#really enjoyed Norway and Malta's New Epic Sax Guy

[haycartsflowercarts]

I want to liveblog ESC but I'm working still, so I'll probably have Comments later today. But can I just say: props to Croatia for managing to strip on stage and that is not even in the top five things I was focusing on in their performance

[moonmoonthecrabking]

another rtc eurovision post (i'm so sorry for my brainrot y'all) with me associating a song for each character

fair warning, this is *LONG*, so i'd suggest scrolling past if you don't really like long posts :)

i don't think that anyone pre-canon would've watched it but, you know, post-canon everyone lives au, afterlife, take your pick either works!!!

mischa: as previously stated, stefania by kalush orchestra (ukraine 2022) is his top of all time. wikipedia describes its genre as "alternative hip hop and folk" which is basically this song is awesome/talia. it being a tribute to the frontman's mother also deeply resonates with him, missing his own mother. other favourites include soldi (italy 2019), dark side (finland 2021), lie to me (czech republic 2018) and kuula (estonia 2012) because... in addition he loves everything ukraine's sent (aside from 2012. imagine being able to have pride and audience support for practically every entry from your country). he just finds so much enjoyment and nostalgia in it (ie me projecting onto my fave). he was so surprised when noel knew about it and that he had a buddy in this uranium hellhole to chat about it. has a crush on alexander rybak (norway 2009) and chanel (spain 2022). he still does not realise he is bisexual. he starts a betting pool with the choir for each new contest (and all the ones only he and noel have seen. the two get sad at first that they can't participate with those ones, but then decide to fuck with them)

noel: his winner of 2022 was in corpore sano (serbia) for The Drama and The Art, but he also supported fulenn because france (the man was so disappointed when they got second last). his all time favourite is l'enfer et moi (france 2013), because frenchwoman singing about how she would make her ex's life hell meant that he could graft on his dreams to that. because he's canadian i don't think he grew up with it like mischa, i think that he went down a youtube rabbithole when the march he turned 14 somehow or other and fell in love. he loves all the songs like n'oubliez pas (france 2015), voila (france 2019), tout l'univers (switzerland 2019), and bonds with mischa over zitti e buoni (italy 2021 who am i kidding everyone knows måneskin, thanks to @curious-georg for that idea!!!). sometimes he puts on playlists of the earlier competitions while he's studying to imagine a morning in france. has a crush on half the male entrants.

i haven't thought through how the rest of the choir gets exposed to it because it's pretty much a "after canon once they're friends, wherever they are, au or not i don't know". but basically i have a feeling that one time on movie night it's mischa's turn and he brings along the 2021 contest (because it's one of the best of the most recent and the hosts are so good) and noel goes BATSHIT and everyone else is just like "hey... what?? this is four hours long" and then it starts and they end up really enjoying it, with them going through all the contests (sometimes on mischa's night, sometimes on noel's, a couple for constance's too) and watching them live (because i said so)

ricky: they love the entries that are just a lil quirky. a lil different. their favourite from 2022 was eat your salad (latvia), mainly because the audience *screamed* out "PUSSY" to fight the censors (eurovision is a family friendly competition). the peak songs for them were at the start of semi 1 and then it all went downhill from there. and their goat? space (montenegro 2017). if you haven't seen that video, bestie, you should. they really do watch it for the memes, epic sax guy (run away aka moldova 2010), anti-crisis girl (ukraine 2009), "but in the end, they didn't" (the 2019 host talking to that year's cypriot contestant about cyprus coming in second in 2018).

constance: her 2022 winners were not the same (australia) and i am what i am (malta) because she loves the expression of the internal self and hearing peoples' emotions through the melodies. her all time favourites are monsters (finland 2018) and cry no more (netherlands 2017) because of how both are personal, one is upbeat in its self-empowerment, while the other is about familial love and support. she relates to and desires both. otherwise, anything with a gay kiss. she screamed at the full-on makeout session that occurred during this time (lithuania 2015). and marry me (finland 2013) made her VERY happy for that kiss at the end. even then, it takes her a while to realise she is Not Straight.

ocean: her 2022 winner was hold me closer (sweden), then river (poland) because it genuinely moved her, then die together (greece). she hates I.M (israel) with a burning passion, and everyone except her sees the irony in that. from other years she loves last dance (greece 2021), only teardrops (denmark 2013), popular (sweden 2011), lipstick (ireland 2011) and euphoria (sweden 2012). she has a spreadsheet ranking her placements for each year they watch, as well as the rest of the choir, and uses that to predict the results of the betting pool mischa started. sweden and greece are in her top five every year. she put if i were sorry as her first place when they were watching the 2016 edition and mischa refuses to talk to her for the rest of the night (this one actually isn't me projecting i just think it'd be funny).

penny/jane: because this idea isn't super-solidified, and her character isn't either, it's hard to know. i think that she's a menace and loves the voice cracks and mistakes (i feel bad if i direct people to certain entries for that!!! but if you know, you Know). the best guess i have is that her favourite 2022 entry is miss you (belgium) because of the religious allegory and shifting genres (like in the ballad of jane doe), but i will take suggestions!!

this was a really long post, thanks for sticking around if you got this far!

