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Tag: Eurovision

A song-writers contest that was created to bring together Europe after the war, but of late more like a global multi-media event. If you’re reading OnEurope then you probably already know this, so why am I telling you?

  • Phil’s Eurovision Countdown – Part 10 – Croatia.

    Phil’s Eurovision Countdown – Part 10 – Croatia.

    In this instalment of Eurovision Countdown:

    It appears that the Croats have remember the art of Songwriting! After last year’s … thing, this is a proper song from the old school of power ballads, performed by Franka and her backing singers. It is a typical song about the empowered woman, and how she can do without a man – and good on her. It also seems to be written in 6/8 or waltz time which makes it very unusual.

    To my ears, it sounds like a cross between a couple of songs that have been in the charts of late, but I can’t remember which ones, and again that lends a ring of familiarity. Whilst, essentially, the hook of the chorus drags you into the song, I suspect that the staging will have a lot to do with where this finishes.

    A song this slow and purposeful needs big staging, and I mean BIG. We know that Croatia are sending something dramatic, and something to make sure they are remembered, and so they will have to couple this song with dark broody staging – a bit like the video. Be warned, if that doesn’t happen or if Franka gets the singing a touch off, this could go wrong quickly. It has to be the sum of its parts to succeed.

    Phil’s score – SIX points

  • Phil’s Eurovision Countdown – Part 9 – Bulgaria

    Phil’s Eurovision Countdown – Part 9 – Bulgaria

    After having a weekend away with chums from Eurovision Ireland and other places, I appear to be a little bit short on the old writing front so, now I’ve sobered up enough AND heard most of these songs more than once, we’d best get back into it.

    Written by the same songwriting team that produced the last two Bulgarian Entries, I had high hopes. They finally get it, those Bulgars, they finally know how to write a song  ba doum-tsh) and sell it to people.

    Then I saw the lyric video and was distinctly underwhelmed. It’s well-written – as I would expect – and it sounds … modern, but I probably expected a bit more … oomph from the track, and it leaves me unexcited. To my ears, it sounds a bit samey until the middle eight kicks in – to me, this comes too late.

    It does, though, have an earworm hook, and you will remember the name of the song by the end, which is rarely a bad thing, but I just think it’s too ‘Eurovision-by-the-Green-Guide‘. Written for purpose, and not from the heart of a songwriter.

    I’m trying to like it … but *I* am struggling. Contest-wise, it’s a good one. Juries should lap it up and when it gets to the final, It’ll do OK – possible top 5. The idea behind the song is good, I just think it lacks in execution.

    Phil’s Score – Three Points.

  • Phil’s Eurovision Countdown – Part 8 – Belgium

    Phil’s Eurovision Countdown – Part 8 – Belgium

    Both parts of Belgium seem to be getting this contest at last.  After all, even the UK is borrowing one of their backing singers.

    Sennek has produced a package that is very good. The first section of the song, however, is nothing but lines that rhyme with each other, and they grate on me. And then it turns, as everyone has said, into a mid-80’s Bond theme. Something that was OK for Jeanne Manson back in 1979, but is it good enough for Sennek in 2018? Hardly surprising, though, as she has worked on the 007 in Concert project, so it’s clear to see where her inspiration comes from.

    The package certainly doesn’t leave me cold, let me say that, but it doesn’t build towards a massive climax that a song like this deserves either. It rather falls away limply when it should come busting out of a brassiere (a la Bassey), and that is a shame. If it’s Bond-inspired, you need to go full Bond.

    Who’s gonna vote for it? – well … the juries will see it’s well-crafted. The televoters will hear familiar themes and be comfy with that. She’s in that first semi, but away from all the bloodshed that will be the first half. I see her scraping into the final because the song is of a higher quality than the ones it will have to beat, but don’t be surprised if it’s 8th or 9th because of that first half.

    Phil’s Score – Four Points

  • Phil’s Eurovision Countdown – Part 7 – Belarus

    Phil’s Eurovision Countdown – Part 7 – Belarus

    Now, as I am away for the weekend you’ll be pleased to know that I knocked this up when sober so …

    This is a song in two parts for Alekseev. The first sort of minute and the last two minutes seem to have been superglued together to make one song, and it’s a very clunky join. I think I know what he was aiming for: a build towards the end by keeping the backing track quiet and springing a gear shift. Somewhere, the synchromesh of that gear change has gone missing, because, damn, it sounds false.

    It’s very generic, and lyrically not very good. Alekseev is going to have to sell this beyond the usual diaspora in order to do anything that resembles qualification. I think that the hoo-har of the song being performed before time will be replaced with the fact that, frankly, it’s poor.

