Sheldon Riley – Not the same
This song, for me, poses a question that I never thought I would ever ask in the history of this contest – Is there such as thing as being *too* gay at the Eurovision? – I know right, you’d think I’d be embracing all of the differences and the like, what with me being a big whoopsie and all but, at its heart the Eurovision is a family entertainment show – not the purview of middle-aged men who hanker for a different age, or young twinky kweens trying to slay and do all of that other stuff that the young ones do these days.
Sheldon is very definitely in the latter category and that is accentuated by their choice of stage wear and that stupid and superfluous mask – I know it’s symbolic but if your song isn’t strong enough to tell the story you are trying to paint, no camp mask is going to help.
And that’s the juxtapose here – it could be strong enough on its own to sell me the story of his hard life, but there are other ways of doing it than a three-minute poor-me-whinge set to music.
I find it a very hard listen, not for the story or the sentiments expressed but because it sounds as though Sheldon is drowning in Treacle – it’s all told in slow motion and doesn’t grab the listeners attention in the same way that, say, Amen should have done. It’s just a bit drab, and it could have been so much more.
Phil’s Score – 3 Points
We are in the sad/crying boy territory, of which we have quite a lot this year. The question is what makes this one unique and makes him stand out the busy crowd.
To his credit the song feels personal and you can also feel the pain he has while telling his story. He also has a strong voice and he carries the tune very well, making the story more compelling. But it is also very dark, so I am not sure if the audience will be in the mood for such dark story.
As for the staging – Eurovision is a TV show. Connecting with the audience at home is important. The mask he has refrain him from making a direct eye contact with camera and the audience at home, which is a death sentence when it comes to Eurovision performance