#tolmachevy sisters

[randompizzadeliveryguy]

It's a minor case but something that annoys me about the whole EBU silencing the protest during Israels performance is as far as I can remember that one year the crowd was booing those Russians twins (tolmachevy sisters in 2014 I think) and that wasn't cut out of the Livestream. So Russia was allowed to be publicly boo'd and got ultimately banned from the competition but Israel gets to perform anyway and gets special treatment on top of that.

Huh

(Repost because I wanted to make sure its clear that Russia being excluded from ESC is 100% justified and the same should go for Israel but as I said special treatment at its finest)

[eurovision-facts]

Eurovision Fact #437:

Manizha's 'Russian Woman,' which represented Russia in 2021, was the first Russian entry in 12 years to feature lyrics in Russian. 2009's 'Mamo' by Anastasia Prikhodko was the previous song to feature Russian.

It should be noted that the 2012 representatives Buranovskiye Babushki's song 'Party for Everybody' did not exclusively feature English lyrics, but it did not use Russian as the other featured language. It used Udmurt, which uses the Cyrillic alphabet and is spoken within Russia, but is its own distinct language.

[Sources]

Participants of Rotterdam 2021: Manizha, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Rotterdam 2020: Little Big, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Tel Aviv 2019: Sergey Lazarev, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Lisbon 2018: Julia Samoylova, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Stockholm 2016: Sergey Lazarev, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Vienna 2015: Polina Gagarina, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Copenhagen 2014: Tolmachevy Sisters, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Malmö 2013: Dina Garipova, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Baku 2012: Buranovskiye Babushki, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Düsseldorf 2011: Alexej Vorobjov, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Oslo 2010: Peter Nalitch & Friends, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Moscow 2009: Anastasia Prikhodko, Eurovision.tv.

[gaymer-hag-stan]

Yeah, about the "Eurovision banned Russia immediately" line, this is extremely not true.

They literally introduced anti-booing technology in 2015 because in 2014 the Tolmachevy Sisters (Russia's act for that year) got booed to hell and back (possibly because of Crimea, possibly because of Putin's anti-LGBT law, possibly both). They specifically introduced that element EXCLUSIVELY for Russia, because they had no issue with the crowd booing every time the Greek and Cypriot juries exchanged high points. They are most likely gonna use the same technology for Eden Golan's performance this year.

When the Ukrainian broadcaster protested Russia's participation in 2022, the EBU most certainly did not "ban them immediately" and they said they were allowed to participate just fine.

It was only after six other broadcasters (I think it was Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Estonia, Sweden and someone else?) that they banned them. They gave the fact that the russian broadcaster was spreading misinformation and propaganda about the invasion of Ukraine as the official excuse but this is clearly either not their actual motive or they cherry pick when that's an issue because they now INSIST that the Israeli broadcaster is not doing the exact same thing the Russian one did. They claim that the Israeli broadcaster is not like the Russian or Belarusian one and is not directly being manipulated by the Israeli government so it therefore doesn't breach their rules.

So no, the EBU most certainly did not ban Russia immediately, they didn't do it because of the annexation of Crimea or the full-scale invasion of Ukraine (or Georgia, for that matter, they were even allowed to host in 2009 and Georgia was forced out because of their song that year) they only did it because six other broadcasters threatened to leave and take their money with them, something the same or other broadcasters, unfortunately, refused to do this time.

also isn’t the eurovision song sung by israel literally also sung by a russian permanent resident??? and in 2015 eurovision let a known proxy of putin perform a song about peace and holding hands for russia???

Yep and yeah. Russia also tried to send a girl who supported the occupation of Crimea to the Eurovision 2017 held in Ukraine - right next year after Jamala won the contest with the song 1944 about the deportation of Crimean Tatars.

And we were getting so much shit for not allowing that girl entry into Ukraine because she broke the law.

So yeah, Eurovision is a big bag of dicks, I'm certainly not telling anyone to watch, much more to support Israel entry this year. But god, these "Eurovision banned russia immediately" when it's not only not the case, it shows how little people know or care about Ukraine unless it's for making it a rhetorical device.

[chanandlerbong]

Special 20 years watching Eurovision; Favourite acts → 2014   

[nonnyfcknawesome93]

ESC 120 Songs!

