Tobson's Big ESC 2019 review, part 2

2001 is the horror year. The one where everything went wrong. Clearly the weakest edition of the ESC of modern times. Arguably the weakest edition of the ESC since the show switched into colour.

During this selection season I kept asking myself several times if this was the year when Europe would bring out their shovels and dig even deeper below the sad sub-standard of 2001. It really did not look promising there for a while.

To my big relief, 2019 turned out to be an OK year after all once all the entries came together. Not extraordinary in any way but at least not a complete musical dumping ground. Big relief.

To read about the first six entries of the first semi-final, click here.


07 HUNGARY
Joci Pápai / Az én apám

This is where the hard part begins. Joci made it into the top ten two years ago with a slightly similar song. This new song is possibly better from a songwriting point of view but also slightly less direct and with less of a hook. Will the voters still be onboard for this? How keen are people really to vote for things they already voted for in the past?

Qualifier:
Most probably yes. Joci is a very engaging performer and the melancholy vibe is likely to attract a number of fans. Plus Hungary has had a way lately of making it to the final - this will be their ninth consecutive qualifier.

My grade: 2/5


08 BELARUS
Zena / Like It

I listened to all the songs on Spotify and to my big surprise I found myself really enjoying this. Previously I had discarded it as a modern-sounding but tired filler and suddenly my feet was tapping along in an unexpected manner. Zena has a good voice and out of all the songs that wish they were "Fuego" in the lineup, this one actually has a few little quirks of its own.

Qualifier:
Borderline. The ESC is still a televised event where people can see you perform and Belarus are surprisingly good at ruining their own chances with disaster staging choices. If they can keep this clean, sober and fun - and not shoot themselves in the hand like last year - they could be in with a chance.

My grade: 3/5


09 SERBIA
Nevena Božović / Kruna

Nevena was part of Serbias shoutfest non qualifier trio Moje 3 in 2013 and is now back to get her revenge. She has remained a very well-known name back home and now she is entering a big and emotional ballad, written by herself. At least it aims at being big and emotional. While nothing is really wrong with it - it is well put together and well sung - it feels like something we've seen and heard millions of times before. It doesn't trigger a single emotion in me and despite repeat listenings I have no idea what the chorus sounds like. In through one ear and out through the other one. At least "Ljubav je svuda" had a bit of action in it.

Qualifier:
Borderline. When Serbia joined the party back in 2007, I expected them to be winner material almost every year. In reality they often stumble around the threshold for qualification. In or out? I think they will struggle this time.

My grade: 1/5


10 BELGIUM
Eliot / Wake Up

Even the best laid plans can go wrong. It sounded like a safe bet to have the composer of "City Lights" handpick a talent from The Voice Belgique and craft a song especially for him or her. While "Wake Up" has an excellent intro and a haunting verse, the chorus is disappointing and falls pretty flat. There is also an acute lack of development during the song and the whole thing is ebbing away rather than building up. Then it doesn't help that the charming little Eliot himself is too inexperienced to carry this weight all by himself. Maybe he should have waited a year or two?

Qualifier:
Borderline. There is still hope. Blanche finally delivered when she needed to and maybe the Belgian team know what they are doing. I just wouldn't bet my entire salary on it just yet.

My grade: 3/5


11 GEORGIA
Oto Nemsadze / Keep On Going

Failing with a folksy offering in their own language did not discourage the Georgians, so here they go again with a powerful male singer and a song rich in local folklore. While I sort of like this, I learned a thing last year that Georgia seemingly failed to pick up on: Europe's appetite for locally flavoured belters seems pretty moderate.

Qualifier:
No. This is the "Qami" of 2019. Oto can sing his heart out all he wants but not enough people will warm to his song in the end.

My grade: 2/5


12 AUSTRALIA
Kate Miller-Heidke / Zero Gravity

If there is any truth to the slightly nauseating narrative that Australia was taken into the competition in order to show the UK what they could be with a bit of effort, then that plan is failing more and more as Australia has kept slipping backwards in the results. The slippery slope continues as this - the first Australian entry chosen in a national final - is little more than one big ESC cliché. Doing that same old pop and opera mashup that has been done over and over while pretending you just invented the wheel is a pretty tired look. Especially as this song carries the promise of turning into something really good without ever delivering any of the goods.

