I know it's a terrible thing to say, but Armenia has taken the place of Turkey in this year's Eurovision Song Contest by sending Artsvik and her song "Fly With Me".
Artsvik "Fly With Me"
You can trace this ethnic sound back to Sertab Erener and her winning song in 2003. This eastern sound was omnipresent at Eurovision for a number of years in the mid-2000s. After 10 years, this comes acrossas different and rather appealing.
Because this type of song has been out of style for so long, "Fly With Me" catches your ear and stands out from all the other songs in the contest. The staging will be visually interesting and this should make it to the final.
In the years of 1915 and 1916, between a million and a million and a half ethnic Armenians were either killed or forced out of the country of Turkey due to a systematic policy set forth by the Ottoman government at the time.
At least I didn't post up any pictures of dead bodies.
This historical event, rightly called a genocide, is the event that has shaped the Armenian identity ever since and has been a reoccurring theme in Armenian entries in the Eurovision Song Contest.
However, this year, they are commemorating (if that is the proper term) the 100th anniversary of the event by forming a supergroup of singers from the Armenian diaspora.
Thus we have this song:
Geneology "Don't Deny"
Yep. It's overwrought and overtly political. Kind of perfect for a Eurovision commemoration of a horrible historical event.
As for its chances in Vienna, I'm not convinced by the song. We have six rather talented singers all vying for focus in this song, and although everything blends well in the video, I'm not sure how it's going to do live.
If it works, it's going to be fantastic. If we have a lot of off-key harmonizing, it's going to be a train wreck. Which could be fantastic too...
Every year there's the song that's touted as the front runner. This year the song from Armenia is "that" song. Take a listen.
Aram Mp3 "Not Alone"
I may be damming this song with faint praise, but I must say "Not Alone" is very polished and very professionally produced. I'll also say that Aram Mp3 is a competent singer and the song is well suited to his voice.
Yet the song doesn't linger after listening to it. Nothing makes me want to listen to either the song or the singer again, making the love that is being show for it mystifying.
It's the same argument I had with the Danish entry last year, which was pegged to win when it came out fo Dansk Grand Prix and stormed to victory in Malmö.
Emmilie de Forest "Only Teardrops" Denmark 2013
Although the songs are very different, both of them have the same level of polish and professionalism. They're songs that are calculated to appeal to the widest possible swath of people. They're songs tailored to win the contest.
Because of that, the songs themselves are completely bland. Instead of being something that will make a lasting impression, they hit immediately.
"Not Alone" could very well win the contest, but it's not one that will make any impression on the European musical landscape or have any sort of afterlife once the Contest is over.
Goodbye Albania, San Marino, and Israel. Hello Iceland, Armenia, and Romania.
I must admit I found this semifinal much less exciting that the first semifinal. You would have thought otherwise, since there were fewer obvious songs that were going to the final. But I suppose since my favorite song wasn't in this semi, I didn't feel the personal connection.
But I did get a couple of surprises. I wound up loving a song that I hated when I first heard it.
Krista Sigfrieds "Marry Me" Finland
Congratulations, Ms. Sigfrieds. I get the song now. I'm no longer offended; I'm completely on board.
I'm going to be perfectly honest. I don't understand how Armenia made it through. It wasn't a good performance and unlike the Belgian entry that I'm not particularly fond of it didn't even feel modern and fun. In fact the lead singer went off key a bit at the end.
Dorians "Lonely Planet" Armenia
Block voting? Probably. Did it keep out better songs. Hell yes. But good for Armenia. You're back in the final even with a lousy song and a lackluster performance.
Would I have preferred to see another song in? Yes. I loved Israel's ballad, Valentina Monetta's redemption song from San Marino, or this:
Adrian Lulgjuraj and Bledar Sejko "Identitet" Albania
It was so disappointing to see how poorly it looked on stage. Had it been shot differently, the energy level would have been higher and it could have qualified. Maybe.
But that's just the nature of Eurovision, songs you love don't make it through while songs that don't rate do.
Tomorrow, the fun begins! The build up to Saturday's final!
