queenraiden

[queenraiden]

It's election time in Canada, again. Go vote!

So back in October of 2019, Canada re-elected Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister; however, with a minority (as in winning the most seats but not enough to cross the 170-seat majority threshold). Having a minority government means having to work with the other parties in order to get bills passed. If the opposition parties all vote against the ruling party on let's say the budget then it's off to an election.

But that's not the case here.

With the election that's gonna be happening September 20, 2021, what we have is a snap election, which basically can be called at any time, and usually when there's a chance that the election will give the ruling party a majority if not more seats. Considering that we're in the midst of a pandemic it'd be great if the election were held when it's supposed to (assuming pandemic is over by then) in October 2023 I believe, but that's not usually up to us but the people we elect.

So wait? What's the point of this?

My initial ramblings aside, my message here as with my previous one from the previous election time message is more or less the same:

GO VOTE IN THE ELECTION!

Why should you? It's so we don't have a worse situation than we have now. Also, if millennials and gen z combined make up the largest voting block, they have the power to turn the tide. Also, we're stuck with a first past the post system where if the vote is split between the Liberals and Conservatives in your riding, and one of the parties wins with not even 50% of eligible voters, that candidate for that party will win even though the rest of eligible voters who voted did not want them to win.

Think of being a group of 6 people ordering 1 pizza with a choice between pepperoni and plain cheese, 4/6 people are vegetarian, and out of the 4 vegetarians only one votes for the cheese while the other 3 don't care because they're not eating pizza. In the end, the group ends up ordering pepperoni and vegetarian who wanted pizza doesn't get any because they don't eat meat. The most sensible solution would be to order both the pepperoni and the cheese pizza, but that would only happen if we had proportional representation. So, if you want to have cheese pizza, which everyone can eat, make sure to vote or else you get no pizza.

Whom should I vote for?

If you have no idea which party to vote for, I suggest using the vote compass. All you do is answer questions and based on where you stand on certain issues you will be matched with a party that closely aligns to your values. It's quicker than reading each individual platform for Liberal, New Democrats (NDP), Conservative, People's Party of Canada (PPC), and Green (and certain parties like Bloc Quebecois and the newly-formed Maverick are regional parties you can ignore if they're not running in your area).

If it's your first time voting, I suggest not going with the candidate your parents are voting for unless you too also agree with that candidate. If you're voting as a new Canadian for the first time, I don't think I need to convince you to vote but definitely do take the time to see where you stand in relation to our political parties.

Regarless whether it's your 1st or 10th election you've participated in, keep in mind vote splitting. Think back to the pizzas and this time a group of 7 with 3 options instead of 2. Three people want pepperoni, 2 want cheese, and 2 want veggie deluxe. Because you have 2 people wanting the veggie deluxe instead of cheese, pepperoni still wins. It's risky to split the vote especially if you're left-leaning and don't want the right-leaning candidate to win, but who knows? You may have more than 1 right-leaning candidate and that might split votes as well.

Now that I know whom I'm voting for, how do I vote for them? I also don't want to catch/spread COVID-19

Polling stations will still be a thing, and you can vote there on advanced polling days, or on election day. You can also vote in advance at your riding's elections office up until voting day.

Can't get to the polls? Don't want the hassle of putting on a mask? Maybe you have COVID-19 and don't want to infect others? Maybe you don't want to catch it and spread it to others? Sign up for a mail-in ballot. All you need is a scanned piece of ID, the form filled out online, and within a week you'll get a small package of your ballot, instructions, and a few envelopes.

To find out things like where your polling stations are located, who your candidates are in your riding (and even what your riding is), the Elections Canada site is your place to go. It definitely has all the info you need for this and any future elections.

So, whether you like how the Liberals are handling the country or you want to see some change by voting for another party, just get out there and vote! You still have a voice and a vote in the election is one way to express yourself. Keep in mind that when you vote, vote wisely.

[queenraiden]

Eurovision 2021 in review

After a long year hit by the unexpected but inevitable COVID-19, the contest is back! Even with the safety precautions in place there were still a few positive tests among the delegations, but this time there were contingency plans to make sure the show went on.

And it did.

There were a lot of good songs this year that I was kind of like Marge Simpson in the final who wanted everyone to have a good time. If my reference is lost with you:

Though I didn’t exactly give everyone a good score in terms of my scorecard (which I did for fun as I don’t normally do this):

I’ll get back to that later, but first ...

Semi-Final 1

I was satisfied with the 10 sent through to the final. Surprise for me was Belgium with Hooverphonic’s “The Wrong Place”, thinking it might be too slow for a fast-paced crowd, but then again Zalagasper’s “Sebi” from 2019 wasn’t a fast-paced song and that went to the finals back then.

Croatia’s entry this year, “Tick-Tock” by Albina, was a crowd favourite from what I gathered from comments on how she was robbed. The song didn’t stick out to me personally, but I’ll give it points for mixing both English and Croatian and that’s it. Performance-wise she did well, so she could’ve made that 10th spot.

Ireland’s staging reminded me of a staging used in a French national final. The staging is fun but it seems designed more for a television audience then a live audience. As for the song itself it was fun at first but lost some of its lustre by the time the first semi aired.

Semi-Final 2

For me there were more surprises in this one than the first. Portugal sent its first entry that’s 100% in English (”Love is on my side” by The Black Mamba) and I’ve seen flack for it because Portugal usually sends entries in or containing Portuguese. It’s a good song regardless of language used.

