Phil’s Eurovision Countdown 2022 – Part 26 – Montenegro

Vladana – Breath

Vladana’s songwriters get an extra point from me before I deep dive into this song – by having the nuts to write a song in either waltz time or 6/8 compound time. As any muso worth their salt will tell you, that takes some skills.

At first listen, the song reminds me of this:

For literally no other reason than they are both written in said waltz time, and if I’m scrambling around for content, you know we are in trouble.

For all the clever time signature, the song is a typical Balkan woman singing about … something I am not so sure about … but I think its about (yet again) said Balkan woman being spurned by her Balkan lover, and how not to breathe with him again would be unforgivable.

It would certainly stop this song well short of the required three minutes, which may or may not be a good thing. It feels as though it’s a long and unremarkable outpouring, despite the sad story. (Her mother wrote this, dying of Covid and etcetera). Even with the schlagerists’ key change on full view, it is going to need a something more to get anyone other than the neighbours to vote.

Again, it’s nice enough, and there is nothing wrong with ‘Breathe’ – which means in contest terms there is nothing right with it either.

Phil’s Score – 3 points