World Cup Semi-Finals 2018: The Eurovision Twist
Hello all! I apologise for not making posts more regularly, you see I've been following the World Cup! When I'm not being a Eurovision enthusiast, I am a West Ham United supporter and I enjoy spending many a weekend travelling up and down the country to watch football matches. We are now down to the Semi-Finals of the World Cup and after losing Brazil and Uruguay in the Quarter Finals, we have now come to an all European last four! With this being the case, I saw a perfect opportunity to unite my two loves and find a way to pique the interest of football fans in Eurovision and Eurovision in football fans. This is the World Cup Semi Finals 2018 Preview (Eurovision style):
So for this preview, I have selected three Eurovision editions in which the two countries in question finished close to each other and I ask you to judge which of these songs you prefer and let me know your opinion by voting in the comments below.
France vs. Belgium
1978
The last time that France hosted Eurovision, French music was all the rage at the contest. This was the year when despite the Israeli winner, every French-language entry placed in the top 10 including three entries that placed in the top five. Two of those entries were from Belgium and from the French hosts. This was the battle of the ballads sung my similarly aged men and both delivered with confidence, maturity and panache. Which is your favourite?
France - 'Il y a toujours des violons' by Joel Prevost
Belgium - 'L'amour ça fait chanter la vie' by Jean Vallee
1984
Eurovision 1984 is known for being the last time the contest was hosted in Luxembourg and for being the year of Herreys bringing the contest back to Sweden with their Golden Shoes. It was also the year of very good placings for both the Belgians and the French. It was another older male singer for Belgium as Jacques Zegers sang of going forward in life whilst France sent their classic woman stands on stage and sings dramatic ballad that has served it well over the course of Eurovision history. Whilst neither of these songs looked particularly like they would win the contest, they still represented better results than the norm for this period for both countries!
France - 'Autant d'amoureux que d'étoiles' by Annick Thoumazeau
Belgium - 'Avanti la vie' by Jacques Zegers
2010
And with this clash between neighbours coming in a World Cup Semi-Final, it is only right that we refer back to the edition of Eurovision that was defined by the World Cup. Norway had to sell their rights to World Cup matches in order to afford to host Eurovision in Oslo that year. The French got into the spirit when they sent the song to Eurovision that would go on to be played around France in association with what would go on to be a disastrous campaign for the French in South Africa. The Belgians came into this edition of Eurovision having completely failed to qualify from a Semi Final since their introduction to the contest in 2004. Then along came Tom Dice who charmed Europe with a song about him and his guitar and the rest is Eurovision history. It would take until Loic Nottet in 2015 for the Belgians to re-establish themselves as a Eurovision powerhouse but Tom Dice will still go down in Eurovision folklore as the only Belgian act to ever win a Semi-Final (so far). This is the battle of two Eurovision songs that both made it into the mainstream music worlds and became number 1 hits in their country, two modern classics, but which gets your vote?
France - 'Allez Ola Ole' by Jessy Matador
Belgium - 'Me and My Guitar' by Tom Dice
Who deserves to go through to the World Cup final based on their Eurovision history? Who wins these individual duels? Let me know in the comments below.
Croatia vs. England
A disclaimer on this before I get started. Yes, I am using United Kingdom Eurovision entries as representative of England but I am not selecting any artists who are Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish. Also, I apologise for only choosing contests from the 90s, but this was the big period of Croatian Eurovision success and so it's only fair to highlight this period.
1995
Perhaps appropriately, we begin our look at this duel and three editions of Eurovision in the 1990s with one of the many contests hosted on Irish soil. This year is defined for me by Secret Garden's winner for Norway, the Irish entry that they supposedly chose to not win and the Spanish entry which will always be my winner of this year. Croatia had debuted at the contest in 1993 but hadn't manage to get the debut country boost that many other countries managed to get. 15th in their first year and 16th in their second year was definitely not at a lot to get excited about. Then came 'Nostalgija' and nobody had quite heard anything like it. The violins got everbody's attention but it was the sultry nature of the vocals and the way that Magazin and Lidija came together on stage that really made everybody sit up and listen. A song that had its own character and unique twist, it pushed the barriers of the possibility of what could be done with a Balkan ballad. Meanwhile, the UK were also trying to push the envelope, this time by hoping to bring rap to the Eurovision stage. It was an interesting experiment but one of the first in many rap entries to have graced the Eurovision stage and failed to gain love from the majority voters. It nonetheless came a respectable tenth. These are entries that people will love and hate, but who's getting your vote?