#49 Tolmachevy Sisters "Shine" Russia 2014

 Peformance 5/5 Lyrics 3.5/5 Voice 4/5 -Twin sisters! Singing in a seesaw! United by their hair! Mirror moving! -Original staging 

https://youtu.be/BCNN1JAgWqk

#48 #AlexanderRybak "Fairytale" Norway 2009

 Performance 5/5 Lyrics 4/5 Voice 5/5 -Violin king -Back up dancers -Catchy -Record number of points at the time

  https://youtu.be/WXwgZL4zx9o

#47 Ann Sophie "Black Smoke" Germany 2015 

Performance 4/5 Lyrics 4/5 Voice 4.5/5 -Original song -What a staging! -Nice vocals -She deserved better than nil points

  https://youtu.be/DGMJOchTRPc

#46 #DomenicoModungo "Nel blu dipinto di blu (#Volare)" Italy 1958 

Perf. 5/5 Lyrics 5/5 Voice 5/5 -ICONIC. Everybody has heard it -This song has become synonym with Italy -He came in 3rd -He won in Viña del Mar -Its in your head now

  https://youtu.be/Z-DVi0ugelc

#45 #Jalisse "Fiumi di parole" Italy 1997 

Performance 4.5/5 Lyrics 5/5 Voice 5/5 -What a masterpiece -Excelent voice -Power ballad -Nice chemistry -It's stuck in my head every time

https://youtu.be/S24gn5Y6wB0

[eurovisionopinions]

[littlesistersti]

Famous wall from Dream Team choreographer and stage director (I think?) Fokas Evagelinos.

Other known works included the giant stapler, the glass box with rose petals, giant seesaw, and the box house thing with a giant puppet. Maybe also the green screen. This video is up to date 2019. Can't figure out the guy with people strapped onto walls and moving them like magic tricks.

Ani Lorak was a person who started all this shit with wall on the stage

[mysticmarsh]

on a scale from jedward to tolmachevy sisters how coordinated are you and your twin

[escinsight]

Reflections Of Russia and Ukraine At The Eurovision Song Contest

To illustrate the impact of the conflict on the Eurovision Song Contest, let’s go back to a time when there was relative calm in both Russia and Ukraine. Malmö 2013 Malmö 2013 was a great year for both countries as Zlata Ognevich managed third place with ‘Gravity’ and Dina Garipova managed fifth place with ‘What If’.  If we look at the voting between the two countries 2013, Ukraine awarded 4…

[revel-wallpapers]

Sisters Tolmachev Anya Nastya Tolmachevi Sisters Singers Russia Eurovision 2014(1680x1050)

[ickaimp]

Russia and Ukraine in Eurovision

A friend knows I love Eurovision and let me know that Eurovision has banned Russia from Eurovision 2022. And I immediatly flailed and info dumped, because hyperfixations.

2014 was the first time I got to see a live streaming Eurovision finale and it was as Russia invaded Ukraine. The 2014 Ukraine entry, “Tick-Tock” by Mariya Yaremchuk, has lots of visual about being trapped and literally running out of time. Which may not have been the intention, but contrast it with the 2014 Russian entry: “Shine” by the Tolmachevy Sisters, which… Has some very 1920s Metropolis propaganda vibes, and the lyrics include: Now maybe there's a place Maybe there's a time Maybe there's a day you'll be mine And this is while Russia is invading the Ukraine. 😬 Very yikes. This sets the tone for rooting for Russia in Eurovision. (nope) 2015, Ukraine didn’t participate in Eurovision, they were dealing with an invasion. Russia almost won, the Eurovision live audience was very vocally FURIOUS, as were the commentators. Thankfully Måns Zelmerlöw from Sweden wins with “Heroes”. In 2016 Måns performed the greatest Eurovision song that isn’t in Eurovison, “Love Love Peace Peace“ where the 2014 Ukraine entry makes an appearance onstage as “Man in a Hampster Wheel”. 😄🐹 Eurovision also changed its judging in 2016. They seperated the judge votes from the audience televoting, which makes the final score less obvious and more of a nail biter. (2021 was fantastic!) 2016 was also kind of interesting as it’s very obvious how much money Russia puts into their entries in “You Are The Only One” by Sergey Lazarev. It’s one of the more technically complex visual entries. Taking a cue from Måns, there’s fancy interactive backgrounds, and the guy walks upright up a wall, no wires invovled. Russia also tried to get Ukraine’s entry, 1944 by Jamala, removed by claiming that it was poltical, talking about the 2014 invasion. Eurovision rules state “no lyrics, speeches, gestures of political or similar nature shall be permitted“.

