, and I like to think it would have done well, but…ehh. I just don’t feel like Germany had anything that would have guaranteed a return to the Stefan Raab glory days (i.e. 2010-2012). Still, a lot of the entries in USFD were edgy and modern and would have been good representatives in some sense!
LikeLike