Tobson's Big ESC 2019 review, part 7

Being pre-qualified for the final is a high price to pay for the big five. At least many people have said - since the inauguration of the semi final in 2004 - that being heard just the once will be a huge disadvantage for the countries who pay the most to participate.

However, the overwhelming majority of the viewers see and hear all entries for the first time on Saturday night. Possibly they have watched the semi final with their own entry but many will give the other semi final - where they can't even vote - a miss.

The lack of success for the Big Five largely comes down to what we all knew anyway. Several of these broadcasters have shown a real lack of commitment to the contest. Some of them want to make a splash but seem to genuinely lack an understanding of what kind of entry would give a strong result.

In this last part of my review, let's have a look at the six pre-qualified countries. If you want to read about the semi finalists, you will find them here in part one, two, three, four, five and six.


FRANCE
Bilal Hassani / Roi

France taking the opportunity to send a young genderqueer and openly gay muslim to the final in Tel Aviv is close to a stroke of genius. The right to be yourself and identify the way you wish belongs to everyone, nicely underlined by the performer as well as the lyrics. The only thing that is a real shame is that the actual song isn't better. Madame Monsieur made an impression last year but now they just threw something together in a hurry and that is never a good idea. Also - who is going to break it to the French that this kind of blending languages only sounds half-cooked and doesn't work?

Potential winner:
No. I really want to like this but my interest is fading long before we even get to the chorus.

My grade: 1/5


GERMANY
S!sters / Sister

Read this followingsentence out loud to yourself: This song was rejected by Switzerland so Germany picked it up and entered it in their national final instead. Does that sound like a particularly good idea to you? This sounds just like the kind of songwriting exercise the Swiss have entered far too many times in the last decade. There is nothing really wrong with it but it is far from engaging and doesn't leave much of an impression once it is over. Something about the miaowing chorus also really annoys me.

Potential winner:
No, but another potential last place. Germany's third in five years, if so. It is clearly time for German tv to shake up the team in charge of their national finals. Again.

My grade: 1/5


ITALY
Mahmood / Soldi

Italy has done it again and enters yet another bold, original song that challenges the whole idea and concept of what a eurovision entry could be. Mahmood is another exquisite performer - tiptoeing the borderland between of arrogance and sensibility in his stage persona - and the song is a gripping piece of drama about young boys and absent fathers. The single best thing about Italy using the Sanremo festival to select their ESC entrants is that we keep getting contemporary and challenging state of the art material, designed to win a song contest - just not the ESC.

Potential winner:
Yes. It must be. But for some reason the so called expert juries have held Italy down recently. Last year the juries had Italy in a ridiculously low 17th place. If the juries shape up even a little, then Rome 2020 could be a real possibility.

My grade: 5/5


SPAIN
Miki / La venda

Using the most popular talent show your country has ever seen in order to select your ESC entrant could be a smart move but if you have no idea what kind of song your newly found talent should perform, no popularity on home ground will mean anything at all in the end. Spain has sent their Operación Triunfo stars off to Europe with pretty mediocre songs (with the obvious exception of Beth, who should have done a lot better) but young Miki has fared at least a bit better. Equipped with a mixture of ska and Catalonian rumba, at least "La venda" provides a bit of temper and speed for the final.

Potential winner:
No, far from. But on a very good day, Miki could have a chance to place close to the top ten.

My grade: 3/5


UNITED KINGDOM
Michael Rice / Bigger Than Us

If selecting a reject from Switzerland is an unusual move, opting for Swedish leftovers is a lot more common. (Did Germany just confuse Sweden and Switzerland? An easy mistake to make.) This is the song John Lundvik wanted to enter Melodifestivalen with before being persuaded into going for "Too Late For Love" instead. You can clearly tell these two songs grew on the same tree as they share a very similar gospel vibe, but where Sweden's entry is elegant and elaborated, this is just generic. Michael Rice can sing - if you like his vibrato or not comes down to personal taste, I suppose - but was totally lost on stage and came across as pretty inexperienced in the national final.

Potential winner:
No. But if someone instructs the singer where the cameras are and what they do, the UK should at least avoid the very bottom placings this time around.

