Eurovision 2022

[PR1Berske]

Portugal
MARO
"Saudade, saudade."

Less than a handful of songs to go. Are followers of this year's selection season following this thread, hopeful that the next songs are upbeat, even danceable, dare to dream even silly?

Well, alas, the most serious, slow, and considered Contest yet carries on with its persuit of the shadows rather than the light. Portugal has always preferred to follow its own path, speak its own language, and so it goes, undeniably Portuguese, detached from the pack, its own special creation.

 

[PR1Berske]

Malta
Emma Muscat
"Out of Sight"

Quite the star in Malta, Emma has a solid, contemporary voice. The song is a touch safe, to the point of bland, but she has the tools to sell it. Least said about the alleged riggery of the national selection that got her here the better.

Malta
Emma Muscat
"I am What I am"

This doesn't happen very often. Emma won the televised national final, took "Out of Sight" into the world and the world went "...eeerrrmmmmmmmeeehhhhhhh". So off the writers went to work on something else and here we are. It's about self-worth and personal wellness and everything else that seems to be a gold thread through this year's Contest. The video features the worst miming of piano playing I've seen in years.

 

[A380]

Presumably Ukraine will win but won’t be able to host next time do the real competition will be for second place.

I’m going to vote for Ukraine even if they have a shit song rather than that drone one.

 

[xsunnysuex]

I'm obsessed with our entry this year. Love it so much.

 

[PR1Berske]

Armenia
Rosa Linn
"Snap"


If you know your politics, you won't be surprised to learn that Armenia and Azerbaijan have been playing "chicken", the only two countries left to release a song and both unwilling to blink first. Or should that be "snap" first.

This song is ponderous, very mature, a little bit Mid West. Fits this year's theme of sad, slow, reflective entries very well. Dark horse? Let's see.

 

[MrCurry]

Sweden
Cornelia Jakobs
"Hold Me Closer"

In a very downbeat Contest, "Hold Me Closer" stands out, not because it's a cheery silly dance song, rather because it's the most genuine and raw of all the slower, serious entries. You believe the story, you believe the hurt and pain. You believe that Sweden, coming off a run of disappointing results, has just put the best cat amongst the pigeons.

I love this one. I watched the Swedish mello contest and heard all the entries as they were presented each Saturday and honestly didn’t even notice this song the first time I heard it. It didn’t stand out to me (the slow start doesn’t help), which is maybe a bad trait for a Eurovision entry, but on subsequent listenings it got under my skin and stood head and shoulders above the others in the final.

I don’t suppose it’ll win Eurovision, it doesn’t seem to have the novelty value or noticeability to grab the audience‘s attention, but I hope it gets widely played after the contest.

 

[PR1Berske]

I love this one. I watched the Swedish mello contest and heard all the entries as they were presented each Saturday and honestly didn’t even notice this song the first time I heard it. It didn’t stand out to me (the slow start doesn’t help), which is maybe a bad trait for a Eurovision entry, but on subsequent listenings it got under my skin and stood head and shoulders above the others in the final.

I don’t suppose it’ll win Eurovision, it doesn’t seem to have the novelty value or noticeability to grab the audience‘s attention, but I hope it gets widely played after the contest.

MelFest was very shaky this year, I thought. This song has a raw, honest quality few others did. I loved "My Way".

 

[MrCurry]

MelFest was very shaky this year, I thought. This song has a raw, honest quality few others did. I loved "My Way".

Yeah, it wasn’t great, was it? At least Bagge and his facile apple tree song didn‘t win it, which he would have done if left to the Swedish voting audience. Thank goodness they have the foresight to fiddle the result with international juries (only one or two of which you need to nobble to get the organiser’s chosen song to win).

 

[PR1Berske]

Yeah, it wasn’t great, was it? At least Bagge and his facile apple tree song didn‘t win it, which he would have done if left to the Swedish voting audience. Thank goodness they have the foresight to fiddle the result with international juries (only one or two of which you need to nobble to get the organiser’s chosen song to win).*

allegedly, if the EBU is watching

 

[MrCurry]

allegedly, if the EBU is watching

Lynda Woodruff is always watching!

 

[PR1Berske]

Azerbaijan
Nadir Rustamli
"Fade to Black"

And so all the competing songs are now with us. And keeping with the theme of Eurovision 2022 being the most downbeat, mature, ballad-heavy in memory, one-time ESC badboys Azerbaijan have nominated a serious looking bloke with a serious sounding song. We're a long way from a Contest of funny looking dancers and la la la choruses, folks.

 

[PR1Berske]

The SF running order draw has just been made.

 

[Nine Bob Note]

Following day duly booked off work

 

[Lord Camomile]

I hate that I hate this, buuuut...



I mean, I guess it is kinda just semantics in one sense, but what kind of a world would we live in if we didn't care about semantics

Edit: ok, ignorant, kneejerk reaction, Canada won't be taking part in Eurovision like Australia, this would be more of a spin-off under Eurovision branding.

Still seems... weird, as Eurovision is multiple countries across a continent (plus more), rather than one (admittedly quite large) country.

 

[MrCurry]

So is Ukraine a shoe in to win this, with the sympathy vote? Shame really as their song is not great - I’d never vote for it on merit alone. Or maybe they’ll simply do well in the voting but a more worthy winner will be chosen?

 

[PR1Berske]

So is Ukraine a shoe in to win this, with the sympathy vote? Shame really as their song is not great - I’d never vote for it on merit alone. Or maybe they’ll simply do well in the voting but a more worthy winner will be chosen?

There is precedent, the band representing Bosnia in 1993 had to dodge sniper fire as they ran across Sarajevo airport during the Yugoslav wars. Obviously there was no televoters back then and the song was a bit ropey, but there was never any threat of them winning.

 

[Dovydaitis]

Had my invite for the obligatory party at a friends house. Just need to double check I’m not busy on the Sunday

 

[Chz]

So is Ukraine a shoe in to win this, with the sympathy vote? Shame really as their song is not great - I’d never vote for it on merit alone. Or maybe they’ll simply do well in the voting but a more worthy winner will be chosen?

So long as it's not actually offensive to the ears, I expect them to walk it home.
Whether Kyiv will be in any state to host it next year is pretty up in the air though. I guess Lviv would have to do.

 

[Epona]

There is precedent, the band representing Bosnia in 1993 had to dodge sniper fire as they ran across Sarajevo airport during the Yugoslav wars. Obviously there was no televoters back then and the song was a bit ropey, but there was never any threat of them winning.

Yeah that was before Di died and mass public wringing of hands and tearing of the hair became fashionable though.

 

[PR1Berske]

The first semi final is tonight. The UK cannot vote, however, that's Thursday.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Ok, have successfully avoided all entries so far; let's go!

 

[Dillinger4]

I'm in, allez!!!!

 

[Lord Camomile]

I'm assuming this opening that Scott and Rylan are talking over is in Italian...?

 

[Lord Camomile]

I'm not sure this is live, he seems to be hitting the same beam of light but producing two different notes

Ah, no, wait, it'll be about where he hits them. Ok, totally legit, then.

 

[tommers]

let's flipping go.

 

[Dillinger4]

this is great I love it

 

[Lord Camomile]

"Only music can..." - no! I hate it when something tries to claim it's the only one that can do something, whether it's music, food, sport or Excel.

Everyone needs to just calm down.

 

[tommers]

I'm feeling quite intimidated.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Was that a consciously trans lighting scheme, or just coincidence?

Oh, actually, I s'pose it could be Beat Sabre instead

 

[Lord Camomile]

I fear this is not helping the climate justice cause..