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chibrary · 2 years

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title: leclerc vs verstappen: the true story of the first clash at the time of karting

source: tkart author: yanek sterzel format: editorial (english & italian) season: 2012, karting

Translation courtesy of Auto Motorsport on Youtube.

Excerpt:

Why – you will ask me – did you decide to go and do this interview that day after an ordinary heat? The answer is simple: Jos Verstappen. [...] At some point we see that Verstappen and Leclerc start with a good clash on the track. A bit rough, perhaps, but exciting. Verstappen has the upper hand. After driving through the finish line, however, Leclerc who had lost ground in the scuffle, recovered and in returning to the pit he came up beside and surpasses Verstappen in quite a hard way, so much so that Verstappen ends up going off the track into the marsh which had formed due to the rain. A real insult. I said to myself, “Max ended up off the track. In my opinion, Jos is flying into rage and probably slaps are flying in the closed park. Let us go and film everything”. Ronnie and I started running like crazy towards the closed park which, in Val d’Argenton is exactly on the opposite side of the stands. You should know that Jos Verstappen, Max’s father, is quite well-known for making “fireworks” on some occasions, let us say because of particular stresses, and we absolutely did not want to miss them. Instead, as you can see from the video, Jos is visibly angry, yet he does not utter a single word. Max, on the other hand, lets off steam with us while Charles, with his good “angel face” that he had and still has today, underplays what happened despite knowing that he had played a spiteful trick to his opponent just before. For the record, both will be excluded from the heat. Keep in mind that they had won basically all the heats they had respectively taken part in. Therefore, due to the only direct clash between them, they managed to get disqualified!

There is a video interview – which went viral on YouTube – which is the real historical testimony of the first clash (and it is appropriate to say it…) between the two young F1 drivers. Find out what really happened that time from the words of those who saw that episode with their own eyes.

The video is this and it is what today is called a “viral” content video. The word horrifies me because it is used and abused, yet “technically” correct, in the sense that, spreading like a virus, this video has largely exceeded the audience limits it was originally supposed to reach (now it is over 700,000 views) given the content it shows, that is an interview with two kart drivers (the young Leclerc and Verstappen) who are bickering at a distance over some disagreements on the track.

The moment in which the video in question goes viral is a precise date in the calendar, June 30th, 2019. During the competition of the Austrian F1 Grand Prix, those who were at that moment two of the most talented young F1 drivers that the highest series can offer, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and Max Verstappen (Red Bull) get involved into a contact while fighting for the victory, as shown in the video of the YouTube Formula 1 channel. Then someone notices that this was not the first time that there was a disagreement between Leclerc and Verstappen. So, the TKART interview with the two drivers, after a kart race 7 years earlier pops out. Since the story that is repeated sometimes is tragic but sometimes it can be funny, in a short time the video, unknown until that moment, is taken up by international TV and shared non-stop on social networks. Yet not many people know what actually happened on that day by now May 5th, 2012 in a remote French karting track where the 2nd round of the WSK Euro Series was competed. First of all, everything refers not to an actual race, not to a final, so to speak, but to a certain race. One of the approximate 15 heats that the KF2 (the category in which Leclerc and Verstappen competed) raced that weekend with the sole purpose of defining the starting grid of the prefinals which in turn sanctioned, with its order of arrival, the starting grid of the actual finals, the race which really counts in a karting event. In a race, there are about 10 -15 heats, as the number varies according to the number of participants. In a year, people like us who follow all the international karting races, will see a few hundred of them once all the events and all the categories are added together. To be honest, we do not write a report for each one of these heats or get an interview at the end of each one.

LECLERC & VERSTAPPEN Both born in 1997, Charles Leclerc (Principality of Monaco) and Max Verstappen (The Netherlands) started to get to know each other since the time of international karting races. After racing on their respective national territories, they arrived at the circuit of the competitions that count, the important WSK and FIA races and in a few seasons, they showed the whole world that they had what it takes to continue their path towards F1.

At the time of karting…

… And today!

Then why – you will ask me – did you decide to go and do this interview that day after an ordinary heat? The answer is simple, Jos Verstappen. Let me explain myself better. Me and Ronnie (Ghezzi, my colleague with whom I founded TKART) were in the indoor stands as it was raining buckets, watching the Saturday heats of this race on a track where we would never come back too, the International Circuit du Val d’Argenton (France). At some point we see that Verstappen and Leclerc start with a good clash on the track. A bit rough, perhaps, but exciting. Verstappen has the upper hand. After driving through the finish line, however, Leclerc who had lost ground in the scuffle, recovered and in returning to the pit he came up beside and surpasses Verstappen in quite a hard way, so much so that Verstappen ends up going off the track into the marsh which had formed due to the rain. A real insult. I said to myself “Max ended up off the track. In my opinion, Jos is flying into rage and probably slaps are flying in the closed park. Let us go and film everything”. Ronnie and I started running like crazy towards the closed park which, in Val d’Argenton is exactly on the opposite side of the stands. You should know that Jos Verstappen, Max’s father, is quite well-known for making “fireworks” on some occasions, let us say because of particular stresses, and we absolutely did not want to miss them. Instead, as you can see from the video, Jos is visibly angry, yet he does not utter a single word. Max, on the other hand, lets off steam with us while Charles, with his good “angel face” that he had and still has today, underplays what happened despite knowing that he had played a spiteful trick to his opponent just before. For the record, both will be excluded from the heat. Keep in mind that they had won basically all the heats they had respectively taken part in. Therefore, due to the only direct clash between them, they managed to get disqualified! Despite this, they will take part in the finals (here is the “artisan” video made by Ronnie and me) with Max Verstappen (Intrepid - TM Racing) forced to retire in the first lap because of a contact he had due to a start from the very back of the pack, and Charles Leclerc (Art Grand Prix – Parilla) who will instead finish fourth at the foot of the podium after starting from the pole position, behind a certain Antonio Giovinazzi (Tony Kart – Vortex). On top of the podium we find Felice Tiene (CRG – BMB), second Flavio Camponeschi (Tony Kart – Vortex), while Anthoine Hubert (Formula K – TM Racing) will unfortunately end up in the tenth position. What an amazing race, especially in the last lap with Tom Joyner (LH – BMB), Giovinazzi and Leclerc providing a great show.

The rankings of the heat which was the scene of the clash between the two drivers. Max and Charles are part of the “excluded” group.

The overall rankings after the conclusion of all the heats. As you can see from the string of results in correspondence with the names of Max and Charles, the two drivers had started the weekend with the pole position and a fifth spot respectively in qualifying. Then, in the heats, they only had victories (except in one case for Max), until the contact between the two which forced the motorsport marshals to exclude them from the heat with the consequence of 26 penalties each.

The final classification speaks for itself and confirms the old saying “While two dispute, the third enjoys”. Between the two weekend performers (Max and Charles), in the end the third, Felice Tiene prevailed! Presently, Felice does not race any longer. He is a coach of promising young kart drivers and is happily married as well as a new father.

The map, taken from Google Maps, of the Val d’Argenton track. Just to show the distance between the grandstand (red circle) and the closed park (yellow circle) to those funny guys who in the YouTube video commented on Yanek Sterzel’s [Editor-in-chief of TKART – Editor’s note] shortness of breath. Try flying from one end of the track to the other in a few seconds! Just kidding, of course!

Sterzel, Yanek. "LECLERC VS VERSTAPPEN: THE TRUE STORY OF THE FIRST CLASH AT THE TIME OF KARTING." TKart Magazine. July 23, 2020. https://tkart.it/en/magazine/editorial/kart-leclerc-vs-verstappen-their-clash-at-the-time-of-karting-in-the-2019-austrian-f1-grand-prix/#1.

#format:article #year:2012 #series:karting #driver:max

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yuzukahibiscus · 1 year

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Special Blu-ray BOX REI YUZUKA

The Special Blu-ray BOX series delves into the many angles of the Top Star’s charms and character. A special A4 package with 1 Blu-ray disc, 1 CD and 10 photo cards in this deluxe version!

Quatre Reves Online Renewal 1st Anniversary Campaign“Yuzuka Rei Mini Standee” Collection!

For people who pre-order a "Special Blu-ray BOX REI YUZUKA” on Quatre Reves Online, they will be get a Quatre Reves Limited Novelty “Yuzuka Rei Mini Standee”. So please take the opportunity to use Quatre Reves Online. "Campaign period: July 14 2023 - September 21, 23:59PM JST For Quatre Reves stores, we will present the novelty depending on the first-come-first-serve basis. We do not accept pre-ordrers. The campaign will end after the novelty are all distributed.

DISC1 — Blu-ray Original Recorded Video and Selected Stage Digests

Special MV A cover of “♪READY STEADY GO”, the song released in 2004 by L’arc~en~Ciel, the popular band running at the top of the Japanese rock scene. Please look forward to this “new Yuzuka Rei” that will sing this accelerating rock tune.

