The second semi-final is emerging as one of the toughest semifinals to call. Almost each entry has a compelling case on why they should advance to the final, but there are also factors that might also work against them--of course save for a few favorites. There is also that factor on how much the public sympathizes with ISRAEL or those vocal protests against it because of the treatment of the Palestinian civilians in Gaza. How will it all pan out?
01 MALTA: "Loop" - Sarah Bonnici. Most fans don't think the song is anything special, even if a revamp did improve prospects for the song. But many would love to salute Sarah's daring in her performance, like that blindfold flip that she did in her national final that she intends to also retain in her performance on the main stage. She is reportedly adding some other acrobatics into her performance so I wonder if all those would make more of the televoting public vote for her--I hope it does.
02 ALBANIA: "Titan" - Besa. She was not the winner of her national final, Festivali i kengest and in fact did not even finish in the Top Three, but she got the highest popular vote in that contest, and that gave her the right to compete in this contest. It was of course originally performed in Albanian under the title "Zemrën N’dorë [Hand in heart]" and as it was I didn't find it as distinctive as the other entries turned out to be but I do love the melody of the chorus, as it reminds me of the Cranberries' 1994 smash hit "Zombie". I thought it could coast by with the expected support from neighbors like ITALY, GREECE, SWITZERLAND (because of a significant diaspora), and possibly ARMENIA and GEORGIA.
But then they decided to revamp the song by changing the language to English. But not only did they change the language, they also changed the song's subject and made some radical rearrangements. It's substantially a different song now, barring the melody which remains the same. The Albanian original is about a spurned lover warning her departing ex that he'll be doomed without her, and the revamped English version is now an empowerment anthem about a person confronting the people who were obstacles to her goals and dreams that she's unstoppable and she'll "riiiiiiiiiiiise". To be honest, I find the English lyrics trite, and what is a fully realized line in the chorus is turned into an extended one word "rise" in this version. However, I don't mind the rearrangement to turn this a bit R&B and I do like the rave-up climax that reminds me of The Weeknd's 2020/21 longevity chart mega-smash "Blinding Lights". But it's akin to the situation with songwriter Desmond Child when he rewrote "If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man)" (a single for Bonnie Tyler) and converted it into Bon Jovi's mega-smash "You Give Love a Bad Name", except in this case it was done in reverse. Will the traditional supporters still go behind this song?
03 GREECE: "ZARI [DICE]" - Marina Satti. When I listened to this song, what struck me is that it evokes Bollywood for me. But Overthinking It revealed there is a whole lot more to this song besides being a catchy ethno-bop, like the fact that Marina's artistry comes from her knack of synthesizing and mashing up multiple influences to create her own sound, and that was the approach she did with the song--she had the Greek broadcaster ERT request for song submissions, and then Marina pick and choose elements of some of them and fused them into this song. I also love Overthinking It's commentary about what tourists think of Greece and what the real Greece is very insightful. It made me appreciate the song even more.
04 SWTIZERLAND: "The Code" - Nemo. In a way, this country is taking a risk with this non-binary artist as this is an avant-garde pop song that fuses rap, pop, electronica, drum-and-bass, and opera. However, what seems an unwieldy fusion on paper works wonderfully as a cohesive whole in this song. That derring-do alone makes this a standout favorite, but it is revealed that Nemo can perform all those intricate parts live turned him into the big rival who could stand in the way of CROATIA's victory. It dawned on me that this potentially unwieldy fusion and theme of self-discover hearikens back to an iconic classic: Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". It's increasingly becoming evident that Queen's mega-shash was about Freddie Mercury coming to terms about his own queerness, Nemo's is about coming to terms and celebrating being non-binary. The way Queen was inspired by various classical works in its opera sequence is also mirrored in Nemo's riff on "The Queen of the Night" aria from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's The Magic Flute. This is undeiably emerging as a jury darling, but will there be a close rivalry with, say, FRANCE or ITALY?
I do like this song but there is one thing that is preventing me from rooting for it wholeheartedly--Nemo resembles a whole lot like another non-binary artist, who happened to have a very dismal reputation--The Flash's Ezra Miller. But as long as Nemo doesn't behave anywhere near like Ezra, I'll be fine.
05 CZECHIA: "Pedestal" - Aiko. This song sounded terrific as a studio recording, as it's a polished pop-punk ditty. However, she was all over the place during the national final, barely holding her pitch that even if her entry was indeed the best, many felt she could become a cellar-dweller on the main Eurovision stage. However, during the live pre-party circuit, many are complimenting on how her vocals were improving, and based on rehearsals we are going to see polished staging and improved vocals. But would that be enough for this to advance?
