Old, Bold and Boring from the Turks

Turkey: Yüsek Sadakat - Live it Up

This song arrogantly starts off by the sentence “Here’s your favorite song on the radio”. I can’t really seem to recall that I’ve heard this one on the radio, and if I did I doubt it would be my favorite. Turkey has for some reason become the rock’n’roll nation of the contest, and last year that took them all the way to the bitter second place. Although these Turkish rock bands are by no means Bon Jovi or AC/DC, I believe the reason why these mediocre pop-rock numbers does so well is because they feel refreshing somehow and you actually distinguish them from the rest of the songs.

Unfortunately though, this year’s rock-Turks are very forgettable. Yüsek Sadakat has been around since the late 90’s but they only grew popular about 5-6 years ago. Two studio albums later, they decided to go international and try to gain a place on the European star map by entering the ESC with this yawn of a song. It’s all about living it and how life is beautiful, and I’m sure being a rock star in Turkey is awesome, but I somehow find it hard to buy into what these guys are saying. There is no energy on the stage, the song has no personality and it feels like it’s a bad version of something you’ve a thousand times before.

The whole number just feels very slow, the band looks old and the members are not cool or attractive in any way. I guess looks shouldn’t really matter, but forget about being politically correct because this number would clearly have been much better had it been song by someone young and hip. It still wouldn’t have changed the fact that it’s a boring and outdated song, but a good stage-show could maybe have distracted us from the music itself. Well let’s be honest – that is an often used trick in the ESC.

The Comeback

Italy: Raphael Gualazzi - Follia D'Amore



After having been absent from the ESC for 13 year, Italy has finally decided to make a much wanted comeback. This time it is as part of "The Big 5", a group that already exists of Spain. France, Germany and the United Kingdom - and now Italy. Since they spend so much money on arranging this fabulous event, this group feel that they deserve a direct ticket to the big finale and just skips the whole qualifying process. In other words - they buy themselves out of it. Well whatever, "Fair Play" is FIFA's slogan and nobody ever tried to apply that to the ESC.

Singer Raphael Gualazzi is already well known in Italy, and has released to albums so far. The Italians are expecting this jazzy little number to do quite well in the competition, and I believe it will be well received by the older ESC audience. However, just like France, I'm not sure that the younger crowd will be to dazzled by it. It's an ok song, but it feels a little to "hotel piano bar" for my taste. There isn't really any wow factor here, and that's essential if you're going to win Europe over in just 3 minutes.

I'm glad that Italy is finally back in business though, and they make a great contribution to the ESC. Perhaps will we see the return of the once great ESC nation Luxembourg next year? Regardless, I don't think Italy should get their hopes up before Düsseldorf. It's one of the better songs this year, but jazz has never been quite right for the ESC. Remember "Frauen Regier'n Di Welt" from 2007? A great jazz number - but finished only as number 16 to every ones surprise. I think Italy can expect a similar result. Let's just hope they won't get to offended and drop out
of the competition again.

Incredibly Unsexy

Albania: Aurela Gace - Feel the Passion

I’m very tempted to say: Get a hold of a stylist immediately! But then again, Aurela Gaces weird appearance is just about the only thing interesting to watch during this number. I guess this is supposed to be sexy and mysterious, but I for one am not turned on by this. And I don’t really understand who would be. She’s definitely gonna have to strip down to next to nothing in order to get some sexy votes, I can promise you that much. Don’t get wrong though, I really don’t want to encourage that. There is enough stripping in the ESC already.

Aurela Gace is quite famous in Albania, she’s been performing since she was 4 years old and has won the “Festivali i Këngës” 3(!) times. That’s apparently some huge song competition in Albania that is nowadays also used to pick the representative for the ESC. But let’s be honest, nobody really cares about her merits because the bottom line is that this number is a complete waste of our time. It will never win, and I’ll be very surprised if this will qualify for the finale. I know, I know, stranger things have indeed happened and anything is possible.

But no, this will never happen. Albania can just start looking for participants for the next round of “Festivali I Këngës” and forget about this year’s competition - because this is maybe the worst song in the ESC 2011.