Kawamoto Alexander / Choreographer As a backstage dancer for many famous artists such as Momoiro Clover Z, Watanabe Naomi, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, and Fujii Kaze, he has performed live, on TV, and in music videos. He is expanding his activities as a choreographer in the Fujii Kaze "Matsuri" MV. Appeared as Mr. Pinky in the 2022 musical "Hairspray". Also active as a model and talent.

Yamanaka Yuki/MV Director Affiliated to amana inc. in 2015 and has been involved in the production of numerous commercials as a production manager. Started working as a director in 2018, producing videos in a wide range of genres, mainly commercials and music videos. Mainly specializes in creating stylish images of dance and fashion. Affiliated to isai inc. in 2022.

Making video The making video documents closely on the [song] recording, still photoshoot and the MV recording. It will be full of Yuzuka Rei’s OFF-side charms in her natural state.

Stage history digest A stylish depiction of Yuzuka’s stage scenes. Don't miss the dance scene collection of the new edited version selected by herself! Video digests of “Boys Over Flowers”, "Haikara-san ga Tooru", "DANCE OLYMPIA", "Cool Beast!!", “MAYERLING”, “A Battlefield for the Two of Us” and others.

DISC2 CD Music Selection —— A special CD with 20 live songs in past performances

2014 Flower Troupe Bow Hall Performance “Nocturne – Memories of a Faraway Summer Day” – Memories of Summer

2018 Flower Troupe National Tour Performance “Melancolique Gigolo –A Dangerous Successor–“ – Daniel’s theme

2018 Flower Troupe National Tour Performance “Exciter!!2018” – Exciter (rep.)

2019 Flower Troupe Akasaka ACT Theatre Performance “Boys Over Flowers” – theme song

2020 Flower Troupe Tokyo International Forum Performance “DANCE OLYMPIA" –Welcome to 2020–“ – DANCE DANCE DANCE

2020 Flower Troupe Grand Theatre Performance “Haikara-san ga Tooru” – Taisho Romance Song

2020 Flower Troupe Grand Theatre Performance “Haikara-san ga Tooru” – My Haikara-san

2021 Flower Troupe Grand Theatre Performance “Augustus – The Illustrious One–" Prayer ‒ O gods of the seven hills"

2021 Flower Troupe Grand Theatre Performance “Augustus – The Illustrious One–" The Courage You Gave Me

2021 Flower Troupe Grand Theatre Performance “Cool Beast!!” – Cool Beast theme song

2021 Flower Troupe National Tour Performance “Sorrowful Cordoba” – “Sorrowful Cordoba”

2021 Flower Troupe Grand Theatre Performance “Genroku Baroque Rock” – Flowers of Edo

2021 Flower Troupe Grand Theatre Performance “Genroku Baroque Rock” – Fireworks are glittering, glittering

2021 Flower Troupe Grand Theatre Performance “The Fascination –Flower Troupe 100th Anniversary and to the Future Beyond–“ – The Fascination theme song

2022 Flower Troupe Grand Theatre Performance “Years of Pilgrimage ~ The Wandering Soul of Franz Liszt” – Franz Liszt Idol

2022 Flower Troupe Grand Theatre Performance “Years of Pilgrimage ~ The Wandering Soul of Franz Liszt” Days of Pilgrimage (Dreams of Love)

2022 Flower Troupe Grand Theatre Performance “Fashionable Empire” – Welcome to Fashionable Empire

2022 Flower Troupe National Tour Performance “Love Burns in Firenze” – Elegy of Love

2023 Flower Troupe Grand Theatre Performance “MAYERLING” – Ephemeral Love

2023 Flower Troupe Grand Theatre Performance “ENCHANTEMENT – A Luxurious Perfume” – Enchantement theme song

Special Bonus —— With 10 A4-size Original Photo Cards!

Genki Ito / Photocard Photographer Graduated from Nihon University College of Art in 2008. After working at a studio, he became an independent cameraman in 2014. Joined symphonic in 2016. Active in a wide range of fields, including advertising, fashion, and music. In music, he has taken many jacket photos for LiSA, Masaki Suda, Hinatazaka46, and others.

#yuzuka rei #flower troupe #hanagumi #takarazuka #takarazuka revue #hibiscustranslation

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vintagelasvegas · 5 years

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Las Vegas Park Race Track, 1953

The track went bust after just 13 days of live racing in 1953, a failure of what was intended to marry the Las Vegas gambling and entertainment destination with the Thoroughbred racing boom. The site later became Las Vegas Country Club, Westgate, Regency Towers, and part of Las Vegas Convention Center.

Joe Smoot founded Las Vegas Park in ‘49, and acquired 750 acres from the estate of Leigh S. J. Hunt at $750/acre. The architects were Arthur Froehlich and Paul R. Williams. Construction began in summer of ‘50, and by the following year the business was bankrupt.

Smoot pleaded not guilty to a grand jury embezzlement indictment. In federal court, failing to produce receipts or canceled checks for $500,000 in missing money, he said: “You ever try to pay a politician with a check?”

Las Vegas Jockey Club, a new corporation headed by Lou Smith and Al Luke, emerged as the new owner and operator in early 1953. The park opened September 4, 1953. Their only season was married by faulty ticking and betting equipment. The stables were vacated in Oct. ‘53. Joe W. Brown bought the track following its second bankruptcy.

• Photos of Las Vegas Park Race Track

Las Vegas Turf Club was the second organization to use the track for horse racing. Their Dec. ‘54 season had poor attendance, as low as 400. Ten years later in ‘64 & 65, Las Vegas Park was used for the last time for Nevada Racing Association’s Thunderbird Downs. (The name Thunderbird Downs was also used for the half-mile track a short distance away at the Thunderbird Hotel.)

Throughout the 50s, the track – alternately known as Joe W. Brown Race Track – was also used for convention events and automobile racing: American Automobile Association Championship (‘54), NASCAR Grand National Championship (‘55), and the USAC Grand Prix (‘59). It was the race track seen in the movie “Viva Las Vegas.”

Part of the property was sold to Clark County in ‘57 for the construction of the Convention Center. Joe W. Brown’s estate sold the remaining property to National Equities Inc. in ‘65 for the creation of what became Las Vegas Country Club. National Equities sold some 60 acres to Kirk Kerkorian for The International Hotel; 20 acres to Clark County for an expansion of the Convention Center; the southeast section was saved for what would be come Regency Towers.

• Video: construction and opening of Las Vegas Park in 1953

Photos: Las Vegas News Bureau; Keeneland Library Thoroughbred Times.

Sources. Work to Begin on Las Vegas Park Stand. Review-Journal, 5/26/50; B. Dow. “Sports Snorts.” Review-Journal, 7/21/50; Vegas Park Story of Accomplishment. RJ 9/4/53; Big Car Race. Review-Journal, 5/23/54; Vegas Race to Preview 500 Dash? Review-Journal, 11/7/54; Sad Ending: Turf Club Scratched. Review-Journal, 12/6/54; Vegas Track Mark of 95 MPH Might Fall Under Stocks. Review-Journal, 10/16/55; Home Show Opens Tonight at the Race Track. Review-Journal, 6/12/57; 250-Mile Grand Prix Set for Vegas Today. Review-Journal, 11/29/59; J. Price. “A Dream of Horse Racing that became a Nightmare.” The Nevadan, 2/6/66; R. Miech. A sad saga: horse racing in Las Vegas. Las Vegas Sun, 4/29/2008; J. Lowe. The lavish Las Vegas racetrack that went bust in 13 days. Thoroughbred Racing, 2/25/2019; J. Warren, 2021. The Path of the Shield.

#Las Vegas Park #1953

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thanktrusova · 2 years

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american media: its effects on the teenage prodigy

For those who don't know, one of my favorite skaters is Alysa Liu.

Alysa is a 2x US national champion, junior and senior world bronze medalist, and 2022 Olympian.

But, one thing about her is when you look her up, one of the subheadings on her wikipedia is "2021–22 season: International senior debut, Beijing Olympics, World Championships, and retirement".

What happened to her? What was so troubling about the 2021/22 season that caused this all to happen at once, and at the age of 16?

From my limited research but somewhat extensive knowledge, the one thing I can connect this early retirement to is the American media.

Before I start, I just want to preface that I am very glad they retired on their own terms, and not due to injury or something worse. Though I do miss them.

Alysa was 13 when she won her first senior national title in January 2019, the youngest female to win US nationals as of today. She defended her title the next year, winning back-to-back nationals at only 14 years old.

Also in the 2019/2020 season, they had their international junior debut. During this, they became the first woman to complete a triple axel and quadruple jump in competition, as well as achieving the status of the first non-Russian girl to win a Grand Prix event for around 20 competitions. They went on to win bronze at the World Junior Championships in March 2020.

This bout of success caused eyes of every American media outlet to be focused on young Alysa. They started deeming her as an American prodigy, the only hope to have an Olympic medal in Ladies' Single Skating at Beijing 2022. This was still two years away from the Winter Olympics, and she was only 14.

The next year, 2021, Alysa underwent a growth spurt, which, obviously, is normal for a 15 year old girl. Because of this, she lost her triple axel and quadruple lutz jumps, causing American media to forget her, or worse, doubt and even berate her. If she can't beat the Russians at the next Olympics, who can? The media gave up hope on her and did not care about the effects of doing so.