Out of the 3 song that had retro synth vibes to it, Greece (”Last Dance” by Stefania) was the only one qualified. My guilty pleasure song from Poland (”The Ride” by Rafał) didn’t make it but it did better than expected (it wasn’t last in the semi). Denmark’s performance for their entry (”Øve os på hinanden“ by Fyr & Flamme) caught me by surprise as they did well and I got the impression they were having fun doing it, but missed out on the 10th spot.

Moldova song (”Sugar” by Natalia Gordienko) I’m not a fan of in terms of my personal tastes. In terms of performance I’d enjoy it more if it had more of the aesthetic from the music video, but I will commend Natalia as a performer herself. From what I’ve heard, she practised singing on a treadmill to prepare for singing on a moving platform, and in the final she made a quick recovery after dropping her microphone.

And speaking of the final ...

Grand Final

While I like a lot of the songs in the final, my top 2 went to Finland (”Dark Side” by Blind Channel) and Italy (”Zitti e buoni” by Måneskin) mainly because of my preference towards rock genres, but I gave my 3rd spot to Ukraine (”SHUM” by Go_A) which is electronic folk or folktronica (whatever the term is used). In some ways, Italy’s win is also a win for Finland as both were represented by two rock acts and both were supportive of each other as evidenced by this post grand final celebration:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by UMK21 (@uudenmusiikinkilpailu)

So if not a victory for Italy or Finland, it’s a victory for rock music.

Biggest upset? Televote gave 0 points to The Netherlands (host country, “Birth of a New Age” by Jeangu Macrooy), Spain (”Voy a quedarme” by Blas Cantó), Germany (”I Don’t Feel Hate” by Jendrik) and United Kingdom (”Embers” by James Newman), with the UK entry getting a double whammy as the juries didn’t even award the entry any points. While “Embers” wasn’t the greatest song, it definitely wasn’t the worst, and even if it’s the worst it doesn’t deserve the 0 points. In the end, those televotes were heavily concentrated and distributed among Italy, Ukraine, France, and Finland, while the juries put them towards Switzerland, France, Malta, and Italy. I could go deeper into things like block voting among the jury and how public televote doesn’t agree with the jury, but that’s a whole other topic and a bit extra for this post. Everyone did well including the songs I liked the least.

Here’s to a 2022 that brings on more songs in other languages and more genres.

[queenraiden]

Eurovision 2021: Other songs of note

I can say this is definitely an interesting year of entries and while it’ll take me forever to make a post on each of them, I’ll just summarize them here. Not gonna say their rankings other than they’re somewhere between 11 and 39.

“Mata Hari” -- Efendi (Azerbaijan)

Finally an entry with Azerbaijani in it from Azerbaijan! Okay, it’s only three phrases, but it’s the closest so far (apart from Bulgaria 2012′s entry which uses the phrase “I love you”)

Can I get an “Amen”?

Last year that had more than one song with the same title in the same year was 2015 when we had “Warrior” by Malta and Georgia. This year, it’s “Amen” by Slovenia and Austria, both having their entrants reprising from 2020. Slovenia’s “Amen” is more of a celebratory song and being thankful, whereas Austria’s “Amen” is more of a contemplative, questioning type song dealing with loss and wondering if that loss is part of some divine plan. Both aren’t picks in my top, but if I have to choose between the two, I’d pick Slovenia.

Back to the 80′s?

Retrowave is something I’d like to get into more, and this year is serving 3 songs with the heavy synth and that retro sound: Greece’s “Last Dance”, Denmark’s “Øve os på hinanden” , and Poland’s “The Ride”, with that last one becoming a bit of a guilty pleasure. Not winner material, but it’s a fun track.

Tornike Kipiani (Georgia)

I enjoyed his 2020 entry “Take Me As I Am” which was very raw and had elements of grunge in it mixed with some electronic sounds. This year’s entry, “You” leans more heavily on the bluesy side, but also an emotional one. While it’s a nice song, it doesn’t pack that much of a punch than his previous entry

TIX (Norway)

Initially "Fallen Angel” was one of my bottom songs, mainly because it sounded like your typical pop stuff, but lyrically there’s something personal to it. It can be about having a crush on someone but they’re out of your league, but it does weigh in more about having something that prevents you from pursuing someone because of being different or perceived as such by society.

Eden (Israel)

“Feker Libi” was in my top 10 of last year, but not that impressed by “Set Me Free”. Will still give props to it for having a mix of pop and middle-eastern influences, and Eden’s vocals (that whistle register).

Waving middle fingers in the air

I wasn’t a fan of Germany’s entry for 2020 (”Violent Thing”) as it came off as too creepy for me (as in stalker creepy), and that seemed to be a popular entry. This year (”I don’t feel hate”), I like the German entry as it’s a fun tune that’s basically saying “haters can fuck off!” but from what I gather it isn’t a popular entry. At the time of this posting, odds have it at 29th place, discord server has it at 28th, and the jury at Wiwibloggs have it at 31st place. Is it winner material? Definitely not, but it is a fun tune. I wonder if there’s a press photo of him with Blind Channel

I’ll leave it at that.

[queenraiden]

Eurovision 2021 My Top 10 (5-1)

Continuing from the other post (10-6 here) (link to the sorter http://esc.gerbear.com/sorter2021.htm)

5. “Tous l’Univers” -- Gjon’s Tears (Swizerland)

Something about the way he sings gets to me. Voice + melody = haunting. As for the song itself, it is a love song in my opinion, but it’s not overly cheesy. It may not be a love song in the romantic sense, but the element it there. It’s also about picking up the pieces and repairing what has been broken, whether it’s a relationship or life.