This was rejected as the song is about the deportation of the Crimean Tatars at the hands of Joseph Stalin, which included Jamala’s Great-Grandmother and her daughters, one of whom didn’t make it.  The lyrics, in both english and crimean, are very emotional and worth a read. Ukraine wins the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest. 2017, Ukraine hosts Eurovision. And Russia isn’t in it. 😂 Russia has a song, “Flame is Burning”, they have a singer, Yuliya Samoylova, and the singer is banned from entering Ukraine for breaking Ukrainian travel ban in 2015. 2018... does not go well for Russia in Portugal. Yuliya Samoylova performs a new song, “I won’t Break” and it scores at the bottom of the second semi-finals. Russia fails to make it to the finals for the first time since 1997. Ukraine places 17th. The past couple of years have been kind of quiet. Russia’s 2020 entry, “Uno” by Little Big went semi-viral (personally, I think “Hypnodance” is funnier) and Ukraine’s 2021 entry, “Shum” by Go_A, placed fifth and exploded on tik-tok. And now Russia’s banned from 2022. 😂 It’ll be interesting to see how Eurovision goes down in Turin, Italy this year.

[eurovision-facts]

Eurovision Fact #342:

In total, there have been 11 sets of twins at Eurovision.

The first pair to appear was the Kessler twins, who represented Germany in 1959. The Kesslers finished 8th overall.

Next, Luxembourg was represented by Sophie and Magaly Gilles in 1980. The sisters finished 9th overall.

In 2004, the Turkish entry, Athena, was comprised of twin brothers Hakan and Gökhan Özoğuz. The pair finished 4th in the Grand Final, the best result by any set of twins at Eurovision.

North Macedonia's 2009 entry, rock band Next Time, also consisted of twin brothers. Martin and Stefan Filipovski unfortunately did not make it to the Grand Final, placing 10th in the First Semi-Final.

The following year, the Belarusian group 3+2 brought twin sisters Alena and Ninel Karpovich, the "2" in 3+2, to the Eurovision stage. The group finished 24th in the Grand Final.

2011 saw two sets of twins: John and Edward Grimes representing Ireland as Jedward, and sisters Daniela and Veronika represtned Slovakia as TWiiNS. Jedward finished 8th in the Grand Final, but TWiiNS only placed 13th in the Second Semi-Final.

The following year, Jedward returned to represent Ireland, but only managed to place 19th in the Grand Final.

In 2014 there was once again two sets of twins: France was represented by the group TWIN TWIN, which consisted of Eurovision's first fraternal twins, Lorent and François Ardouvin, and their friend Patrick. The group finished last, 26th, at the Grand Final. On the other hand, Russia was represented by the Tolmachevy Sisters, Anastasia and Maria. The duo also won the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2006. At Copenhagen, they managed to place 7th in the Grand Final.

In 2017, the group OG3NE, representing the Netherlands, consisted of three sisters, two of which were fraternal twins: Amy and Shelley. The two are a year younger than their sister Lisa. The group placed 11th at the Grand Final.

Finally, for this year's contest (2023), Azerbaijan will be represented by TuralTuranX.

[Sources]

Eurovision Twins, MyHeritage.com.

Eurovision Fact #337.

Eurovision Fact #341.

Sets of Twins Who Have Competed At The Eurovision Song Contest, YouTube.com.

Participants of Cannes 1959: Alice and Ellen Kessler, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of The Hague 1980: Sophie and Magaly, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Istanbul 2004: Athena, Eurovision.tv.

Athena (band), Wikipedia.org.

Participants of Moscow 2009: Next Time, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Oslo 2010: 3+2, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Düsseldorf 2011: Jedward, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Düsseldorf 2011: TWiiNS, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Baku 2012: Jedward, Eurovision.tv.

'Twin Twin Interview: François, Lorent and Patrick are single!,' Wiwibloggs.com.

Participants of Copenhagen 2014: TWIN TWIN, Eurovision.tv.

Copenhagen 2014 Grand Final Scoreboard, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Copenhagen 2014: Tolmachey Sisters, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Kyiv 2017: OG3NE, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Liverpool 2023: TuralTuranX, Eurovision.tv.

[juuret]

In hindsight booing the Tolmachevy sisters was the right thing to do.

[qqueenofhades]

Modern AU Heartrender Husbands gives me the vibes of like they'll watch eurovision bc Fedyor wanted to and Ivan only begrudgingly agreed but in the end it's him who's standing really close to the TV with a bottle of beer loudly criticising the jury vote

Anon, your Mind. As 100% ever, I am so very easy to enable. As before, this is set in Phantom!Verse, and serves as a sequel of sorts to this (and as a further prequel to PEL).