Cut to the 2021/2022 season, Alysa's international senior debut. She officially secured the third spot for US ladies at the Olympics, and performed average at her Grand Prix assignments, placing fourth at both. She had to withdraw from US Nationals due to COVID, but still managed to petition for a spot on the 2022 Olympic team thanks to her performance history. Once again, she was America's "only hope" for a spot on that podium.

Overall, she placed 7th, the highest out of the three American female skaters. She claimed she was pleased with her performances, and that she was just happy to be in Beijing. A little over a month later, she won bronze at the 2022 World Championships, being the first American woman to medal since 2016.

Months later, they announced their retirement, and have not (publicly) skated competitively or professionally since.

They also archived all social media.

While other reasons can be argued for this happening, the main one is the pressure put on Alysa at such a young age to be the saving grace of American figure skating.

I know you're wondering, has the media learned and changed?

And as an answer, I will point you in the direction of 18 year old Ilia Malinin, who media has dubbed "heaven-sent for US figure skating", or even tell you to keep an eye on 15 year old Isabeau Levito, "America's new hope".

#figure skating #american media #olympics #alysa liu #ilia malinin #isabeau levito #yuzuru hanyu

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kawarikisaki · 1 year

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Funny thing given how knights work and your theory that Kid is a queen in chess the knights are the Detective Boys so despite his name Hakuba isn’t a chess knight. (Works even better because when Kid wanted to have them unwittingly help him acquire a big jewel he put all but Conan in a corner. (Given that knights in a corner are tricky at best.) Then he put him in a metaphorical corner by tasing him. Which I think which convinced Agasa, Conan and Ai to not allow the kids involved in Kid heists anymore because they don’t want that to happen to literal children. Because at that time Kid didn’t know Conan is actually about his own age.)

Alrighty, so you said a lot of stuff there but my brain is only really latching on to one part of it. So you're getting another round of me kinda debating myself. And the topic this time is: We don't actually know whether or not Kid knew Conan's identity at that point. We do know that he knows now, after all in Fairy's Lip heist Kaito's internal monologue acknowledges that he's up against two high school detective's. But that was fairly recent (2019) in the grand scheme of Detective Conan. So when did he find out? He found out in Movie 3, so it could be argued that he's known since then (which is generally what I go with since there's never anything that contradicts that), however the movies are second degree canon (I could probably do a whole ramble post about what I think about the movies and their canonicity), so it's not really solid that he learned at that point.

That said, if that movie isn't when Kid officially found out Conan's identity then we don't actually know when he did, because we're not shown it. But Arguments can and will be made: 1. He's known since the black star pearl heist. After meeting on the roof Kid looked into Conan and those he was staying with as part of the process that led to him disguising as Ran on the ship- with how intelligent Kaito is it's not unreasonable to consider that he may have learned that had a childhood friend that went missing around the same time that Conan showed up, and Kaito knows magic is real so it's not too much of a logic jump for him to put two and two together. 2. He needed to see him in action a few more times before he made the connection, but knew before the gathering of great detectives (just because if he didn't know at that point it's super weird that Kid included Conan in the phrasing of 'they're like lovers that you don't want to meet'. No Kaito, don't compare someone you think is a child to a lover, not good.) 3. The hint that Conan gave durring the Ryoma heist/case about his mom gave Kid the pieces he needed to make the leap in logic. (Already after the heist with the detective boys at this point) 4. Somehow he didn't know but then seeing how Heiji and Conan interact in the aforementioned Fairy lips heist Kaito just kinda went 'oh, they're bros- wait did he just call the little meitantei 'Kudo'???' And while the idea of option 4 amuses me to no end. And the same with if considering the possibility that Kaito could have tazed Conan thinking he was a real 6 year old. .... I already mentioned that I'm on team 'he figured it out in the movie'.

#dcmk #kuroba kaito #asks

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ts1989fanatic · 1 year

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Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” Is a Triumph of Spectacle and Stamina: Review

Las Vegas hosted a greatest hits tour unlike anything ever staged before

As Taylor Swift ascended to the stage during the opening moments of “The Eras Tour” she emerged from billowing clouds of soft-hued tapestry in a glittering rhinestone bodysuit. She presented herself as the sergeant-at-arms ready to take her infantry of Swifties into the great pop battle through the 10 eras of her 17-year career with 44 tracks over more than three hours.

The second weekend of “The Eras Tour” at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium on March 24th and 25th drew locals, Swifties who flooded the roads driving in from neighboring states, and international diehards from destinations far and wide. It had been a long time since Swift played Las Vegas and she broke the dry spell in a big way. As she took the stage for night three and four of “Eras”—a sold-out doubleheader in the desert — Swift rolled in a winner.

The orientation for this grand presentation was 2019’s Lover era, which included six songs: “Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince,” “Cruel Summer,” “The Man,” “You Need to Calm Down,” Lover,” and “The Archer.”

“We are about to go on a grand adventure,” Swift announced prior to performing “The Man.” “I’ll be your host this evening. My name is Taylor.” This was followed by a return to the familiar “Lover”-video dollhouse set, its rooms symbolizing each one of her albums. In “The Archer,” that house became engulfed in a rain of pyrotechnics—washing away in a blast of fire instead of water.

“Eras” was quite the adventure, as Swift promised. The show was loaded with heavy artillery from albums for which she has not yet toured, including 2019’s Lover, 2020’s Evermore and Folklore and 2022’s Midnights. Overall, the career highlight reel featured 12 live debuts. Those fresh moments were backed up by a smattering from Swift’s previous albums, tours and videos from eras including Taylor Swift (2006), Fearless (2008), Speak Now (2010), Red (2012), 1989 (2014), and Reputation (2017). The motifs, arrangements, costumes, dance moves and visuals drawn from those works were sometimes presented literally and at other times more nuanced and interpretive.

Despite the callback, for Swift, there is no time like the present and this era belongs to her. “The Eras Tour” aimed to engage all human senses, offering an extraordinary 4-D cognitive experience through its innovative stage design, cutting-edge visual mapping, and top-of-the-line production values that far surpassed most of today’s touring show standards.

The stage itself featured three separate platforms made of LED displays connected by a ramp — each equipped with mobile hydraulic blocks that form different shapes, creating those picture-perfect angles that Swift thrives on. It was a massive production with pyrotechnics, indoor fireworks, and image projection technology.

Whether alone or with her dozens of supporting talents, Swift dominated the football-field-long stage. In a true test of her stamina, she never broke during the three-plus hours for anything longer than a quick change.

The second era of the night was 2008’s Fearless, where she performed its title song as well as “You Belong With Me” and “Love Story,” a toe dip back into her transition from country to pop, represented by the soft golden glow of the iconic fringe dress and the lighting treatments. This was an homage to the pin-curled beauty queen with the guitar we first got to know way back when.

Era three, evermore, featured standouts “Willow” and “Champagne Problems.” The staging consisted of massive oak-like trees while Swift sat at a moss-covered piano. She went thoroughly witchy during the cloaked “Willow” as her cadre danced around with orange-hued orbs. “I’ve been fantasizing about what [this will be like] to sing it with you,” she said during an introspective interlude before heading into “Champagne Problems” where she noted the moment, “I’m so in love with this crowd, I’m petting the moss.”

Throughout, Swift deftly balanced her goddess and huntress personas, showcasing both sides of her artistry. During her performance of “Willow” from evermore, she channeled “little Taylor riding hood,” while in era four’s Reputation, she embodied a captivating “snake charmer.” Her setlist included memorable performances of “…Ready for It?,” “Delicate,” “Don’t Blame Me,” and “Look What You Made Me Do,” a reminder of the time when she had to defend and establish herself among her peers. The unforgettable snake-wrapped microphone from 2017 reappeared, slithering up her one-legged bodysuit.

The fifth era, Speak Now, received only one nod with “Enchanted” before moving on to Red and folklore.

The crowd fell into a frenzy with Red’s coming-of-age anthems “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” “I Knew You Were Trouble” and the 10-minute version of “All Too Well,” a sharp contrast to the seventh more ethereal and cottage-dwelling era of folklore, which packed seven songs and was one of the most prominently featured chapters of the night. The performers’ period attire during “The Last Great American Dynasty,” the funeral procession of “My Tears Ricochet,” and the woodsy isolation of “Cardigan” transported the audience back to the strange and isolating reality of the pandemic, which may have been too soon for some.

The biggest, baddest, boldest era was number eight, 1989, as dancers rode neon-lit bicycles for “Blank Space”, and used blue-lit golf clubs to smash an animated car, then “Shake It Off,” erupted into a dance party followed by the intense and hot pyro display of “Bad Blood.”

While the ability to change up a tour like “Eras” city by city is virtually impossible because of its scale — Swift played to the Vegas crowd in a few ways they could really own. Built into each setlist is space for two surprise songs, which Swift has promised will be wholly unique for each show.

