Portugal rejected Adelaide (How could you, Portugal?)

Last night I went to see "The Imitation Game", had too much candy to eat and felt far too sugary coated to be able to sleep. I decided to watch the Portuguese semi final instead.

The first Portuguese final I ever saw was the one back in 1996, which in retrospect has proven to be possibly the best Festival da Canção on record. At least four or five songs were really good in the sense that they would have been suitable for Eurovision, something I haven't really experienced since.

This year, feeling the current line-up of songs for Vienna is quite meagre, several fans have started pinning their hopes on Portugal finding that masterpiece entry that will make them a real contender. Nothing in the first semi would point in that direction, to be honest. But at least there was Adelaide Ferreira.

Adelaide - in case you don't remember - represented Portugal back in Gothenburg 1985, where she was a bit of a press favourite and seen as a possible surprise in the making before her entry crashed and burned on second last place.

Thirty years later, she was back in the running with her song Paz. Perhaps not the strongest song since the beginning of pop culture but well performed and clearly one of the better ones in this semi. Click here to see it on RTP's web.

But do the Portuguese reward her for trying? Indeed they didn't. Really not the way to treat a lady. Remains to be seen if they are about to treat Simone de Oliveira any better in the second semi.



Adelaide - Penso em ti, eu sei (Portugal 1985)

Sweden: fourth semi roundup

Sweden has sometimes been quite predictable in this game but lately - perhaps after the unexpected success of Ace Wilder - the Swedish public seemed to develop a healthy taste for some Saturday night drama.

I followed the Finnish final yesterday, but could tell from my Twitter feed that there was some massive collective jaw dropping going on as the results came in.

For the second week running, one of the obvious qualifiers according to most, lost out and had to content itself with a spot in the Andra Chansen heat. For a while, SVT managed to make quite a few people doubt that even red hot favourite Måns Zelmerlöw had made it to the final. Well played. Good television.

JTR taking the final spot instead of Hasse Andersson was indeed a surprise. A lukewarm boy band with a lukewarm song beating a seasoned veteran possibly means the young JTR fans use the voting app more skilfully than Andersson's older fan base.

Måns made it to the final and rightly so. I must admit that the song is more similar to David Guetta's "Lovers On The Sun" than I find comfortable, but still "Heroes" is my melfest favourite of 2015.

I like the way it refuses to be instantly likeable, how it needs some breaking into, how it's not your typical eurosong. This in combination with the irresistible charm of Måns makes this the perfect package. If I discovered how much I had missed Magnus Carlsson, it's nothing compared to have much I missed Måns.

Not convinced it is a winner. Not in Vienna, perhaps not even in Sweden. But it's my winner. And the only song out of this week's seven contenders to really make an impression on me.

Tobson's current top 3 in the final:
1) Måns Zelmerlöw / Heroes
2) Magnus Carlsson / Möt mig i Gamla stan
3) Isa / Don't Stop

Finland: the day after

It's never a pleasure when your own country's national final ends in a way you find disappointing. Even worse when it ends in double disappointment. Let me try to explain.

In my prediction yesterday, I thought Satin Circus would win and represent Finland in Vienna. A promising prospect; to send a reasonably modern and radio-friendly pop song to the ESC in a year  where the pop songs seem few and far between.

Instead we end up with a song I find a lot weaker. Punk isn't my thing, really, but even for being a punk song it's pretty basic.

My initial disappointment is that Finland will not send the best possible song - according to my taste - when there were good candidates in the running.

The second - and bigger - disappointment is of course the reactions after Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät won. The total and utter outrage triggered in some people because an ESC act breaks the norm is nothing short of frightening. Mud-slinging and name calling. There is no shame in being disabled, you know.

I'm also torn between what is worse: the haters or the fakes. The fakes who want to be so understanding and free-spirited and liberal but who display just as much prejudice as the haters. If you vote for PKN because you're amazed somebody disabled can stand on a stage without falling over, you just reveal how little you think of disabled people in the first place.

As for the rest of the results, I was surprised to see Shava receiving so little love from the televoters despite being the big winner of Yle's online gallup prior to his semi final. It just goes out to show how little gallups like these really represent public opinion.

On the total, the UMK final was a really good show, brilliantly hosted by Rakel Liekki and Roope Salminen, showing off good production values. A quicker pace would be welcome for next year, but you won't find many entertainment shows on Finnish television that are better than this.

And I guess the bottom line is that an entertainment show that provokes this amount of emotions really is public service at its best.



Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät / Aina mun pitää (Finland 2015)

Finland 2015: a two-horse race?

Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu is about to reach its peak after three weeks of semi finals - it's time to select Finland's entry for Vienna. If you want to be a little bit mean you could argue that the main goal of the show isn't necessarily to find the best song but to finally impose itself as an event worth following.

It is no secret that the viewing figures have been dismal ever since the Finnish final had a change of name and format back in 2012, but this year's edition could possibly have reached the new goal.

There has been a fair amount of talk surrounding some of the entries and a clear effort has been made to make the live performances more visually appealing than in previous years. Also the hosts Rakel Liekki and Roope Salminen have done their job well and made the show very much their own.

Hopefully the final in itself will be snappier and more quick-paced than the semis. That would add some nerve as well. A good show is vital to keep audiences happy.

A good show can even make up - to a certain extent - for a lack of top candidates. The general standard in this final is acceptable but not breathtaking. The running order seems to be kept secret again - just like in the semis - so here are my reviews in some sort of alphabetical order:

Angelo de Nile / All For Victory
I didn't care much for the song to start with but wasn't prepared for overblown pomposity and over-performing on quite this level. This is in the final and Siru isn't? My least favourite of all nine.
Grade: 1/5

Jouni Aslak / Lions And Lambs
Good voice and good stage output in a song that has grown on me. The chorus is standing on the dangerous border between repetitive and effective, but despite being one of the better offerings I doubt it will be a contender in the end. It just isn't the kind of song that stands out enough to be remembered in the end.
Grade: 3/5

Järjestyshäiriö / Särkyneiden sydänten kulmilla
This was such a promising entry at first with its radio-friendly sound and catchy chorus, but the band just doesn't have what it takes to make the song come alive on stage. Stressful and un-charming in the semi and I doubt it will have come to a sudden change for tonight.
Grade: 2/5

Norlan El Misionario / No voy a llorar por ti
Reggaeton. Pleasant. Likeable but forgettable. The song I expected the least to make it through the first semi, but I must admit it is catchy in its own little way. Very unlikely to get far in the final.
Grade: 2/5

Opera Skaala / Heart Of Light
This operatic dance track really wants to be way out and the one to make everyone's jaw drop, but in this year full of visual tricks and varied styles it comes across as disappointingly normal. Excellent singing but the beats could have been harder and heavier. And that strange bridge between the first chorus and the second verse - where the whole thing falls apart without any beat or melody - still ruins it a bit for me.
Grade: 2/5

Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät / Aina mun pitää
Is this our winner? PKN has had a great deal of media exposure - also internationally - and will have everyone's attention tonight. But in a song contest - where you try to single out the best song - their offering stands out as pretty weak. And voting for people just because they are disabled sounds like a terribly patronising and prejudiced thing to do.
Grade: 2/5

Satin Circus / Crossroads
The best pop song in the running and therefore the best choice for Vienna. But these boys have a lot of work to do, if so. The semi final performance was disappointingly void of energy and camera contact and seemed oddly disengaged. Hopefully they have managed to whip up some commitment already or the opportunity could easily slip out of their hands.
Grade: 4/5

Shava / Ostarilla
Very mixed emotions about this one. In many ways a real car crash of an entry but performed with such energy and conviction it's hard not to feel uplifted as it goes on. Is this harmless fun or is it cultural appropriation that would look really bad in an international context? I can't tell, but I'm pretty sure this is the other real contender for victory.
Grade: 3/5

Solju / Hold Your Colours
The Sami entry is a pleasant little song that feels a little bit too light-weight and Disney-esque for my liking - but the performance was clean and sophisticated and could stand out as a visual oasis if placed after a number of busier entries. A possible outsider.
Grade: 2/5

In tonight's final a number of juries will vote - the music professionals, the media personalities, the Swedish speakers and the taxi drivers all have a jury each for instance - but 90 % of the final result will be given by televoting.

Tobson predicts:
The two-horse race should be between Satin Circus and Shava. Radio pop against a taste of homemade Bollywood. I'm pretty convinced one of them will be tonight's winner. As Finland has had a tendency of favouring good songs many years in a row, I hope and think that is a tradition that will continue this time around. I predict the top three to be
1) Satin Circus, 2) Shava, 3) Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät

Tonight I will live tweet during UMK

Follow @TobsonHelsinki

Sweden: Melodifestivalen, semi 4

It has almost turned into my mantra ever since SVT started revealing only short clips instead of full songs: "30 seconds are not enough to tell anything about a song. You don't know anything after 30 seconds."

But sometimes you know all you need to now. This week it tells me I can sit back and relax and wait for at least one entry that I can keep close to my heart.

It's not a bad lineup this time around - surely more interesting than last week - but 2015 has been far from a stellar year song-wise. If the last week delivers, maybe the whole year will stand out in a more positive light to the audience than it really deserves to. If so, there is still hope.