[nerdwreck]

élin’s eurovision opinions - an essential guide to good taste *ahem*

some people have what in swedish is called ‘vårkänslor’ (literally ‘spring feelings’, could be described as an overall feeling of happiness, relief that winter is over, and/or ‘love is in the air’ kinda thing) in the spring. i on the other hand, i have eurovision feelings. i just neeeeeed to talk about the eurovision with SOMEONE, and since i have barely no friends to talk about the esc, i need to vent a little. so, here are my opinions on this years eurovision contestants, in no particular order (actually in the order they presented them in a panel-program on finnish tv, which i marathoned, because i’m a nerd like that). i excuse my pompousness in advance, call me percy weasley all you like, this is just how i am and how i write 

greece - i’ve generally liked the greek eurovision songs, but this one just doesn’t do it for me. i like the build-up and demy sings very beautifully, but the refrain just sounds like boring regular radio pop, which is okay, but like i said, it does very little for me

moldova - EPIC SAX GUY IS BAAAACK. if one considers only the tune, it’s VERY catchy and a pretty good song, buuut i’m rewatching the video right now, and i’m questioning things. many things... wtf. but the song itself is catchy, i will very likely dance to this, and this will be the resurgence of epic sax guy, if not as fantastical as originally

australia - why are you still here? when did australia become a part of europe? very well, i’ll review your song then. in a year with a lot of ballads and slow songs (yet again), this one is pretty good. but tbh, i forget about it very fast. the song has grown on me since i first heard it. it’s not especially remarkable, but it ain’t bad either

azerbaijan - i like the sound of the song, reminds me a little of t.a.t.u. i don’t have too much else to say about the song. it’s good. but ~something~ is missing. and the grammar disturbs me. and the fact that i keep hearing “ i am skeletor”

cyprys - i always think this is rag’n’bone man’s ‘human’, but no. ‘tis not. the song is, heh, well-constructed and well written, but to me the lyrics just sounds like he’s listing synonyms. and i miss something.. otherwise the song is good. all i say is good... i think need to come up with some synonyms myself...

albania - this song was originally in albanian, but they translated it. it makes me sad. i think this song has great potential, but because it’s in english, it doesn’t get there. i have a soft spot for songs that are sung in the singers native language, so i’m pretty bummed that there are so few of those this year.

iceland - i like this. a lot. it’s stuck in my head very often. i have nothing to complain about. i like the sound, i like svalas voice. it’s one of my faves

latvia -  took me a while to remember what latvia was called in english. not important. the song: it’s my kind of music. i like it a lot. the sound is cool. but now that i see the VERY culturally appropriating fashion in the music video i’m a bit put-off... ummm... I LIKE THE SONG....

georgia - in the panel-show i watched they called this the “worlds worst bond-song”, and i can’t but agree. the lady sings well enough both in the video, and isn’t too bad live either, but it just tries too much

porugal - everyone's’ surprising fave. mine too. portugal has, for as long as they’ve participated in the esc, ONLY sent songs in portuguese, so + + + this man is a human kitten. he is so incredibly cute, and his voice sounds like he’s purring. this song would be perfect in a romantic movie montage, and i’m usually not about that life, but this i looove. salvador, i wanna hug you, is that okay?

sweden - i’m not gonna hold back on this one. i do not like this song one bit. i followed the swedish “semi-finals” (can’t come up with a better word atm) this year (as well) and i liked so many other songs. it’s just so creepy and uuuuughghg. robin competed last year as well, and he was good and sweet and played the harmonica then, and i loved him. while i still want to, TMI, sit on his face, i can’t with this song. it’s on the radio at least twice a day. the song isint bad melody or composing wise, but i hate hate hate it. did i say i hate it?

