You need to go all the way to 2001 and Nuša Derenda’s ‘Energy’ for the last time Slovenia graced the Top 10. In the intervening years, they’ve failed to qualify more times than they’ve made the final, so expectation is hardly high. It’s not outside of the realms of possibility that they could return this year, but my, they’re not making it easy for themselves.
Artistic and romantic partners Zala & Gašper are making the bid to do it. Wikipedia informs me that they’re sometimes known as “ZalaGasper”, although this is less useful an abbreviated portmanteau as something like Brangelina, as it is just their names typed without hitting the space key. Their song is a sparse, understated, contemporary ballad about being true to who you are. In the pursuit of this truth they’ve chosen to present it in a rather static manner, the pair standing close and staring intensely into one another’s eyes.
Its understatement borders on the comatose at times, and despite the sparseness, their proximity tends to emphasise a slightly claustrophobic feel.
Through my headphones, as I’m trolling about my business, it’s a beautiful audio track, and there’s an outside chance it could be one of the occasional slow and simple songs that the audience and the jurors really warm to, but ultimately I feel it’s lacking that extra something to get it over the line into the final.
Monty’s score: 5 points