4. “Discoteque” -- The Roop (Lithuania)

This song reminds me a bit of Gorillaz “Stylo”, and maybe some mashup genius can better mix the two songs together. Anyway, while the lyrics aren’t as deep as “On Fire”, it’s still a fun tune, and I believe they will outdance Iceland again. The song is about letting loose whether you’re dancing alone in your room or sharing it with the world on a site like TikTok.

3. “SHUM” -- Go_A (Ukraine)

This is a departure from “Solovey”, but still within the same realm of electrofolk or folktronica, it’s electronic music mixed with folk sounds. There’s an earlier version of this song out there, but it didn’t meet Eurovision standards (too close to an actual folk song, so I hear, and it was way over the 3 minute limit). There are elements of the other version in here anyway. Lyrically, it does come off as a folk song, but instead of lovers meeting in secret we get spring time. The season for sowing seeds and some folk rituals that come around it. Best part comes at the end where it goes crazy.

2. “Zitti e buoni” -- Måneskin (Italy)

I have a rock bias, so any rock songs that come out each year will get a high placing. Was hella excited to hear this after it won San Remo (even though I didn’t see the show) super glad they’re competing. It’s not the only rock act this year (as you will see with my commentary on the next song), but I feel this is the most palatable rock song. It’s heavy but not too heavy. As for the lyrics, in my opinion it’s about sticking it to the man. When others tell you to shut up and behave, and you aren’t in agreement, screw them! Shut up and behave can translate as conform to society. If society dictates that everyone should wear dull colours, and you aren’t someone who is into that, go wear something bright and colourful! At the time of writing this, they have the highest odds of winning, but who knows what will happen in the final. Would definitely love it if a group wins.

1. “Dark Side” -- Blind Channel (Finland)

And the rock bias strikes again! They use the term “violent pop” but there are rock genres that use pop in their name, like Britpop (think Oasis), power pop (look up Cheap Trick), pop punk (think Blink-182, Paramore, Fall Out Boy), and everyone should be familiar with pop rock as some of your favourite pop artists have a heavy song in their repertoire. Anyway, Blind Channel’s style I can compare to nu metal with some metalcore in it, Wikipedia lists their genres as “post-hardcore, nu metal, alternative rock”, so there is definitely the punk element in there. It isn’t the most palatable of rock compared to Italy’s entry, but if you love AWS “Viszlát nyár” from 2018 (RIP Örs) then this should definitely be up your alley. Lyrically, in my opinion it’s part anti-bullying anthem and part helping those who are alone and left out. Find someone who doesn’t fit in or is singled out because they’re different, buy them a round of drinks, and give the finger to those who shun you.

Any yeah, that wraps up my top 10 songs, but if you want to read what takes I have with some of this years’ entries you can find that in this post.

[queenraiden]

Eurovision 2021: My top 10 (10-6)

Haven't been using this tumblr in a while, and haven't been making individual song commentary for this year's entry, yet here I am creating a post of that probably will be the only one for a while. Was going to look at ranking entries from 2010 to 2020 but that's a bit ambitious according to my brain. Anyway, enough preamble.

Top 10 for Eurovision 2021 (according to the sorter http://esc.gerbear.com/sorter2021.htm)

10. "Voilà" -- Barbara Pravi (France)

From what I get from the lyrics of the song, it’s saying “Here I am, this is me, don’t try to change me”. Barbara is one of the key people behind France’s winning Junior Eurovision entry and who knows? She may take the title if not at least do very well.

9. “Russian Woman” -- Manizha (Russia)

It’s been a while since Russia sent in an entry in Russian (I’ll say 2009 even though there’s some Ukrainian in it, even though 2011 had its intro in Russian the song was mostly in English). Last non-English song was in 2012 when the Grannies sang in Udmurt. Maybe one day they’ll be an entry in other languages spoken in Russia. Anyway, this tune stands out to me as it’s a mishmash of things and I mean it in a good way. You have a bit of rap, a bit of folk, and an Ori Kaplan sax hook. There is female empowerment in there as well in the lyrics.

8. “Adrenalina” -- Senhit (San Marino)

This song is catchy. While it’s lyrically cheesy in parts for my taste, I can get behind the beat of it and I like the use of folk instruments in it.

7. “Birth of a New Age” -- Jeangu Macrooy (Netherlands)

I like this better than the entry he had for 2020, mainly because it’s livelier. Including Sranan Tongo is a nice touch too. Lyrically I take it as overcoming struggles and saying no matter what people do to try and take away your identity, they can’t do that.

6. “Je Me Casse” -- Destiny (Malta)

If I have to pick a “slay queen” anthem for this year, it’s definitely this song. Lyrics that stick out for me are “ So if I show some skin doesn’t mean I’m giving in” which is basically saying “just because I dress this way doesn’t mean I’m asking for it”, and “ Boy why you putting that drink in my hand Think if I’m drunk then I’d give you a chance” which is creepy when someone does that to you, but also gives hint at consent. Even if girl (or person you’re hitting on) is drunk, it doesn’t mean she/they will consent to do whatever. Overall it’s be yourself and comfortable in the skin you’re in, and if a creeper comes up to you, leave them.

And I think this has reached its limit for vids in a post, so find the rest in the next post

[queenraiden]

It’s still going through edits, but with Wattpad closing down their forums, might as well share this here.