    Phil’s Score – one point

  • Phil’s Eurovision Countdown – Part 6 – Azerbaijan

    Phil’s Eurovision Countdown – Part 6 – Azerbaijan

    Despite being wonderfully grumpy on here over the years and in life in general, I do love the contest. It’s a showcase of songwriting talent, where several people watching TV can see you at your best.  And for the first three lines of this song, I thought it was how things were going to go but, God almighty Azerbaijan, I know you have a history of stretching the English language to its limit … but this …?

    There are lyrics in here that actually mean nothing. “Misty moon I’m your loon” and “I cross my heart, I tear down the firewalls, I cross my heart I am stronger than cannonballs” being some of my personal favourites. If you do a wiki search on the composer, you realise the lyricist was responsible for ‘Running Scared’ and ‘Skeletons’ and other Azeri crimes against the English Language, and you think to yourself “how on earth is this person still getting the gig?”

    Musically, it’s written by Ser-Gay’s tune writer from 2016 … so you know it’s not going to be too subtle and, indeed it isn’t.

    It’s generic pop song beat number twenty-one, and is familiar without being plagiarism but, in all honesty, the juries should look at the lyric and mark it down immediately. They won’t – because Azeri innit. Don’t be too surprised, however, if it finishes bottom with the Armenian jury, and this year that could well be justified.

    Phil’s Score – NIL points.

  • Pratar du svenska? The Swedish domination of Eurovision

    Pratar du svenska? The Swedish domination of Eurovision

    I’ll start by making clear I adore Sweden and the Swedes. There’s little I enjoy more than a plate of köttbullar. Abba produced classic pop. I can even stomach Carola, despite the whole homosexuality being unnatural and curable through prayer thing. I totally get that Sweden is now one of the main music-producing markets (at least in the west) and that they’re up there with the States and the UK.

    But why is it that almost a quarter of the songs taking part in the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest have a Swedish hand on the rudder? Ten out of 43 entries. And believe it or not, that’s down on 2016 and 2017. In the last eight years, 67 out of 324 songs were written by at least one Swede.

    So who’s behind the songs?

    Would any Eurovision be complete without something from Thomas G:Son? He’s had a few songs dotted around national finals this year, but his hit rate seems to be dropping off. Only Malta gave in. For history buffs, G:Son has written or co-written 14 Eurovision songs, 51 Melodifestivalen entries and 33 of his ditties have featured in other national selections.

    Symphonix International look set to become the new Ralph Siegel, with two songs in the 2018 line-up. Sebastian Arman co-wrote Cesar Sampson’s song. Joacim Persson and Dag Lundberg are part of the team behind ‘Bones‘.

    Azerbaijan love their Swedes – they won with a song from Sandra Bjurman, and that’s who has collaborated with Greek Dimitris Kontopoulous on ‘X my Heart’ this time around.

    The Cypriot entry is more Swedish than any other (including the song from Sweden), coming as it does from a four-strong team, all Swedish – even if one of their names sounds a tiny bit Greek.

    The Danish entry ‘Higher ground’ has been widely reported as a Melodifestivalen reject, and comes from Swedish writers Niclas Arn and Karl Eurén. Staying in that part of the world, Saara Aalto’s ‘Monsters‘ is co-written by Joy and Linnea Deb – who also wrote the Swedish entries in 2013 and 2015.

    John Ballard was born in Scotland, but these days bases himself in Gothenberg – and is probably better known for his work with Ace of Base. This year, he has co-written ‘My lucky day’ for Moldova – along with Russian Philipp Kirkorov.

    And on stage?

    Only two countries feature Swedish performers. Naturally enough there’s Melodifestivalen winner Benjamin Ingrosso representing his homeland. Poland is also bidding for tolv poäng thanks to Lukas Meijer who shares the stage with Gromee.

    How to write a song

    Of course, this all goes to prove that those pesky Swedes know how to slay (thanks Wiwi) at Eurovision, and in case you’ve forgotten, once shared this knowledge with the world.

    I want to thank Mattias Sollerman at Reddit whose posting inspired and informed this article.

  • Phil’s Eurovision Countdown – Part 5 – Austria

    Phil’s Eurovision Countdown – Part 5 – Austria

    Cesar Sampson, Austrian through and through, has got this song, right, and he’s trying to meld two of Austria’s favourite styles of music … soul, yeah and gospel in order to provide us with his entry.

    The first thing we have to say here is, “Thank god he can’t do the video as his stage show” because, quite honestly it detracts from the lyric, which is quite powerful when you listen without all the video shenanigans.

    I hear where the soul parts of the song are – they are telegraphed quite well. If you listen carefully, you’ll hear occasional musical similarities to last year’s Bulgarian song – “Beautiful Mess” (from the same witing/production team), but I think the gospel backing singer idea and the gospel-type gear change in the final minute and a bit is going to be downplayed (Like Tose Brito for Portugal back in 1995), and it had better not be.

