The one thing that I love about watching national finals is that they are typically fun, with a lot of interesting songs, cool production values, and a whole lot of national pride.
Ukraine's national final took place back on December 21st, and in my eyes, Ukraine's final is usually a surefire winner. Typically there are a lot of interesting songs and a performer that strikes my fancy. But not this year. Instead of a fun show with lots of possible contenders, this year's national final felt like a coronation for this song and performer:
Maria Yaremchuk "Tick-Tock"
The presentation of the song was rather appalling, but in my eyes it was the only song that could actually make an impact in Copenhagen. There were 19 other songs and none of them actually stuck in my ear.
But never fear, even if you didn't like the presentation in the national final, the Ukrainians are working on it.
Like usual, the song has been tinkered with and is looking much more appealing than it was. I predict another high placement for Ukraine.
Thanks to eurovision.tv, the official web site for the Eurovision Song Contest, I'm able to view many of the national finals in their entirety, and last night's viewing was the Finnish national final, Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu.
Finland has used UMK for the past three years to choose their song to send, and after a three show preliminary, the final was broadcast on February 1st.
Watching Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu, the Finnish national final, I feel like I've been sucked into a world where things don't make much sense, starting off with the opening number.
It's like a black comedy version of an Olympic opening number--colorful, confusing, and really foreign. It's not bad--just very Finnish.
The songs were confounding as well. I still can't figure out why some of these songs were in the final of the Finnish national final.
MadCraft "Shining Bright"
I hadn't realized that skater culture had a following in Finland, and MadCraft is aping the look and feel of skater punk bands like Blink-182.
Nor had I realized that punk girl groups were still alive in Finland.
MIAU "God/Drug"
Hukka ja Mama "Selja"
And I have no clue what this is--Finnish folk country? Or just the song to accompany one of my pizza induced dreams...
But when all was said and done, the Finnish jury and public chose the most commercial song in the finals
Softengine "Something Better"
It's a rock song that doesn't sound dissimilar to something Coldplay or U2 might have performed about five years ago and feels very much like this song from the 2011 contest.
A Friend in London "New Tomorrow" Denmark 2011
Denmark did quite well with their rock anthem, coming in fifth back in 2011, and Finland has a chance to do the same with Softengine.
The only thing they need to work on is their performance. There's a lack of energy in "Something Better" that makes the song feel generic. With a little bit of work on the presentation of the song, I could see this finishing quite well on the night of the finals.
The Common Linnets were chosen internally by the Dutch national broadcaster. Ilse deLange, one of the two singers in The Common Linnets, is an extremely successful musician in her own country--with seven platinum albums and numerous national music awards.
So with the success of Anouk last year, it's unsurprising that deLange was picked to carry the national colors in Copenhagen.
The Common Linnets "Calm After The Storm"
I desperately want to like this song. DeLange and her singing partner Waylon are both seasoned performers and their voices blend well. It's really obvious in this live performance.
It's just not the right song for Eurovision. It's going to be great when I have to drive across North Dakota in a few months, but it's going to disappear come the semifinal time.
If you're looking for a microcosm of the past 10 years of Eurovision, the best place to do that is watch this year's Belorussian national final.
The final, which took place on January 10th featured fourteen different acts--including a cabaret number, a bit of popera, the required melodramatic ballad, and the following song that asks a very important question:
Matvei Cooper and DUX "Strippers"
I have often wondered myself, "Where do all the strippers go?" I'm just so glad that Cooper and company was able to answer that question in song.
But none of those songs made it to the top at the end of the show. When the votes were counted, two songs tied with 20 points.
TEO "Cheesecake"
Max Lorens and DiDyuLya "Now You're Gone"
But the jury had the final decision and selected "Cheesecake"--their favorite--over the Caribbean stylings of "Now You're Gone".
I personally like the song, it feels like a reject from a Robin Thicke album to me, and the veneer of sleaze that TEO has on stage suits the song quite well. Although unpopular with many fans online, who consistently rank it in the bottom of their favorites, I have to say that this song is in the top ten of mine.
If TEO can stay on pitch, he's likely to make the final this Eurovision season.
Now that all the national finals have been decided and all the participating songs have been finalized, it's time for me to get cracking on reviewing the songs that have made it farther than the others and have a chance to make the national finals.
First up is Belgium, which chose their entrant just a few days ago, on March 16th.
Instead of the internal selection that Belgium's television providers have done in the past few years, Flemish broadcaster VRT decided to put on a national selection process--Eurosong 2014--where 30 performers were whittled down to six who performed on the final night.
In my mind, the Belgian public chose the best song for success in Copenhangen:
Alex Hirsoux "Mother"
The song may be as sweet an syrupy as fructose corn syrup--"Mother" feels like is was written by the Andrew Lloyd Wright factory. But Hirsoux genuinely believes the song and the sentiment involved and breathes more life into the song than it deserves. It's no wonder that he won 57% of the popular vote.
Besides, he won me over with his reaction to the voting. He was genuinely shocked when the votes came his way.
It's understandable, because if you judged the hall, this song would have won.
Bandits "One"
Wherever there are boy bands, there will be loads of screaming girls. I would have been on board had their performance not been so weak. (And I seriously covet the lead singers brick red suit.)
It was a pretty good show and was well worth the watch. Here's hoping Belgium can make it two in a row and make it to the finals again this year.
