Nick: I confess to bias and prejudice here. I came here expecting to like Natalia, and I do sort of. I like the intro, which has real potential to be the new theme for BBC Look East. The first line should be “Top stories in the region tonight” and be accompanied by a few bongs. As it were. I sort of like Natalia, too, she’s got a good song there. The problem is – and it is probably only a problem for me – is that as the song goes on she starts doing that shouty high-pitched woman thing that I always love so much. It’s good, but it’s not *quite* right. I’m still generally enjoying the day though, there’s only one song that I really feel able to actively dislike so far, and we’re already onto the ninth. It’s truly flying by, on wings of song.
Phil: It’s less like fight and more like a 10 round mud wrestling contest. Apparently she doesn’t sing for 39 seconds it has been timed at, but to be honest, it doesn’t matter. She is trying to make this song good, and it really doesn’t need to try – because apart from the YLE News theme, it ticks all the right boxes. Carola’s flags in the background? Yes. Good tune that she doesn’t shout? Yes. Poor Eastern European English? Yes. Dramatic effect? In spades. It’s definitely going to qualify, purely on these strengths alone, and thankfully Europe is only going to hear it once, because after five times it begins to grate. She does look fab on the monitors though!