During her first night in Las Vegas, Taylor Swift approached the front of the stage with her guitar for an intimate moment and addressed the crowd, saying, “This is what I feel like playing, and I will decide based on what I hope you might want to hear. I aim to please, but I also get ideas from things.” Swift then referenced an interview she saw with beabadoobee, the Filipino-British singer-songwriter who opened the evening.

“For beabadoobee’s first show, I will play this specific song that she wants to hear. I wrote this for my 9th grade talent show,” Swift shared before launching into the rousing anthem “Our Song” from her debut album.

Swift then took a seat at a hand-painted floral upright piano for the night’s biggest surprise. “Lana Del Rey put out a new album today,” Swift remarked. “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd … it is so good — you probably already know that… It is just extraordinary. I think she is the best that we have and so make it a priority to stream, buy, support this album and this artist. She knows I am obsessed with her and she was kind enough to make a song with me on Midnights called ‘Snow on the Beach,’” Swift said.

“She is a generous king, she did that for me and I will never forget how nice she has been… I want to do some promo for her and in honor of this brilliant album she just put out, I’m going to play ‘Snow on the Beach.’”

The second night featured the first surprise guest of the tour as Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons popped up to do the live debut of “Cowboy Like Me” from 2020’s evermore. She also dusted off “White Horse” from Fearless.

For the closing spectacle, Swift plunged into a virtual body of water that surrounded the stage, then swam underwater back to the main platform — thanks to the next-level production — before returning to perform more songs from her Midnights era. The crowd’s excitement remained high as she introduced new tracks such as “Anti-Hero,” “Midnight Rain,” “Vigilante Shit,” and “Karma,” which received the same level of enthusiastic reception as her previously played greatest hits.

Regardless of whether you are a fan of Taylor Swift, it’s impossible to deny the sheer magnitude, artistry, and technical prowess of this production. This greatest hits tour, undertaken during her commercial prime, is an unprecedented feat and could potentially earn over a billion dollars, making it the highest-grossing tour in world history.

The three-plus”Eras” hours became a marathon and at the end, the audience was in a state of utter exhausted euphoria. But a spectacle of this size does beg the question — once you go this big, where do you go from here?

Taylor Swift’s massive 2023 tour continues through August.

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rlfqhrtn · 1 year

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길복순 다시 보기 무료보기:(Kill Boksoon)

길복순 다시 보기 무료보기:(Kill Boksoon) 링크<<

길복순 다시 보기 무료보기:(Kill Boksoon)

길복순 다시 보기 무료보기:(Kill Boksoon) 영화

In the 3rd Junior Grand Prix 2018 JGP Lithuania short circuit, the triple lutz + triple toe loop combination was judged under, and the triple flip showed an overall uneasy appearance, such as stepping out. Fortunately, he showed strong performance in the non-jumping element [8] and scored 61.63 points. In the free race, he neatly succeeded in the triple lutz + trip길복순 다시 보기 무료보기:(Kill Boksoon)le toe loop combination, which was judged under in the short, and earned a high bonus of 2.11 points, and perfectly succeeded in all six subsequent jump tasks. The strong non-jumping element also showed a good performance, receiving a high score of 130.26 points in the free and raising the overall ranking to second place with a total of 191.89 points [9], showing off its potential to win the silver medal following Alexandra Trusova. The free and total points recorded this time are길복순 다시 보기 무료보기:(Kill Boksoon) the highest among all Korean female single players who have appeared on the junior stage, and are the third highest free and total points in Korean female singles after Kim Yuna (150.06 points) and Choi Da-bin (131.49 points). In the meantime, she has been evaluated as being far behind Yoo Young and Lim Eun-soo in terms of her performance and topicality, but this tournament provided an opportunity to be reevaluated by changing various records.

She competed in her first senior event of the season to secure skill points for the 2019 Four Continents Championships. She competed at the 2018 CS U.S. Championships in Salt Lake City, USA from September 12-16. At the International Classic길복순 다시 보기 무료보기:(Kill Boksoon), she won the bronze medal behind Satoko Miyahara and Eunsoo Lim.At the 5th Junior Grand Prix 2018 JGP Czech Republic, she broke her personal best with a score of 69.45 in a clean shot in a series of mistakes. In the free, she also performed without any major errors and received 126.89 points with a one point deduction from the time limit as the music ended midway through the final spin. Although scoring slightly lower than her third competition, she again broke her personal best with an overall score of 196.34. She then won anothe길복순 다시 보기 무료보기:(Kill Boksoon)r silver medal following her last 3rd event, behind Alyona Kostornaya. As a result, she became the first Korean female athlete to win medals in two Junior Grand Prix events in a row following Kim Yu-na and Choi Da-bin. has become She is also the only non-Russian player to qualify for the Junior Grand Prix Final Women's Singles this season.[10]

In her first appearance, at the 2018-19 Junior Grand Prix Final Short, she received a score of 62.51 when she landed on her hand while being judged under in the linking jump of the triple lutz + triple toe loop combination. In the free, she fell on 길복순 다시 보기 무료보기:(Kill Boksoon)her triple flip and was under judged on her other two jumps, giving her a score of 115.40. She finished sixth in the final with a total score of 177.91. Since all of the contestants in the women's singles were Russian except for herself, she appeared at the gala with winner Alyona Kostornaya.

In the short game of the 2018 President's Cup Ranking Competition, she was clean but lost a little in the non-jumping element, scoring 64.58 to finish second. She performed rather poorly in the free the following day, where she scored only 116.86 points to place fifth, but with a total of 181.44길복순 다시 보기 무료보기:(Kill Boksoon) points, she won the bronze medal behind Lim Eun-soo and You Young. This earned her a spot at the Four Continents Championships.

She missed out on the 2019 World Championships and 2019 Junior World Championships, finishing 5th in the final standings due to several mistakes in the free at the 2019 All-Around Championships.

At the 2019 Four Continents Championships short, she was judged by attention on her triple flip, and she only scored 64.42 points, but in the triple lutz + triple toe loop combination, she received first place in additional points among all players who길복순 다시 보기 무료보기:(Kill Boksoon) competed. In the free, she failed to connect the follow-up jump in her scheduled combination of double axel + triple toe loop and faltered slightly on the steps, but overall impressed her composition points, receiving a total of 123.51 points. She finished the season with a final score of 187.93 in 8th place.

After her fifth tournament at the Junior Grand Prix, she ended her season with treatment for a sore heel that had deformed her bone due to her boot change. Although she regretted not being able to continue participating in the World Championships, she achieved the highest score in short, free, and total points for Korean junior players, as well as entering the first junior women's Grand Prix final after Kim Yuna, and placing in the top 24 of the season's best ranking. It was also a season to receive.

Appeared at the ice show held from June 6th to June 8th. Prior to the Grand Prix series, they participated in the 2019 CS Lombardia Trophy and the 2019 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, where they placed 4th and 2nd, respectively. After this tournament, coaches were changed to Shin Hye-sook & Lee Eun-hee.

She competed in the 2020 Youth Olympic Trials and made up a layback spin for the first time in a long time in the short, but misunderstood the double Axel sequence in the free and placed third, thus failing to qualify for the Youth Olympics.

She made her senior Grand Prix debut by participating in Skate Canada 2019. She finished in 8th place with a score of 61.23, placing attention on the triple lutz, under judgement on the single triple loop, level 2 on the step, and level 길복순 다시 보기 무료보기:(Kill Boksoon)3 on the flying camel spin and sit spin. In the free, she handled her first 3-3 combination jump alone, and in the triple flip, she was downgraded and fell down. Overall, she performed poorly, earning 115.70 points and finishing 7th in the final. In a situation where she was waiting for an additional assignment with Yoo-young, she herself did not perform well, so she virtually finished her Grand Prix competition with her debut.

In the short of the 2019 President’s Cup Ranking Competition, he received 68.61 points with equal bonuses in jumps and spins, except for level 2 in step. In the free, she got a score of 140.06, clean all the jumps she performed, and took her first win in the President's Cup Ranking Competition with a total score of 208.67. She has placed second and third in this event before, but this is the first time she has won. Fans were worried and disappointed due to the lack of additional assignments in the Grand Prix series this season, but they returned to the ranking competition with a solid appearance and won the championship, securing the right to participate in the 2020 Four Continents Championships.

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aiveecastillo · 2 years

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The Queens of Thailand by winning Miss Universe, Miss International, Miss Intercontinental & Miss Supranational:

1965: Apasra Hongsakula (Miss Universe)

1988: Porntip Nakhirunkanok (Miss Universe)

2014: Patraporn Wang (Miss Intercontinental)

2019: Sireethorn Leearamwat (Miss International)

____: Anntonia Porsild (Miss Supranational)

But Thailand will bring home the 1st Miss World, Miss Earth & Miss Grand International crown soon to complete at the Big 7 pageant.