My grade: 2/5


14 ISRAEL
Kobi Marimi / Home

Putting on a Eurovision Song Contest is hard work and you can sometimes tell in the approach of the host nation how they would prefer not to do it twice in a row. You already won, you already have everyone's attention. You can sit back and just enjoy the ride and content yourself with a dignified place mid-table. At first I thought Israel aimed a lot lower than that with this ballad. How can you even describe it? Pretentious, I think, is the best word. Sung by a very dramatic singing actor. I dismissed it completely until it started growing on me and now the hook in the chorus won't leave me alone. Like it or dislike, but this song sure has something.

Potential winner:
No, whatever it has it doesn't extend that far. But it could end up a bit higher than most people expect.

My grade: 2/5


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.

Tweet to @TobsonHelsinki

Tobson's Big ESC 2018 review, part 5

The fifth and last part of my Big Review will focus on the six songs that already made it all the way to Saturday night and the 2018 ESC final. If you want to know more about what goes on in the semis, then check out parts one, two, three and four.

Before 2008, ten countries were pre-qualified for the final in addition to the big spenders. Nice for them but clearly the current system is better. Just because you are good one year does not guarantee that you deserve a place in the final also the next year. Thanks to that system we had to sit through horrors like "Loca" and "Together We Are One" on a Saturday.

Another advantage of the current system is that no prediction made before Friday morning - the day before the final - is anything but advanced guessing. Not until then do we know what the competition really looks like. And that is so very exciting.

Since we don't have the running order for these songs as yet, here are the big five alphabetically and then Portugal last.

FRANCE
Madame Monsieur / Mercy

One of the many songs in this lineup that actually has something to say. The message can be seen as an accusing finger towards rich Europe refusing to lend a hand and help people in need. Beautifully understated and presenting its drama between the lines instead of using fireworks and pyro. Heavily dependent on its spot in the running order and what will come before and after but if everything turns out right, it could be France's best placing for many years.

Potential winner:
No, that would be a surprise if so. On a good day it could possibly make its way into top five and become an international radio hit.

My grade: 4/5

GERMANY
Michael Schulte / You Let Me Walk Alone

Another really emotional effort, this time about losing a parent. Is this the Sobral effect, that the ESC suddenly seems to attract singers and songs that sound more sincere after some years of more streamlined music designed for other purposes? Michael Schulte is likeable and has a good voice and knows how to pull on the heartstrings. Unbearable for some, wonderful for others.

Potential winner:
No, hardly. But Germany is maybe not in need of a victory as much as they need to steer clear of that dreaded last place they flirted with so massively for the last few years. That should be mission completed.

My grade: 3/5

ITALY
Ermal Meta & Fabrizio Moro / Non mi avete fatto niente

As I child I usually struggled to embrace the Italian entries and look at me now. For the third year in a row, Italy is my personal favourite with this very engaging duet about the violence surrounding us all and how everything must still be worthwhile. Meta and Moro deliver for dear life with aggressive conviction and the Sanremo winner illustrates that the Italian team are still very keen of showing how seriously they take their presence in the ESC these days.

Potential winner:
Yes, this one must be in with a chance. A favourable spot in the running order and the points could start ticking in.

My grade: 5/5

SPAIN
Amaia & Alfred / Tu canción

You know it must be a good year when even Spain shaped up. Seriously bitten by the Sobral bug, this updated equivalent of Sergio & Estíbaliz provide a hyper-romantic and soothing ballad about falling in love. Icky sweet and yet adorable unless you are completely immune to young love. A bit old-fashioned and maybe a bit too similar to last year's winner to go all the way but it sure is a great improvement on recent Spanish entries.

Potential winner:
No, unless all the planets and stars line up the right way. This year is so hard to predict anyway.

My grade: 3/5

UNITED KINGDOM
SuRie / Storm

Every time I hear this song my inner vision paints an image of a group of people sitting around a table. They have been told they must write a song together and nobody can eat or sleep or leave until it is ready. So they all put in bits and pieces until they have a melody and a lyric that doesn't mean anything to anyone but still it is a song, so they are free to go. Poor SuRie is a lovely performer and would have deserved something meaningful to sing instead of this bleak and poor songwriting exercise.

Potential winner:
No. Au contraire - this is the most likely candidate for last place in the final. Possible nul-pointer. Who on earth would vote for this? And why?

My grade: 1/5

08. PORTUGAL
Cláudia Pascoal / O jardim

Something clearly clicked into place last year, and Portugal is delivering another piece of something that is totally their own thing. The live vocals and sound mix need improvement from the Portuguese final - compare to the fabulous studio version - but this is a charming and introverted slice of pop. Let's hope Portugal stays on this more contemporary track forever.

