Monty’s Eurovision Countdown Part 34 – Serbia

Look, none of us had the autonomic nervous system, pretty spleens and pondering about Megan Markle’s hair-care routine on our Eurovision 2022 bingo cards, but lockdown’s been hard on us all. Cut the show some slack. We’ve all this and more in 2022’s most glorious entry by Konstrakta. I know it’s baffled many of you, but please, open your ears (and minds) and embrace the pure art of this song.

I like it when an artist doesn’t spell it all out for you. In the Serbian final the performance – featuring Konstrakta surrounded by a circle of backing singers helping her to wash her hands obsessively – you could sense there was something about this that drew you in, even with no idea what was going on. It asks you to do some work and rewards you once you do.

My understanding of it is as a comment on the benefits of universal free healthcare. Without it those unable to afford it can become unhealthily obsessive with the need to stay well, reading up on the body and symptoms and becoming paralysed by the fear of becoming ill. Its highlight is the imperative mantra biti zdrava, which will be a delight in her Eurovision staging, I’m sure. I’m already finding it deliciously annoying to chase people round with a pump-dispenser of hand sanitiser whilst singing it in their faces.

A song like this may well be divisive; I get that, but it so rare to get something this creative and risk-taking on the Eurovision stage and I want to reward the fuck out of that alone. I can’t thank Serbia enough for permitting it to get to the international competition. I’m not unwise to it facing many challenges to convey the precise meaning to an international audience, but neither do I think it has to. There’s enough that’s intriguing to make you engage, and if you love this this will be what you vote for. This is going to do alright.

My marks: DOUZE POINTS

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