Brighton Beach, 2014

It’s their first spring in their new home – they arrived in America in August 2013 and got this place, fittingly, right around Orthodox Christmas in January 2014 – and that means many things to them. Their apartment is in a formerly rent-controlled brownstone tenement right off the boardwalk, but prior to their arrival, it was occupied for fifty years by an old bat from Krasnodar Krai who apparently never, ever, threw anything away. (Fedyor is too scared to ask if she actually died in this apartment and her mummified corpse is lurking at the bottom of all the junk.) That is why he and Ivan were able to afford it, at least, but now that the weather is warmer, they have been spending all day cleaning, hauling boxes of crap to the dumpster, and trying in vain to get the smell of pickled cabbage out of the kitchen. It looks exactly like your Great Aunt Masha’s house, the one that traumatized you as a child and has never left your nightmares since. Home sweet home.

The upside is that the location is great, the apartment is surprisingly spacious and lovely – a big bedroom, a bathroom with two sinks and a deep claw-footed tub, a living room with high windows that let in lots of light, original crown molding and hardwood floors – and if it was located in the really chic parts of Brooklyn and inhabited by a tech-startup hipster rather than a Russian émigré spinster with definite hoarding tendencies, it would rent for some astronomical monthly sum. Fedyor has a three-ring binder full of paint swatches, sketches, furniture samples, and other plans to give it a total overhaul (he’s thinking a nice pale green for the living room?) But the one thing that spring definitely means is Eurovision, and it is just the ticket to relax from their grueling schedule of throwing boxes of junk away and hoping they don’t stumble upon a withered hand in a glass jar. He likes America and he’s excited for their new life, for all that they had no choice but to leave Russia in a hurry, but Eurovision is Eurovision.

Actually watching it, of course, is easier said than done. For one thing, Fedyor can’t find a blasted station that is airing it, when he could have just switched on the TV and found it right away back home. For another, Ivan is deeply dubious of the whole endeavor, having watched five minutes of it once when he was eighteen and turning it off in disgust, never to return. Fedyor spends a lot of time wheedling him to give it another chance. “Come on, Vanya. It’s fun!”

“It is a lot of homosexuals gyrating in leather to very bad music,” Ivan snaps. “They look ridiculous. And sound even worse.”

Fedyor glances at them – the fact that they’re sitting on the couch, he’s on Ivan’s lap with his legs draped over Ivan’s thigh, and Ivan’s arms wrapped around his waist – and coughs. “I’m not sure how to break this to you, darling,” he says, “but you are also a homosexual.”

“Maybe, but you would never catch me dead up there.”

“Of course not.” Fedyor rolls his eyes. “You might actually have to smile.”

Ivan makes a scoffing noise. Then he notices the full-on puppy-dog face that Fedyor is now giving him, and says, “Oh no. Oh no, Fedya. Do not look at me like that.”

“Why not?” Fedyor shamelessly snuggles closer. “Is it working?”

The predictable outcome is that Ivan grudgingly agrees to watch it with him, though they’re on American time now and Eurovision Song Contest 2014, held in Copenhagen, Denmark, is six hours ahead of them. Ivan thinks that it’s stupid to sit down and watch a lot of gyrating homosexuals in the middle of the day, when there’s still so much work to do, and tries to demand that they just watch the recording later. Fedyor says this is nonsense, you simply cannot watch a recording of Eurovision, and after a lot of investigation, finds the online streaming channel on his laptop and hooks it up to the TV so they can watch it there. Then he prepares his popcorn, his alcoholic beverages, and his glitter glasses, corrals his recalcitrant husband, and readies himself to experience pure joy. No wonder Ivan doesn’t get it.

However, the effect is both swift and remarkable. By the end of the first semi-final, Ivan is put out about the fact that Russia came seventh in the popular vote but was knocked down to eleven by the jury (this is evidence of an anti-Russian conspiracy, according to him) and when only Moldova, a tiny no-name non-EU former Soviet state, deigns to award them the full twelve points, he is openly incredulous. “Moldova?! That is all we get?! MOLDOVA?!”

“Well,” Fedyor says delicately. “There is that little situation in Ukraine, so I’m afraid we are not that popular right now.”

“That is bullshit,” Ivan grouses. “This is a song contest. The Tolmachevy Sisters are not Vladimir Putin. I am sure they have worked very hard to be here.”

Fedyor glances at him and wisely decides not to say anything. He is likewise a little peeved when the Russian contestants get booed by the Danish audience, but Ivan looks like he’s about to leap through the screen and throttle every single one of them. He thrusts out a hand. “Give me a drink, Fedya. I need it to suffer this indignity.”

Fedyor cracks the lid off a cold one and hands it over – there is the Brighton Bazaar just a few blocks away, stocked with Russian goods, so they are spared the ordeal of drinking Yankee beer – and Ivan takes a long slug. He thinks they can skip watching the second semi-final two nights later, since Russia isn’t in it, but Fedyor puts it on anyway. They both like Austria and “Rise Like a Phoenix,” sung by the bearded drag queen Conchita Wurst (there have been a few dumb comments about her from the usual suspects), but Ivan hits a fist on the arm of the sofa. “She was not better than the Russian girls,” he says loyally. “I still think that they should be the ones to win.”

