Eurovision 2017: Moldova

I love it when Moldova sends a quirky song to the Eurovision Song Contest.   In a period where Eurovision is considered  is tending towards serious songs,, a goofy number from an obscure country is very nice.

Moldova has delivered this yet again with light, sax heavy Europop number.

SunStroke Project  "Hey, Mamma!"

I suspect that this will make the final because it is sug a silly upbeat number--you need to have a traditional "Eurovision" song.   This fits the bill.

Do I like this song?   Not really.   It's extrememly disposable and going to be great filler between other, better songs in the final

Eurovision 2017: Poland

English has become the lingua franca in the Eurovision Song Contest--there are only four songs sung completely in a language other than English.   That means we have a lot of non-native speakers in the contest, and this fact is demonstrated by the Polish entry this year.

Kasia Moś   "Flashlight"

Moś has gone to music school and has worked in the United States, yet this performance makes me think her grasp of English isn't particularly strong.   Much of the song is indecipherable to me, a native English speaker.  Moś also emphasizes the meter of musical phrases over the actual lyric in this song that underlines this point.   The full effect of her performance strikes me as a singer who does not know English.

Moś does have an interesting voice and an compelling stage presence and  think I would have liked this much more had this been performed in Polish because she could bring an understanding of a language that she does not have in English.

There is not doubt that Poland will make the final--the Polish diaspora throughout Europe will vote it through.  

Eurovision 2017: Cyprus

God bless Cyprus.   They ran a national final in 2015 and they have been working their way through the finalzts one by one.  I will say that Cyprus is being extremely cost effective when choosing Eurovision entries.   Watch out for Doody next year.

Hovig came in fourth place in the 2015 Cypriot national final with the song "Stone In A River" and he is a singer of bog standard male pop music.

Hovig   "Gravity"

Because they are in the same genre, it's rather obvious to make direct comparisons to the Swedish entry this year.  In all regards, Hovig winds up looking like the worst entry.    No matter how much I personally dislike the Swedish entry, it is polished and professional.   Compared to Robin Bengtsson, Hovig looks likes he is singing at talent night at a local high school.

Cyprus is lucky that Greece is in the same semifinal, which gives it a chance to qualify for the final.   Otherwise I would say this is a sure non-qualifier.    It is a completely forgettable song with a singer who can't lift it out the mediocrity.  

Eurovision 2017: Greece

Compared to the Portuguese entry that precedes it in the First Semifinal, Greece's entry is manufactured and synthesized within an inch of its life.

Demy   "This Is Love"

Demy has a successful career in Greece, with two albums and a lot of Greek music awards.  So, I suppose that she can sing. 

But boy, this song stinks to high heaven.  The structure is terrible, the instrumentation is cheap sounding, and the lyrics are clichéd.

The only reason that the song will make it to the final is diaspora voting.   It certainly won't be for musical quality.

Eurovision 2017: Portugal

I am going to type words that I have been dying to type since I started following the Eurovision Song Contest back in the 1990s.

Portugal has sent the best song to Eurovision this year.

Yes, seriously.   Portugal has sent the best song to the Eurovision this year.

Salvador Sobral  "Amar Pelos Dois"

Yeah, it sounds old fashioned

Yeah, he's got a weird stage presence.

Yeah it's in Portuguese.

Yet "Amor Pelos Dois" has done something that no other song has done this year--it made me stop what I was doing and actively listen to the song.   Sobral's performance of a simple love song is extremely effective and is one of honest emotion instead of manufactured spectacle.  

If the team in charge of staging this song is able to recreate the magic in the national final performance, Portugal could have the best placing they have ever had in any Eurovision Song Contest.

Wouldn't that be awesome?

Eurovision 2017: Azerbaijan

I am really snide when it comes to Azerbaijan's Eurovision songs, because they have used the Eurovision Song Contest as a tool of soft power.to promote themselves as a world power.

That stench of desperation has tainted my opinion of their entries--which boils down to "money can't buy you taste".   But this year, I have to set my cynicism aside.   I genuinely like the song that Azerbaijan is sending to Kyiv.

Dihaj   "Skeletons"

It is another one of those modern, radio-friendly numbers that sound like songs that are on the radio right now.   Because it sounds like something you already like, it's a no-brainer that people will vote for this.  And the Azerbaijani broadcaster will throw a little money at the staging to make this be something you won't forget.

So yeah, you'll see this in the final and for once I won't mind.

Eurovision 2017: Finland

Finland hasn't been one of the most successful Eurovision countries in the past few years, so listening to this year's entry was a surprise.

Norma John   "Blackbird"

The dark, moody song by the duo Norma John isn't like any other song in the contest.   Instead of tending towards the pop sensibilities of today, the son brings to mind the music of Eva Cassidy--not a name you necessarily associate with the Eurovision Song Contest.

Sadly, this song in another song that could easily not qualify, since there are more Eurovision fan friendly songs in the contest and that makes me sad, since it's one of my three favorite songs in the contest and I'd willingly spend a bit of money to vote for it.