    YES, get them in white gowns and show them off, because if they get this right – and tone down the visuals – this has the potential to be a good track. I do think, however, it’s possibly one phrase too long, but I can see the potential.

    Phil’s Score – Five Points.

  • Phil’s Eurovision Countdown 2018 – Part 2 – Albania

    Phil’s Eurovision Countdown 2018 – Part 2 – Albania

    So, after sorting out the UK and nailing some colours to the mast, it’s time to get through the other fourty-two in alphabetical order…

    **deep breath**

    Albania it is then. I always get a sense of foreboding and dread whenever I hear an Albanian song – principally because they are always four minutes too long, and I ain’t getting that time back –  And so it feels with this song.

    Eugent’s song has an urgent backbeat, forcing you on in the first part of the song, but he doesn’t pick up and run with it. As the 1990’s guitars kick in, it fails to engage me because, well, it doesn’t do anything other than be a mid-tempo plodder. Once it has lost my interest it fades, in my mind anyway, to something akin to ‘hold music’ or a boring stock filler track.

    I’m sure Urgent will perform it with gusto, and give it all he’s got, but when you get down to the bare bones, it’s got to get juries voting and people picking up the phone. It engages neither constituency to any degree.

    Phil’s score (out of 12, naturally) – Three Points.

  • Phil’s Eurovision Countdown 2018 – Part 1 – The United Kingdom

    Phil’s Eurovision Countdown 2018 – Part 1 – The United Kingdom

    I usually start the countdown at the beginning, after all it is a very good place to start, but this year in a cynical attempt to curry favour with my local broadcaster and artiste…. Or just because I really should, I’m starting with the home entry.

    I said on the radio the day before Eurovision: You Decide that SuRie was “in with a chance” of winning the ticket and that she’d be the most likely winner – and it’s great to be smug isn’t it?

    At the Dome in Brighton she was the only performer to either sing properly in tune, or keep the nerves at bay … and do you know why that is people of Europe? That’s because she’s been here before. She knows how to sing and hold an audience in the palm of her hand. I was a touch worried that the song was in a key too high for her, but am glad that the decision has been made to lower the song at least a semi and maybe a full tone into something which my ears are much happier with.

    SuRie sounds like Annie Lennox … a bit … She looks like her … a bit, if you squint hard enough or after 40 Babychams. The song has everything a Eurovision song (God, I hate that phrase) should have. It’s anthemic. It’s got long notes, and it has a familiar comforting feeling like when your mother sings you to sleep when you are five years old. All put together, this makes ‘Storm’ possibly the musical equivalent of your favourite jumper … but it doesn’t have holes in the elbows.

    It’s a well written, clearly-structured piece of music that, given the rest of the field, stands a major chance of not only finishing higher than 15th but on the left-hand side of the board.

    It has its detractors – the usual hate brigade that don’t understand that the Eurovision Song Contest is primarily a TV show, and not their personal property. They feel they can knock SuRie on social media but, in a first for a UK Entry, she gives as good as she gets … and I love it.

    Catchy song, engaging performer (who knows where the camera is), simple staging (please Mr/Mrs BBC put your hand in the licence fee pot and buy a wind machine for the song – it’s called ‘Storm’ after all), and a right good hook – as opposed to a good right hook which SuRie might also have.

    Juries will love it and you know what, the televoters might too.

    Phil’s score – Douze points!

  • Mums might go to Iceland but ‘Our Choice’ – literally goes to Lisbon

    Mums might go to Iceland but ‘Our Choice’ – literally goes to Lisbon

    Six songs got through two semi finals to battle it out for business class seats with Icelandair to Lisbon.

    There were two rounds of voting. The first combined public and jury votes – just don’t ask me how the jury points were decided because it confused the hell out of me. All I know is that two songs went through.

    There was then a very long pause before the second round ‘superfinal’ with two songs took place, and that was followed by another round of voting. (and apparently, a very popular prostrate cancer advert by all accounts according to Twitter). And then the result appeared …

    Song Artist Televote Jury Total Psn Final Round
    Battleline Fókus 12,859 13,091 25,950 5
    Here for You Áttan 3,360 10,637 13,997 6
    Our Choice Ari Ólafsson 18,408 17,453 35,861 2 Super Final
    Kúst og fæjó Heimilistónar 17,619 14,183 31,802 3
    Gold Digger Aron Hannes 14,848 16,090 30,938 4
    Í stormi Dagur Sigurðsson 24,547 20,183 44,730 1 Super Final

     

    Ari also wins 3 MILLION ISK – which sounds a lot until you convert it and find out it’s about £22,000. A tidy sum, but it’s more conservatory-building than life-changing. I wonder if that is more than when he competed in the Voice of Iceland.

    Of course, you’ll want to hear it …