Let's Go For A Pint (Vampire/Humor) (on Wattpad)

https://my.w.tt/GLdOx9H4x8

Wattys 2017 winner in The Originals category!!!! This is NOT a romance between the main character and some hunky guy. These are the adventures of vampire Lena as she lives her life from day to day alongside her human flatmate Carmen. Together they encounter human rights activists (not what you think), overly attached exes, vampire geeks, quarrelsome shapeshifters, some really chill people, and a boy band. Let's Go For A Pint is a satire/genre parody revolving around tropes associated with vampire fiction (mostly tv and film portrayals but written works may be alluded) Season 1 is up. While marked as complete, expect ongoing editing and bonus content to appear. Cover made in Canva

[queenraiden]

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (Film Review)

While the 2020 edition of the contest was cancelled, it still went on in this movie, sorta

Also, don’t count on me to not spoil anything. You have been warned.

So my impressions will come from having seen the movie in whole once, and possibly looking over certain segments of movie (it’s two hours, so if I have to analyze every bit of it, it’s gonna take more than two hours).

So from the trailer I initially thought it might be a spoof of the contest, and it does spoof it a bit, but the overall story and movie plot is your average musical rom-com underdog story. Will Ferrell stars as Lars Ericksong, a character who feels underappreciated and wants to win the Eurovision Song Contest to prove something. Rachel McAdams stars as Lars’ partner in crime/band mate/childhood friend Sigrit Ericksdottir, a character who is very loyal to Lars but at the same time is struggling to find her voice. Lars is a character who wants to win at any cost, even if it makes him lose vision of what’s important to others, and this alienates and Sigrit (if you’ve seen movies or stories or maybe it’s real life where a band makes it big or wants to go big but throws others under a bus, you’d probably predict something like this happening)

And it wouldn’t be a rom-com if there weren’t someone or something to test the couple. Aside from band dynamics enter in Dan Stevens who stars as Russian entrant Alexander Lemtov. He has the looks, he has the voice, hell, he has the palace too, but he also has his sights on Sigrit (mainly her hidden talent). I guess I can throw in Mita who has her sights somewhat set on Lars. There is of course strain between Lars and Sigrit, but if you’ve seen one too many rom-coms you can probably guess whether their relationship is resolved.

As for the underdog part, while it’s usually the underdog winning the competition in the end, it’s not 100% true here. One thing about Eurovision is sometimes the winner of one year’s contest isn’t the most memorable act of the grand final, and may fade out of existence, or not gain enough traction to become international superstars. It’s not often that I hear of Eurovision songs outside of Eurovision apart from a retro station playing “Waterloo” or the English version of “Volare”. Can’t forget about Celine Dion but I believe few know she participated. Then again, I don’t listen to the radio much and often go with Spotify algorithm suggestions. Anyway, instead of underdogs Fire Saga winning the competition, they won the hearts of many across Europe, and their home country of Iceland (except for Olaf maybe). So in the end, the message here, while done many times before, is winning isn’t everything.

But I’m not done yet!

It’s a musical, so can’t forget about the songs and musical numbers. The best number in the entire movie, apart from the actual spoof of the contest, is the song-along.

There’s something about seeing Eurovision winners and contestants of past and present (albeit they’re all from the past 10 years) come together for a musical number. As for the songs used in this medley, only 2 were actual Eurovision songs (Abba’s “Waterloo” and Celine Dion’s “Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi”). It’s possible the song choice could be to appeal to a wider audience with recognizable songs amidst what may be unrecognizable faces (but recognizable to those who have seen the Contest). Maybe there’s a licensing issue that could be factored too. Anyway, I’d like to see something like this happen in the actual contest. Maybe the 26 competitors of the grand final coming together singing a host country’s famous entries?

And as for the contest segment itself, it was more referential to actual contestants and their performances rather than spoofing them. Ones that stick out me are Belarus’ entry more reminiscent of Finland’s Lordi

While Belarus did have a rock act in Eurovision 2009, in 2016 the country had an entry that ran with the wolves, sort of.

Another element that stood out for me was the hamster wheel used in Fire Saga’s semi-final performance, which was a crazy element in Ukraine’s 2014 entry.

The songs for sure are definitely what you’d hear in Eurovision as well. There have been rap songs featured so “Coolin’ With Da Homies” would be a possible entry you’d hear. Operatic love ballads like “Lion of Love”? Tons of them, or by themselves as operatic, love ballads, and flamenco elements.

Last but not least, Husavik - My Hometown.

There are plenty of songs that combine English’s with the singer’s native language or another language they sing in. There are also songs that are odes to their hometown, home country (namely “I Love Belarus”), or even just a region of their home country (“Horehronie” should have made the final in 2010). What makes this one of the most Eurovision songs in a movie that’s set to Eurovision is: - it’s universal with the parts sung in English but also in the singer’s/country’s native language which counts a showing off their country’s culture - it’s an emotional power ballad which is typical to Eurovision. You hear these every year as there’s usually at least one if not two or three.

Of course there are discrepancies that aren’t actually part of the contest. The scoreboard is one as points are usually counted in the grand final, and the countries of Spain, UK, France, Germany, and Italy only compete in the grand final. The other is the lack of security. I doubt Lars would be able to freely run around and nearly miss his performance at the national final, or fly back to Iceland unless it was a family emergency (I’d assume). Only reason for it to be this lax is for story tension and plot.

Overall, while it’s not a horrible movie, I wouldn’t say it’s that great of a movie as well. It is watchable and has great songs, but the plot is just average.

[queenraiden]

Eurovision 2020 ranking

Before I get into my review of the movie, I’ll wrap up my review of what would’ve been the 2020 edition of the Contest. Sorting was done with the help of Mr. Gerbear’s Eurovision 2020 Favorites Sorter.

