Semi 1: 06 Greece

For many years it seemed the Greek party would never end. Come what may, the Greek entries would keep dancing on their beach all through the warm night and the points would keep coming in.

Lately they have strayed a bit from the formula which, for me, has meant more interesting songs but not the same amount of success as Greece has enjoyed since the introduction of the semi finals. Last year saw the lowest placing ever for a Greek entry.

This year, the Greek audience had a complete change of track and selected the most typical ESC ballad they've shown the world since Mandó's less than successful attempt in 2003. This song is a close relative to that one in style as well as in performance.

Maria-Elena sings really well and belts it out convincingly, placing all the notes in their right places, but the song never evolves beyond being a clean-cut piece of machinery. It doesn't seem to mean anything to anyone, not even the singer. No emotion, no depth, only one huge, polished surface. As soon as it's over, you'll struggle to remember what it sounded like.

Qualifier:
Borderline. Greece has never failed in a semi final but there must be a first for everything. Unless this turns into an explosion of earnest raw emotion in Vienna, the Greeks could be up for a very unpleasant surprise.

Grade: 1/5



Maria-Elena Kyriakou - One Last Breath (Greece 2015)