armenia - this woman looks a lot like ivanka trump. like, A LOT a lot. it is unsetteling. the song has that ~oriental~ sound, and while i like the sound of the song, i can’t get over the not so good lyrics, and the video gives me more of those cultural appropriation vibes... parts of the song are fine, but the rest is forgettable

poland - i didn’t initially like this song, but it has grown on me somewhat. its gone from ‘meh’ to ‘yeeee’. something about this, i don’t know what, gives me twin peaks vibes, twin peaks vibes are almost never bad

belgium - this lady sound like a mix of lorde and birdy. i for one really like both of those women, so this woman, who is 17 btw, is a fave in my book. doesn’t sound so eurovision-y, but i really like it as a song. i will listen to this when it comes on

israel - okay, i guess my opinion on this song has completely changed since i last heard it. then it gave me much to nothing, but now it’s suddenly a lot better. i’m a bit bothered by the very sudden ending, but i guess i will be dancing to this after all

malta - a power ballad that takes a little more place than the others this year. i like a lot of the elements of this song, and as a whole it makes for a very good ballad. not exactly a fave, but i definitely think it better than just ‘good’

hungary - yet another fave. native language, rap, man with beautiful voice, traditional elements, nice sound. only good things. i have absolutely nothing to complain about, i’m just gonna sit here and enjoy the song

danmark - in the verse(s) leading up to the second chorus, this lady sound a lot like philippa soo singing ‘burn’ i hamilton. it’s weird. but yeah, THIS song sounds like a disney end-credit song. this woman sings extremely well, and the song keeps growing on me, and i do not know why

montenegro -  we have arrived. we have arrived at one of my absolute favourite songs of this year. it’s everything a eurovision song should be. this is the new anthem of the gay olympics. I LOVE IT SO MUCH. IT’S GOT EVERYTHING!! space, a fantastically fabulous man with the longest braid ever, it’s so fucking extra and i love it, DISCO AND I LOVE DISCO, trumpets... there’s nothing to hate and sooo muuuch to love. this will be one of the song that i can not not dance to, like ‘footloose’ and ‘shit up and dance’

austria - the category “cute-guy-with-guitar”. couldn’t care less tbh

macedonia - i guess i like this song. i like some parts a little better than others. very radio friendly, and i don’t think i would change station if this came on. would dance, or at least move some limbs

finland - i’m sooo soo sooo happy that i like the song we’ve sent this year. i haven’t really liked a song we’ve sent to the esc since 2014. i liked this song from the first note, and it just keeps getting better. i find it so incredibly beautiful. i’m not even saying that because i’m finnish, i just love this song so much. it gives me ‘secret garden’ feels. i just wish it was longer. i neeed mooore. love love love. plz vote for us :’)

romania - okay, imagine a line. that line is eurovision. at one en of the line, the good end, is montenegro’s song: and absolute pearl, the best of eurovision-ness and weirdness. and on the other side of the line is romanias song: yodel it. no, i will not, but i will laugh at it. it’s so bad i, resentfully, love it. it’s much for my to comprehend. who thought this was a good idea???????

slovenia - nope. nothing. i feel nothing

the netherlands - these ladies are beautiful AND SING HARMONIES?? the parts of the song when there’s just that nice beat and these angelic voices it’s great, but, i never thought i’d say something like this, get the electric guitar out of there. and that weird beat thingy that went into the bridge.. ugh, let the ladies sing goddammit!!

serbia - i feel very little again. i like the latter-middle part. i’m a slut for violins

ireland - this song felt very westlife-y to me at first. this guy’s voice is so androgynous, i’m intrigued. this is also a song that has grown on me immensely. the last minute is absolutely beautiful. i think this has become one of my minor faves as of late

russia -  i know they’re not competing this year, but i thought i’d say some words at least. the song is nothing special, but it’s an okay song in the end

belarus - it’s basically mumford & sons, but sang by a man and a woman, in belarusian. what’s not to love? another fave.

bulgaria - guys, this guy is a 2000′s kid 2000′s kids can compete now... ya feel old yet, ‘cuz i sure do. ah, the song. i like this song, another one that has grown on me a lot. and as i mention earlier, i’m a slut for pretty much any string instrument. and this child sings very beautifully. and the sound is just up my alley

san marino - i’m sorry valentina, i couldn’t care less

switzerland - the song in itself is good, but as i’m watching the video all i do is stare as this beautiful lady, and so are everyone else. it becomes more about the lead singer than the song. YEAH THAT SHOT WAS DEFINITELY DIRECTED AT HER CLEAVAGE. stop. i’m trying to listen to a gooood sooong

norway - i’m sorry norway, no. why? your’e better than this!! i’m not mad, i’m just disappointed

estonia - estonia have sent some pretty good songs these past years, and while this did get better since the last time i listened to it, i’m still a little disappointed. anyone who sings about romeo and juliet will be a little scary to me...

croatia - he’s singing a duet with himself, which i must admit is pretty impressive, but i think this sound like a youtuber singing disney-songs while doing impressions... especially then he sings ‘let it flow’...

lithuania - this song scares me. i know she’s singing in english, but i can’t understan a word she’s saying. one positive thing tho , to me as a finn, is that she looks a lot like little my. the song? i do not like the song.