Rounding up the bottom are:

41 Germany 40 Spain   39  Austria   38  North Macedonia  37  France 36  Cyprus 35  Slovenia 

Not too impressed by these tracks

Entries that miss out on my top 26:

34 Estonia 33 Moldova 32 Australia 31 Belgium 30 Albania 29 Greece 28 Croatia 27 Norway

I had Norway in my top 26 at one point, but while it fails to impress me, I’d still see it pass into the final. Croatia I had around my bottom entries, but a closer examination of the lyrics and the emotion behind it brought it up some spots. Belgium was in my top 10 at some point but fell out of favour to other songs that weren’t in my original top 10.

Entries that just made it into top 26:

26 Belarus 25 Finland 24 Poland 23 Portugal 22 Armenia 21 Romania

I preferred Belarus’ acoustic version of the song over the version going into the contest and yet here it is at the bottom of my top 26. Finland I know I wasn’t going to rank high and even if it’s 25th it’s still not high. I believe I also had Poland in my top at some point but again fell out of favour t other songs that grew on me.

Still in that top 26 but not quite top 10:

20 Azerbaijan 19 San Marino 18 Russia 17 Latvia 16 Denmark 15 Czech Republic 14 Serbia 13 The Netherlands 12 Sweden 11 United Kingdom

UK was originally in my top 10. Iceland is the better entry after listening to it and looking at the message behind it but it’s still a good entry.

And finally, my top 10 picks after take a close look at each song are:

10 Iceland 9 Malta 8 Ireland 7 Italy 6 Georgia 5 Bulgaria 4 Switzerland 3 Israel 2 Ukraine 1 Lithuania

I’d say Ukraine and Lithuania battle for my top spot. “On Fire” is a fun tune with a message whereas I like how modern beats and folk beats blend with “Solovey”. Bulgaria wasn’t in my top 10 originally, but the message behind the song is what is needed most oftentimes.

[queenraiden]

Eurovision  2020 Song Review: “Hasta La Vista” by Hurricane (Serbia)

This relationship has been … terminated.

And finally the last song in my review of the 2020 entries, and I can say “hasta la vista” to reviewing Eurovision songs, for now.

I watched a little bit of this national final. Other songs that I can remember from that are Marko Markovic’s “Kolači” and LIFT’s “Samo mi kaži”. The former mainly for it being a fun ethno-infused tune and definitely room for some epic trumpet memes (sorry, Moldova 2012). The latter is a rock entry though nothing spectacular. An honourable mention to EJO’s “Trag” performance and their dresses reminding me of Kitana and Mileena from Mortal Kombat.

Anyway onto Hurricane’s song. The title “Hasta la vista” is a way of saying goodbye in Spanish, technically leaning towards “until our next meeting” or “see you later”. Funny enough, one of the group’s members, Sanja Vučić, represented Serbia one year titled “Goodbye (Shelter)”. One famous use of the phrase comes from Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Young John Connor teaches it to the T-800. T-800 uses it before terminating the T-1000.

And speaking of termination, the song is about ending a relationship, especially after finding that your partner has been cheating:

Jedan, dva, tri i kraj Odbrojano je znaj Ruke u vis na moj znak Opet si sa njom Opet, opet si sa njom

(One, two, three, it's done, This is no longer fun, Raise your hands on my mark You're with her again, again, I see the two of you)

and moving on from it:

Hasta la vista, baby Imam novi plan, imam imam novi plan Hasta la vista, baby Jasno kao dan, jasno jasno kao dan Kazi mi hvala sto sam te volela Na tebe takvog pala Ma, sorry sto nisam ti se dopala

Hasta la vista, baby I have a new plan, new plan, my dear Hasta la vista, baby It's crystal clear, yes, it's crystal clear You should thank me for loving you For liking what I see, Well, sorry that you didn't like me

I’m aware polyamory is a thing, but both parties have to be consenting to it. Also, seeing one person and having another on the side, it’s not going to end well. Some people are just jerks and don’t deserve sympathy.

As for the tune, it’s a dance, r&b, pop tune with some Balkan flare. It’s one to get you moving but at the same time if commercial pop isn’t your thing, it’s something that can get boring after listening to it on repeat. Nevertheless, considering their performance at the national final and the official music video, they’d probably create something unforgettable for the contest.

Overall, while not exactly in my top 10, I’d see this in my top 26. It’s a fun song.

[queenraiden]

Eurovision 2020 Song Review: “Looking Back” by Aksel (Finland)

Carpe diem

After doing UMK internal selection edition for the past 2 years, Finland went back to choosing from multiple acts. With the exception of F3M the other contestants were solo acts. Maybe there were other group acts but they didn’t make the shortlist. While none of the 6 songs for UMK piqued my interest, Looking Back may have grown on me a little?

What I get from the lyrics of the song, it’s about living in the moment. Basically if there’s an opportunity for something then take it because years later you’ll be looking back to that moment. At the same time you should take caution with the actions you take because you may be looking back to that moment and you don’t want a reminder of that.

We were young and naive Didn't know what we need We were in such a rush to grow up Now it's too late to save All the seasons have changed Didn't know what was in front of us Chasing the high life Stuck in the low lights But we never know what we have Until it's over and we're looking back

So the message is there will always be missed opportunities or moments where we screw up. We may not be able to go back and change the past in order to make up for that missed opportunity or prevent ourselves from making a mistake for the first time. What we can do now is move forward. We learn from our past and use that to make way for the future. Make moments that are worth looking back.

As for the tune itself, it's relaxing, but nothing stands out for me other than it's a simple tune. Something that is radio freindly that's for sure

Overall, while the song has a nice message, a good one at best, it's not the greatest thing out there.