XX FRANCE: "Mon amour [My love]" - Slimane. He's the first to release his entry, and many have placed this in high regard as this is a passionately sung modern chanson.. But of course with all the other entries coming in it got a bit drowned out in terms of buzz. There are still adherents who still believe this will fare high, and perhaps this will win over the juries, but I'm not certain how he could be a contender. We'll see how the actual semi-final performance turns out.
06 AUSTRIA: "We Will Rave" - Kaleen. Many Eurofans embraced this dance-pop ditty, and I get the appeal as it's well-produced and catchy. But as the live pre-party performances came in, buzz towards this entry dissipated a bit--but I still think she delivers solid vocals, But in terms of performance level there are others who seem to be edging her out. Let's see how everything will unfold.
07 DENMARK: "Sand" - Saba. There are fans who love this electro-pop entry and placed this highly in their ratings. I also appreciate this entry a lot as Saba is a strong singer--her music and presentation reminds me a lot of Latvia's Aminata with her 2015 entry "Love Injected". But at that time Aminata had juries rallying behind her in both rounds and in this semifinal Saba doesn't have the benefit oF garnering jury votes, and although NORWAY and conceivably FINLAND may rally around her, it may not be enough for her to qualify to the final.
08 ARMENIA: "Jako" - Ladaniva. I've noticed that empowerment anthems in this contest tend to be serious and preachy. They don't capture what it feels to be empowered. This song addresses that and it's exhilirating. The unbridled joy by singer Jaklin Baghsadaryan is just so palpable that you can't help but join in with her joy. Her partner, Louis Thomas, supports in her joy with all that ethnic instrumentation. I'm confident this will do well and the audience will participate in the call-and-response portion of the song.
09 LATVIA: "Hollow" - Dons. Dons has been attempting to represent Latvia for about a couple of decades now, and finally with this dignified pop ballad and a shaven-head look, he finally got his chance. The song's quality is actually undeniable--it's a polised, well-sung ballad that sounds like a mellower version of Imagine Dragons' 2013 smash "Radioactive". But with the televote-only semi-final, would he be able to connect with the public to break Latvia's six-years-and-counting non-qualification drought?
XX SPAIN: "Zorra [Bitch]" - Nebulossa. I've learned that the song title is actually considered a vulgar word, but to English-speaking ears, its sounded pleasant--my translation of te word is actually considered a mild equivalent. There are a lot of Eurofans digging this 1980s synth-pop song and ranking it highly, but I have a feeling it may not connect as strongly with the rest of Europe as what the online Eurofans would presume. Yes, it might have points from the Rest of the World vote thanks to Latin America, but other than that, I fret that it may not rise above Bottom Five. Still, much props for lead singer Mery Bas giving Jennifer Coolidge-style fabulousness embracing her age, and those sexy backup dancers with their derring-do baring their butts.
Another piquant note: last year, they tried out for the SAN MARINO national selection, but they didn't seem to have polish and sheen then and hence were eliminated in the first round. This entry is indeed a big improvement over that entry and a worthy winner of Benidorm Fest.
10 SAN MARINO: "11:11" - Megara. This act made a big splash at last year's Benidorm Fest with "Arcadia", which placed fourth. This year they decided to try out for this country's national final, and they ended up securing their ticket to the big Eurovision stage. Many fans still have a higher regard towards their previous entry, but this one still is a very listenable hard rock number. This country is not known for faring well in this contest, but this looks like it will at least not finish last unlike last year.
11 GEORGIA: "Firefighter" - Nutsa Buzaladze. She's a charismatic perfoemer touted with great vocals, and she brings it with this ethno-pop banger. Buzz increased as rehearsals wore on, so it's likely she'll break this country's seven-year-long drought and qualify to the final.
12 BEGIUM: "Before the Party is Over" - Mustii. When I watched the music video, I thought Mustii exudes this Iggy Pop-style charisma, and I found the song to be a powerful rocker that I thought this looks likie a shoo-in. However during the pre-party circuit, many observers noted his vocal seems inconsistent and he doesn't quite exude much charisma as his glossy music video seems to suggest. And buzz from rehearsals seems to be that there is disappointment with the staging. But I feel the song has strong merits, so would tat help him still secure his slot in the finals?
13 ESTONIA: "(Nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi [We (surely) know nothing about (these) drugs]" - 5MIINUST x Puuluup. At first listen, one might assume that this is a troll act a la the 2008 entry, Kreisiraadio. But as thoughtfully explained by Overthinking It, these are two very popular acts in their native country that decide to combine forces because of genuine mutual admiration for each other, even if on the surface their genres were disparate. 5MIINUST (pronounced vees-mee-noost, meaning "five-minus" or "minus five") are a top-selling Estonian hip-hop leaning act that used to indeed be a quintet but still carried on with the name even if one member left for a solo career (love the shoutout to the Sara Bareilles-led Netflix musical sitcom Girls5Eva, Overthinking It) while Puuluup developed strong acclaim and following for their knack of combining modern musical styles while playing the traditional talharpa, a bowed lyre.