ukraine - they sound a little like the old linkin park, and that is GREAT. this kinda music is right up my alley. again, only positive things

united kingdom - song is meh, lucie sings sooo welll, she deserves better

france - i don’t want to be that person, but french is very ~seductive~ my humble, finnish, peasant ears. this whole tune is very ~seductive~ to me. i just wish she’d sing it all in french, and not drag that english into this. it just feels wrong, so wrong.. if it was all in french, then yes yes yes, but rn it’s a yes yes no

spain - no. creepy. slimy. take it away from me. but first, i’d like to ask this creepy gentleman if he knows any other english than “do it for your lover”? i cannot stans this song. id rather listen to swedens song tbh, and ya know how much i hated that song

germany - how do they have the ball to send a song that is such blatant plagiarism of ‘titanium’?? i can’t hear anything else that that. this song is ‘titanium’, if you took all the good stuff out of it

italy - this is my absolute fave. i will vote for this. it’s a good song, a beautiful man singing beautifully in italian, it’s full of irony, there’s a guy in a gorilla suit, the guitar at the end sound like old coldplay. i just love everything about this. i have nothing to complain about really. just that if this doesn’t win, i don’t know what i’ll do.

and that is it. i hope i didn’t miss anyone... it took me about 3 hours to write. i think i’m satisfied. i hope someone reads this, or at least bits of it...

the quality of the eurovison songs have gotten a little even imo. a few years ago, there were still a few great songs and the rest were kinda shitty, but now most of the songs are equally good/bad, with a few exceptions. it’s both fun and a bit sad tbh. but, i shouldn’t complain. the eurovision is still eurovison: it’s great fun and an excuse for me to be really over the top with everything.

happy eurovision season, // élin

[visiodreams]

So here is my personal top 43 eurovision ranking with comments be below 

Comments 

-- Finland: My country so I won't rank this. There is always tendency to be a bit biased when it comes to your own country. I wasn't big fan of the song at the beginning but the live really made this song grow on me. They were clearly best act on the live shows so they did deserve to win.  I think there is potential to go to the finals so fingers cross. 

  42. Czeck Rebuplic: Sorry but this song is just boring.. I don't even have that much to say about it.. Not the type of music I listen.. I'm afraid that this song isn't that memorable.

41. Slovenia: Oh Omar Naber the man who has made on of my favourite eurovisions of all time (If you don't know what i'm talking about check out esc 2005 slovenia) .. but this.. oh well this is just one very forgettable eurovision ballad.. sorry but it's no for me.

40. Germany: Okey I try to be nice with this. She sings good at live.. yeah that's about it.. I have tried to make myself to like this song but it's just.. I don't know.. lyrics are just bad and over all just meh for me. 

39. Malta: There isn't exactly anything wrong with the song. It's just quite unoriginal eurovision ballad. Nothing new. If you like this part of eurovision then this is probably song for you.. I just don't like it. 

  38. Russia: Haven't checked the latest news if they are taking part or not but don't wanna exclude this either.  This song.. well mm she's a sweet girl and it's a sweet song.. just not what I would listen.

37. Denmark: Oh Denmark I admit I probably dislike this song more cos I watched their national finals  and liked other song way way way more than this (I'm a fan of cheesy euro disco and half naked man.. but hey can you blame me) This just not my cup of tea. I won't listen this more than I have to.

36. United Kingdom: I have started to like this song than I did before but still not my top songs of the year. I just think that UK would have so much potential for more than this. Just not fan of these eurovision ballads if you can already tell.

35. Georgia: I don't hate this song. She is powerful singer with powerful song. It's just not one of the songs I would put to my playlist. I can handle this when it comes to the live shows but that's about it.

34. Ireland: Very irish ballad. Nothing really wrong with the song. But to be honest can't remember nicely how this song goes. Quite forgettable. Sweet ballad nothing more nothing less.

33.  Serbia: It's not bad song. It's just quite  forgettable. There isn't any interesting hook in this song that would make me craving for more.

32.Lithuania: I'm actually surprised that this song got this high on my ranking. But this song has grown on me for a bit. At least it's not boring song. I won't go to refill my wine glass while listening this song. This songs is still quite too much bizarre to get enough votes i'm afraid.

31. Albania: I will complain about the same thing I complain about every year with Albania. Why ooh why you have to translate your songs?  If you want to participate with english song then why not to make the songs in english in the beginning with?? why to first make it in albanian and then try to make it fit in english?  it's just doesn't make any sense. I like this song more in albanian. It's still not that bad song. And she is gorgeous singer and sings amazingly in live. Defiantly not the worst song of the yea.

30.  Croatia: Definitely one of the most interesting songs of the year. It has some Disney feel in it. Also i'm interested to see how he can change his tones in live. Definitely looking forward to see this song and him singing it. Just not my taste of music. 