[queenraiden]

Eurovision 2020 Song Review: “Solovey” by Go_A (Ukraine)

Bird is the word

Or maybe that word should be “ptakh” as this is would have been the country’s first entry in 100% Ukrainian. Majority of their entries have been in English with the exception of “Wild Dances” and “Razom nas bahato” being partially in Ukrainian; “Dancing Lasha Tumbai” and the withdrawn 2019 entry “Siren Song” having some German; and “1944″ having a chorus in Crimean Tartar. Anyway, off to what matters most.

I did partially follow this national final, and there were some interesting entries. Jerry Heil’s “Vegan” was too out there for me, and I quite enjoyed [O]’s “Tam, kuda ya idu”. I’m not a huge fan of hip hop, yet I’d be cool with Fo Sho’s “Blck Sqr” (sadly didn’t leave the Vidbir semifinals). Khayat was (or should I say is) one of the fan favourites, but I’m not a fan of his vocal style in "Call For Love”.

Ukraine did choose the right entry. As for whether it would have made it to the final I can’t say. The lead singer uses a vocal styling in traditional Slavic music called white voice or white singing and last year the Polish entry featured this heavily. It can sound like someone or a group is shouting which may not be palatable to all ears. Compared to “Fire of Love” which features 4 vocalists, “Solovey” only features one with maybe two female backing singers (and she does break away from this style of singing for a few seconds in the song). Also I’m comparing Poland to Ukraine and it could be a regional difference in styles.

The tune is a mix of traditional folk and modern music. There are two versions of the tune, with the earlier version featuring a guitar near the end of the song (which can be heard in the performance version) while the version linked in the video and what I assume is the official version uses more flutes and and electronic percussion. I tend to like tunes that mixes modern and traditional beats so this is definitely something. It’s not a party tune but you can dance to it, even if it’s just rocking your hips or shoulders.

As for the lyrics, it’s reminiscent of a traditional folk song. Whereas “Da Vidna” by Belarus’ VAL details the story of a woman in a loveless marriage finding solace in the night, “Solovey” details the story of lovers who meet in secret as their possible marriage may not bode well with Ivan’s mother or possibly Katerina’s:

A do mene Vanyusha Ty Katrusia horosha Myla moya Katrusia Ya z toboyu lyublyusia Ya z toboyu lyublyusia Poky ne zna matusia

(and Vaniusha says to me You are beautiful Katrusia My dear Katrusia I’m loving you I’m loving you as long as mother doesn't know)

A little side note, Vanyusha and Katrusia are nicknames for Ivan and Katerina, which they would be calling each other especially if they’re super close.

As for the nightingale, it is a bird that sings at night, or in the early hours of the dawn while it’s dark out. It’s possible that whether they meet during the day or at night, the song of a nightingale signifies time passing and either one of them has to be home before their moms wake up and notice they are missing:

Solovey solovey ne spivay ranenko A meni na serdenku znov ne veselenko Solovey solovey oy yak meni buty Vmila yoho polyubyty ne vmila zabuty

Nightingale nightingale do not sing so early my heart feels no joy again Nightingale nightingale oh what should I do I could fall in love with him I could not forget him

Katerina feels happy when she is with Ivan and feels sad when they have to part. She hopes one day they can run away and have her happily ever after, but if someone discovers their relationship, it’s the end.

Yakby ya toho ne znala Ya b z toboyu ne huliala Ne hodyla v dolynu Ne lamala b kalynu Ya z toboyu lyublyusia Poky ne zna matusia A yak uzna matusia to roziydemosia

If I hadn't known that I wouldn't have gone out with you I wouldn't have gone into the valley I wouldn't have broken the guelder rose I’m loving you as long as mother doesn't know but as soon as mother finds out we will part 

Could it be possible that Katerina is having an affair with Ivan? It’s possible. Kind of makes sense that she may be getting to someone she doesn’t love and eventually become the protagonist in “Da Vidna”. We could also be looking at star-crossed lovers too and their families aren’t exactly friends.

Overall, while I doubt this song would’ve won 2020, it’s definitely one of my favourites.

[queenraiden]

Eurovision 2020 Song Review: “Universo” by Blas Canto (Spain)

The universe forgives you

There’s some alien on some planet who doesn’t know and won’t say you’re wrong. Don’t really have much to say about this so onto the analysis.

Lyrics to this song are interesting, as the English translation provided by the Eurovision website does not match the original Spanish. English version seems to come from an English-language recording of the song:

Put it on me, put it on me (Is) Sorry too late? Are we too late? Am I too late? Uni, Universe oh

versus:

Perdóname, perdóname Uni/Universo Perdóname, perdóname

(Forgive me, universe)

And that’s just the intro. Since the version used and linked here is in Spanish my review will be based on the translated version of the Spanish lyrics instead of the English provided.

As to why he’s asking the world to forgive him, apparently his crime was not speaking out when he should have:

Perdóname, perdóname Uni-Universo Por apagar mi voz Para evitar ser el culpable De lo que soy

(Forgive me, forgive me Uni-Universe For shutting down my voice To avoid being the culprit Of what I am)

Or for hiding his true self. Not sure if this interpretation aligns with the song, but oftentimes we put on a mask to fit in or we tend to go with the flow even it it means going against our own morals.

Puedo ser como el viento Uhh uhh uhh Y desaparecer Uhh Uhh Uhh Puedo salir corriendo Uhh Uhh Uhh Y desaparecer

(I can be like the wind Uhh uhh uhh And disappear Uhh Uhh Uhh I can run out Uhh uhh uhh And disappear)

And really, one shouldn’t have to sacrifice their own morals just to be accepted. This has probably been said millions of times, but there are people who will accept you for who you are, quirks and all. But certain places may have us masking our views and our behaviours because laws there punish people for not conforming. Whether you have to live this life in secret, or can openly live it, be proud of who you are.