#Miss Universe #Miss World #Miss International #Miss Earth #Miss Intercontinental #Miss Supranational #Miss Grand International #Apasra Hongsakula #Porntip Nakhirunkanok #Patraporn Wang #Sireethorn Leearamwat #Anntonia Porsild #Thailand

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brookstonalmanac · 1 year

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Holidays 4.12

Holidays

Anniversary of the Big Wind

Big Wind Day

Children’s Day (Bolivia, Haiti)

Cosmonaut Day (a.k.a. Cosmonautics Day; Russia)

D.E.A.R. Day (a.k.a. Drop Everything And Read Day)

Eat All Your Snacks Before the Movie Even Starts Day

Education and Sharing Day [11 Nissan]

Festival to Preserve Corn (Cochumatan Indians; Guatemala)

412 Day

Global Day to End Child Sexual Abuse

Halifax Day (North Carolina)

Hell is a Democracy Day

Human Spaceflight Day

International Day for Street Children

International Day of Human Space Flight

Jersey Day (Canada)

Kamakura Matsuri (Japan)

Lakritsdagen (Sweden)

Lucid Dreaming Day

National Boob Touch Day

National Colorado Day

National Deskfast

National Dolores Day

National Elbow Day

National For Twelves Day

National Gavin Day

National Hanging Out Day

National Julia Day National Mac Day

National Maya Day

National Only Child Day

National Radiologic & Imaging Nurses Day

National Redemption Day (Liberia)

National Shagging Day

National Silvia Day

Nicki Day

Pan Day (Japan)

Portable Typewriter Day

Reach As High As You Can Day

Russian Cosmonaut Day

Selena Day (Texas)

Single Mother Appreciation Day

Songkran begins (Thailand) [Extra day added in 2018]

Teak Awareness Day

Walk On Your Wild Side Day

Wear a Star Day

World Hamster Day

Yuri's Night (International)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Colorado Pint Day

National Buy a Loaf of Bread Day

National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day

National Licorice Day

2nd Wednesday in April

International Day of Pink [2nd Wednesday]

International Provenance Research Day [2nd Wednesday]

National Bookmobile Day [Wednesday of 2nd Full Week]

Independence Days

Nye (a.k.a. Republic of Nye, f.k.a. Nye County; Declared; 2022) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Adoniram Judson (Episcopal Church)

Alferius (Christian; Saint)

A. Ligator (Muppetism)

Angelo Carletti di Chivasso (Christian; Saint)

Cerealia (Old Roman Goddess of Grain, Ceres)

Ekādaśī Tithi (Hunduism)

Eratosthenes (Positivist; Saint)

Erkembode (Christian; Saint)

Jord’s Day (Pagan)

Julius I, Pope (Christian; Saint)

Naughty Noodle Day (Pastafarian)

Print Olive Day (Church of the SubGenius)

Robert Delaunay (Artology)

Saba (a.k.a. Sabas the Goth; Christian; Saint)

Teresa of the Andes (Christian; Saint)

Victor of Braga (Christian; Martyr)

William Pellicone (Artology)

Zeno of Verona (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]

Uncyclopedia Bad to Be Born Today (because it’s Zombie Jesus Day.)

Premieres

Bend it Like Beckham (Film; 2002)

The Coup, by John Updike (Novel; 1979)

Desperately Seeking Susan (Film; 1985)

The Emancipation of Mimi, by Mariah Carey (Album; 2005)

42 (Film; 2013)

Garth Brooks, by Garth Brooks (Album; 1989)

Grace Under Pressure, by Rush (Album; 1984)

Grand Hotel (Film; 1932)

Impromptu (Film; 1991)

It Would Be So nice, by Pink Floyd (Song; 1968)

I Want It That Way, by The Backstreet Boys (Song; 1999)

James and the Giant Peach (Animated Film; 1996)

Lake Wobegon Days, by Garrison Keillor (Novel; 1985)

Live Through This, by Hole (Album; 1994)

Mad Max (Film; 1979)

Missing Link (Animated Film; 2019)

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (Film; 1936)

Mr. Tambourine Man, by The Byrds (Song; 1965)

Murmur, by R.E.M. (Album; 1983)

Oberon, by Carl Maria von Weber (Opera; 1826)

The Pebble and the Penguin (Animated Film; 1995)

Penguin Highway (Anime Film; 2019)

Pluto’s Kid Brother (Disney Cartoon; 1946)

Rebecca (Film; 1940)

Rock Around the Clock, recorded by Bill Haley (Song; 1954)

Save Rock and Roll, by Fall Out Boy (Album; 2013)

Shake, Rattle and Roll, by Big Joe Turner (Song; 1954)

Strange Lady in Town (Film; 1955)

The Shadow of a Gunman, by Sean O’Casey (Play; 1923)

The Sweetest Thing (Film; 2002)

Tender Is the Night, by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Novel; 1934)

21 Jump Street (TV Series; 1987)

Wasting Light, by the Foo Fighters (Album; 2011)

Woodchopper’s Baby, recorded by Woody Herman (Song; 1939)

Today’s Name Days

Herta, Julius, Zeno (Austria)

Davorka, Julije, Sofija, Viktor (Croatia)

Julius (Czech Republic)

Julius (Denmark)

Julius, Udo, Ullo, Ulrik, Uudo (Estonia)

Janna, Janni, Julia, Juliaana, Julius, Juuli (Finland)

Jules (France)

Herta, Julius, Zeno (Germany)

Akakios, Anthe, Anthi (Greece)

Gyula (Hungary)

Giulio, Zenone (Italy)

Ainis, Jūlijs (Latvia)

Damijonas, Galkantas, Julijus, Jūratė (Lithuania)

Julie, Julius (Norway)

Andrzej, Iwan, Juliusz, Siemiodrog, Wiktor, Wiktoriusz, Zenon, Zenona (Poland)

Sava (Romania)

Estera (Slovakia)

Constantino, Julio (Spain)

Julius, Liv (Sweden)

Destin, Destinee, Destiny, Dulce, Walker (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 102 of 2024; 263 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 3 of week 15 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Fearn (Alder) [Day 25 of 28]

Chinese: Second Month 2 (Gui-Mao), Day 22 (GENG-ZI)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 21 Nisan 5783

Islamic: 21 Ramadan 1444

J Cal: 11 Aqua; Foursday [11 of 30]

Julian: 30 March 2023

Moon: 50%: 3rd Quarter

Positivist: 18 Archimedes (4th Month) [Eratosthenes]

Runic Half Month: Man (Human Being) [Day 3 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 24 of 90)

Zodiac: Aries (Day 23 of 30)

#Holidays

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michaelcosio · 7 months

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youtube

“Don’t Teach Us How To Run Our Country” | El Salvador President Schools Reporter | India Today

Premiered Feb 21, 2024

Nayib Bukele, now the twice elected president of El Salvador, shared this video on 21st February, showing his reply to a question asked by a BBC reporter. Bukele’s New Ideas party won a “supermajority” on Monday, romping home in 54 of the 60 congressional seats. Salvadorian laws allow the leader accorded with a supermajority to have an apparent free reign in governance. Upon his election in 2019, Nayib Bukele, who is of Palestinian heritage, emerged as the youngest president in Latin America. Known for his love of grand events, he has managed to draw global celebrities, including organising the Miss Universe pageant and bringing football legend Lionel Messi for a friendly game. Bukele gained international attention in 2022 for his stringent crackdown on the gangs that have plagued El Salvador for years.

from India Today

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qnewsau · 8 months

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Pop the cork at Blanc De Blanc Encore!

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/pop-the-cork-at-blanc-de-blanc-encore/

Pop the cork at Blanc De Blanc Encore!

Step into the world of Blanc de Blanc Encore, a thrilling fusion of cabaret, circus, and burlesque in Sydney.

The party never stops in the delightfully decadent world of Blanc de Blanc Encore.

The crowd favourite cabaret, circus and burlesque show has taken Sydney by storm since it reopened a year ago at the newly refurbished venue The Grand Electric in Surry Hills. And due to overwhelming demand, Blanc de Blanc Encore will keep the party going until March 24 this year.

The creative team at Strut & Fret bring together an international cast of top-notch professionals to serve up Blanc de Blanc Encore‘s world-renowned blend of risque revelry and acrobatic artistry.

In the cast are numerous Cirque du Soleil alumni, including aerial duo Spencer Craig, from Canada, and Caitlin Marion Tomson-Moylan, from the USA.

They join Jess Mews and Melanie Hawkins from Australia, and others.

Spencer and Caitlin have performed together for seven years. In Blanc de Blanc Encore, the duo show off their incredible artistry on the aerial hoops.

“We’ve both done this since we were children. We have at least 40 to 50 years of combined experience between the two of us,” he said.

“Caitlin and I have been all over the world, working for a bunch of different companies in many different shows.”

High-level circus, clowny comedians, and lots of music

Right now, the talented performers’ main focus is Blanc de Blanc. Encore was an immediate sell-out hit when it premiered at the Sydney Opera House in 2019 and went on to win standing ovations Australia-wide.

The show’s current run at the Grand Electric has been extended for a fourth time, with shows in Sydney until March.

Spencer Craig, who was in the cast in 2019, describes Blanc de Blanc Encore as a French-themed cabaret with an “eclectic mix of high-level circus, clowny comedians, and lots of singing and dancing.”

“Australian audiences are perfect for a show like Blanc de Blanc,” he said.