Potential winner:
No. RTP can sleep easy. Maybe this song won't even break into the top 15, but who cares? It is a brave effort by a very likeable performer. On home ground you can do what you want - you already won.

My grade: 4/5

So who will be the winner of the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest? No idea. I am avoiding the rehearsal clips as I want as much of a surprise as only possible as the live shows go on air. Ask me again on May 11th, and I will give you my most educated guess.

But a tough battle between the likes of Israel, Czech republic, Italy and France would be nice. Throw in Finland and Sweden for the fun of it. Maybe I am right and Belgium is a dark horse waiting in the wings. And then Alexander Rybak comes in and wins it all?

I have a feeling this will be a very entertaining year. Fasten seatbelts.

Tobson's Big ESC 2017 Review, part 9

In the first eight parts of this series, I made my inventory of the songs that will have to appeal to juries and viewers alike in order to qualify for the big final. Now let's focus the attention on the songs who already got their ticket for the big thing. The Big Five as well as the host country are already granted a place in the final, so the crucial question changes. "Qualifier" turns into "Potential winner" instead. And not that many of them are, in all fairness, but do keep reading...

FRANCE
Alma / Requiem

What joy and what relief it is to see France actually giving a toss about the ESC again. Almost like in the good old days when France was a constant in the top five every year. They sure have the potential to get constant top placings also now, given their most impressive music industry. Surprisingly, however, is that France seems to have done pretty much the same thing as last year: select a really terrific song and have it performed by someone who isn't really good enough to do it justice. Amir was definitely the weak point in last year's package and early live performances suggest Alma isn't quite Maria Callas reborn. The big question here is what the French delegation will manage to build up for us on stage and whether it is impressive enough to overcome any fausses notes.

Potential winner:
In case Italy for some reason would crash and burn - then why not? This is a truly engaging little song with a strong hook and its very own atmosphere. I keep thinking it will end in fourth place but with a bit of luck it could do even better.

My grade: 4/5



Alma / Requiem (France 2017 preview)

GERMANY
Levina / Perfect Life

Germany really got their act together and not only won with Lena but also presented us with some fantastic and pretty edgy pop in this old contest. Then they completely lost their grip in the most spectacular fashion and ended last in the final in the two last contests. If poor Levina would end in last place, that would set a new ESC record. That is hardly what she deserves: she has a bubbly personality and good voice. She even has an OK song. Another one of those songs that will work perfectly on the radio. But this is the ESC and you have three minutes to impress an audience and convince them that you are the best and that they should vote for you. Levina does not have an easy job come May 13th.

Potential winner:
No. For the fourth year running, the German entry is not designed to break through to people on one listening and there is a huge risk that Levina will end in that dreaded last place. If not, she will at least most likely stay in the bottom five. This should be a wake up call for German television, but if they didn't get the message after 2015 or 2016 - what are the odds they will now?

My grade: 2/5



Levina / Perfect Life (Germany 2017 preview)

ITALY
Francesco Gabbani / Occidentali's karma

Here goes. Brace yourselves. Ever since this song won Sanremo and Francesco agreed to be the Italian representative, I have been dead sure that this is our winner. Unlike most national finals, Sanremo focuses on artistry, singing and a pretty old-fashioned approach to showbiz which - I must admit - felt like relief. No added background vocals to cover up for lacking singing skills, demanding compositions instead of complicated dance routines, camera contact instead of special effects. Remove the gorilla and the tiny dancing sequence and "Occidentali's karma" would still be the best entry by a mile this year. And once the formality of winning is out of the way, we will never have to hear the clumsy ESC edit again either.

Potential winner:
Yes! Yes, yes, yes. This must be the one. If there is any justice in the world, the clever and gifted songwriting should battle down all resistance and storm to victory with an Alexander Rybak kind of margin. I sit back and wait for it to happen. Alé!

My grade: 5/5



Francesco Gabbani / Occidentali's karma (Italy 2017 preview)

ESC 2016: How do you solve a problem like Germany?

I got many things wrong in my prediction yesterday but I did foresee that Germany would end in last place for the second consecutive year. Jamie-Lee didn't deserve it, but it was understandable.