Nothing about the tune stands out for me, so yeah that’s about it. Maybe his entry for next year will be better.

[queenraiden]

Eurovision 2020 Song Review: “Release Me“ by Hooverphonic (Belgium)

Breaking up is hard to do in this sad and losing game

From the group that brought you “2 Wicky” and “Mad About You” (though not necessarily the same lead singer) comes this emotionally depressing tune which may be a nod to “Arcade”.

Well, the line “Release me from this sad and losing game” may be a jab at “Loving you is a losing game”, as if the song is from the perspective of the lover Duncan lost in “Arcade”. It’s one way to interpret it. Another way is to group it with the failed romances/bad romance songs (”Don’t Break Me Down”, “Prison”). It’s a song that’s literally begging the other person in the relationship to let them go whether they haven’t yet broken up, or the relationship is over and the other person is still pursuing them.

You're all I want A dangerous need It’s wrong to keep you close to me If you dare If you care Then cut the ropes and float away Yes release me If you love me, let me go All the lies and all the pain Only you can make them go away All those words won't comfort me It's clear we're not meant to be Release me from this sad and losing game

The tune, as it seems with all slow tempo, sultry-voiced tunes, does seem it could be a Bond tune, but not so much in much in my opinion. It’s more of an orchestral number (not just referring to the video but the arrangement itself). And it’s a sad song if I remember my Bond tunes, not that many sad tracks.

Overall, Eurovision needs a sad song to win every once in a while. This may not be the winner, but it’s an emotive tune that I like.

[queenraiden]

Eurovision 2020 Honourable Mention: “Volcano Man” by Fire Saga

This has been out for some time, but in light of how my 2020 song review has been extended way past when the Contest was might as well give it a review.

This song is many genres at one. It’s a pop, synthpop, disco, and what may be some folk elements with Lars Erickssong’s (Will Ferrell) breathy chanting contrasted with the light vocals of Sigrit Ericksdottir (portrayed by Rachel McAdams with vocals provided by Molly Sanden). In some ways, it’s supposed to poke fun at your typical Eurovision entries which can be over the top pop/dance tracks and sometimes they’re mixed with elements of the the country’s folk music (may have to look into actual Icelandic music as Fire Saga is supposed to be from Iceland)

The lyrics are pretty straightforward. It’s a ballad, or some story-type song about a legendary hero known as Volcano Man with a hint of a love song in there (though I think the characters of Lars and Sigrit are brother/sister going by their patronymic, but they could both have dads name Erik). A female protagonist wakes up to the sound of Volcano Man’s voice and falls in love.

As this is a teaser for the movie, who knows if there’s an extended version of the song, or maybe this is it.

While I’m at it, the trailer for the movie itself.

It is an underdog story, and Will Ferrell is no stranger to them (Talladega Nights, Semi-Pro from the top of my head). I’m guessing they’re holding back on the sexual humour for the trailer but I predict it’ll be cranked up once it’s released. I’m mostly looking forward to the other contestants in the contest to see if there are any that spoof of well-known performances or acts like Verka Serduchka. Dan Stevens is playing the Russian contestant Alexander Lemtov and while I don’t think think of him as the villain at this point (more like a cocky rival contestant) the trailer seems to frame it like that. I also don’t think his character is representative of any past Russian contestant like Dima Bilan or Sergey Lazarev, or Alexei Vorobyov even. He could just be a combination of past male contestants that one may find attractive. Apart from those points this will either be a hot mess that’s guaranteed to make your laugh, or a hot mess that super cringy. Looking forward to this no matter the outcome.

[queenraiden]

Eurovision 2020 Song Review: “Medo De Sentir” by Elisa (Portugal)

Express yourself, don’t repress yourself

Portugal is one of the few countries that hasn’t gone for a 100% English entry, if not the remaining one. They probably would have with Blasted Mechanism’s “Rebellion”, and due to my bias for rock songs may have some shots in my top 10 (even though that live performance is a bit off).

Anyway, onto what matters.

The song’s title translates to fear of feeling or afraid of feeling. The lyrics (through the translation) deals with being in love but not wanting to give into that emotion:

Se me dás a tua mão Eu não sei como vou reagir Se falas de coração Parece que estou outra vez a ouvir Mais uma ilusão Que não tarda muito em partir

(If you take my hand I don't really know how to react If you speak from the heart It seems like I'm hearing once again Just one more illusion That will quickly fade away)

It’s as if falling in love is a scary thing. Can’t really say much but from personal experience I did tell someone I liked them liked them and I was bawling my eyes out. He didn’t feel the same but yeah, it can be scary.

And thematically it shares similarities with Arilena Ara’s “Fall From The Sky”. Both deal with holding back emotions, but unlike the Albanian entry which deals with feeling trapped both physically and emotionally trapped, “Medo de Sentir” deals more with emotions. Emotions can also make us physically trapped too, as in unable to act.

There also the aspect of having been in love and falling in love again, or a bad experience ruining trying again.

O que ele guarda, diz tudo o que eu sinto por ti Eu já tentei mudar Mas a vida levou O melhor que eu tinha em mim E se um dia eu voltar Esperarás por mim?

What time keeps says everything I feel about you I’ve tried to change my ways But life has taken The best that I had inside me And if one day I return Will you wait for me?

People say if you fall down, pick yourself up and keep on going, but that isn’t easy for everyone. If this happens, take the time you need whether it’s a few seconds, or maybe a few years. If you’re still in pain, don’t make it worse by jumping back into it when you’re not ready. Who knows, maybe in time the bad experience may haunt you less that you can withstand the pain of it to continue, maybe to the point where your mind is “What bad experience? LOL”.

