Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) – Ukraine 🇺🇦

ALINA PASH – Тіні забутих предківiti (Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors)

Vocal:

Although I have no idea what she is saying (with the exception of the piece in English), I she has nice voice without overdoing it. I think her singing voice sounds a bit like Dolores O'Riordan from the Cranberries - subtle but strong.

Musical Arrangement:

While a lot of ESC performers tend to rely on a backing track, it was very refreshing to have a small choir/chorus to provide some of the musical backup instead of a pre-recorded track. I'll admit that I'm not a huge fan of the spoken word part in the middle part of the song. However, it does provide an additional layer of complexity (in a good way) to the song. "Remember your ancestors, but write your own history"

Staging:

I think the staging with her image and the various images within the map of Ukraine (at the end) was very powerful. Also, I'm really digging the traditional clothing.

Final Thoughts:

First, I have to give Alina (and the rest of the performers doing Ukraine's national selection) mad props for staying so poised while their country is under the threat of an invasion by Russia. I'm not sure that I would have been able to perform under those conditions. If Ukraine participates in ESC2022, I do not think Alina will have a problem qualifying to the finals; however, she will have very big shoes to fill from GO_A's ESC2021 performance. The slightly concerning issue (from what I imagine) is the political nature of the song, especially with what is happing between Ukraine and Russia. ESC performers are not allowed to send political songs to the contest.

While it would have performed well on its own, I have a feeling that ESC will be more receptive to this song compared to anything that Russia sends. In previous ESCs, Russia has been consider the villain of ESC/Europe. I remember watching one ESC, and the audience would boo every time Russia received any votes. It was so bad that the hosts had to stop the contest for a little bit and remind the crowd that politics do not belong in ESC. Honestly, I have a feeling that's why Russia came in second place because the ESC folks were like I'm fine with anyone BUT Russia winning.

Ukraine in last year’s Eurovision:

Go_A - Shum

• Semi-final results: 2nd place out of 16 performances (267 total points - 103 national juries and 164 public votes).

• Final results: 5th out of 26 performances (364 total points - 97 national juries and 267 public votes).

This performance was an entire mood. Even though I have no idea what the hell she is saying, the flow of the song kept me interested and bopping my head. For instance, this song has been added to pretty much all of my running playlists, and I definitely play it when I need to put in some speed during a run. To be perfectly honest, I thought they were going to to win the contest. In my defense, I did not see France's (2nd place) and Italy's (1st place) performances during the final. I guess that I was on a smoke break. I pretty much loved everything about this performance, the singing, the music, the dancing, the lighting, the singer's outfit, and the bird call at the end.

Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) – North Macedonia 🇲🇰

Andrea – Circles

Vocal:

I absolutely love Andrea’s voice. I do not know, but it has a very distinctive sound that forced me to listen to the lyrical content of the song instead of just bopping along to it. While she does not do many vocal gymnastics, I think that it’s pretty powerful.

Musical Arrangement:

I will admit that I’m a fan of faster, more upbeat songs, but the musical arrangement is pretty decent. Also, I have a feeling that the song will grow on me over the next few months leading up to Eurovision. I hope that she removes some of the backing vocals because I think it takes away from her voice. Also, the theme of the song could be applied to so many situations - dealing with someone who owes you money; an airline when your flight has been canceled at the last minute; a fast-food cashier who put the wrong order in for your food.

Staging:

Since N. Macedonia does not use live performances for its national selections, I’m not sure what to expect for Andrea’s performance in ESC. That said, I think a simple stage setting could be enough to elevate her performance, but I guess that we’ll see.

Final Thoughts:

I think this will have no problem advancing from the semi to the final due to the fact that pretty much all demographics of the ESC viewing public (especially with the national juries) can relate to this song. Since Cyprus, Montenegro, Romania, and Malta are going to be in the same semifinal heat, I think those national juries will send quite a few votes to N. Macedonia. With the exception of the Big Five (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK), we do not know who will be in the final, but I think that she will be in the mid-teens

North Macedonia in last year’s Eurovision:

Vasil – Here I Stand

• Semi-final results: 15th place out of 16 performances (23 total points – 12 national juries and 11 public votes)

• Final results: Since he did not place within the top ten in his semifinal heat, he did not qualify for the final.

I will be a bit honest and say that I was surprised that this song did not qualify. Since ESC2020 was canceled due to the pandemic, I think folks just were not feeling slow ballads for ESC2021. That said, I’m not sure that his ESC2020 song, which was more uptempo, would have qualified either. It seemed as if folks wanted to dance and rock out. It’s clear that Vasil is very talented vocally; however, this vocal talent did not translate on Eurovision’s stage. Then again, he was a bit off-key for a lot of his vocal runs during his semifinal performance. Also, his staging was not that great or innovative, compared to other performers in the contest. That said, I thought he was probably one of the stronger singers in the competition, and this song stays on many of my long-run playlists.

Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) – Ireland 🇮🇪

Random ESC/Ireland Trivia: With seven wins, Ireland currently has the most ESC wins. Also, it has won the contest THREE years in a row (1993 - 1994).

Brooke Scullion - That's Rich

Vocal:

I'm not a fan of her voice because it is a bit too nasally for my tastes, but I think it works well for her. I do love the confidence that she expresses in the song.

Musical Arrangement:

I think that this will do well with the youngsters, who are the majority of the folks voting in Eurovision. It is pretty catchy. As I'm typing, I found myself saying "That's rich" and "Bye, bye, BOY".

Staging:

Not sure if I can say much about the staging at this point. From my understanding, Ireland announces its ESC performers during what would be our version of a late-night talk show, so I have no idea how this will look (eg lighting, choreo, etc.) on the ESC2022 stage. Based on this performance, I would love to see a bit more dancing (if possible) on her part. Also, I do not really get the costumes, but there is plenty of time to revamp/restage the performance.

Final Thoughts:

This song really is not my cup of tea, but I can see it qualifying and doing well in the final especially in the demographic that typically votes in Eurovision. Under normal circumstances, I would give this three stars, but I think it will do well so it gets a 4-star rating

Ireland in last year’s Eurovision:

Lesley Roy - Maps

• Semi-final results: 16th place out of 16 performances (20 total points – 16 national juries and 4 public votes)

• Final results: Did not qualify

Unfortunately, I could not find a vid on YouTube that has the televised performance with all of the effects. But in this behind-the-scenes version from one of her rehearsals, you can see that there was LOT going on that the audience at home did not see.

I was kind of sad that this one did not advance to the final, but I understand why it did not. While her performance was very innovative, I think the constant brisk walking on the treadmills hurt the vocal aspect of the performance. All of those things said, I LOVE this song. I tend to like upbeat, pop songs with some folk influences that tell a story, and Maps does that for me. This song has been on many of my running playlists since May. Perhaps, this has something to do with the running aspect that is present in this performance and in the music video where she's running around in the woods somewhere in Ireland. I especially love the lyric toward the end of the song: "My soul is a map. My heart is a compass. I am the road. There's only one way to go. This is the way back home."