29. Creece: I'm a fan of cheesy dance songs but sorry this is just too cheap even for me. I can handle this that one night and maybe party a little but it's a no for me. I won't listen this much after esc are over. 

28.  Polan: This reminds me of Bond song for some reason. It's not bad song and I can see why there is people liking this song. It's just not my taste.

27. Ukraine: It's always refreshing to see other genres than cheesy pop and ballads. So I'm glad Ukraine chose this song. Is it my all time favourite rock song? Mmh not really. I do like rock music but this isn't really the song I like to listen all the time. It has grown on me tho' quite  a bit.

26.Iceland: I think this sounds very nordic. I could imagine this kind of song coming from Norway or Sweden also. It's not bad song but not the top cast either. I do like it quite much and it's pretty catchy.

25. Israel: well I think this and Creece are pretty similar. Cheap pop songs that are okey to party on when esc party is on but there isn't much to tell to next generation eurovision fans about this song. Some other year could have been higher but this year there is just so much better dance songs. Okey okey I might have given some cute boy extra points to this song.

24. Romania: Oh Yodel it! It's definitely eurovision material. I'm glad they chose this song cos well comm’on it wouldn't be eurovision without acts like this. I'm glad that eurovision is getting it's weird factor back on. And I mean weird in good way. You have to admit that you can’t hear yodeling in everyday radio pop song. Btw both of them are good singers. 

23. Australia: Very quality eurovision ballad. Pretty safe choice. Not the most memorable song of the night but it's not bad either. One of the best in category of eurovision ballads.

22.Latvia: This song will bring the burst of energy to the stage for sure. This song itself isn't just that kind of song I like personally that much.. It's okey song. It will be nice to watch in show but I'm not gonna listen it that much.

21.Netherlands: Is it throwback Thursday? Hello is it year '99 calling? Am I watching Charmed marathon on Netflix and still waiting for the episode where Leo first show up and scream like a fan girl cos piper x leo is the one and only otp.. oh sorry I got lost in track. I quite like this song. It's very old fashioned on it's on way but it's not bad thing. It gives you feels and things that give you feels can't be that bad.

20. Austria: Oh Nathan Nathan.. I have to admit I have a thing for him. I have thing for red heads I can’t deny it. Yeh this song got quite a few cute boy bonuses. It's a chill song. Not really the type I like that much but if Nathan sing it I can listen to it.

19. Belarus: This is just one very adorable song. It makes you feel good and makes you wonder if there actually is that small three hugging hippie living inside you. Who just want to sit next to bonfire holding hand in circle and singing songs. BTW love that it's sang in Belorussian.

18. San Marino: Okey remember the part when I said I love cheesy eurovision disco songs? Well like I said I love them and I love this song. Just want to get up clap my hands and move my hips like a John Travolta.

17. Switzerland: I follow you Apollo.. very catchy chorus.. very good live and man that woman is gor-ge-us.. definitely some hot woman extra points here. Not quite my top 10 material but definitely a good song that goes right to my playlist.

16. Spain: Yeah I know I'm cheap.. I dunno everyone seem to hate this song and i'm just here in my tropical printed shirt sipping pina colada from coconut and wondering what is it exactly that I'm gonna do for my lover.. Overall this Manel boy's surfer charisma has affected me and I'm quite enjoying the song.

15.Estonia: i'm quite digging this song. It also have some vibe from the past but it seems to be a thing this year.. Maybe i'm getting old cos it doesn't bother me at all. This Koit Tooma has very nice voice I specially like it. Not bad Estonia not bad at all.

14.Armenia: Uuuh I love the vibe this song has. A bit mystical and this woman has nice voice. I haven’t listen it as much I have other songs since it was the last to be released. But I'm liking it.. waiting to see how is the live show.

13. Azerbaijan: I admit it I was expecting again one very swedish sounding ballad sang by one gorgeous woman in glittery gown. So yes you surprised me positively Azerbaijan. Still a gorgeous woman singing but a bit more with an attitude that I like. Looking forward to see live.

12.Macedonia: Oh I like this song a lot a lot a lot. It reminds me of some other song can't quite catch which one.. but it's a type of music my big sis used to listen a lot and has affected me also .. very nice.

11.Bulgaria: On of my favourite ballads of the year.. more modern than others.. very quality song-- I can see this doing well.

10.France: Would have been better without forced english in the middle but still very nice song. This has been on my top 10 from the beginning. I'm glad France sending top songs every year.

9. Moldova: Well common it's a epic sax guy eurovision just got 100 times better. I loved sunstroke project last time and I love them now. Best party song of the year. How you can be not liking this song? 

8. Cyprus: Very radio friendly song with catchy lyrics. Quality song yet again fom Cyprus I'm glad. Interesting to see how it's gonna be live.