“Right, well,” Fedyor says. “I think the only ones less likely to win are the Brits, and they never win, so we might be waiting a while.”

The grand finale, on May tenth, is an inadvertently hysterical exercise. They get up early and put on the pregame show, like the Americans do with their bewildering fixation on the Super Bowl, and Ivan gets even more furious when the Tolmachevy Sisters are booed again. “Are they not supposed to love everyone at this glitter bacchanalia? So much for the Scandinavians being tolerant and accepting people! The song is nice! They are nice girls! What is wrong with them?!”

“Come over here and give me a cuddle, Vanya,” Fedyor suggests. “Otherwise you will blow a blood vessel long before the show starts.”

Ivan growls like an escaped tiger from the zoo, but consents to sit down next to Fedyor. They both drink copiously once the festivities get underway, singing along loudly (and not that melodiously) to the various entries, Fedyor’s arm draped around Ivan’s neck as he sits on his lap and critically judges the acts before the official results pop up. Once again, the only twelve-point awards Russia gets are from former Soviet countries (Azerbaijan and Belarus) and Ivan looks like he’s going to have a conniption before Fedyor kisses him and he gets distracted for the next three minutes. “This is disgraceful,” he mutters, when they break away. “Not you, Fedya. Just the horrible way they have clearly rigged this show against us.”

“You know,” Fedyor says. “That’s Eurovision. You declare war on your neighbors when they don’t give you twelve points. Now they have the EU, they’re not supposed to fight anymore, this is the only way they can get all those old rivalries out. Just be glad that Australia isn’t in this year. You might have really blown a gasket.”

“Australia?!” Ivan shifts Fedyor to a more comfortable position on his lap and grabs for his third bottle of beer. “AUSTRALIA IS NOT IN EUROPE! It is not even anywhere NEAR Europe! WHY DOES AUSTRALIA GET TO BE IN EUROVISION!?!”

Fedyor laughs out loud. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” Ivan says. “But this is still the stupidest thing I have ever seen.”

“Shh.” Fedyor nuzzles him. “Just give in, Vanya. Just give in.”

Ivan consents to turn his grumbling down to a simmer, and is somewhat mollified that Russia comes in sixth overall, which is better than even Fedyor thought they were going to do. Austria takes the champion’s crown, they can both agree that Conchita Wurst deserves it, and get up and dance around their still-junk-cluttered living room as she gives her bravissima performance. A few things have been thrown during the judging, but they can’t add much to the existing mess, and in Brighton Beach, “damage caused to the apartment because Russia got shafted during Eurovision finals” might actually be a legitimate excuse. As he leans against Ivan’s chest and grins into his neck, Fedyor has to admit that this place may just feel like home yet.

[eurovisionsongaday]

Hey, here’s a couple of grads from the Junior Eurovision!

[whenitsdarkweilluminate]

Moscow 2009 – Semi-Final 1

Host: Russia Slogan: [none] Participants: 42 Voting method: 12-point system (50/50 system - combined; televoting only for the semi-finals) Format: 2 Semi-Finals / Grand Final = the top 10 of semi 1 & 2 + the Big 4 + host General Overview: The 2009 contest commences the 50/50 era of Eurovision... but not in the semi-finals, where pure televoting was still utilized. That switch won't happen until 2010. Meanwhile, the jury wildcard twist was in effect again to determine the 10th qualifier. Incidentally, this lead to Finland and Croatia advancing in their respective nights, despite finishing outside the top 10. The two relegated countries were (North) Macedonia and Serbia. The former was denied two years in a row. Slovakia returns after a 9-year absence (in SF2). Over the next few years, the country will uphold their abysmal track record by amassing four consecutive DNQ's before permanently withdrawing again. San Marino also dipped after their debut entry flopped. Georgia, meanwhile, were disqualified because their song mocked Putin, and they refused to change the lyrics or submit a different song. SF1 opens with an announcer narrating a mythological story about a two girls and a firebird. It's a reference to a Russian fairytale. This leads to a flashy entrance of the Tolmachevy Sisters, the winners of Junior Eurovision 2006, and later representatives for Russia in 2014. They descend to the stage via a glowing firebird-shaped structure. The interval act involves a military choir (hard pass to this), segueing into t.A.T.u performing “Not Gonna Get Us”, where the aforementioned choir provides backing vocals. At least t.A.T.u's vocals are acceptable this time, although it was probably prerecorded. A different pair of hosts were employed for the semi-finals – Natalia Vodianova and Andrey Malakhov. The latter is irritating and overzealous. Their dialogue is badly scripted too. The results are presented differently this year. The physical envelopes are ditched in favour of revealing the qualifiers on the digital screen. Although envelope icons are displayed instead. The hosts press a button to “open” each one. The stage design is impressive this year, but I'll mention that again in Grand Final post.

