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The Story Of My Eurovision Life
NAVI hope to showcase Belarusian language in Kyiv
While less keen-eared Eurovision fans might have assumed that early Belarusian entries such as My Galileo and Mum were being performed in an obscure regional dialect, the quirky former Soviet state has in fact exclusively fielded entries in the English language since joining the Contest in 2004.
That looks set to change in 2017 with victory for winsome indie-pop duo NAVI and their entry Historyja majho žyccia (Story of my life) at the Belarus national final last Friday. The duo have confirmed they intend to keep in their national language for the trip to Kyiv.
Eschewing English is always perceived as a risk, but entries such as Portugal 2009 and Austria 2016 have shown that a healthy dose of charm and enthusiasm can go a long way with Eurovision voters, and if their national finals performance is any indication, NAVI have every chance of delivering in that department with this highly likeable entry.
Georgia's Bond-style ballad may provoke Russia
Another country open to wandering off the beaten track with their Eurovision entries, on first inspection Georgia's pick for 2017 - which was also selected last Friday - might appear to represent a disappointingly safe selection.
However, while Tato Gachechiladze's Bond-style ballad ' Keep The Faith' doesn't break much musical ground, the provocative stage performance - which features imagery explicitly referring to Russia's 2008 invasion of South Ossetia - may raise questions if she attempts to replicate it in Kyiv.
Gachechiladze herself was also a member of the group Stephane & 3G, who were disqualified from the 2009 Contest after their song ' We Don't Wanna Put In' was deemed too political. Georgia may not be gunning for the grand prize in May, but they already look guaranteed to come out fighting in the battle for column inches.
Nordic National Finals Continue to Take Shape
Traditional Nordic allies Denmark and Iceland both fell off the wagon hard in the past two years, with back to back non-qualifications breaking a long streak of success for both nations. This week, both revealed the lineups for their respective national selections - the one-night Melodi Grand Prix in Denmark and the three-show Söngvakeppnin 2017 in Iceland.
We'll have to wait until late February to hear the Danish songs, but the artists include last year's runner-up Anja Nissen, X Factor winners Thomas Ring and Anthony Jasmin, and self-described 'living doll' Sada Vidoo, who delivered a memorable rendition of Pat Benatar's Love Is a Battlefield on last year's X Factor UK.
Over in Iceland, fresh blood seems to be the order of the day, with the usual clutch of former participants notable by their absence. The biggest name in the pack appears to be one Svala Björgvinsdóttir, a member of popular local band Steed Lord who also enjoyed modest success in the USA with her Britney-esque 2001 single ' The Real Me'.
Have Lithuania uncovered this year's viral sensation?
Finally, if anyone should ask me this year why I spend so many of the precious hours of my life pouring over Eurovision selection programs in far flung countries, I need only point them towards the magnificent spectacle that topped Lithuania's televote this Saturday.
Get Frighten (sic) by Lolita Zero may be somewhat minimal on the lyrical front, but it's certainly maximal when it comes to visual impact. From Zero's striking entrance in a gold wraparound dress wearing Diablo-style devil horns to her brutal assault on a trio of unsuspecting Watermelons, this was truly a Eurovision performance for the ages, and while Lithuania have more respectable songs in the mix this year, there's nothing I'd rather see them chance their arm with in Kyiv. Victory for Lolita! |
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'X Factor Rejects' Power BBC's Search For Eurovision Sucess
It was two steps forward and one step back again for the UK on Monday, as the reveal of the BBC's six candidates for next Friday's Eurovision: You Decide! National Final was overshadowed by the country's newspapers griping that all six entrants had previously appeared on ITV's The X Factor.
Of course, many national finals cull from the TV talent show pool during casting (Loreen and Måns Zelmerlöw to name two), and it's little surprise that an up and coming singer who would be approached for a show like this might previously have tried their hands on a behemoth like The X Factor. Still, it's a less-than-promising start for the BBC, with the high calibre of songwriters drafted in this year entirely lost in the tabloid attacks over the lineup of 'rejects'.
