I have not been waiting to type these words. Slovenia is a country I root for in the Eurovision Song Contest, but I have to say the following:
Slovenia has sent the worst song in this year's Eurovision Song Contest.
Omar Naber "On My Way"
This style of song is completely out of style and Naber's earnestness makes the song seem even more dated. Had this been performed in the early 1990s, this song would have been a top five placement. This isn't the early 1990s and it's just dreary.
I always root for the underdog and the Czech Republic is the biggest Eurovision underdog. They have only made the finals once and have had the cruel distinction of receiving "nul points' in a semifinal.
I want the Czech Republic to succeed and I want them to succeed spectacularly.
I don't think the Czech Republic will do so this year.
Martina Bárta "My Turn"
I hate to dismiss this as a filler song, but it is. This smoky jazzy ballad is going to be swallowed up on the stage in Kyiv and the Czech Republic doesn't have any friends who vote for it. This is one of the few songs this year that I can say for certain has no chance of qualifying for the final.
That said, this song is one that I personally love and "My Turn" has made me listen to more of her music. She has been in jazz bands, plays the French horn, and just comes off as being cool. She may not have voting success in Kyiv, but I would spend the money to see her in concert or buy one of her CDs.
Could a song be too cool to succeed at the Eurovision Song Contest?
Svala "Paper"
Svala is a musical name in Iceland. She has been active in the Icelandic music industry since the mid-80s and She is currently a judge on the Icelandic verison of "The Voice" and she splits her time between Iceland and Los Angeles.
Svala brings that cross-continent vibe to Eurovision and I suspect the 80s style lighting and art pop fashions are choices that are not going to translate well to the viewing public. I like the personal style she brings but I suspect they are going to be too niche to appeal to the wider audience. This is not going to qualify when lesser quality songs will succeed.
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
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.
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.
