Queen of Kings by Alessandra.
“Who’s she? The cat’s mother?” we English are sometimes idiomatically (and bafflingly) asked. Alessandra has the answer: She is a name. And it’s hers. Not hers as in Alessandra’s, we know hers. She’s using it in in the third person singular. The titular She is Queen of the Kings whereby in one fell swoop Alessandra’s cast all gender norms aside. She’s barely through her chorus and already the pronoun warriors are going to be spontaneously combusting.
Nothing’s the clearer as the song continues. The lyrics, and the performance, evoke images of Norse, and wider, mythology and stir up rousing feelings of female empowerment. But don’t study the words too much because I’m beggared if I can work out what they really mean.
The song announces itself proudly and gallops along with rigour. This is a statement and is going to be an arresting start to this year’s shows as it will open the first semi-final. Prepare for your attention to be grabbed. Alessandra means business, and packs a powerful vocal into her song which she delivers with bags of energy. Her unbridled joy and disbelief at winning the Norwegian ticket will make her one of the most fun contestants in Liverpool.
But what to make of it? I mean, at one level it’s utter rubbish, but utter rubbish of the highest degree of enjoyment. Some songs are here just to enjoy in the moment. Embrace the three minutes. You can be sure as hell Alessandra will.
My marks: 8 points