As for the tune itself, it’s calming, uplifting, and brings out the emotion in the song, kind of like Ulrikke’s “Attention” for Norway.

Overall, this song has an emotional message that anyone who is feeling scared or had a bad experience at some point in their life or may be going through one right now.

[queenraiden]

Eurovision 2020 Song Review: “Voda” by Ana Soklic (Slovenia)

Rainy mood

Don’t have much to say on this, or do I?

I’ve meant to watch the national final but my connection couldn’t support it (that or my laptop ran out of memory). I was hoping Inmate, whom I discovered last year, would finally get their chance, but I don’t think rock entries do well in the Balkans. Bit of a warning the music video for their song “The Salt” has some strobe effects.

Another act that caught my interest is Imset, whom I like to think of them as a more pop-oriented version of Siddharta. Mostly because both lead singers are vocally similar. Imset is a modern rock band according to their Facebook page but their entry has some electronic influences. Again with the strobe warnings.

In the end, “Voda” won.

It’s a slow song. These are usually hit or miss as they have to wow me. I can enjoy something like Georgia’s 2018 entry “For You” but dislike Norway’s 2015 “A Monster Like Me”. Slovenia’s entry last year “Sebi” was in my top 10 I believe.

“Voda” has this calming tune to it, and the water sounds are a nice touch (as the title of the song is Slovene for water). It kind of gives off this new age-type of meditation tune; however the percussion seems to make it less meditation-type music into more of your straight up ballad. (Though the home concert version is more orchestral)

As for my interpretation of the lyrics (through the translation), at first I can’t say if it’s from the perspective of wanting to end a relationship, or wanting to stay together but facing adversities:

Let's move on, into a new time, Let's run away, far from here. Let's not stop anywhere, The night will be long.

It could be almost a love story where two lovers from feuding sides want to be together. The song if their story were a musical can be this profession to each other as they spend one night together.

You can hear my reason pounding. As a wanderer you know, The longest way is the one That leads from words to deeds.

So through thick and thin, their love can’t be destroyed, and not even water can separate them.

Water! During the storm, I lie In you till the end. The water gushes … But cannot reach us inside.

But it can also be dealing with new experiences and the fears surrounding them, and as it’s from the perspective of being next to someone who can be there for you and with you:

Let's drive on, the other way, Beyond light, belief. A torn-up chair stands there, Awaiting someone, Awaiting a child.

So over all it’s a nice tune. It does sound beautiful if one takes the time to listen and (over)analyze it, but it’s not my taste.

[queenraiden]

Eurovision 2020 Song Review: “Kemama” by Benny Cristo (Czech Republic)

Ok, Mom

That’s what the title translates to (Okay, mama). Czech entries seem to be picking up some steam, would this have propelled the country’s streak further?

So Czech selection was like the previous year where people got to listen to the songs and a live broadcast revealed the winner. As weird as the video was, my pick from their selection was "All the Blood (Positive Song Actually)" by We All Poop based on the band name. Again with my rock bias I’d hope they were selected. Maybe the song came off as too depressing? In the end Benny Cristo’s entry won.

Now there are two version out there, the version used for the national selection, and what’s listed on Spotify as Africa revamp which is the version used for the contest. The difference between the two is the addition of some bright guitar riffs, electronic sounds, and brass instruments to give it more of an afrobeat sound to it. What I’m seeing is the revamp made it worse, but I see it more of as a remix than a revamp. Think to Hungary 2013′s “Kedvesem” by ByeAlex where the Zoohacker remix is used instead of the original (though the original is longer than the 3:00 limit for songs). I don’t think the revamp of “Kemama” has made the song worse but we all have different tastes in music.

As for the lyrics, It incorporates struggles growing up, as the profile page states:

The lyrics are about his childhood, during which he faced much adversity.

And the way I interpret the lyrics it’s him telling his mom that everything is going to be fine and for her to not worry because he can take care of himself:

Kemama, you know They can say what they want, you should let it go 'Cause tonight I will sho-o-ow love I'll show them I can dance on my own

He’s strong, he’s a fighter:

Kemama, you know In this concrete jungle it was not easy to grow up, nah, nah, nah But every time they pushed my down I answered with this smile and I got up, yeah

But it’s possible there may have been some relationship troubles too, or some misunderstandings:

See, I don't care if you are not like me I just came to dance We should dance all night, babe, night, babe And I don't care if they don't like me All I do is dance, I don't care about their fighting Why they fighting

There are a couple cultural references in his song. One is musician Bob Marley, and the other is boxed Muhammad Ali. I’m not sure how to interpret " I'm high, I'm lifted like sir Bob Marley” exactly. Could be a spiritual thing, could be something to show that “I don’t care what others say about me because I’m in good spirits” while facing life struggles. Muhammad Ali reference is in the phrase “Ali Bomaye” which comes from a chant from his fight with George Foreman in 1974. This ties in with “I'm 'bout to show them all I'mma kill it” as in when saying “I’m gonna kill it” it’s basically I’m going to win (cheering Ali and hoping he wins, and he won that fight), I’m going to do something great, I’m going to overcome my struggles.

And I just learned there’s a Canadian connection with this song. Song producers The Glowsticks (the shoutout at the beginning of the song) are based in Canada and have been producing for Benny for years. *Canadian intensifies*

So yeah, overall it’s a fun song with a story to tell. I can’t say if this would’ve passed or not. It is one of the entries that stand out in my opinion. Here’s to more Iron Maiden shirts.