7. Sweden: First time of the history of melodifestivalen Sweden picked the song I liked.. sorry but that Nano was way too similar to one other song and it bothered me way too much. Robin had by far the best show in melodifestivalen I dare him not to change a thing (Dressmanwalk and hot dancers in suits works for me). Sweden you just know how to make shows and this song really need its live show to get where it is now.

6. Hungary: Love this sone more and more by every listening. I love it's in hungary I love the violin I just love everything. Hungary is always strongest when they pick songs sang in hungarian. Unique and beautiful.

5.Norway: I just L-O-V-E this song.. amazing... He has so great voice and the beat is nice.. modern song.. good job Norway.

4. Portugal: Oh Portugal finally did it!!! Finally a song I adore so so so much.. I feel like crying every time I listen this.. and I haven't even had time to check the translation yet.  But that old Disney feel you get from this. You get thrown middle of black and white film where you sit in smoky table and listen when this beautiful man sing like a bird.. I'm in love. 

3. Belgium: What is happening this year? What are these great modern pop songs we are having.. It's just quality after quality.. Awesome job Belgium.. this song will do good.. She just need to be good in live show..

2.Montenegro: Yes I know and I'm sorry.. but couldn't help mysef. .I was like 'can I do this?' but then the spaceship hit me.. I mean ho you cannot love this song? Man Montenegro I'm surprised.. this kind of cheeesy euro disco I love love love.. Just need my glitter and I'm ready to paaartyy.. (this song would make a great condom campaign song.. just saying.. cos I have my suit on..no need to worry..)

1. Italy: Oh how I hate that he had to cut the song for eurovision.. But oh well I'm in love.. and nothing can change my love for you Francesco Gabbani I'm waitin..ghmm I ment I'm wai..waiwing for you song.. not like i'm waiting him to marry me or anything.. nope not at all.. I have very realistic ideas in my head.. but common it's cheery italian pop song I lvoe cheery italian pop songs.. and when you add a hot italian man with tons of charisma what can go wrong? 

[totaldramafan-lauri]

Eurovision 2017, final thoughts

Well, it’s been a few days since the final. I’ve taken some time off from thinking about Eurovision, calmed down, and now I’m looking back on it

The first thing I should say is that I’m sorry. I truly do love Eurovision, and I can get very....passionate about it, especially in the moment. I’ve been liveblogging Eurovision since 2014, and most of the time, that passion is what makes it fun. But NOT this year, at least during the voting and at the end.

I did really like this year’s lineup, and there were many things to enjoy. It’s just that the ONE song I disliked the most ended up winning the whole thing. It felt like....gonna be honest....it felt like a major, major anticlimax. Especially when the entry predicted to be their major competition only ended up taking sixth place. It was at that moment I knew what would win. And then there’s what the singer said in his winning speech about the “victory for real music” stuff.....That just made me freaking LOSE it, and I’m sorry

Normally, when a Eurovision ends, I think “.....Now what!?” But this year is the first time I’m ready to put all this behind me and move on

So here are my extended thoughts on the final, before I do just that

Even if I agreed with the winner, I’d still find this not as good as last year. That’s a given fact. I did NOT expect this to top last year. Last year was like lightning in a bottle. However, there were a few pleasant surprises in the mix. The hosts were decently funny, the staging on most of the songs was top-notch, and you can really tell there was a lot on heart put in everything. So I won’t say it was a bad contest because there was no “Love Love Peace Peace” moment, or because the voting wasn’t as exciting. That wouldn’t be fair

The songs.....While none of them hit the highs of last year’s “You Are The Only One”, I can say the my favorites this year were ALMOST that good. I’ll definitely be adding “Lights And Shadows” and “Gravity” to my playlist so I can listen to them whenever I want. But on the other hand, and this is 100% opinion.....My least-favorites this year were worse than my least-favorites last year. So, it balances out

Now, on to the bulk of this post: What I think of the final standings

Now that I’ve calmed down, I can try to look at Portugal’s winning song from an unbiased standpoint. It....it was performed really well. Both in the semifinal and the final, the quality of the vocals was consistent. Also, I’ve since come across the lyrics translated to English, and I have a bit more respect for it after that. The lyrics really are touching, and if I had known that from the start, I probably would’ve given the song a bit more credit. I can somewhat understand better why it got the support it did, though I personally still find it boring as sin

And yes, it was really cute how Salvador let his sister sing part of the song at the end. I would’ve commented on that if I wasn’t so salty at that time XD

When I first heard “Amar Pelos Dois”, I brushed it off as just another boring Portuguese entry and that I wouldn’t talk about it too much. But then I found out it was one of the favorites to win, and I went full ham on hating it, all the way until the end. Did I go too far? I was never really called out on it, and I was drowned out by all the glowing praise, so I just kept on doing it.