The German song was designed to live a long life in the charts, not to break through to people in three short minutes. It lacked intensity and was anything but instant. It won the German final because the audience was already familiar with it after several weeks of airplay.

Had Jamie-Lee been forced to enter the national final with a new song instead - one that would have had to impress people on a first listening - she would have had every chance to hit home better in Stockholm as well. This is something for ARD to ponder for years to come.

The UK had a pretty similar problem as they had selected a song that felt more fresh and likeable than what the audience expected. It was a good and energetic song and it was really good for being a recent UK entry. That's also the problem with it.

When you get 26 songs at once, you vote for the one that stands out and speaks to you. You don't give kind bonus points to any country just because they happen to be better than you'd expect them to be. You vote for your winner. And while the UK was good it was in no way a winner.

The UK has ended up in the well-known territory of Finland - you find a song you really believe in and think will impress people, but in the end they find it to be OK but average and nobody votes for you. "You're Not Alone" was the best song on offer in the UK final but all songs participating were very safe and inoffensive. Next year they would need to find some edge.

And then Spain. I must say the low placing of Barei was a great injustice. She gave a good and spirited performance but probably got overshadowed by Russia in the eye of the average viewer.

According to people in my Twitter feed there was a real good outcry on social media against TVE and their ESC attitude last night. I can understand that anger.

Spain is one of those countries that should be able to make top ten every year if they wanted to. There is so much quality music being made there, of every form and shape imaginable. If TVE would tap into the large pool of established professionals instead of using the people willing to go into an unestablished national final formula, maybe the results would improve?

Final: Germany / Ghost

It's always so hard to evaluate Germany's chances in the final. Their entries are often the kind of songs that should do well but that often lack some sort of sparkle or energy or pulse to make them come alive. Often they look like some sort or record label dream product that fails to connect with the audience.

Talent show winner Jamie-Lee is dangerously close to being just that. She has a quirky image and stands out visually and her song has been leading a long life in German charts already. And yet something is missing.

There's something lacking from her vocal delivery, especially in the verses. Only when the song climaxes close to the end is there an energy to her voice. Could she manage to get the intensity into her voice sooner?

Also, the cameras need to find her a lot quicker in Stockholm. She can't remain a distant shadow for as long as in this clip. Contact and intensity is what is lacking here.

Potential winner:
No. I don't think so. This song is designed to keep a young artist in the charts for several weeks, not to grab an audience in three minutes. Those goals aren't necessarily mutually exclusive, but Jamie-Lee would have needed something more instantly accessible to sing. At least it shouldn't be another nul-pointer in the making.

My grade: 2/5



Jamie-Lee / Ghost (Germany 2016 preview clip)

December 17: Adam & Eve

The old saying goes that two wrongs can make one right, or something like that. So what happens if you just pile loads and loads of wrongs on top of one another?

Well, this is pretty much what happens.

A song about Adam & Eve and their wonderful life in the garden of Eden, until a certain snake makes an entrance and tempts them with the largest apple ever seen by any human eye.

That very idea in combination with a catchy chorus and THOSE outfits. Whoever thought that colour was skin colour in the first place?

Easy as it is to giggle at this little piece of schlager kitsch one should remember that Adam & Eve were pretty established stars at this time. They had had a number of hit singles and seemed fairly tongue in cheek about their own act.

In fact Eve was the real star of the duo and changed singing partners now and then, but always renaming them Adam for the sake of the act. The way any real star would.



Adam & Eve / Hallo Adam, Hallo Eva (Germany NF 1980)

December 1: Cindy Berger

It is December, good people of Euroland! When I grew up, December would be unthinkable without a Christmas calendar counting down the days to the big event. (Truth be told, one was not enough. I would usually have at least four or five different ones.)

So I thought I'd make my own ESC version, so every day until Christmas I will present you a song that never made it to the big international final but that deserves some sort of recognition.

Maybe they are not all good in the traditional sense. Certainly not all of them would have gone down a storm at the ESC. Not of all them should have won their national finals. But the thing they have in common is that I am deeply fond of them.

Today's song does, however, tick all the right boxes. It is excellent, it would most certainly had impressed also internationally and it should have won its national final by a landslide.

Cindy Berger had already represented Germany together with her then-husband Bert and ended in a most undeserved last place. This should have been her grand revenge and her opportunity to show herself in a better light.

A classy song and a classy performance with gravity, presence and dignity.