“They’re usually a lot more down to have a good time, and I always say they’re down to clown.

“The Grand Electric is a pretty cute, intimate space. Before it was revived for this show, it was unused for a really long time.

“There’s honestly not many spaces like it in the city. It’s perfect for a show like Blanc de Blanc because it brings everybody in really nice and close, which means more fun for us.”

Don’t miss out on all the excitement, the electric atmosphere and lots of bubbles at Blanc de Blanc Encore.

See it until March 24, 2024 at The Grand Electric, Surry Hills. For tickets, visit blancshow.com

For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

#sydney

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whenitsdarkweilluminate · 11 months

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Tel Aviv 2019 – Semi-Final 1

Host: Israel Slogan: “Dare to Dream” Participants: 41 Voting method: 12-point system (50/50 system - separated) Format: 2 Semi-Finals / Grand Final = the top 10 of semi 1 & 2 + the Big 5 + host

General Overview:

I just finished a year with super imbalanced semi-finals, and now I get to do... another year with super imbalanced semi-finals! Except it's the reverse of 2018. This time, SF1 is the “mid-off” and SF2 is the “bloodbath”. In fact, none of this year's top EIGHT comes from SF1.

2019 sees Israel host the last contest of the decade for a third time (after 1979 and 1999). While the number of participants drops to 41. Bulgaria left for financial reasons. And Ukraine were forced to withdraw after Maruv refused to sign a contract that restricted her from performing in Russia. The 2nd and 3rd placers in Vidbir also declined to replace her. A real shame, since “Siren Song” would be a contender for my #1 this year.

The presenters are Erez Tal, Bar Refaeli, Assi Azar and Lucy Ayoub. Their humour isn't as strong as Petra and Måns or the Portuguese team. But I still find them amusing. Erez is my favourite; I laughed when he mocked the waving audience members. The other memorable jokes tonight were: Assi sneaking into Bar's shot, Assi pulling up a shirtless pic of Miki, and the empty CD/DVD reveal.

The show opens with a 5-year-old Netta and her family watching Dana International win in 1998. She takes this inspiration to sing “Toy” at a kids talent show. This cuts to a recap of her 2018 winning moment. Next, we go inside the arena, where a bunch of robotic “look at me”'s and flashing bars of light set up Netta's grand entrance – where she comes out of a giant cat figurine. Then she sings a remix of “Toy” that changes production several times, including a chicken clucking beat at first. She also unleashes a crazy note at one point. It's a hype opener, I'll admit that.

The interval stars Dana International singing a cover of Bruno Mars's “Just the Way You Are”. Her performance starts in her dressing room, then she walks down a hallway that leads to the stage. Once on stage, there's a kiss cam showing straight and gay couples kissing. Dana is there to spread love! Next, we see a montage of the 2019 artists dancing in the postcards... this is pure filler. And later, there's a DJ Earworm-style mash-up of famous Eurovision songs from the past. I liked that one.

Australia wins this semi-final, despite placing 2nd in the televote and 3rd with the juries. The televote winners is... Iceland. Didn't see that coming. While the jury winner is Czechia, because of course it is. The public saved San Marino at the expense of Hungary. While the juries saved Belarus at the expense of Poland. Poland was 2 points away from qualifying, actually.

✓ Cyprus: Tamta - Replay 2019 kicks off with “Fuego” 2.0! Both songs have Major Lazer-esque production and female singers acting playfully dominant (“You've got a problem”... “I'm the one to blame... “I know you miss the taste”). The subject twists and turns at 2AM craving Tamta, so they call her “early in the morning” for an undercover booty call. But she's not a tease, she's “all in tonight”. The title “Replay” implies this is a recurring thing. The song is also catchy AF, particularly the “THAT'S WHEN YOU CALL ME” / “EARLY IN THE MORNING” repetition shouts and the “replay-replay-replay” stutters (it replays the word replay!) The stutters have a jittery visual effect too. On stage, Tamta wears shiny leather and turns to the side a lot. There's also 4 dancing cowboys. They move their hands into the frame and remove her jacket later on. She then gets sensual during the bridge. The performance starts with the spotlight turning on/off on Tamta as well. And the black clothing theme is contrasted by 6 pillars of white light. Musically, “Replay” opens with laggy guitar plucks. Then the first verse suppresses the plucks, while inserting a few purring motor bursts (like the song is glitching), and adds taps midway to get things moving. The chorus stops the beat via a slam, like it's had enough. Then the beat returns and builds up, pausing on the main lyric. Then broken stutter ticks lead to the brass-y “womp-womp” drop. That drop makes you sink on the dancefloor. The bridge is a cool down. And there's pyro bangs to start the last chorus, which keeps the beat this time.

× Montenegro: D mol - Heaven This just sound like Christian music on a beach. No thanks. The group harmonies, the wholesome smiles, and the white outfits give that vibe. The vocals, staging, and instrumental are messy as well. The chorus uses the word “falling” too many times. The odd camera angles don't really work – I don't like how they keep turning towards the camera. Their different placements on stage at the start look random. And I cringe when they all look up to heaven. Moreover, the lyrics aren't profound. The narrator was left lonely, heartbroken and empty before they found love. They felt naked, blind and ready to give up. That's the entire story. The first verse repeats a few words, but not in a noticeable way. The “I'll catch you while you're falling” line feels shoehorned in too. The group even tries to catch one of them from falling at the end... which is also cringe. And the instrumental has WAY too much going on. It doesn't mix traditional and modern very well. The intro feels “off”, with squeals, snaps, and a warped siren. The first verse is mainly piano, with a bit of traditional strings and echoing steps. There's a splash transition. Then the chorus has a snappy beat, pan flutes, and more squeals; followed by a string break. The song's tempo increases from this point on. There's quacks in the 2nd half. Verse 2 reduces to computer “blips” midway, followed by a hip-hop-ish drum, a quick pause and a thunderclap. And the song ends with more strings. Nothing about this entry works.

× Finland: Darude feat. Sebastian Rejman - Look Away Finland selects the DJ behind the “Sandstorm” meme, while UMK chooses the song. It was the same with Saara Aalto last year. But “Look Away” finished dead last in SF1. The melody is limp, the “drop” is nothing, and the “look away”s in the chorus are never-ending. The “is it in my heaaaaad” hook is fine though. The song's message is about how we “look away” from the serious issues affecting our world. Sebastian is done with singing about love; this is more important. He can't ignore what's happening. He wonders how we sleep at night and questions if he's the only one mentally affected by this. Musically, the song starts with two drum kicks, then the dance club piano and buzzing comes in. Those kicks are reused for transitions. While the pre-chorus piano is more isolated. Then there's a beat acceleration at the beginning, middle, and end of the “drop”. But the “drop” plays it too safe and doesn't change things up enough – it's just a faster tempo. Things briefly cool off before verse 2, which adds splashy drums. The next pre-chorus uses antsy guitar and a slower boom-boom-splash beat. The latter is repeated at the end of the song. The staging is the best aspect though. It involves a random dancer, all alone on the main stage, moving against a wind machine with seawater on the LED behind her. Midway through, she “disappears” into darkness, and is shown drowning on the LED. Then she “magically” returns to the stage. I guess magic works when you look away.

× Poland: Tulia - Fire of Love (Pali się) “White Voice” singing is polarizing. The first few seconds of “Fire of Love” involves ear-splitting shrieks... it's not a good first impression. But the verses salvage this somewhat. There's an electric guitar that runs through them that slices through everything and gives a bad-ass attitude. It's just the sneering, high-pitched chorus vocals that are grating. Although they do serve a purpose. “Pali się” is the Polish way of shouting “FIRE! FIRE!” to alarm someone. So Tulia are literally shouting “FIRE! FIRE!” in that chorus. Lyrically, the song is about how love will melt the frozen, doubting heart. How it'll free the abandoned, indifferent heart that's hard as stone and feels nothing. All it takes is one small spark. And then the fire brigade is useless! On stage, the 4 women stand on a spinning platform, while dressed in traditional attire. They're draped in long red veils that they remove in unison early on. And the LED shows their faces one at a time. After that a cappella shrieking intro is over with, the electric guitar and claps jump in right away, alongside an “ah huh ah huh” chant. The guitar groove drives the verses, with light stomps and hi-hat. While the chorus is a clappy schoolyard chant with tambourine jingles. There's a pause after each chorus before the guitar returns. And the 3rd verse delays the guitar even longer for an audience clap-a-long moment. The song also begins and ends in English.