Qualifier:
Borderline. The juries have enjoyed voting for Australia while the viewers have been less keen. Will the juries keep supporting them now?

My grade: 1/5


If you want to agree or disagree with me, please leave a comment or send me a tweet. All the preview clips can be seen here.

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Tobson's Big ESC 2018 review, part 3

Portugal has shown a great deal of bravery in their choices as host nation for the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest. Mainly they have gone for a more organic and less technological approach in the stage design, leaving out the almost compulsory LED screens that have been popular but not always used in the best possible way.

These decisions go very well with the Portuguese winner of last year and it seems that very entry has inspired quite a few of this year's entries. There are much more songs with some sort of message or conviction and fewer of the professional but generic songs we had a few too many of lately. Hopefully the songs and the stage will come together beautifully come May.

Semi 2 is admittedly weaker but also harder to predict. Which is fun in a way. On to the first nine songs in the lineup:

01. NORWAY
Alexander Rybak / That's How You Write A Song

You can say a lot of things about Alexander Rybak but he sure is no coward. No former winner has taken part in the international final since Dana International failed to progress from the semi final in 2011 and even before that it was hard times for former champions. Alexander also has the guts to enter a song that large portions of the ESC fandom absolutely abhor. Many people would like to see him fail, that is the worst kept secret of the year.

Qualifier:
But of course. Yes. This will be bang in the final and get a very good position there as well. What are people thinking? Rybak has many fans and this is also a fun and playful song. A potential winner, even.

My grade: 4/5

02. ROMANIA
The Humans / Goodbye

Romania has never failed to reach the final. This running order suggests there will be a first time for everything. This is a pretty solid soft rock effort - Heart meets a young Bonnie Tyler - with a neat chorus and a bit of a too long build-up for its own good. The sequenced running order is supposed to put every competing song in the best possible light and position but it feels more like the producer decided to throw Romania under the bus here.

Qualifier:
Borderline. Romania qualified with weaker songs than this in the past.

My grade: 2/5

03. SERBIA
Sanja Ilić & Balkanika / Nova deca

Serbia is trying to turn back the clock to a time where the Balkan countries happily mixed folk music with more contemporary pop rhythms to great effect. It's nice to meet up with this genre again but it is a shame the actual song is not stronger than this. The performance is unfocused and confusing and the song never takes off properly.

Qualifier:

No, unless they manage to reinvent themselves properly and better the performance a great deal. And then the song is still pretty weak.

My grade: 2/5

04. SAN MARINO

Jessika feat Jenifer Brening / Who We Are

San Marino seemed to possibly be on some sort of right way with their messy national final until the whole process turned out to be about who could put in more money than the others. Music had very little to do with anything in the end, which the entry itself demonstrates in a very efficient way. It stays bland until the moment Jenifer brings her messy rap into the picture and makes the whole package implode.

Qualifier:

No. Not in a reasonable world anyway. But this is a semi where almost any song could emerge as a surprise qualifier.

My grade: 1/5

05. DENMARK

Rasmussen / Higher Ground

Ten years ago Latvia somehow managed to make it into the final with a group of people ridiculously dresses up as pirates. Perhaps as a tribute to the Pirates of the Sea, Denmark selected another piece of masquerade attributes and sent in a troupe of various vikings in desperate need of credibility as well as hair conditioner. There's a decent little chorus in here somewhere but not enough to find mercy in my book.

Qualifier:

Borderline. People often tend to like Danish entries even when I find them lacklustre, so I wouldn't be surprised if it is a yes for this one.

My grade: 1/5

06. RUSSIA

Julia Samoylova / I Won't Break

Same suspense scenario as with Romania: would it actually be possible for Russia not to qualify? What we have is a decent but not spectacular entry with a good hook but a singer that seems to be totally incapable of delivering any of the singing required. This will be three very interesting minutes come Lisbon.

Qualifier:

Borderline. Strong support from a number of friendly countries but most other countries would have been discounted at once with an entry like this.

