I Eurovisioned
May. 12th, 2024 03:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shallownessSo, this year I decided to watch Eurovision for Reasons, because that’s how I roll. I haven’t watched it since 2017. Don’t worry, I’m not going to share my take on all of it. Whatever the Netherlands act got disqualified for, I was selfishly grateful there was one fewer song. I watched it until I’d seen all the acts, voted, went to bed and found out what the results were in the morning.
Proving it was live, they didn’t turn Graham Norton’s mics up properly soon enough. From what I’ve read, it seems as though the singers had all been put in rather a difficult position this year where the theme was ‘United by music’. (Yeah, no. It’s a competition, and it’s never, ever been apolitical. Least of all this year.) Respect for all the acts who called for peace after their performances. I don’t think I realised Malin Akerman was Swedish before. (WHAT was that Gilmore Girls season 3 shoutout in aid of?)
I snickered at Sweden’s song being called ‘Unforgettable’, but it was a decent enough opener, while Austria’s catchy euro disco made for an even better big finish.
In between, we had a few songs that sounded like something you’d hear on the radio here when they weren’t bigging up the Eurovision more than saying anything about the country represented. I liked most of them, I mean I really liked Izaak from Germany’s voice and bopped along to his song. (Then I stopped paying attention to most acts’ names.) I also liked Latvia’s entry, but the visual (bald chap with a sculpted blue torso in front of a very Eurovision light show) did not make sense with what I was hearing!? Cyprus’s song ‘Liar’ was a perfectly decent pop song about a no-good boyfriend, and their singer had a kind of early Britneyesque energy.
When I first heard Olly Alexander’s ‘Dizzy’, I thought, ‘That’ll do’ (and I wasn’t fussed about last year’s entry, but hey, when I heard ‘Space Man’ I thought ‘Well, that’s a nice tribute to Rocket Man’ so what do I know?) The staging was, as Norton had bigged up, remarkable, although most of the staging was spectacular, but his vocal suffered in comparison to some that we’d already heard, and, okay, that was a big finish (vocally too), but why stay so long in the box?
Italy’s song was one of the best ‘contemorary pop from my country’ numbers, and I really liked Portugal’s song, gorgeous voice, sung earnestly and building up to the lovely, ringing ending. Norton built some jeopardy before France’s performance, because their singer hadn’t been in good voice in the final rehearsal. But he pulled it off on the night, and mostly performed in an intimate style, I enjoyed the play with the camera.
I thought Ireland, Switzerland and Croatia were in a different class. I knew enough about Bambie Thug to be intrigued, and, yeah, wow, what a performer (and dancer.) Even though it was a song of extremes, it was all from a singular vision. Switzerland’s act, Nemo, had a Mika esque energy, but it felt a touch too theatrical. Great performance, especially vocally, though. Neither of them were for me, but they were impressive.
I loved Croatia’s 'Rim Tim Tagi Dim' (and am kicking myself for not pausing it when my neighbour knocked the door to ask for his Amazon parcel. I think I got too caught up in the fact that I was actually watching the show live and wouldn’t be voting until I’d seen everyone. But I am wondering why my neighbour couldn’t have called when, say, Armenia or Slovenia were performing.) I think it was the percussion (also the energy and the lace doily on the drums.) Or maybe that I can’t resist a good ‘Woah’.
There was guitar tossing and there were weird instruments. Spain’s routine was fairly bonkers, Estonia’s even more so and I’ll admit I was in hysterics over Finland’s Windows95man's everything. That’s probably testament to both the act and where it was in the show’s running order.
So, I voted for Croatia, then it would have been a toss-up between France, Germany, Latvia and Portugal. Switzerland won, which I don’t think is an outrage, the song just didn’t connect with me. I’m delighted that Croatia was second. I don’t get Ukraine being third musically.
Proving it was live, they didn’t turn Graham Norton’s mics up properly soon enough. From what I’ve read, it seems as though the singers had all been put in rather a difficult position this year where the theme was ‘United by music’. (Yeah, no. It’s a competition, and it’s never, ever been apolitical. Least of all this year.) Respect for all the acts who called for peace after their performances. I don’t think I realised Malin Akerman was Swedish before. (WHAT was that Gilmore Girls season 3 shoutout in aid of?)
I snickered at Sweden’s song being called ‘Unforgettable’, but it was a decent enough opener, while Austria’s catchy euro disco made for an even better big finish.
In between, we had a few songs that sounded like something you’d hear on the radio here when they weren’t bigging up the Eurovision more than saying anything about the country represented. I liked most of them, I mean I really liked Izaak from Germany’s voice and bopped along to his song. (Then I stopped paying attention to most acts’ names.) I also liked Latvia’s entry, but the visual (bald chap with a sculpted blue torso in front of a very Eurovision light show) did not make sense with what I was hearing!? Cyprus’s song ‘Liar’ was a perfectly decent pop song about a no-good boyfriend, and their singer had a kind of early Britneyesque energy.
When I first heard Olly Alexander’s ‘Dizzy’, I thought, ‘That’ll do’ (and I wasn’t fussed about last year’s entry, but hey, when I heard ‘Space Man’ I thought ‘Well, that’s a nice tribute to Rocket Man’ so what do I know?) The staging was, as Norton had bigged up, remarkable, although most of the staging was spectacular, but his vocal suffered in comparison to some that we’d already heard, and, okay, that was a big finish (vocally too), but why stay so long in the box?
Italy’s song was one of the best ‘contemorary pop from my country’ numbers, and I really liked Portugal’s song, gorgeous voice, sung earnestly and building up to the lovely, ringing ending. Norton built some jeopardy before France’s performance, because their singer hadn’t been in good voice in the final rehearsal. But he pulled it off on the night, and mostly performed in an intimate style, I enjoyed the play with the camera.
I thought Ireland, Switzerland and Croatia were in a different class. I knew enough about Bambie Thug to be intrigued, and, yeah, wow, what a performer (and dancer.) Even though it was a song of extremes, it was all from a singular vision. Switzerland’s act, Nemo, had a Mika esque energy, but it felt a touch too theatrical. Great performance, especially vocally, though. Neither of them were for me, but they were impressive.
I loved Croatia’s 'Rim Tim Tagi Dim' (and am kicking myself for not pausing it when my neighbour knocked the door to ask for his Amazon parcel. I think I got too caught up in the fact that I was actually watching the show live and wouldn’t be voting until I’d seen everyone. But I am wondering why my neighbour couldn’t have called when, say, Armenia or Slovenia were performing.) I think it was the percussion (also the energy and the lace doily on the drums.) Or maybe that I can’t resist a good ‘Woah’.
There was guitar tossing and there were weird instruments. Spain’s routine was fairly bonkers, Estonia’s even more so and I’ll admit I was in hysterics over Finland’s Windows95man's everything. That’s probably testament to both the act and where it was in the show’s running order.
So, I voted for Croatia, then it would have been a toss-up between France, Germany, Latvia and Portugal. Switzerland won, which I don’t think is an outrage, the song just didn’t connect with me. I’m delighted that Croatia was second. I don’t get Ukraine being third musically.