× Montenegro: Andrea Demirović - Just Get Out of My Life Montenegro are a somewhat surprising DNQ, but the 10 qualifiers make sense. “Just Get...” is a disco-pop song that follows a brisk, slippery rhythm. The melody and production are agreeable, while the “out of my, out of my, out of my” refrain is easily catchy. It was written by Ralph Siegel and Bernd Meinunger, two people responsible for several German entries since the 1970s. The verses also use a rising melody. The staging incorporates playful interactions between Andrea and a male dancer, which could be viewed as uncomfortable. The male keeps grabbing Andrea's waist and tries to pull up her dress at one point, while she repeatedly rejects his advances. He also twerks lol. In the song, Andrea is trapped by his charm. She knows this relationship is toxic, so she casts him away. The repetition of “out of my” highlights her torment. But then the song ends on a twist – “or just stay”, which undermines the message. × Czech Republic: Gipsy.cz - Aven Romale WTF is this? The composition is the definition of the word “discordant”. The melody jumps all over the place, veering off course into jarring directions, and none of it flows cohesively. There's claps, group chants, and vocal grunts. The staging, meanwhile, features bright outfits and comic book imagery on screen, while the lead singer wears a superhero costume. He also brings a zany personality. There's a funny moment when he ducks from the violin bow. But this entry is utter nonsense. It's also one of the rare instances of “nul points” in a semi-final. × Belgium: Copycat - Copycat And here's a song that earned just ONE point in the semi-final! “Copycat” involves an Elvis impersonator singing from the POV of Elvis Presley himself, commenting on his doppelgangers. The singer dresses like the King of Rock N Roll and emulates his vocal style, while the instrumentation mimics 1950s rock n roll. Meanwhile, the lyrics are littered with well-known references. The concept is just not that interesting. The idea is too thin to stretch to three minutes. And it's rather cringe. × Belarus: Petr Elfimov - Eyes That Never Lie Belarus continues to embrace tense, melodramatic atmospheres. Their '07/'08/'09 entries all conveyed that vibe. And this one cranks the intensity to 11. The rock instrumentation drives the song and represents Petr's distress. In the song, he's escaped a dark place in life since meeting his lover. It's also a visually striking entry. The staging features a person obscured and trapped by translucent bed sheet, while the wind machine batters them like a hurricane. This is complemented by the crafty lighting tricks and camera work. At one point, a single shot runs from the back of the arena to the stage and circles around Petr. But the issue is that the melody doesn't stick that well, and perhaps the atmosphere is too over-the-top. ✓ Sweden: Malena Ernman - La voix Despite placing 4th in SF1, “La voix” is Sweden's third consecutive under-performance at the Grand Final. This rough patch will culminate in next year's DNQ, though. So the mother of Greta Thunberg beat out Måns Zelmerlöw, Alcazar, Agnes and Molly Sandén at Melfest 2009. The song fuses operatic vocals with a contemporary Euro-dance beat. The opera sections imply a sense of angelic, pristine beauty. Not just vocals, but in how the screen fills up with a blindingly bright white light when that chorus hits. The soothing backing vocalists complement that illusion. Malena is feeling heavenly euphoria. The dance-pop production, on the other hand, delivers a bouncy, clap-along rhythm. But the verses are too short. And the transition into the final chorus is... a choice, with Malena's guttural notes and the muscle tensions in her face. Ultimately the song doesn't quite accomplish the graceful charm it aims for. And the genre fusion doesn't quite work for me. ✓ Armenia: Inga and Anush - Jan Jan Armenia succeeds “Qélé, Qélé” with another phenomenal bop! “Jan Jan” is an “Ethnic” entry where the traditional instrumentation is rich and prominent. It's a dance-able rhythm. Meanwhile sisters Inga and Anush deliver fierce energy. Their attitude really makes the song. And the mystical instrumentation matches that assertive approach. The outfits and the dark colour layout complete the allure. Furthermore, the chorus is infectious (ie. “everyBODY move your BODY”), the sisters trade lines cleanly, and the build-up leading into the key change is exciting. The duo later spew meaningless phonetic sounds in the bridge. It sounds exotic, though. The lyrics (the ones that are real words) imply sisterly support. Inga and Anush help each other move on from life's troubles by partaking in the “new dance” together, which symbolizes a new