Cindy Berger / Und leben will ich auch (Germany NF 1988) 

ESC 2016: No Naidoo after all

Image borrowed from eurovision.de

Oh, Germany. So many people were longing for proper news about next year's ESC and now there seems to be something coming up every day.

When Xavier Naidoo was announced as the German representative the other day, reactions were mixed to say the least. Some were euphoric, some outright hostile. I figured that NDR wanted the added publicity that controversy brings and that they knew what they were doing.

Apparently not. Today we had another big announcement: there had been a change of heart and Xavier Naidoo would not represent anyone in Stockholm. The performer himself stated that NDR approached him to represent Germany and that also this new decision came from them and not from him.

If I was puzzled when Naidoo was selected, then it is nothing compared to what I feel now. It seems the strong reactions came as a big surprise for the broadcaster and that someone got cold feet.

How this reaction could come as a surprise to anyone is beyond me. The people selecting him in the first place must have known how divisive he is. It took me less than 45 seconds to understand the full scale of how divisive he is when reading his article on Wikipedia. What had they expected?

If this is what really happened, that a broadcaster talks a big name into doing the ESC only to change their minds and reject him in public as soon as there is criticism, it shows an incredible lack of backbone and I suppose NDR will have a bit of a hard time convincing anyone else to take the bait. Who would run the risk of getting dropped this way? Not everyone could walk away from it as unharmed as Xavier Naidoo.

So. What next? Will NDR try to convince another star to do the job for them? Or will they throw together a national final at short notice? To be continued...

Tobson's Wish List: more ideas for Germany

The news that Xavier Naidoo will represent Germany at the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest sent shockwaves through the fan community and I can't remember when a particular contestant was as highly debated as early on in the season as this.

I expressed surprise myself but clearly the strategy has paid off so far. A competitor that can unleash as much emotion as this one must be a clever choice.

My guess is that the responsible people are already all smiles and look forward to the great ratings come May and generally care pretty little about the final result. This publicity is a success for sure.

Maybe then they will want to continue selecting established acts internally also for a few years to come? I wouldn't mind seeing any of these getting a shot at the ESC in the future. My knowledge of German pop is far from as extensive as I would have wanted but I believe these acts are pretty well known.

I've had my eyes on Glasperlenspiel for a few years already and enjoy their bubbly brand of electropop. Some of their strongest singles could surely have done well at the ESC, I'm sure.



Glasperlenspiel / Ich bin ich

Another band someone pointed out to me is more indie rock based Madsen, an act that could most probably stand out quite a lot from most things in competition while still being really catchy. This kind of fusion between pop and rock really makes me weak in a good way.



Madsen / Lass die Musik an

This example is perhaps less about Michelle herself who already had a shot at representing Germany at the ESC but more about highlighting what can happen when you let people from a pop environment write modern schlager. Peter Plate made up half of the hit duo Rosenstolz - one of my absolute top favourites to sing for Germany if it wasn't for the sad fact that they disbanded.



Michelle / Paris

If you want a sweet young pop male - and sometimes you do - I'd recommend Tim Bendzko. His appearance is possibly a tiny bit too ethereal for a contest like this but on the other hand, the surprisingly low key entries can sometimes break through the international wall of sound.



Tim Bendzko feat Cassandra Steen / Unter die Haut

After years in the popular band Ich + Ich, Adel Tawil made a most successful solo album that took off well on the German market. He had a connection to the 2014 Club concert that gave Elaiza a spot in the German final and I'm frankly surprised NDR didn't approach him instead of Xavier Naidoo. Maybe they did?



Adel Tawil / Weinen

And then the obvious one, then. Of course Queen Helene Fischer would fit Eurovision like an immaculately manicured hand in an expensive glove. All she would need was the perfect song. And the guts. She would have quite a lot to lose. And also an awful lot to win if she managed to expand her career outside the German-languaged territories once and for all.



Helene Fischer / Atemlos durch die Nacht

ESC 2016: Xavier Naidoo for Germany

After a few years of large national finals - as well as a big fat nul pointer in Vienna - German television has announced that they are going for an internal choice for 2016.

The singer they appointed is Xavier Naidoo, arguably one of the biggest names on the German market and a highly successful performer with a string of big hits - solo as well as in group projects.

His song for Stockholm will be selected in a special show where the tv audience will get to choose their favourite out of six potential entries.

