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“I am nothing but the average” sings Isaak in this song’s opening line. I could just change it to ‘this is’ and leave this review there, but he seems a decent enough chap that I want to give him his due. After all, the United Kingdom ought to be grateful for Germany at Eurovision, as over the past decade or so – Sam Ryder aside – they’re the only country that has managed to keep us off collectively being in bottom place. Despite a more recent win by Lena Germany’s felt as (Lord of the) lost as we have been for most of this century.
Enter Isaak, with the hopes of a nation behind him. Or the hopes of the 110,000 or so people who bothered to vote for him.
Isaak’s a big boy with a big voice, and to some extent a big song. His vocal is powerful and strong. Lyrically it’s a personal take on managing his emotions and feeling like he’s constantly running away from them.
He emerged victorious from a convoluted selection that saw Conchita Wurst roped in to lead a six-week process that ultimately selected just one contestant to add to the final. You could argue that by getting in a big hitter there’s at least an attempt at raising the profile of the Contest in Germany, but it didn’t seem to garner great engagement, and ultimately the final was another rather damp squib.
Always On The Run is another song that, on its own, isn’t at all bad, and Isaak has the vocal chops to add a bit of gravitas. It sits very comfortably alongside chart sounds, albeit those that occupy the middle bit of the road. But realistically, who’s going to vote for it? As much as I rather enjoy listening to it, I’m not reaching to select it outside of playing all the songs through as a playlist. It has all the ingredients of another accidental last place.
Photo: Valentin Ammon/EBU