01. Midnight Boy / Don't Say No
An orgy in 1980's posing complete with musical and visual kitsch is a great opening number and sounds like something I could get pretty enthusiastic about. Unfortunately, these kinds of retro nods to older pop culture usually fail in MF. Not convinced Midnight Boy would be an exception to that rule.

02. Caroline Wennergren / Black Swan
Seemingly a classy number and Caroline Wennergren has proved herself a real entertainer in the past when she knocked people over and made it all the way to the final in 2005. It was a surprise then and I have a feeling that was her moment. Would thunder strike twice in the same spot?

03. JTR - Building It Up
Good thing: cute boyband with the right amount of attitude and energy. Bad thing: a really generic song that make no difference to anyone. The big question is whether the audience is hungry for cute guys or good songs. If they go for the latter, these brothers will be chanceless.

04. Hasse Andersson - Guld och gröna skogar
A real veteran - whose old songs are really good and dear to me - who has now accepted a song by young songwriters that made a pastiche of his old style. Not entirely sure what I think about that - actually I'm pretty sure I think it's not authentic enough for my liking - but it is heartwarming to see Hasse Andersson getting the love he deserves.

05. Dina Nah - Make Me (La La La)
Very much like song 01, this kind of entry hasn't fared particularly well in the past: a female lead dance track tends to be out on its ears, usually at an early stage of the voting. The success of Isa/Ace Wilder may have shuffled the cards a bit, though. This is a promising chorus, but in the short clip I see nothing of the charm it would need to pull this one off.

06. Annika Herlitz - Ett andetag
A typical ballad sung by your typical singer. Technically perfect but nothing much to get excited about. Unless the fans of Frozen understand that Annika does the voice of Elsa in Swedish, this one is bound to go nowhere.

07. Måns Zelmerlöw - Heroes
Here he comes. The saviour. My hero. After these 30 seconds I am convinced this is the song I will carry with me from this year's competition. I'm less convinced everyone else will feel the same, though. There is a risk this is too arty and introverted to break through to a larger audience, and possibly Måns will have to take the detour through Andra Chansen, but I decide not to think about that at this point. I just look forward enormously to hearing the song in full.

Tobson predicts:
Final: Måns Zelmerlöw and Hasse Andersson
Andra Chansen: JTR and Dina Nah
Fifth: Caroline Wennergren
Out: Midnight Boy and Annika Herlitz

I wouldn't mind Caroline placing better or Dina Nah going straight to the final, but for me anything will do as long as Måns is in the final. May the Swedes get it!

Hungary: where did the sparkle go?

In only a couple of years, A Dal has really imposed itself as one of the more functioning national finals. It is popular among the audience as well as the participants, and last year the quality was so high almost anyone of the eight finalists could have worked in Copenhagen.

I think I wrote a number of times last year that Hungary feels like one of those countries capable of victory at any given moment now - all they need is a bull's eye and the perfect entry.

Unfortunately, 2015 won't be the big year. Instead A Dal goes out to prove what a thin line there is between good and excellent. And in a contest with 40 songs, good will never be good enough.

There is nothing wrong with the line-up for Saturday's final. All songs are more than acceptable, all of them are well sung. But none of them have "winner" written all over it. Next year, I am hoping for sharper songwriting and better choruses again. More sparkle.

Anyway, I singled out my four favourites that could do reasonably well in Vienna:

Ádám Szabó / Give Me Your Love
Given the amount of female ballads or semi-ballads in the running so far, it could be a good idea to send a man with good vocal chords into the mix. The song in itself is okay but relies very heavily on the vocal delivery.

Zoltán Mujahid / Beside You
More of the same - a male ballad supported by a strong voice - but with more of a pop beat. Would perhaps live up more to Hungary's recent reputation of being contemporary and relevant.

Spoon / Keep Marching On
Take an updated version of V.I.P and send them off to the Gianluca Bezzina School of Performing Arts and this is what you would get. Possibly not the ultimate pop hit but still charming and summery and attractive. And who doesn't like a bit of whistling?

Kati Wolf / Ne engedj el!
Perhaps the most suitable entry of them all - not least because it fits Kati's voice a lot better than her 2011 entry. Not top five material in Vienna, but a solid little song that would at least make it into the final and probably even better Kati's last showing.

The beauty of the A Dal-format is that the final is very open to surprises. Any of the songs could be a real televote favourite while passing under the radar of the jury. My guess is that Spoon could be that one - making it all the way into the final eight without really getting showered with jury points - but I'm still hoping for Kati Wolf to get a second chance to impress Europe.



Kati Wolf - Ne engedj el! (Hungary NF 2015)

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)