I'm not surprised that ARD went for a change in their selection modus. Their national finals in 2014 and 2015 didn't quite work and the entries selected failed to enthuse an international audience.

If I was in charge of shaking up a national final, I would do the same. I would convince one strong candidate with experience and a large following and let this singer perform all songs in a national final. That plan is a good one.

But as I read up on Xavier Naidoo himself, my enthusiasm fades. His political activities has lead to him being labeled as a "Christian fundamentalist" one day, as an antisemite the next. He believes today's Federal Republic to be illegitimate, he advocated conspiracy theories surrounding the 9/11 attacks and was widely accused of spreading homophobia with a hidden track on one of his albums.

Why would you want to provide an international platform for anyone with this track record? If ARD wanted a performer with personality, integrity and a large following there are plenty to choose from. Why him?

If they want controversy as a part of their publicity plan, I think they are about to have a lot of it.



Xavier Naidoo (Germany 2016)

Victory for Sweden! (It's nice to be right)

I felt it in my bones ever since I heard the first snippet of "Heroes" in early spring - and now it happened. Måns Zelmerlöw wins the Eurovision Song Contest and Sweden grabs its 6th victory.

The voting was the most exciting for many years - even better than the one last year in Copenhagen. Tight and with many twists and turns until Sweden finally headed out ahead of the others.

My prediction from earlier today worked out quite well too. I had predicted Sweden, Italy and Belgium as the top three. Russia ended in second place and pushed the others down on step, but that's all.

Russian Polina Gagarina was really taken by the whole situation which resulted in a very emotional but not totally perfect performance. She deserved her second place, but I guess the EBU heaved a sigh of relief.

The big break of the night is the fourth place of lovely Loïc Nottet from Belgium. What a fantastic talent, what a star. If he lands on the right people who give him the right tools and enough space to grow, he will turn into something sensational.

I am also very happy for the success of Latvia, Estonia and Norway. Most deserved. I had hoped for more love for Slovenia, but you can't have it all.

Austria became the first host country in Eurovision history not to score a single point. I had predicted a possible triple nul-pointer - instead we had a double. Neither Austria nor Germany deserved it but didn't manage to sneak into any country's top ten. Some other countries got more anticipated support from neighbours and friends, while Germany and Austria seem to have none.

The sea of ballads in the last half really took its toll on quite a few contestants. Out of the last thirteen songs, only Italy, Latvia and Russia managed to distinguish themselves, while everyone else failed.

More analysis tomorrow, these were just a few thoughts at once. I'll go to bed very happy and content and think to myself that it's nice to be right.

Hats off to Ralph Siegel, part 2

Ralph Siegel producing entries of dubious quality is nothing really new, I have to say that in the defence of San Marino. Maybe they are waiting for this Schlager Hen to hatch another golden egg if they let him try enough times.

They should have a look at this little... whatever it should be called... let's say song, just to make things easier. This little song opened the 1986 German final and is in some weird way a tribute to the 1957 German entry "Telefon Telefon", written by Ralph's own father.

This little song - is it even a song? I'm not even sure - ended in last place and I can't help but wonder who selected it in the first place. And why?

Why is it part of this series, then? I guess it just goes out to prove that back in the day, Ralph Siegel seemed to have a sense of humour and not take himself as seriously as recent interviews suggest he does these days.

Not good but whimsical in a sort of entertaining way. Way to go.



That's Life - Telefon (Germany national final 1986)

Hats off to Ralph Siegel, part 1

People are a bit harsh on Ralph Siegel these days. So am I. I'm afraid it will continue all through this week and also for the next couple of years unless he retires from San Marino anytime soon.

To counter-balance all of this, I'd like to introduce a little mini series to highlight some of the really good things Herr Siegel has done in his career.

I'd like to stress and underline that he was a gifted composer and producer that managed to make his glossy and shiny schlager stand out and sparkle and feel more like pop.

In 1980, he produced the album "Glashaus" for Katja Ebstein and it is a masterpiece from start to end. Full of tastefully arranged songs - original material as well as carefully selected cover versions - and Katja really shines throughout the whole LP.

This song, for instance. "What does she have that I don't have". Can't be much. This is fun, likeable and very well conceived. Too bad the Sammarinese entry in Vienna sounds nothing like it.



Katja Ebstein - Was hat sie daß Ich nicht habe

Lena and the attitude

I surfed onto German site Queer.de the other day to read their review of Conchita's new album. I've been looking forward to Conchita making more music and was curious to see how it landed with the critics.