I've been spending the past couple of weeks watching the finals from Northern Europe, so when I say Armenia's national final posted up online, I couln't resist watching the show online.
Armenia has returned to the contest after a one year absence from the contest, due to an ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan, where Eurovision was hosted last year. The show, Եվրատեսիլ 2013-ի երգի ընտրություն, was held on March 2nd, where the singer Gor Sujyan, supported by the band Dorians, performed four chosen by the national broadcaster as possible songs sent to Malmö.
Out of the four songs presented, this one was chosen:
Gor Sujyan and Dorians "Lonely Planet"
I'm not a fan of the song; it's a mediocre metal song. Sujyan has a strong, clear, compelling voice, yet he seems under served by the song he's singing. But it's the right song for Armenia to send to Malmö because it's the best of the four songs that Sujyan performed.
Trust me on this one, listen to one of the other four songs performed and you'll understand why.
Gor Sujyan and Dorians "Toy Planet"
"Lonely Planet" was the only song whose English lyrics actually made sense when you listen to them; the other three seem to be written by lyricists whose first language was not English, and it shows. (And if I'm wrong about this, please feel free to correct me in the comments.)
It's also kind of sad for me to report that the most compelling performance in the Armenian national final was not done by the artist representing Armenia this year, but a collection of teenagers who have represented the country in other Eurovision related contests.
Dalita, Compass Band, and Narek Kazazyan "Sweetie Baby"
When the lip synced song performed by a group of teenagers is more interesting and accessible than the song representing you in the "adult" Eurovision, it's not a good thing.
Welcome back to Eurovision in Review, where I get to do some navel gazing and rate the quality of each Eurovision country's entrants.
Not only do Armenians take Eurovision seriously, they take their chess seriously, as evidenced by their win at the 2011 World Chess Team Championships.
I have to admit that one of the most disappointing things about this year's contest is the fact that Armenia isn't participating this year.
It's understandable, since the two countries have been at a very uneasy peace after the end of the Nagorno-Karabakh War. The war was over the Azerbaijani region of Nagorno-Karabakh, withic lasted from 1991 to 1994. The region is internationally considered part of Azerbaijan, but with an Armenian-backed de facto state in control of the region and the conflict has kept the region unstable since and has consistently spilled over into the Eurovision Song Contest.
But you're not here to get a history lesson, you're here for the music.
Armenia started participating in the Eurovision Song Contest since 2006, when APMTV, the Armenian national broadcaster, became a full member of the European Broadcasting Union. And like many of the former Soviet Republics, Armenia has taken the Eurovision Song Contest very seriously, with all but one of their entrants making the finals. That's not something to be sneezed at.
the Worst
Good grief. Even "the worst" for Armenia is pretty darn good.
Emmy "Boom Boom" 2011
I don't dislike this song one bit--it was my guilty pleasure song of last year's contest, but no matter how much charm and stage presence Emmy had or how entertaining the dancers were, the vocals are tantamount. Emmy didn't have the voice to pull it off and by the end of the song, all the singers were off key.
Although I have all the goodwill towards this song, it sadly didn't succeed and it's the reason I had to rank it the worst.
the Best
This one is a no-brainer.
Inga and Anush "Jan Jan" 2009
Why yes, Inga and Anush, I am "dancing nor par". I've been "dancing nor par" ever since I listened to this song last because I can't get the darn thing out of my head.
The eastern exoticism with the costumes of the singers and dancers, the fun lighting on the stage in Moscow and their near pitch perfect performance, well, this stands out of the six really good performances by Armenian entrants.
And for those who are really interested in my full rankings:
1. Inga and Anush "Jan Jan" 2009
2. Sirusho "Qélé Qélé" 2008 Great singer, not enough charisma to take it over the top.
3. Hayko "Anytime You Need" 2007 Another good singer, he just needs to learn where to hold the mike.
5. André "Without Your Love" 2006 A pastiche of prior years winners, but still entertaining.
6. Emmy "Boom Boom" 2011
The difference between the six are very small; Armenia sends quality acts. I wish they were going to send a song to Baku. But there's always next year...
And click here if you want to listen to the songs yourself and let me know who you think is best and worst.
