Saturday, March 17, 2018

Eurovision 2018: The British Isles



Another year, another Eurovision Song Contest.



Let's get started with the UK and Ireland, historically two of the most successful countries in the history of Eurovision.   Both countries have had little success in the recent contest, so lets take a look and listen to this year's entrants to see if their luck would change.



First up the Emerald Isle:







Ryan O'Shaughnessy   "Together"   Ireland



I should be completely on board with this song.  It's unabashedly gay.   It's a song about a failing relationship sung by a man to another man.    That's cool, especially when a number of other countries in the contest 


I just find it so annoying that the singer is another extremely high tenor.  It feminizes the song, which may make it more palatable.  I personally hate Irish high tenors.



And let's not even mention the interpretive dance...



The song has a fighting chance to make it into the final and this year's contest would be the better for it.



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Now let's take a listen to the UK entry







SuRie   "Storm"   United Kingdom



What a wonderful voice.   



SuRie is a really charismatic performer and she lifted a really mediocre song into something memorable.  I've been humming this song since I first heard it.



It's one of my personal favorites this year.



Like a lot of Eurovision fans, I read Eurovision fan sites, and for some reason, there's a lot of hate for this song.   I think it's because it beat out "better" songs in the United Kingdom's national final.   



I don't see this being last on anybody's list, but it's also not going to likely included in most countries' top ten songs.   The United Kingdom needs fan momentum to bring votes in, since there aren't many natural musical allies for the UK at Eurovision.  The fans' disdain is likely going to impede the chances of success.  I don't see this finishing out of the bottom five songs.



But if she gives a performance like she does it the clip above, that placement will be sorely undeserved.