They liked it quite a lot and I had a listen to a few tracks and decided I have to listen in full some day.

Then I couldn't help but see that they also reviewed the new album by Lena Meyer-Landrut, so I decided to have a peek at that as well. Only it wasn't much of a review, more like a big plea for Lena to give up on music altogether and do something more useful with her time.

I haven't heard her new album, I must admit as much. Maybe it is disappointing. I've liked Lena's later output in general but that's really beside the point.

I doubt the reviewer would have taken that kind of attitude towards a singer that hadn't won the ESC. I know nothing of this reviewer - this is not aimed against him or that particular review - but often winning the ESC means the press will be nice with you for a while and then tear you down.

I suppose many winners would agree that at some point in their career, people seem to have held their victories against them. Like their victories would diminish their work, somehow. Conchita is everyone's darling now, but what will it be like in a few years?

Björn Ulvaeus of Abba has said in many interviews that the Eurovision victory was a door opener at first but soon made people assume they would fade away, since that was what ESC winners were supposed to do.

Personally I love Lena. Both her entries are among my favourites of recent years - especially "Taken By A Stranger" is a masterpiece - and I hope she'll stay in the business for as long as she pleases. Regardless of what reviewers and others might say.



Lena - Taken By A Stranger (Germany 2011 preview)

Finalist: Germany

Nothing livens up a national final quite like a good old scandal does and Germany provided one of the bigger ones of recent times. German tv had to reject winners in the past - Tony Marshall and Corinna May both had to go - but never before had a winner rejected himself on live television.

If you can't have a happy ending, then an expected one will do nicely too. Just a shame that these events made many people unable to see what a catchy little song the Germans were left with once the original winner was gone.

I was perfectly pleased with the selection but there are clouds on this sky. Ann Sophie isn't highly experienced with performing in front of tv cameras and you can tell. She doesn't really know where to look and how to move in order to make herself look appealing on-screen.

That's fixable with a fair share of coaching. Later performances suggest this could have been taken care of. Unfortunately her voice tends to go a bit sharp and screechy here and there. Is that fixable too?

A potential winner?
I really don't think it is. A good radio song that could hopefully pick up some good points from here and there, but a top ten showing would be a good outcome for this one.

My grade: 3/5



Ann Sophie - Black Smoke (Germany 2015)

Drama Made in Germany

I haven't been an altogether faithful follower of national finals this year and given all the negativity that had surrounded this year's German selection I didn't plan to watch it at all.

Anyhow I tuned in just in time for the second round, where the four finalists performed their second songs of the evening and thought to myself that this wasn't bad at all. Good songs and good performances - and when the two best ones out of the four I had heard in full length made it to the final knockout round I was rather pleased.

And then it happened, the tv event of the year. Clearly under pressure and not happy at all, winner Andreas Kümmert announces that he has no intention of going to Vienna and hands the victory over to runner-up Ann-Sophie. For a split second or two nobody on stage has any idea what to do while time is ticking, the show is ending and an acceptable ending must be improvised at once.

I can't help it but I love it when live television goes out of hand. When it suddenly turns real, when real emotion shines through, when it's not just a song contest anymore. The winner should smile and the loser should cry, not the other way around, and when the unexpected happens we feel that all the participants are real people, like the rest of us.

Many people have tried to explain why Kümmert stepped down like this - it has been suggested he has personal problems or were pressured by his record company to take part - but I prefer not to speculate. If he felt stepping down was the right thing to do, he is probably right in doing so.

The responsibility lies with the organising broadcaster, in this case NDR. They should of course make an effort to make sure every participant is prepared for the big occasion and understand that taking part in the national final also means you are obliged to go to the ESC in case you win. If they had doubts about a participant, they should pressure him or her before the show instead.

Apart from creating some unforgettable television drama, Kümmert has also possibly undermined Ann-Sophie quite a bit by his actions. But when a winner proves ineligible, you pick the runner-up instead. That's how the system works.

And even if the Germans did their best, nobody can still steal the award for Best Drama from this gem where the female half of Duett faints halfway through the song and gets fat-shamed by presenter Lizzi Engstler as she tries to keep the show going. Priceless.