My grade: 1/5

07. MOLDOVA

DoReDos / My Lucky Day

After a bunch of slower mid tempo entries with little sparkle or nerve, Moldova rolls onto the stage like a hysterical avalanche with their bouncy and aggressively positive sunshine of a song. How could you not love this? How could anyone resist? So much kitsch forced into a confined space you expect the whole thing to blow up at some point.

Qualifier:

Yes. People will laugh and love this. But I would never had guessed these lyrics were written by a native English speaker.

My grade: 3/5

08. NETHERLANDS

Waylon / Outlaw in 'em

Just like Alexander Rybak is Eurovision Royalty after his second place as part of The Common Linnets in 2014. It is pretty cool of him to enter something so different from his former entry as well. Possibly he bit off a bit more than he can chew as the song really aspires to have way broader shoulders than Waylon himself can pull off. 

Qualifier:

Yes, most probably. Not sure how well it will fare in the final but at least it will be there.

My grade: 2/5

09. AUSTRALIA

Jessica Mauboy / We Got Love

One of the big reasons for Australia to be present in the contest is supposedly to show the UK how easy it could be to send in really convincing and powerful entries if you just make an effort. That's nice - if a bit patronising - but Australia is not really living up to that if so. Whatever sort of edge I expected them to have is more and more absent for every year. Jessica is a good performer but this pop song is surprisingly unspectacular. Good but tame. If Australia is to stay put I expect quite a lot more from them.

Qualifier:

Yes. Juries love Australia. We noticed that extra clearly last year.

My grade: 3/5

This is the third part of my 2018 review, why not check out part one and part two as well?

Tobson's Big ESC 2017 Review, part 1

Same procedure as every year: I will take a look at the preview clips and evaluate and ponder and have a reasonably educated guess as who could be a hit and who will be a definite miss in this year's Eurovision.

Spread out over ten blog posts, here they are: all 43 songs (or most likely 42, really) fighting it out for the Grand Prix. There can be only one winner and I have a feeling I know already who that is. But first things first as we dive into the first songs of the first semi in running order.

01. SWEDEN
Robin Bengtsson / I Can't Go On

There is no other song in the running this year that I have as mixed emotions about as this one. If you read my Melodifestivalen reviews, you already know that I really like Robin Bengtsson and that I enjoy has smooth voice and his relaxed appearance. The song isn't bad but it's still surprisingly bland and - in my mind - it feels like a mismatch between singer and song. Is this really Robin's style? This seems like the kind of song basically anybody could have sung and it makes Robin come across as replaceable. But it still is a very stylish and comfortable opener of the first show.

Qualifier:
Absolutely. No doubt in my mind. Even if the song in itself is slightly disappointing there are not ten songs in the semi that are stronger. Given the right slot in the final, this one could go pretty far. Even a lot further than it would deserve.

My grade: 3/5



Robin Bengtsson / I Can't Go On (Sweden 2017 preview)

02. GEORGIA
Tamara Gachechiladze / Keep The Faith

Eight years ago, Tamara won the Georgian final as part of the disco collective Stephane & 3G but never got to perform at the ESC. The lyrics to "We Don't Wanna Put In" didn't go down a storm at the EBU, and when the group refused to alter their entry they were forced to withdraw. Now she is back to show off the full glory of her vocal chords in an old-fashioned ballad of a kind that used to fail at the ESC already many years ago. The backdrop used in the national final gives away that this song is almost as political as last year's winner - and as clearly aimed at Russia - but while Tamara has a good voice the song is a bit too high pitched for her and the whole package gets very shouty before these three minutes come to an end.

Qualifier:
No. Georgia is good at this game, but this ballad is a bit too standard and mediocre for its own good. Especially as much better female ballads are to follow.

My grade: 1/5



Tamara Gachechiladze / Keep The Faith (Georgia 2017 preview)

03. AUSTRALIA
Isaiah / Don't Come Easy

Australia usually goes down well with the juries and that will come in handy this year as their entrant is a clean-cut and well-singing young man with an equally polished little ballad about how hard it can be to love once you've been hurt. Young Isaiah has a warm and very likeable voice but the ballad in itself relies a little bit too heavily on a formula we are all familiar with. Competent and professional as it might be, it never gets interesting. It never touches a nerve. It just stands there, looking nice, hiding its heart under its expensive suit.

