Welcome back to Valentina Monetta, San Marino's chanteuse.
This is her fourth time representing San Marino and this is the first time she's in a duet with American singer Jimmie Wilson.
Valentina Monetta and Jimmie Wilson "Spirit of the Night"
This song is not good. It's cheap, disposable, and really doesn't have a chance to win the contest.
But I'm personally ranking this song higher that a lot of the other songs in the contest.
This song is fun. Watching their performance live performance makes me look forward to seeing what they do in Kyiv. There's a chemistry between Monetta and Wilson that's noticeable on stage. That chemistry is what makes me thing this could possibly be a surprise qualifier for the final.
And here are the ten songs who made it through to the final on Saturday
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Croatia
Czech Republic
Cyprus
Hungary
Malta
the Netherlands
Russia
Seven out of ten isn't particularly bad, and after watching the final,
I can't really say that I disagree. After watching the show, nine out of ten of these are ones that were obvious finalists.
The Biggest Surprise
Nina Kraljić "Lighthouse" Croatia
I had thought an early place in the running order combined with an over-the-top costume would prevent Croatia from qualifying. The Croatian broadcaster hasn't always been the best at staging songs, so I'm glad to see this overcame the visual deficiency.
The Biggest Disappointment
Samra "Miracle" Azerbaijan
In my opinion, "Miracle" was the song that didn't deserve to qualify in the top ten. The staging was tacky and the vocals were weak. And the gold plated American football uniform? Don't get me started.
The Song I Would Have Voted For
Highway "The Real Thing" Montenegro
Although the Czech Republic would have gotten my first vote, Montenegro came in a close second. While the somewhat experimental hard rock was something that would have never qualified, I really responded to the music and staging. In a semifinal of things that were polished to an inch of their life, "The Real Thing" was interesting because it was deliberately unpolished.
The Can't Miss Song
Serhat "I Didn't Know" San Marino
I could have gone with the Armenian or Russian entries here, but really you'll see them elsewhere. San Marino's utter weirdness deserves to be highlighted here. It's trying so hard to be kitschy camp and it fails. It's worth a watch.
For the first time in four years, there's a new singer for San Marino at the Eurovision Song Contest--or should I say singers.
Michele Perniola and Anita Simoncini "Chain of Lights"
Perniola and Simoncini have both represented San Marino at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest and the San Marinese broadcaster SMRTV put them together for this duet.
They're two game young people, and they do their best with the song.
However, the song is a mess both musically and lyrically and has no chance to make it out of the semifinal.
Maybe they'll make it after two more attempts (or they can get a lyricist to pen words that make sense to a Ralph Siegel tune.)
After a couple of the big guns at Eurovision, now it's time to review the minnow in Eurovison--San Marino.
San Marino has sent Valentina Monetta for the third year and I must confess that I love the fact she's back the third time. Although her songs have been lackluster, I like the fact that she keeps trying. (I do love an underdog.)
Valentina Monetta "Forse (Maybe)"
Sadly, this is the weakest song that she has sung. It's instantly forgettable. I can't say anything more than that. It's sad that after three years, the writers haven't tailored a song to her pop/jazz talents and plunked her with a ballad that sounds like it came from the late 1980s.
I must confess that I find the idea of San Marino entering the Eurovision Song Contest to be something confounding. San Marino, a country with a population of just over 30,000 people is willingly entering a contest that must suck up a lot of the budget of the San Marinese national broadcaster.
I'm certain because of the expense, the artist and song were selected internally:
Valentina Monetta "Crisalide"
You may recognize her from last year, because she performed the song San Marino presented last year
She has a beautiful voice and this song allows her to showcase her vocal range. And I like that.
Yet I'm a bit confused by the structure of the song. "Crisalide" starts out as a ballad, then in the last minute goes into a big dance number. It's like two songs have been grafted together that have absolutely no business being grafted together... I want it to work. I want San Marino to make the final. But I just don't see it moving forward to the final with this song.
OK. I realize I'm beating a dead horse with my review of the San Marinese entry, because pretty much everybody has had the same reaction the "The Social Network Song" and it's really the easiest song to criticize. I mean, all you really need to do is read the lyrics at the beginning of the post to understand why. I do not condone any song that uses the word "cybersex".
And with an introduction like that, you're probably dying to hear the full song:
Valentina Monetta "The Social Network Song"
Although the song's lyrics are really smutty, I have to say the music is catchy and that's because the music was written by Ralph Siegel, who is Germany's Mr. Eurovision, Siegel is famous for composing nineteen songs that were performed at Eurovision, most famously this winner:
Nicole "Ein Bißchen Frieden" Germany 1982
Yep, Nicole's song about peace is a long, long distance away from hooking up online.
But vulgar lyrics aren't my big issue with the song, there have been some songs with vulgar lyrics before, and I can overlook it.
Serebro "Song #1" Russia 2007
It's pretty awful, but I'm willing to forgive this. And that's because the girls singing it are barely out of their teens. It is sexist and ageist, but teenaged girls singing songs that are barely covered come ons are more acceptable than a more mature woman--especally a woman who has been tarted up to look like a teenager.
It's a shame really, because Monetta has a decent voice and is very attractive. Had she been given a song that would fit with her image, she could have sold the song into the finals, but this song is definately not going there.
