We popped into the hall to see Albania. There’s a beautiful quality to Hersi Bar’s voice live, and I have to admit to being a fan. This has scrubbed up very well. They’ve managed to curb her anger and putting her up on a plinth at the front of the stage helps it to stand out without the need of a gimmick.
I’m less pleased about the switch to English though. Her diction is improved but she just lacks the easy ability to help this flow as it should, and had they stuck to Albanian I think it would have sounded much more authentic. I don’t hold many hopes for this to get through, but I think it will be enjoyed by the juries as a proper, and interesting, song. Whether it carries sufficient to add televises to that to get the all-important points I’m not so sure.
Monty x