A Hit in Disguise

Latvia: Musiqq - Angel in Disguise

Ok. I don’t understand a word of what this guy is saying, I thought it was in Latvian at first but it turns out its actually English. Surprisingly enough though, I find myself actually really liking this one. I can’t exactly put my finger on what it is, but there’s something strangely cool about this number. Firstly, I think the lead singer is excellent. He’s got a decent voice, and also I love the fact that he’s energetic and seems to be enjoying himself on stage. The chemistry between the lead singer and the guitarist/rapper feels authentic, and they really do make a handsome couple

I’m not that crazy about the rap part though, and the ending of the song is a little pathetic. I guess it’s too late to change that now, but there are a few things Latvia has to take care of a.s.a.p. in order to make this number as good as it gets before Düsseldorf. Firstly, they need to get a hold of an English teacher quickly. Second, something needs to be done about that lead singers style. That whole outfit works for that other guy but really not on him. And thirdly, I’m aware of that the instruments aren’t live, but it looks a little bizarre that the rapper just put’s down the guitar, and it keeps on playing afterwards. I do recommend that he goes back and picks it up again when he’s done rapping.

There hasn’t been much fuzz about Latvia at all, which is a little unfair. I mean this is clearly not the winner, but it’s cool and different. If Latvia makes a couple of adjustments, this one may surprise more people than just me.

A Soul(less) Diva

Slovenia: Maja Keuc - No One

Maja Keuc has been called the Christina Aguilera or Anastacia of Slovenia, and she became a household name in her homeland when she finished second in the Slovenian version of Got Talent. And no doubt does Maja have talent, her performance is impeccable and her combination of real talent and real beauty is quite rare these days, so at least it is nice to get a conformation of that you can actually have it all.

The song however feels very unnatural, it is one of those ready-made instant Eurovision songs, which is not that bad tasting; it just has no soul. There is big drama going on in this number, but whatever it is that Maja is feeling up there, it doesn’t transfer into your living room. I’m not moved by this at all The whole number feels like a poor version of a something you’ve heard a thousand times before, and it doesn’t bring anything new or special to the table.

In the ESC it is important to stick out somehow, either by having a really great number or something really terrible or stupid that people will remember when they’re casting their votes. Having something that is ok is probably the worst mistake you can make in the ESC, and I’m afraid Slovenia has fallen into that trap this year. This is just one of the many power ballads in this year’s contest, and unfortunately I think it will sink like a stone in the sea of ballads.

Why Change a Winning Recipe?

Germany: Lena Meyer Landrut - Taken by a Stranger

Immediately after Lena won last year in Oslo, it was decided that she would represent Germany at home in Düsseldorf. Why look for someone else when everybody seems to be loving Lena? This girl has a charming personality and a cute voice, she’s the Lily Allen of Germany and it was refreshing to see someone who was just being herself on the ESC stage. Many countries have won ESC two years in a row (Ireland, Israel, Spain etc.), but nobody has ever done it with the same artist two years in a row. Could Lena create ESC history?

“Taken by a Stranger” is a quite good song and Lena is looking better than ever, but this song is not nearly as catchy as “Satellite” was. It kind off feels like the song never really starts, you’re waiting for it to take off but it never happens. This slow, melancholic act doesn’t feel right for Lena. Last year she was that happy German girl who bounced around on stage in her own little world, and this years she’s all down and depressed. What happened? Maybe she’s embarrassed about having to represent Germany again, it does sort of feel like a joke, or has the pressure of being a celebrity already worn her out? Did her boyfriend dump her?

I don’t know what happened, but it feels a little cheap that Germany is using the same recipe as last year. I don’t think they’re going to get another win like that. Perhaps it is on purpose; hosting the ESC two years in a row would be mad expensive and just double the work, so I do understand if that’s the idea behind putting Lena out there again. I don’t think she’s going to create ESC history and win it again, but I guess if anybody could do it, it would be Lena - so I can’t write it off completely.