I will also defer to Overthinking It to explain what the song is really about, and it's both satirical and serious in its commentary on Estonian society. So there is actual depth to what seems to be a very entertaining novelty party song. But what made me obsess over this entry is the way various elements of this song triggered a lot of pop culture references in my already pop-cuisinart-addled mind. Let me count the ways:
1) The sing-song-y verses reminds me of Harry Nilsson's 1972 hit "Coconut",, which I first heard in a cover version by 1990s pop/hiphop duo PM Dawn as part of an epic three-song suit called "Fantasia's Confidential Ghetto" that include a cover of Prince's "1999" and the Talking Heads' "Once in a Lifetime".
2) The guttural vocals of Puuluup's Marko Veisson make me recall the vocals German producer Frank Farian delivered for 1970s group Boney M*4.
*4 Though Boney M fans know the male member being Aruban dancer Bobby Farrell, he never sang on those hit recordings though he did occasionally sing the male parts of the songs live. He was basically hired for his looks and dancing skills. Frank later pulled off this similar ploy a decade later with Milli Vanilli--interestingly that notorious duo has an actual Eurovision connection, as the late Rob Pilatus actually performed with the band Wind in 1987 with their entry "Laß die Sonne in dein Herz [Let the Sun into Your Heart]" as they placed second behind Johnny Logan's "Hold Me Now". Considering this was in an era where performers were required to sing and play their instruments live, and Rob was singing and playing a guitar, Rob must have had actual musical ability--maybe not to the standards that Frank Farian required, but still he should've given Rob a chance to use his voice and musical ability somewhere--I mean, Rob's partner, Fab Morvan has developed into a good singer and he's gradually rebuilding the act's tarnished reputation.
3) At the same time, Marko's parts made me think of those catchy guitar instrumental parts in Henry Mancini's iconic "Peter Gunn" theme from 1959 which then make me think of early-1960s instrumental surf music like Dick Dale's "Miserlou"*5 from 1962.
*5 It's actually a folk song of unknown Eastern Mediterranean origin but became popular starting in the 1920s as performed by Greek, Turkish, and Arab musicians all over.
4) At the same time, Marko's vocal parts made me recall the opening German lines on "Dancing Lasha Tumbai", that now iconic 2007 Ukrainian Eurovision entry by drag performer Verka Serduchka.
5) The instrumental talharpa sequences made me recall the opening portion of The Offspring's 1998 international smash hit "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)" (the "Give it me baby / uh-uh, uh-uh" part) and I think we can overlay those vocals over the instrumental parts and it will work.
6) Since I don't know Estonian, I think of certain word associations when I listen to the chorus, and to my ears, the chorus sounds like "Khumb Mela / My gumamela / My gumamela / C'mon lemme at 'em!". "Khumbh Mela" is a famous Indian religous festival along the Ganges, but I first came across the word as a brand for a range of knapsacks and outdoor gear. "Gumamela" is a purple hibiscus that is very common in my country, the Philippines. And "Lemme at 'em" is the catchphrase by the notorious Scrappy-Doo from the Scooby Doo franchise.
I know this number is not going to win over the jury, but I'm hopeful that it will garner enough televotes to bolster its fortunes, but I'm fretful about this round as SWEDEN and FINLAND are not in their bracket. Hope they would survive and advance.
XX ITALY: "La noia [The boredom]" - Angelina Mango. Her facial features remind me of Lady Gaga and I see her as Lady Gaga's younger, arguably prettier sister/cousin with a more tasteful but still edgy sense of style. I was drawn to this song and artist ever since her first night performance at Sanremo with this song. It's spellbinding, engaging, danceable and boppable. You can escape to its hypnotic Latin-inspired*6 rhythms, but the song's lyrics has a deep message about embracing the blues, grief, or boredom headfirst with a dance in your heart. The message would strike a deeper chord when you learn Angelina is the daughter of a famous Italian artist, Pino Mango (often billed mononymously by his last name), who passed away when she was 13 (she's only 22 now). The song continues to enthrall me after repeated listens and I'm rooting for this to win.
*6 Cumbia is actually a musical genre popular in Latin America, supposedly originating in Colombia then spreading northward to ga as far as Mexico and had also taken a hold worldwide.
The rhythms of this song also made me recall 2018 Eurovision veteran from Portugal, Claudia Pascoal's "Nasci Maria [Born a Maria]", which placed third at last year's Festival da Canção--much respect to Mimicat, but this is my favorite song from that competition and this is a way better showcase of Claudia's artistry than her 2018 entry, "O jardim [The garden[".