I can safely say that this final was a unique experience for me. Normally, I root for my favorite songs as hard as I can, and it’s fun to do that. With the songs I don’t like, I just ignore them for the most part. Maybe give some snide comments about them here and there, like with “If I Were Sorry” last year and “Do It For Your Lover” this year, but usually I’ll be too caught up in the songs I love. But with this, I can say that I’ve never rooted AGAINST a song so hard in my seven years of watching Eurovision. Half of my energy went into hating this one song and praying it wouldn’t win. That’s NEVER happened before. The closest I can think of is Italy 2011, but with that, I knew deep down that it wouldn’t win. I just didn’t like it getting so many points more than my favorites. But this time, a song I strongly disliked was WINNING. The voting sequence was especially stressful because of that, and that’s what made this so unique for me. And.....I didn’t find myself having as much fun because of that. So I really hope something like this never happens again, because usually I enjoy watching the voting

There HAVE been winners I’ve disagreed with before, such as....Germany 2010, for instance. I thought Turkey and Romania had stronger songs that year. I also thought in 2002, Malta should’ve won over Latvia (but I didn’t watch that one live, obviously). And there have been winning songs that I personally wouldn’t listen to on my own time, such as “Rise Like A Phoenix”. But with all those songs....I could CLEARLY see the APPEAL. I could see what people liked about them. But with this winner, while I was watching, I could NOT see the appeal, especially over the competition it had. It just came off as dull and dated 

I am NOT against ballads in Eurovision. I’m against TOO MANY ballads in one year, but not against ballads in GENERAL. There have been some amazing ballads over the years! I still love “Molitva”, which won exactly ten years ago, for example. “Fiumi di parole” is still my favorite Italian entry of all time. Heck, I LOVE “Rock N Roll Kids”, one of the slowest songs that ever won a contest. It actually annoys me when I see constant complaints about ballads every single year, because ballads CAN be interesting! But this one in particular....I just could NEVER see the appeal in. All the times I’ve listened to it, it NEVER grew on me. I was certain that most of the attention it got was from people thinking Salvador is cute. And even after learning what the lyrics mean, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s just NOT entertaining to listen to to me. It sounds like it’s from the fifties, and if that’s your thing, good for you. Clearly it WAS peoples’ thing! I’m still not a fan, but I’m just some random American. Don’t let me ruin the mood for you. Keep on loving it

So, congrats to Portugal for sticking it out for SO SO SOOOO long in Eurovision and finally getting their first win. You guys were LOOOOONG overdue for one, and I hope you’re able to host the contest next year!

Now on to the runner-up, Bulgaria. Their highest placement yet! I’m happy for them! It was a good song - it was one of those rare songs that I started liking more after hearing it live. Do I think it deserved second place? Nnnnn....not REALLY. I think it’s KINDA overrated, but I was rooting for them at the very end!

One of the biggest surprises for me was that Moldova, after failing to qualify for three years in a row, also achieved their highest placement yet! That’s GREAT! Now, I didn’t expect this because....what a lot of people have forgotten was that Sunstroke Project’s first Eurovision performance, “Run Away”, actually didn’t do THAT well - it qualified for the final, and it continues to live on through the Epic Sax Guy memes, but it actually placed near the bottom of the board! So, to see them do so incredibly well this year was such a pleasant surprise. Most of the love came from the televotes, too, which is what matters most! So congrats, Sunstroke Project and Epic Sax Guy! You did your country proud! And your song is still burned into my brain! Hey ma-ma, hey ma-ma, hey ma-ma-ma~

Fourth place, Belgium! I was right about them getting their third top ten placement in a row. XD Yeah, I called this. It was a fan favorite, even more well-liked than Portugal for a time. I never had any reaction to the song, personally, but I think we’ve established at this point that I’m not one to agree with the popular opinion this year. And even though I’m indifferent to Belgium’s entry, I was happy when I heard Blanche do much better in the final after seeming a bit.....overwhelmed in the semi. Good for her!

Sweden got fifth place, which was another one I called! Yeah, there was never any doubt that Sweden would do well. And hey, this is a placement I actually AGREE with for once! So I don’t need to say any more

Now, on to....Italy. In sixth place. Sixth place.....OK, WHAT happened. They were the most popular for SO long....I don’t understand! It was such a fun song! And it sounded good live, too! People were singing and dancing along! There was the big “ALE”! I expected them to not get too much attention from the JURIES, but....Why didn’t they get more votes!? This wasn’t even like the Ill Volo upset, it was just.....they didn’t get enough votes! WHY!? I mean, it’s still sixth place, which is really good, so I can’t complain, but for a song that was hyped up SO much? A song that was SO fun? I can’t help but feel like it should’ve done even better....