Qualifier:
Yes. Mainly because people on juries enjoy voting for Australia more than for some other countries. Otherwise I wouldn't be so sure, really.

Grade: 2/5



Isaiah / Don't Come Easy (Australia 2017 preview)

04. ALBANIA
Lindita / World

You know what they say: if you find a concept that works, you should stick to that. Albania seems to have misunderstood that old saying a tiny bit as they cling to a formula that hasn't been very popular at all. They keep entering these bombastic songs with powerful female vocalists that are always walking the fine line between delivering impressive notes and being straight up shouty. Lindita has been around and done well in Albanian finals before and could probably navigate her way through the dangers of over-vocalising, but her song is way too difficult to hit home comfortably with televoters and jurors alike.

Qualifier:
No. This hardly ever works and it won't work now either. Albania would have to have a long hard think about the way they select their entries and see if they could come up with something better.

My grade: 2/5



Lindita / World (Albania 2017 preview)

05. BELGIUM
Blanche / City Lights

There are so many things going on in the world that you would never have been able to think possible only a couple of years ago. One of these is definitely the fact that RTBF found their groove and keeps entering solid ESC entries that keep pushing the formula for what you can or cannot do in this contest. The land of CopyCat and Witloof Bay turned into a big player and I couldn't be more happy. "City Lights" is more mainstream than Loïc Nottet was two years ago but is still exploring a moody and understated pop landscape while still running the risk of not being understood by the masses. I applaud Belgium for the courage but also realise how much this song depends on a good stage show to work in the end.

Qualifier:
Yes. This one really should be bang in the final, but there is always a risk at hand. Will it be too dark and too inaccessible on a first listen? Could be a shock non-qualifier in the making but at this stage it feels like a contender for a top five placing in the final.

My grade: 4/5



Blanche / City Lights (Belgium 2017 preview)

ESC 2016: And the winner is...

The running order for the grand final got to sink in during the day and tomorrow I will give my final word on how Saturday's show will end. Right now I have no idea. I doubt I will tomorrow either.

But I boiled the whole thing down to six countries that could win tomorrow. Six countries that I'd see as the only realistic contenders for victory. (And one potential super surprise in the making.)

But our winner tomorrow will be one of these:

RUSSIA
Ridiculous to say anything else than Russia being the big hot favourite, the most likely winner tomorrow. And yet my gut feeling tells me Russia is more likely to confirm their position as the new United Kingdom, aka the eternal runner-up. The show is impressive, but not outstanding. Sergey sings well but not perfectly. Critical judges should see through the technical trickery and identify that the song is good but not terrific. However, Russia winning would show once and for all that nobody is doomed on politics alone.

ITALY
I don't give up until I'm defeated. The best song in the running must have a chance of winning, even with a surprisingly bad spot in the running order. On the jury final the people who already liked the song loved Francesca's performance, the people who are not convinced thought it lacked something. Business as usual. If there is any point to having juries at all, they should recognise what a fantastic song this is and reward it heavily.

FRANCE
Not giving up on France either. If Amir turns on that charm he has stashed away somewhere he could collect an impressive number of televotes. It is not juries alone who decide the winner even if Europe will get the idea at first in the final.

UKRAINE
Smashing performance of a difficult but engaging song. It would hardly be the big summer hit of 2016 if it won but at least it would take the focus back to songs, performers and singing skills instead of projections and holograms.

AUSTRALIA
Another stunning vocal and a more hit friendly song. The only letdown is the ridiculous special effect during the second verse that only distracts and doesn't even properly work.

SWEDEN
The last time a country won on home ground was Ireland back in 1994. Wouldn't it be most fitting if Sweden repeated the feat and won their own competition at the same time as going into the lead of countries winning Eurovision?

AUSTRIA (Potential super surprise in the making)
Pink and fluffy and sweet, it dances in on stage not being anything else than what meets the eye. Old-fashioned, likeable, understandable. Normal, if I dare say so, coming after Georgia. It's unlikely but once in a blue moon the sky falls down on our heads.

Watch this space for a more detailed prediction tomorrow. Sleep well, if you can.