Duett - Das Beste (Austria NF 1990)

Runner-up: Germany 1981

For many years, this was my favourite Siegel-penned entry to ESC. It may have slipped a bit in my ranking since then but I still find it tasteful and elegant - not words I'd necessarily use in connection to all of his catalogue.

Lena Valaitis is - very much like Katja Ebstein before her - a classy performer that manages to keep the whole entry pretty much down to earth.

Still, it's very Siegel by the numbers in some ways. Especially in the sense that it's not just a straight-forward song: Ralph Siegel was always very fond of a backstory.

1981 was the official year of the blind, so of course he would write a song that would connect to that theme. Still it's kept simple and efficient with lyrics about a boy getting bullied for being blind only to grow up to be a famous musician whose songs spellbind the audience. That's all. No special effects. No excesses. How I wish the Siegel entries could have stayed that way forever.

A deserved 2nd place?
Yes, by all means. Perhaps I think Switzerland's "Io senza te" would have deserved the silver medal even more but this is fine too.



Lena Valaitis - Johnny Blue (Germany 1981)

Runner-up: Germany 1985

When I was nine years old I was anything but a cynic. I'm not saying I'm a cynic now, but I find it harder to accept certain things in life these days.

One of the things I struggle with is adults pretending to be naïve, pretending that all life will be wonderful if we all just sing a song and think happy thoughts.

In other words, I find the 1985 German entry a bit challenging these days. More because of the words and it's wide-eyed approach to life than the male falsetto voice.

When I was nine, however, I really loved this song. It was catchy and instant and highly likeable. I was really fond of these people and wanted to hang out with them. I liked their song, I liked their look and I happily sang along.

Sometimes when I let my guard down, I can recall how happy I felt when listening to "Für alle" and actually appreciate it almost the same way I did way back when. I can miss being less critical at times.

I think I just decided to try and like it a little bit more, like I used to. Not least to honour the memory of its songwriter Hanne Haller who would never make it to the ESC stage again.

A deserved 2nd place?
Well, why not. It fitted its zeitgeist perfectly. There were much better songs in the running, but I'd rather see this in second place than as the runaway winner it looked like halfway through the voting.



Wind - Für alle (Germany 1985)

Runner-up: Germany 1980

The year before, Ralph Siegel had finally managed to produce his first eurovision mega smash hit in the form of Dschinghis Khan. Now the witch doctor of modern schlager wished to show the world  he was able to win the whole contest.

In The Hague he had composed not only one but two entries: a youthful ditty about penguins, aimed at a younger audience, representing Luxembourg as well as an updated take on German cabaret tradition competing for his own country.

"Theater" showcases a whole lot of ideas that Siegel would later stretch far beyond reason but here they felt new, fresh and exciting.

There is the theme or idea that the whole song and performance is built around instead of just writing a straightforward song. There is the cheerful backing group. And also you'll note the presence of clowns - something Siegel would develop an almost unhealthy relationship to throughout the years.

It is a catchy little number but what really makes this whole package work is of course the almost electric presence of the magnificent Katja Ebstein, now representing Germany for the third time after ending in third place in both 1970 and 1971. Without her, this could easily have been reduced to a big pile of cheerful rubbish.

A deserved 2nd place?
Yes, thanks to Katja Ebstein. There were several better songs in the running this year, but few people know how to work the stage like she does.



Katja Ebstein - Theater (Germany 1980)

Runner-up: Germany 1987

I suspect younger readers might think I have gone absolutely crazy when I admit to absolutely loving this song back in the day. Maybe some older readers will think the same.

This reggae light made of pure plastic in the Ralph Siegel factory really pleased Tobson aged 11. It was simple and catchy and slowly ate its way into your conscience. I kept singing it all summer and held it very dear for many years to come.

I'm not even sure exactly when it grew off me. Not every song from the 80's aged gracefully and this one seems to tick every box on the list of things hard to love.

There is also something about the faux cheerfulness in the appearance of Wind themselves that gets to me. And it feels sad knowing what fate had in store for backing singer Rob Pilatus as well.

In short I don't hate it but it does nothing for me anymore and that feels strange given how much I loved it at the time.

A deserved 2nd place?
No. If Johnny Logan absolutely had to win in 1987, then Gente di mare should have been in second place. Wind deserved a top ten but surely not a top two.

An extra bonus here is the lovely postcard - I loved that almost as much as the song.



Wind - Laß die Sonne in dein Herz (Germany 1987)