✓ Slovenia: Zalagasper - Sebi “Sebi” expresses intimacy so well, with Zala's minimalist vocal, the chill instrumental, and how the couple stands very close to each other. She looks directly at Gašper while he takes in what she says. He alternates between smiles and serious faces. And he breaks eye contact a few times to look at his instruments as a distraction. The camera also spins around them, and the LED shows a starry night sky. There's a nighttime ambience here. “Sebi” is a late night conversation, where Zala offers her support when Gašper feels overwhelmed. She says progress keeps her going. That she goes with the flow and resists it. That it's okay to cry. That they accept each other despite different desires. That he doesn't need to prove himself. Not everything has a meaning; nothing is forever; and common tears and fears create a bond. The chorus, meanwhile, repeats the words “Stay true to yourself / Don't tell me to forgive you”. The message is that you don't have to be a perfect person in a relationship. Zala is taking that pressure off. The production is very atmospheric and quirky as well. The intro has dark dreamy keyboards, hollow knocks, broken metal tick rattles, and computerized claps. While the verses reduce to just knocks and taps, with some purring motor bits. Verse 2 has more rattles though. And the chorus is the same as the intro. They both soar. There's some distant voices in there too. None of these quirks clash either. It's smooth. Zala's vocal might seem boring, but the chorus melody makes up for it.

✓ Czech Republic: Lake Malawi - Friend of a Friend The “Don't Come Easy”/“Dance You Off” of 2019. There's so much awkward energy here - the nervous smiles, the spoken word pre-chorus, the lead singer hopping backwards, his dance moves, him sliding/falling to the floor, him gesturing the camera to follow him. And it's like they're acting awkward on purpose, which comes across pretentious. I do like the editing though. Each band member is inside a rectangular frame, and during the chorus, their frames multiply and shift around, while the LED alternates bold colours. They wear bold sweaters too (black, yellow, or red). But those are Belgium flag colours, not Malawi. Also, the lyrics are asinine. The singer overhears his crush making love next door, and later upstairs. This must be an apartment. They were neighbours at 13 but now she's just a “friend of a friend of a...” etc. I don't really like that hook. He still dreams about meeting up, saying “I'm your man”, even though he forgot her name. This is one-sided. I think it's meant to be silly though. The production shifts between dreary and chipper. The song starts with gradual drips, then the drums and cowbell come in. There's a sad desert guitar. Then the pre-chorus reduces to a bluesy keyboard, creating awkward silence for the spoken word part. The drums return for the chorus, alongside a wiggly guitar groove and dull synth gargles. An 80s synth break follows this, with the same wiggly groove. There's also annoying “I'm only a friend” responses. And two long notes at the end.

× Hungary: Joci Pápai - Az én apám Joci returns after just 2 years... only to give Hungary their first NQ in 10 years... and they haven't participated since. “Origo” was captivating, but I can see how “Az én apám” got lost. The only catchy part is the “n-na na na na na; ya ya ya” part. Joci's performance shows the song is meaningful to him though. He's cherishing the memory of his father, who was gentle and told stories through song, which drove away Joci's sadness. Every road lead to him. It was the “old beautiful days”. Joci remarks how life is too short. He notices the facial resemblance as he ages. And he's proud to tell his son about his grandfather. Musically, “Az én apám” is a folk song, starting with just an acoustic guitar. The foot stomps appear next. Then the first chorus rests, with a couple string? dives. Then the post-chorus uses snaps, thunderous stomps, and folk strings. The snaps remain in verse 2. And chorus 2 adds a marching snare and more heavy stomps. The percussion is strongest by the end. The outro goes on a while though. The song is over before it reaches a climax. But it's a touching dedication. The “na na na” part is like humming or whistling while lost in thought. It is a pensive song. The stage is simple. It starts with Joci sitting on a box in dark lighting, which works for a folk song. Then the LED shows fatherly faces. And a golden tree with roots on the floor later on. There's also fire rain at the end.

✓ Belarus: Zena - Like It #StandWithUkraine

Also Belarus's last performance. Zena's vocals aren't great, some of the lyrics have bad English, and the chorus is bratty and repetitive (“YES YOU'RE GONNA LIKE IT” x8). The “tam-tara-ram” hook doesn't do much either. But the two dancers constantly doing flips are engaging. And the ad libs break the repetitiveness (I like the “BABY REPEAT MY MOVES” ending). The song opens with a short distant cry. Then an acoustic guitar brings '00s pop nostalgia, with piano and clacks added midway. Next, there's a halting strike, a low piano chorus, a beat acceleration, a hanging synth, and a blaring synth “drop”. I like those last 2. Verse 2 adds a bass synth and broken metal tick stutters. While the bridge extends chorus 2 before cooling down; leading to a “yoUu goOo wIth mE bAAAABY” climax. The song advocates putting yourself out there. Zena is attached to her phone, outside her comfort zone, and tired of being alone. She asks karma what to do. But she's done with being all talk no action - she'll take the risk and won't give up. The chorus is her convincing either herself, her crush, or other introverts “yes, you're gonna like [going for] it”. Then, verse 2 is an invitation to dance. “Add hashtag to find ya” is certainly a lyric. On stage, there's a bunch of equipment boxes. Zena sits on one and the dancers wheel her around. She later leans ontop of the dancers. And the backing singers come out at the end. The LED shows a severed face with animals running through it (weird). There's also pyro during the chorus.

✓ Serbia: Nevena Božović - Kruna The only 2019 qualifier I didn't remember. “Kruna” is an ordinary Balkan Ballad with a shout-y chorus. And I thought that chorus was her crying in desperation at first, but it's actually a rooftop declaration: “Let the world hear me now / I'm guarding you with my life!” Nevena wants everyone know about her devotion to her fiance. She also says his “dear eyes” calm her down, the night is long and sad without him, she'd die to protect him, and “the crown is yours”. The lyrics aren't super deep. But Nevena's voice is powerful and she owns that stage despite being completely alone. She also wears an assortment of silver accessories and a black dress that exposes one leg. And she conjures a hologram of swirling blue water at one point. The LED, meanwhile, displays cracked ice and a splashy whirlpool. Musically, the first half of “Kruna” is driven by an acoustic guitar. There's also a fiddle and backing whispers that appear at certain points. The chorus switches to raging acoustic guitar and piano, finishing on a stop that removes the tension. The song's ending does this twice. At the midpoint, there's an electric guitar ignition that ushers in the drums and orchestral strings for the second half. Then a few piano notes lead to verse 2. And those drums pause for the next pre-chorus, leading to another ignition. The pre-chorus also switches to English. The electric guitar parts are too short though.

× Belgium: Eliot - Wake Up Just like last year, Belgium NQ's with a song similar to “City Lights”. This one even shares a songwriter. Maybe it was Eliot's timid vocal. He gives the song sensitive vulnerability though. The lyrics are open to interpretation. Eliot feels rejected and craves a connection. It keeps him up at night. He fights to have someone and won't passively wait for it. He runs into liars, so lies back out of fear. Then, in the bridge, he's ready to face them, saying he won't abuse them. As for the metaphorical “light”, it signifies change, motivation (“feeding our fire”), and hope (“saving our lives”). “Wake Up” is an atmospheric synthpop song. The verses follow a wandering, dry-air synth, with clicks and drums added midway the first time. Then the chorus changes the vibe and tempo entirely (it “wakes up”). There's a drum pound for each syllable on the catchy “I came to fight...” repetitions, followed by 4 separated keyboard notes. It's quite effective. This stumbling chorus resists the smooth windy verses. The second verse then sprints, with constant clicks this time. And the bridge escalates, then stops upon the last chorus. On stage, there's two drummers striking large upright drums. Their drumstick movements are engaging (when they raise and cross them). They also wear blue T-shirts with orange peace signs; the same colours as Eliot's jacket. And during the chorus, everyone raises their fists (drumsticks included). The overhead triangle thing moves around too. And there's a smoke puff climax.

× Georgia: Oto Nemsadze - Keep On Going “Keep On Going” certainly takes you on a journey. It feels like I'm staring the Grim Reaper in the face. It's a haunting funeral song. But it's so overly intense, serious and... creepy. The song opens with a church bell slam and weary bagpipes. Then the piano and little guitar fidgets take over, with more slams. Plus background throat chanting and orchestral strings. The pre-chorus uses twitchy snare, ground-shaking drums, and strings; escalating midway with firm clasping drums. This build-up cut offs, reducing to a heartbeat thump. Then the instruments return one by one. The beat stops again for a creepy choir chant with church bells. And the drums return for the ending. These drums are so intense. Oto's voice also becomes raspier and growlier as the song progresses; especially during that agonizing “Vaarada varada varada rada hee” bit. But ultimately, this song is one long build-up to nothing. The lyrics reference the barbed wire fence that separates South Ossetia from Georgia. Oto repeatedly says “go”; as in: Go walk. Go find the missing songs. Go follow your heart. Go cross that fence. There's a wounded singer behind the fence still singing. Singing heals each other's wounds. On stage, the LED starts with an ECG, then a line of walking silhouettes. It's mostly mountains after that. Oto walks across a dock image on the floor at one point. The camera spins around him for a bit. The choir marches forward when it's their turn, as Oto faces them. And there's hellfire flames at the end.

