Qami by Sevak Khanagyan
If two songs are enough to pick a trend, then so far 2018 is making an early bid as the year of the bearded lovely singing in national language. Sevak is a tastier feast for my eyes than Albania’s Eugent Bushpepa, and as he wraps his tongue around an alphabet I’m not yet able to penetrate, his song sounds better too.
As he sang in the national final he was sporting a natty little breastplate, giving the effect of a sculpted torso even on top of his pullover. He sings a powerful, if slightly maudlin, building ballad. His lyrics allude to a lost love, blown off in the titular wind.
I like it, and it holds my attention, although I admit that my interest is shallowly piqued more by the singer than his song.
Sevak has spent the past few years building an international profile, appearing on talent shows in Russia and winning X Factor Ukraine. Sadly for him, both are in the second semi-final, and he’s up against an inevitable duck from Azerbaijan in this one, so Armenia’s almost unblemished qualification record is far from safe this year.
My marks: 8 points
Will it qualify? Maybe