In seventh place is Romania, another fan favorite! Can’t complain there! Well, I know a lot of people would complain about a song that silly doing so well, but I can’t help but like it. It’s something new, interesting, and surprisingly, it worked!

In eight place in Hungary, who did a bit better than I expected. The televotes REALLY shot them up the board! In ninth is Australia, their worst result yet as expected, and in tenth is Norway, who also surprised me! I expected them to get overlooked, but I’m not complaining!

...OK, maybe I’ll complain a little bit. Because just BARELY missing the top ten, by eight points, is the Netherlands. My favorite this year. Norway, I liked your song, but the Netherlands deserve to be in the top ten more than you. They were AMAZING! Does anyone know how risky it is to sing a song like that live!? There were three of them, and they had to harmonize with each other through most of the song! I imagine that must take a LOT of practice, trying to make sure they sound as good together as possible! If just ONE of them messed up, it would’ve thrown the whole thing off balance. And it paid off! They sounded SO GOOD! And the juries at least recognized it, placing them in the top ten before the televotes screwed them over.....Why why why....I’d ask if they weren’t fun enough, but clearly THAT wasn’t true because the song that won is the polar opposite of “fun”....So why did the Dutch entry not cut it for the public? At least they placed on the right side of the board, thanks to the juries, but....They deserved better. They deserved SO much better for that song. I LOVE that song so much

France got twelfth, which I’m sure they’re not complaining about. Not as good as last year, but they probably weren’t expecting that. XD And Croatia got thirteenth! I’m happy! I’m kinda shocked they didn’t do better with the juries, considering just how talented the man is, but at least the public recognized it

In fourteenth is Azerbaijan, who I expected to do a bit better. Their song was just awesome and the staging....well......it stood out! But they’ve done worse. In fifteenth is the UK, who, ONCE AGAIN, got overlooked by the televoters, but did much better than last year! And I gotta say, I’m impressed! I actually like their song a lot more after hearing it live! DAT HIGH NOTE

In sixteenth is Austria, which is impressive considering all of their points came from the juries. Seriously, why the crap did they get nul in the televotes? C’mon, SPAIN got points for crying out loud! Why didn’t they!? Does there have to be a nul every year, because there was one last year too....I don’t think they deserved it. The song was happy! The vocals were consistent to the studio version! There was nothing wrong with it!

Belarus came in seventeenth, which was a BIT better than I expected, and Armenia came in eighteenth, which was WAAAAAAAY worse than I expected. I seriously thought Armenia would finish in the top ten. That seemed like a top ten performance to me! So on point....But I’m biased, because I like their song a LOT

Sharing nineteenth place are Greece and Denmark, two of my favorites! Greece did about as well as I thought, though I really wished they’d have done better. They sounded a lot better in the final than they did in the semi. And then there’s Denmark, who got quite a bit of love from the juries, but got screwed by the televotes, much like the UK. I really wanted them to finish on the left side of the board because, like I’ve said many times, I LOVE Anja’s voice. I think she had the strongest voice this year. But after the second semi, I actually was surprised at how many people I saw complain than Denmark shouldn’t have made it! Why is that? I know that people will find SOMETHING to complain about, but....Yeah, that tipped me off to the fact that, as much as I love “Where I Am”, it wasn’t as popular as I thought it was....

Cyprus got twentieth place. No, I’m not happy about that. Yes, they were my second-favorite. I absolutely love their song and I’ll keep on loving it for years to come, and the staging was really good, too, but.....yeah, I didn’t expect them to run away with it. But still, twentieth!? C’mon, Europe!

Then there are the flops.....Poland, I expected to. I was actually surprised that they even made it to the final. I do really like their song, and Kasia is a great singer, but performing so early on....Yeah, she got lost in the mix. Speaking of performing early on, we got Israel towards the bottom as well, which....I’m gonna be honest, I expected them to do better! It was a great opener! A song full of energy! But there were songs that did that better, yeah....I didn’t expect Ukraine to do well, considering it’s not everyone’s type of music, and then there are poor Germany and Spain at the bottom, both of whom had nul from the juries. Well, on on hand, Germany didn’t come in last? WOO! Yeah, their song really needs time to grow on you like it did me, but I still had hope that more people would like it....Too bad. And Spain....can’t say I’m surprised. =P What even was that

And so, we come to the end of this chapter. Overall, there were good things about Eurovision 2017, so I can’t say that the winner ruined the whole thing for me. There were both lights and shadows here. But unless I gain the ability to watch the BBC commentary, I’ll probably not watch it again.

Just remember.....A song can be about feelings without being boring. And a song that exists just to be fun is not a bad thing.

And to the Eurovision tag, you won’t have to put up with me until next year! So see you then for Portugal 2018!