Semi 2: 10 Australia / Sound Of Silence

My first reaction to the Australian entry was that they had decided to win and would stop at nothing to achieve this. Like a hostile takeover. "We come in peace - resistance is futile." Sort of.

This classy ballad with echoes of Sia is so slick and elegant and perfectly performed. It sounds like a real radio hit that is just waiting to own the airwaves for years to come.

And yet - having all 43 entries on the table - I'm not so convinced about victory anymore. There is perhaps just one or a few entries too many of this kind this year. Being the best one doesn't necessarily help if the others keep stealing precious points away from you.

Qualifier:
Yes, beyond the shadow of a doubt. This is really good songwriting and warm professionalism hand in hand. An obvious qualifier.

My grade: 4/5



Dani Im / Sound Of Silence (Australia 2016 preview clip)

Look who is back! (It's Australia.)

So it has been announced that Australia will take part also in the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest. The country whose participation was a "one-off", a "special occasion to celebrate the 60th edition", didn't have to wait long to be upgraded to a regular participant.

First of all: splendid news. Welcome, Australia! They did really well on their first participation and I hope they will keep the quality up. Australia's huge interest in being part of this european manifestation is fascinating and flattering and I am more than pleased to have them among us.

Then there are a few things about this whole thing that I am less impressed with. None of them concern Australia as such but here goes.

Upgrading Australia to a regular participant means a few rules go out the window. In order to participate, a broadcaster needs to be an active member of the EBU. In order to be an active member, you needed to be within the European Broadcasting Area or a member of the Council of Europe.

This little paragraph could be pretty handy to have if or when some countries knock on the door and want to participate. Countries that have financial muscles but could be seen as morally questionable. Let's not throw around names here, but the ones that have been frequently named have all fallen short when it comes to this precious paragraph. How can you deny any country the right to participate now?

There was talk a few years back to implement some sort of moral codex that participating countries would have to live up to, but as far as I know that never came to anything.

The EBU had better come up with a really convincing and waterproof explanation why Australia would be worthy of an exception and stress that the rule otherwise is very much in place.

Another thing the EBU might want to think through properly is what it means to them to be trustworthy. Is it important for them to come across as transparent and sincere? To stick to your words? Or is it fully acceptable to state something as fact while you know it isn't true?

"The only possibility for Australia to take part in 2016 is in case they win in Vienna". I don't know how many times I saw that stated, emphasised and underlined during the run-up to the 2015 final. I don't recall Australia winning and yet - here they are.

It would be nice knowing that the things communicated as facts are actually true. It doesn't look good when you can't be sure if their press releases are true or smoke screens. Fair play, please.

And welcome back, Australia.

ESC 2015: maybe our winner is Australia

Australia takes to the stage for the first time as an active participant in the ESC after having followed the contest closely since the early 1980's.

Australia is a unique participant as it doesn't fulfil any of the basic criteria for eligible countries: it is not an active member of the EBU and it is way outside the European Broadcasting Area.

The EBU have explained that they participate as a guest - that's why they go directly to the final - and that they will take part only once and never again. Unless they win, then they'd get to send another entry 2016 and co-organise the contest somewhere in Europe.

Few people were surprised when, the other day, the EBU bosses started hinting at Australia possibly becoming a steady participant after all. That's at least what I've been suspecting all along. So why all this nonsense about being a guest and all the pampering and special treatment?

Even though their status as a hot favourite may have gone done a bit during rehearsals, the extra attention and the easy-going nature of the song could still carry a long way in tonight's voting.

The most interesting thing if Australia wins is the process how to select the actual host country. According to Christer Björkman Germany has already been chosen, something the EBU were quick to deny. But why not? Germany would be the obvious choice in my book.

I would prefer for them not to win. For the EBU to have to stand up and say that they made a decision to give Australia special status. And maybe to draw a line somewhere. Or we could end up with a final consisting of 35 songs, eight of which come from "special guests".

Dream result:
a 4th place wouldn't look bad at all for a debuting country.



Guy Sebastian - Tonight Again (Australia 2015 rehearsal clip)

Finalist: Australia

In all fairness it was a bit of a surprise learning that Australia would participate with an entry in Vienna. But it was almost equally surprising to hear the song selected by SBS.