14 ISRAEL: "Hurricane" - Eden Golan. I know there is a lot of hate for this entry amongst vocal Euro-fans out there sympathetic to the plight of Palestinian civilians in the ongoing Gaza war. What further fuels their ire is that even if the lyrics were watered down from its original incarnation as "October Rain", you still get the subtext that it's about the October 7 Hamas attacks against Israel, which triggered the war. I stand with the Israeli victims of those attacks that they do not deserve it and sympathize with them, but Benjamin Netanyahu's government's scorched-earth response towards Gaza is not the right way to go.
I want to detach myself from all the drama and focus on the merits of te song and the singer. First, Eden Golan is a gorgeous lady and a great singer, and she delivers heartfelt vocals to this song. Melody and out of context, the song's composition is pretty, and somehow I have visions if Daft Punk's 2001 classic "One More Time" was slowed down into a ballad and mashed up with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's hit duet from te 2018 film A Star is Born, "Shallow". It's a pretty ballad on its own, but I don't really connect to it. It's similar to the sentiment I feel for the Eurovision 2015 runner-up from Russia, Polina Gagarina's "A Million Voices"--it's a well-sung, solidly composed and produced ballad that doesn't stir my heartstrings, and it has nothing to do with the hypocrisy of the sentiments expressed in these songs by the countries they're representing.
The question for me is this--how strong is the pro-Palestinian sentiment amongst the European public? If the vocal protests mirror the general public sentiment and televote, then I feel this will then not advance. I'm curious about how this would go.
15 NORWAY: "Ulveham [Wolf's hide]" - Gåte. The song is actually derived from an 11th century folk song whose melody has been lost to time. The band (pronounced GOH--tuh) has long been fusing old fusic with extreme hard rock, and this entry is par for their course. Overthinking It again explains all tese fully in their video so I'm posting that video below. For me, it's a tarrific number that I'm bullish it will continue in this country's series of strong finishes in tis contest as of late.
16 NETHERLANDS: "Europapa" - Joost Klein. When I first heard this entry, I first doubted if this country is bound to repeat the non-qualification of last year's entry, as this is not only sung in Dutch, it at first sounds like a silly novelty song that I thought most people outside of the Netherlands and Flanders portion of Belgium might not get. However, I've heard a lot of growing positive buzz amongst Euro-fans and Joost's background and the underlying message of this song is striking a wide chord. First, is Joost's background as having lost both of his parents at a very young age. Then, as explained again by Overthinking It below, Joost has always been marrying bright, peppy, and sometimes silly music to this tragic backstory. And then, the way Joost is talking about the state of Europe and link it with his own personal tragedy seems to indicate a fetful fear about the rise of nationalist / populist movements that could tear the European Union apart the way his parents' deaths seems to continue to loom over him. Admittedly this song is starting to win me over, and in fact, the chorus makes me think of the ubiquitous brassy instrumental riff of Frankie Valli's 1966 mega-smash "Can't Take My Eyes Off You".
So who do I think would qualify from this semi-final? Here's my take:
TOP 10: ALBANIA, GREECE, SWITZERLAND, AUSTRIA, ARMENIA, GEORGIA, BELGIUM, ESTONIA, NORWAY, NETHERLANDS
BUBBLING UNDER: MALTA, DENMARK, ISRAEL
And amongst the Big Five in this round, here's how I think they would fare:
TOP FIVE: ITALY
TOP 10: FRANCE
BOTTOM FIVE: SPAIN
If my own forecast holds, here's how I see how the finals would pan out:
FINALS TOP 10 FORECAST: LITHUANIA, UKRAINE, CROATIA, GREECE, SWITZERLAND, FRANCE, AUSTRIA, ITALY, NORWAY, NETHERLANDS
BUBBLING UNDER: SWEDEN, IRELAND, UNITED KINGDOM, LUXEMBOURG, ARMENIA, GEORGIA, BELGIUM, ESTONIA
Many times my own personal favorites don't match what would end up faring well in te contest, so here's my personal Top 10 ranking and others wo I held in high regard":
1) iTALY; 2) CROATIA; 3) ESTONIA; 4) SWITZERLAND; 5) NORWAY; 6) BELGIUM; 7) AUSTRIA; 8) ARMENIA; 9) SLOVENIA; 10) LUXEMBOURG
BUBBLING UNDER: SERBIA, LITHUANIA, IRELAND, UNITED KINGDOM, UKRAINE, PORTUGAL, GREECE, GEORGIA, NETHERLANDS
For me it seems to be a three-way race among ITALY, CROATIA, and SWITZERLAND, with UKRAINE and the NETHERLANDS looming strongly beind them. Talk about ISRAEL looms large in this contest--would there be a fallout if it turns out ISRAEL would be doing well and advance to the final?
JUST ME!
JOSEPH
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