chapter. That's my interpretation, anyway. × Andorra: Susanne Georgi - La teva decisió (Get a Life) This is Andorra's last appearance in Eurovision to date. All 6 of their entries failed to qualify; an indication that micro-nations have an uphill battle. Some of them were surprisingly decent, though. “Get A Life” is a sugary and cutesy entry. It projects a carefree, assured, innocent vibe. The chorus employs a perky “pip-pip-pip” sound. And in the performance, Susanne and her backing band wear beaming smiles and joyfully sway about. The song is also professionally arranged in structure. The “ah-ah-ah-i” hook stands out. And the final chorus is a triumph. That said, the lyrics are too clingy. Susanne's lover wants distance, but she refuses to let go. Plus songs this sugary can lead to a toothache. Still, it's an enjoyable song. × Switzerland: Lovebugs - The Highest Heights Switzerland fails to qualify despite putting in the effort – a repeat story to last year. The synth-rock instrumentation on “The Highest Heights” is so aurally satisfying. It establishes a mood of peaceful euphoric bliss so perfectly. And it's consistently held in place, only pausing for the “oh-whoa-oh” bit. Which is an elevating moment. The lyrics, meanwhile, are charmingly straightforward – the narrator asks if his lover will be there during the dark times. Unfortunately, the song doesn't quite reach “epic” heights due to the underwhelming vocal melody. The lead singer fails to soar. ✓ Turkey: Hadise - Düm Tek Tek “Düm Tek Tek” has to be one of the catchiest songs in ESC history. It's astounding how every single second contains a hook. There's also a good variety of them – the instrumental intermissions, the double stammers in the verses (“bay-BAY”), the responses of “of all times”/“feels so fine”, the slower pre-chorus, the floating chorus melody, and of course the forceful “DUM TEK TEK” stomps. It's so jam packed. The production also cleverly pauses to emphasize that “DUM TEK TEK”. It's a cheesy representation of a heartbeat, but Hadise's assertive approach sells it. The “Ethnic pop” instrumentation helps reduce the cheesiness too. I like the guitar(?) and the heavy percussion line. Furthermore, the song is bursting with energy, there's pyro!, and all the pieces fit together. It's such a fun entry. ✓ Israel: Noa and Mira Awad - There Must Be Another Way The Israeli entry pairs a Jewish singer with an Arab singer. The song calls for unity and acceptance amongst the political divide in the country. It includes both Hebrew and Arabic verses. And the duet exhibits intimate chemistry on stage. The song's tone is heavy and emotional, where Noa and Mira express love, compassion, empathy and reassurance to each other. The arrangement is minimalist to allow the message to take focus. But it's also underdeveloped. The vocal melody didn't immediately connect, and the title phrase is anti-climatic. But it's grown on me. It's pleasant, with the lead in to the title phrase being the best part. The square tin drums add a subtle texture too. × Bulgaria: Krassimir Avramov - Illusion LMAO what a train wreck. The backing vocalists are hilariously horrific. Their shrieks are ear-splitting, uncoordinated, and off-key. It renders the live performance into un-listenable territory, since they're impossible to ignore. It's weird because the backing isn't THIS prominent on the studio version. Krassimir's falsetto is comparatively bearable though. Likewise, the almighty force created by the production and the “give me give me you time”/“do I want your touch” hooks are good ideas. There's also dancers on stilts. But there's no cohesion or cooperation to any of this. Instead of being atmospheric, the result is more like a nightmare. ✓ Iceland: Yohanna - Is It True? The winner of SF1, and the runner-up overall, matching Iceland's peak placement from 1999. “Is It True?” seems to be an overshadowed entry from 2009. Which is a shame because it's a stunning and heartbreaking ballad. The emotion resonates due to Yohanna's honest performance – her vocal is beautiful too. Meanwhile, the gentle tone and the methodical pacing allows the melancholy and devastation to flow naturally. It's a moment where time stands still. The key change shifts the final chorus into a moving finale, and to a higher degree of pain. Also, the backing vocalists reinforce the melody. The watery blue colour palette and the cello are effective. And the lyrics are relatable. They explore Yohanna's mental processes as she confronts a lover who's keeping a secret. She's preparing for the break-up, and she wonders how love can lead to hurt, but she also second-guesses herself (“did I throw it away”). I can empathize. I could do without the extreme close-up at the start, though.  × F.Y.R. Macedonia: Next Time - Nešto što kje ostane The juries deny (North) Macedonia from the Grand Final AGAIN. Incidentally, it's the 6th consecutive time they've placed 9th or 10th in a semi-final. Nothing of value was lost, though. “Nešto” is an entry that I feel indifferent towards. It emulates 1980s rock bands. There's gruff vocals, long hair, a guitar solo, and some catchy “yeah-eee-yeah”'s. It's an energetic and inoffensive song, but it's highly forgettable. ✓ Romania: Elena - The Balkan Girls Romania delivers a light and breezy celebration of Balkan girls. The song emanates a summery beach party vibe, thanks to the relaxed melody, the horns and hand drums. Elena is enjoying her life! The staging is inspired by Romanian mythology, where Elena enters via a stone throne, and the backing dancers wear sea-colour shredded dresses. Their fluid dance moves are sufficiently engaging. And the “for crowd delight” hook is strong. Overall, the arrangement flows smoothly and it's a solid performance. The only noteworthy flaw is that the song is basic.  ✓ Finland: Waldo's People - Lose Control Finland are the jury wildcard pick of SF1. The song ultimately placed last at the Grand Final, but with 22 points, which is relatively high for that position. So “Lose Control” contains a ridiculously catchy pop chorus, with rap verses interspersed, and a dance-pop production that is very 2009. My teenage-self would've loved it at the time lol. Also, the staging is notably flashy with all the fire antics. The booms and pyro explosion in the bridge are especially stimulating. It's a cool moment. On the flipside, the live vocals are patchy, and the chorus becomes a little repetitive. But the production is energetic and easy to bop along to. A catchy chorus is hard to resist. And the performance avoids taking itself too seriously, nor does it become novelty.  ✓ Portugal: Flor-de-Lis - Todas as ruas do amor The Portuguese entry is heartwarming and sweet; both in lyrics and composition. Vocalist Daniela Varela is so smitten here. In the song, she uses metaphors to illustrate the compatibility of her and her partner. Meanwhile, the folk instrumentation breathes a springtime vibe. A keenness of what the future holds, perhaps. It's also characteristically Portuguese, with the accordion and hand drums being highlights. Those drums enter and exit at appropriate times to prevent monotony, as the song shifts between dreaminess and excitement. The melody is lively and cheerful too. The colour patterns on the LED screen look like vomit, though. ✓ Malta: Chiara - What If We This is Chiara's third appearance in ESC, following her top 3 finishes in 1998 and 2005. “What If We” doesn't match those heights, however, as it places 22nd at the Grand Final. Her 2009 entry is, unsurprisingly, a ballad that follows the same structure as her other two. This type of redundancy is a pet peeve of mine. “What If We” is too much like an X Factor winner's single. It's boring and predictable. Still, Chiara is a talented singer. And the lyrics are existential in her search for the answers to life's questions, and skeptical over what we've been told. The drums also build anticipation. But the final chorus isn't climactic enough. ✓ Bosnia & Herzegovina: Regina - Bistra voda Bosnia's Balkan ballad reaches the top 10, but I find this one slightly overrated. The melody doesn't latch on easily and the chorus seems incomplete. I struggle to remember how it goes. To be fair, this genre doesn't follow Western pop music structures. On the positive side, “Bistra voda” is well-staged and the instrumental breaks do elevate the song. The visual involves a marching band showing a fervent, determined demeanour, set against a red backdrop. The outfits also appear historical. The accompanying lyrics are ambiguous, but they revolve around the theme of patriotism, which gives context to the staging. It's a meaningful entry anyway. My Ranking: 01. Iceland: Yohanna - Is It True? ✓ 02. Turkey: Hadise - Düm Tek Tek ✓ 03. Armenia: Inga and Anush - Jan Jan ✓ 04. Portugal: Flor-de-Lis - Todas as ruas do amor ✓ 05. Finland: Waldo's People - Lose Control ✓ 06. Romania: Elena - The Balkan Girls ✓ 07. Switzerland: Lovebugs - The Highest Heights 08. Montenegro: Andrea Demirović - Just Get Out of My Life 09. Andorra: Susanne Georgi - La teva decisió (Get a Life) 10. Bosnia & Herzegovina: Regina - Bistra voda ✓ 11. Israel: Noa and Mira Awad - There Must Be Another Way ✓ 12. Sweden: Malena Ernman - La voix ✓ 13. Belarus: Petr Elfimov - Eyes That Never Lie 14. Malta: Chiara - What If We ✓ 15. F.Y.R. Macedonia: Next Time - Nešto što kje ostane 16. Bulgaria: Krassimir Avramov - Illusion 17. Belgium: Copycat - Copycat 18. Czech Republic: Gipsy.cz - Aven Romale