The first reports suggested we would have one more ballad coming from down under. Maybe they listened through the other songs on offer and had a change of heart. Thank heavens for that.

Instead Australia is sending us a proper dose of uptempo, an infectious beat and some very happy moods. Guy Sebastian is a star and performs like one. The song is impeccably produced and sounds just like a hit.

It sounds good enough to fool almost anyone. At closer examination, it proves to be more of a good mood and a nifty production than an outstanding song. Good but not outstanding.

According to what the EBU has said, Australia's only chance of taking part again next year is to win in Vienna. The big question is what is more important in the end - the song or the uptempo?

A potential winner?
Absolutely. In a year with such an abundance of ballads and mid tempo any song with as much temper as this must stand a good chance. Add the novelty of Australia being Australia and you will have loads of focus on this one. If you also add a potentially brilliant spot in the running order, this could prove to be unbeatable. Even when the song isn't stronger than it is.

My grade: 3/5



Guy Sebastian - Tonight Again (Australia 2015)

Australia 2015: some more thoughts

So Australia will have an entry at the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. The news is slowly sinking in. It really is sensational that the country that really is far too far away to participate still get a shot at participating. This could have been the most fantastic news ever.

Having an Australian entry IS a good thing. I am very much looking forward to hear what they will come up with, and the mere thought they feel close enough to Europe to bother with it in the first place is quite breathtaking.

And yet, for a number of reasons, this doesn't feel right. Let me make a list.

My gut reaction was that a final with twenty-seven entries is insanity. The 2007 semi final in Helsinki - 28 entries made it a never-ending evening that resulted in very questionable results - should be enough to convince anyone this isn't a good idea. I suggested already two years ago that the EBU should have fewer entries in the final, going in the other direction feels very very wrong.

Why is the Australian participation revealed now? If they are taking part in the contest like everyone else are, why wasn't this plan disclosed when the official participants' list was made public?

If it was decided only now to have Australia in, months after the official deadline passed, does that mean that any country in the world could be brought in at a late stage if somebody fancies the idea? Can similar exceptions be made for countries like Qatar or Kazakhstan or United Arab Emirates in the future?

It has already been said that Australia will take part only this once, unless they win in Vienna. Then they will have the opportunity to co-host the 2016 contest somewhere in Europe. This one-off rule seems very fishy to me. If Australia was to end in second place - for instance - would the EBU really not allow them to stay put? And if this is a debut - why not treat it like one? Why sprinkle all these advantages - straight into the final, the right to vote in both semi finals - on top of their participation?

What bothers me the most - except for the ridiculously overlong final - is the risk that this whole thing turns into a media prank. That the Australian participation will be seen as a stunt and medial hocus pocus that might steal attention from and even diminish the upcoming final.

Will it be remembered as a real Eurovision or will it be a final within brackets, like the extra Olympic games of 1906? Possibly I am totally overthinking this, but it doesn't feel good. None of this is aimed against Australia but I don't feel anywhere near as enthusiastic about this as I would want to.

So, welcome Australia. Hope you will have fun. But the EBU didn't make it particularly easy for you.

Surprise, surprise: Australia joins in

It really must qualify as one of the most surprising news items in the modern history of Eurovision but the EBU just stated Australia will take part in the 2015 ESC with an entry.

The contest have been big down under for many years and several Australians have taken part through the years. This participation is meant to strengthen the bonds but is only supposed to be a one-off, unless Australia wins in which case they get to participate again and co-host the event somewhere in Europe.

In order not to take anyone's place, the Australian entry will be guaranteed a spot in the grand final and this is where I begin to frown as that brings the number of entries up to 27.

27 as in TWENTY-SEVEN songs to be performed in one night.

I remember that horrific 28 songs long semifinal of 2007 and feel confused. Didn't we all agree that it didn't work at all? That it made for really bad television? That nobody in the universe can digest that many songs in one go?

Unless this is soon revealed as one big joke meant to shake us up a bit - the online equivalent of Lill Lindfors dropping her skirt - I must admit to be puzzled.

Why not let Australia participate for good fun but don't give them a free spot in the final until the number of finalists is cut down. Let eight or nine countries qualify per semi and that's it. Twenty-seven entries is pure madness.