✓ Australia: Kate Miller-Heidke - Zero Gravity I knew Kate from “The Last Day on Earth”, a #3 hit in Australia in 2009. It's a beautiful song, but “Zero Gravity” takes a more unusual direction. The most memorable aspect is the inventive staging, where Kate and the two backing singers swing around on tall poles, as they “orbit” an Earth hologram. And the LED adds an outer space backdrop. They literally escaped gravity! Kate's tiara and sparkly white dress give snow queen vibes too. The song is equally unusual. Verse 1 follows sparse piano notes, with a subdued, anxious, rapid, bubbling beat underneath, and lingering “hey you...”'s. While verse 2 uses a jogging synth beat instead (I like when it kicks in). And the “I've been...” pre-chorus adds an angelic harp. The chorus completely halts the momentum. Twice. Kate gives an operatic “ze-E-e-E-E-Ero... gra-HA-HA-HA-vity”, guided by string jerks. It's polarizing, but it works. Then some piano slams and tense strings escalate things. Which is a tease the first time; the eventual climax is SO epic and worth the wait. The 2nd post-chorus builds up with some “and it feels like”'s and Kate's operatic flexing, culminating in a big note. Then the backing repeatedly shouts “NOTHING HOLD ME DOWN” as the drums slam down with snaps. That climax has such a freeing feeling and the wild swinging on stage really complements it. The song then speeds up at the end. The lyrics are about Kate needing to let go of someone holding her down. The pain and sadness gotta go. She couldn't open them up. And she feels cold staying there.

This year, Australia did a national final for the first time. Sheppard and Courtney Act took part, while the runner-up, Electric Fields's “2000 and Whatever”, is a massive fan favourite.

✓ Iceland: Hatari - Hatrið mun sigra Iceland breaks a 4-year NQ streak by sending one of the most “WTF” entries in Eurovision history. That's 3 strange entries in a row tonight. “Hatrið” is the epitome of “love it or hate it”. And... this is just not for me. The microphone-eating screaming vocals in the verses are downright un-listenable. The deranged baby voice in the chorus is fine though. And I kinda like the hardcore, industrial techo beat. It persists for almost the entire song, save for a couple pauses, and when the bridge offers a breather. The song opens with a body-vibrating heavy bass. Then a “HUH!” ushers in the main beat, which includes construction site metal clanging. And the chorus adds lighter euphoric synths to it. I assume the lyrics are a commentary on the rise of far right politicians (ie. “Europe will crumble”). The title translates to “Hate Will Prevail”. The song mentions unrestrained debauchery, an endless hangover, meaningless life, all-consuming emptiness, illusionary happiness, and “Multilateral delusions / Unilateral punishments”. It's very dystopian and pessimistic. And the chorus expresses vague sadness. The staging is the most “WTF” aspect though. The band wears BDSM gear. There's a giant cage with a punisher swinging a hammer back and forth ontop. There's laggy and blurry visual effects. There's welding sparks and flames. A dancer escapes the cage, looks submissive, and crawls around. The chorus singer lays upside down on the stairs at first. And he gets pulled around later. The screaming singer scares me lol.

✓ Estonia: Victor Crone - Storm I guess we need a palate cleanser after Iceland. But this sounds like a generic Melodifestivalen entry. In fact, Victor will have his own generic MF entry in 2020! “Storm” just lacks personality, and the melody and production are bland. Sure, the verses are introspective, where he keeps questioning if his approach to life is wrong. But his story isn't personal enough: he keeps fighting tides, he worries about losing it all, he misses the meaning of what remains. The chorus (and post-chorus) then promote a message of resilience with uninspired lyrics. At the end of the song, Victor questions if he's wrong about this too. Otherwise, this fusion of folk and dance music is like Avicii's “Wake Me Up”. “Storm” starts with a “content with life” acoustic guitar. Then the finger snaps and backing “woo-oo”s come in, followed by an actual thunderclap. The chorus aims to be an anthem, where it punches on each syllable of Victor shouting “STORM. LIKE. THIS.”/“MAN.LIKE.THIS.” etc. The first chorus holds back, whereas the second one builds with sawing strings. The latter is when the “drop” finally hits, which is big, energized house music with more snaps. The post-chorus continues this climax until the bridge quiets down. The song also returns to acoustic at the end. On stage, Victor plays a guitar, as the LED shows blocky clouds. He turns around a couple times so the camera can show the audience behind him. And later, he's surrounded by holograms of clouds and lightning. Cool effects.

× Portugal: Conan Osíris - Telemóveis Back to the strange entries. The staging involves unique green outfits, fake sideburns, a shirtless dancer, and squirmy dance moves. Plus dark red lighting. There's camera cuts at the start. The dancer sits on a staircase. Conan meets him up there. They walk down in unison. The dancer collapses, tiptoes, sticks his tongue out, leans back, and shoots a pretend arrow. Then Conan is dragged backwards like a marionette. The instrumental is dark and mixes elements from all over the world. It begins and ends with patient, ominous East Asian strings. As if your boat is approaching danger. There's bass booms, then the trap-y “BA BA BA” beat overtakes with relentless striking/skipping ticks and human gasps. The second verse reduces to nudges, before heightening back to the fuller sound. Then a Portuguese guitar emerges. All the above elements come and go throughout the song. They're used in various combinations. There's “HEY” pauses too. The lyrics warn against cellphone addiction. “I broke the cellphone trying to call heaven” sounds silly, but it's saying we shouldn't waste time trying to contact the dead. The “who kills who?” repetition relates to how phones give constant dopamine hits that consume us. Conan also repeats “I'll break the cellphone” if you won't respond to real life's demands. Then at the end, he reveals he's the one “who killed who”. Last year's host country can afford risks. “Telemóveis” is kinda pretentious and overhyped but the beat and dancing are interesting. I like whenever the full beat returns.

✓ Greece: Katerine Duska - Better Love Greece was also overhyped. I wasn't keen on Katerine's voice in 2019 (those “ooh ooh hoo”s in particular), but “Better Love” has grown on me since. She sounds earnest in her quest to go beyond society's made up expectations of what love is. She can't hide or fight this urge to find “better love”, which she defines as enjoying the messiness, feeling ageless, and learning carelessness. She's lost enough already. The bridge then invites the subject in, not caring what others think. And the outro repeats “What you waiting for?” many times. The song opens with tunnel voices; followed by a little bubbling sound, then finger snaps, then taps. The chorus is quite loud by contrast, with thunderous drums and claps. It also includes quivers, individual clicks, and backing “ahhhhhh”. The second verse adds splashy drums and backing “hey!”s. While the bridge switches to deep rolling drums with the claps. Katerine also gives a long note afterwards. The stage is like an 18th century royal ball. It involves pastel colours and fancy clothing. It starts with everyone frozen in place in front of this pink backdrop. Then two ballet dancers sword dance. Someone carries a giant balloon and tosses it into the audience. And the dancers twirl ribbons at the end. The backdrop also fills up with flowers and the LED shows petals. The chorus hook is kinda “blah”, but I like the song's atmosphere of supreme elegance. It fits a royal ball. It has an opening up to the world vibe too.

✓ San Marino: Serhat - Say Na Na Na San Marino's best result is surprisingly NOT “Adrenalina”, it's Serhat. The televote loved “Say Na Na Na”. It's a very upbeat song with a fun, catchy chorus. It isn't creepy like his 2016 entry. And he has fun on stage. But he can't sing... at all. The disco production is cheap. And this isn't the most essential bop. The song opens with a thin drum machine. Then the lively disco energy is pretty consistent. The verses have more modern synths. The pre-chorus submerges. The bridge has flappy drums and a call-and-response routine. And the Turkish counting includes 3 bangs. In the lyrics, Serhat notices someone who's “sad and lonely”. He asks what's wrong and why they want to run away. He also gives a bunch of advice: “who cares... it happens everyday”; “love all colours of this life”; “be a hero, be the rainbow”. He's very pushy about it, saying “look at me”, “hear me”, “call me anytime”. And the chorus repeats “say na na na” too many times. I guess singing “na na na” is meant to lift your spirits. The performance is better than the song though. It starts on the overhead camera in red lighting, as the 5 backing members look up and wiggle around, and the floor light flashes. They have very positive energy. Then we see Serhat on a platform, where the LED is used very well. It shows lyrics, flashing colours inside a box, pixelated noise, hypnotic moving lines, and white boxes rippling outward. There's a pyro blast upon the final chorus. And the two dancers next to Serhat are enjoyable.

My Ranking:

01. Slovenia: Zalagasper - Sebi ✓ 02. Australia: Kate Miller-Heidke - Zero Gravity ✓ 03. Cyprus: Tamta - Replay ✓ 04. Belgium: Eliot - Wake Up 05. Serbia: Nevena Božović - Kruna ✓ 06. Greece: Katerine Duska - Better Love ✓ 07. Hungary: Joci Pápai - Az én apám 08. Portugal: Conan Osíris - Telemóveis 09. San Marino: Serhat - Say Na Na Na ✓ 10. Belarus: Zena - Like It ✓

11. Estonia: Victor Crone - Storm ✓ 12. Poland: Tulia - Fire of Love (Pali się) 13. Finland: Darude feat. Sebastian Rejman - Look Away 14. Georgia: Oto Nemsadze - Keep On Going 15. Iceland: Hatari - Hatrið mun sigra ✓ 16. Czech Republic: Lake Malawi - Friend of a Friend ✓ 17. Montenegro: D mol - Heaven

Slim pickings here...

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