Then again, given said songwriters were almost entirely culled from overseas, perhaps the press would have had plentiful ammunition either way. Despite the presence of material from the likes of Gabriel Alares ('A Million Voices') and Emmelie de Forest ('Only Teardrops'), it's hard to get past the real problem with the BBC's selection. It isn't the star quality of the performers, but the fact that the songs all sound like watered down, uninspired rehashes of past Eurovision hits. Instead of trying to feast on Nordic scraps, the BBC might be advised to take a few more chances and look for a set of songs with a little more individuality next year...
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TV Guide
Your Guide To The Next Week Of National Selections...
This week, Israel and Lithuania continue their national selections, while Finland and the United Kingdom select their entries. Hungary should also be broadcasting an edition of A Dal, although at time of writing it is unclear whether this will be the previously scheduled Heat Three, or a rescheduling of Heat Two - which was cancelled last week after a tragic Bus crash in Italy in which left several Hungarian students dead.
Friday 27th January
United Kingdom: Eurovision: You Decide! (National Final)
8.30pm CET/7.30pm GMT - Streaming from bbc.co.uk
Saturday 28th January
Finland: Uuden Musiikin Kilpailun 2017 (National Final)
8pm CET/7pm GMT - Streaming from yle.fi
Hungary: A Dal 2017 (7.30pm CET/6.30PM GMT)
Streaming from mediaklikk.hu
Lithuania: National Selection Heat Four (8pm CET/7pm GMT)
Streaming from lrt.lt
Monday 30th January
Israel: Rising Star 2017 Show 6 (8pm CET/7pm GMT)
Streaming from mako.co.il |
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Ask The ESC Insight Team...
It's Another New Newsletter Feature!
If there's one thing we're definitely not short of here at ESC Insight, it's opinions. As anyone who's ever listened to one of our podcasts will know, our Eurovision tastes are as wildly varied as our hairstyles. In the interests of keeping this newsletter from becoming my personal one-sided Swedish schlager love-in, I'll occasionally be using this space to allow the rest of the team to weigh in on an issue of Eurovision import.
This week's question...
National Final Season Is Now Underway... Which Country Has The Best Format?
Ellie Chalkley
I'm a big fan of Songvakeppnin (Iceland). It's a wonderful combination of the slickness of Nordic pop entertainment with the intimate vibe of an obscure indie music venue. Keeping the semi-finals in Icelandic and only allowing alternate language versions in the final creates a bit of magic.
John Egan
I'll be the outlier here: the internal artist selection with a several song national final. It lets great artists--Pastora, Helena, Sertab--workshop different sorts of songs with the public. It's not often a winning formula, but it means the audience gets to see them at their best.
Ben Robertson
Full credit should go to how Estonia rebranded their competition to be about their own music rather than looking for Europe. Now, the production team model the best bits of Melodifestivalen with innovations galore of their own. The little details like the extra week to make visual performances in a big arena and the exciting drip of jury results make it the production I'd point all broadcasters towards who might be daunted by Friends Arena.
Samantha Ross
I know I'm being stereotypical here, and it's not even my favourite National Final, but if the object of a country's selection is to:
- Drum up major support for a song, both domestically and for an international fanbase,
- Provide a medium for a song to be tested in battle, giving choreography, staging, and gimmicks the same opportunity to be piloted as the singer themselves,
- Deliver massive ratings to a broadcaster,
- Serve up some genuinely solid and varied songs,
...then it's really hard to argue against the prestige and polish that Melodifestivalen (Sweden) gives us. While musically, I'd reach for Eesti Laul (Estonia) any day of the week, I can't deny the clout of the Grande Dame of National Finals.
Ewan Spence
No super finals, heats, or gimmicks. No experts telling you what to think after every song. If you are serious about winning Eurovision, your National Final must replicate Eurovision. 50/50 voting, 45 seconds between songs, no reality TV soap opera. Sing like you fight, fight like you sing. So... Georgia 2017 it is then.
Sharleen Wright
Not based on the songs themselves but format alone, I will say UMK (Finland) has a place - it has record company buy in, the music selected comes from a wide selection of genres and the channel invests in all the artists with the production of a high quality clip and regular airplay across its TV and radio channels. It doesn't have to always be about winning and heading to Eurovision, but giving acts a good start with exposure to build a lasting local career.
Remember, you can stay up to date with all of the latest Eurovision news and analysis on ESC Insight. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Images: BBC.co.uk, yl.fi and Eurovision.tv |
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