Croatia - 'Nostalgija' by Magazin & Lidija
United Kingdom - 'Love City Groove' by Love City Groove
1996
And so to Oslo and a Eurovision year that will be classic for many. This was the last Irish victory at Eurovision, it was the return of Bobbysocks' own Elisabeth Andreassen who came second on home soil and one of the first in a string of absolutely beautiful Estonian entries (though that's my personal opinion on that matter). All British Eurovision fans will remember Gina G and I for one still believe that this was an entry that Europe really should have gotten more behind (though maybe I am biased). Performing second was unlucky but the song is still a British Eurovision classic and as Terry Wogan said in his commentary on the night, it went big in the hall. This was the last British Eurovision entry to top the UK chart and I nostalgically hope it won't be long before we get another song back up there. Very few people remember who came in fourth position in any given year and Croatia in 1996 was no exception. Another unique and beautifully performed Balkan ballad, we can read a lot into Europe at the time from the fact that this song was embraced more than Gina G's dancehall number. What do you the great Eurovision public of 2018 think?
Croatia - 'Sveta Ljbav' by Maja Blagdan
United Kingdom - 'Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit' by Gina G
1998
And we end on British soil with two of the most loved entries from each of these countries. This was the last year that it was mandatory for countries to sing in their national language and whilst this has benefited many countries, it has perhaps hindered others. No song has ever scored more points in a Grand Final for Croatia than when 'Neka mi ne svane' opened the Birmingham show with an absolute firecracker of a ballad. It also says a lot that the top five Croatian scoring entries are all sung in Croatian yet they haven't sent a song in Croatian to the contest since 2013 (just before their two-year hiatus). Whatever people make of those statistics, 'Neka mi ne svane' is one of my favourite Eurovision songs of all time, the staging was beautiful, her vocals were perfect and the performance is to this day, the best song to open a contest in Eurovision history. By coincidence, the last time Croatia made it to a World Cup Semi-Final was also in 1998! Similarly, nobody has done better for the United Kingdom since Imaani performed 'Where Are You?'. I bet that if you had said that to British Eurovision fans who were in Birmingham that night that they would have laughed you off. The language rule has affected different countries in different ways but it is definitely true that this year was a fantastic year for both these countries and one which Eurovision fans from the UK and Croatia will look back on with nostalgia. What about you? Do you prefer the soaring Croatian vocals or the thumping British house beats that would come to be a staple of British music even to this day.
Croatia - 'Neka mi ne svane' by Danijela
United Kingdom - 'Where Are You?' by Imaani
And that's it folks for your World Cup Semi Finals Eurovision preview! Please vote in the comments below and we will tally the results and post them out right before each match begins. Which is your favourite of each of these countries' Eurovision history? A reminder that Belgium vs. France is on from 8 pm CET on Tuesday July 10th whilst Croatia vs. England is on from 8 pm CET on Wednesday July 11th. We will be putting out a World Cup Final preview as well once we know who's gone through. Enjoy the summer with some world class football and some gorgeous Eurovision nostalgia. Please like, share and subscribe and we will be back with the next round of this super soon!
So for this preview, I have selected three Eurovision editions in which the two countries in question finished close to each other and I ask you to judge which of these songs you prefer and let me know your opinion by voting in the comments below.
France vs. Belgium
1978
The last time that France hosted Eurovision, French music was all the rage at the contest. This was the year when despite the Israeli winner, every French-language entry placed in the top 10 including three entries that placed in the top five. Two of those entries were from Belgium and from the French hosts. This was the battle of the ballads sung my similarly aged men and both delivered with confidence, maturity and panache. Which is your favourite?
France - 'Il y a toujours des violons' by Joel Prevost
Belgium - 'L'amour ça fait chanter la vie' by Jean Vallee
1984
Eurovision 1984 is known for being the last time the contest was hosted in Luxembourg and for being the year of Herreys bringing the contest back to Sweden with their Golden Shoes. It was also the year of very good placings for both the Belgians and the French. It was another older male singer for Belgium as Jacques Zegers sang of going forward in life whilst France sent their classic woman stands on stage and sings dramatic ballad that has served it well over the course of Eurovision history. Whilst neither of these songs looked particularly like they would win the contest, they still represented better results than the norm for this period for both countries!
France - 'Autant d'amoureux que d'étoiles' by Annick Thoumazeau
Belgium - 'Avanti la vie' by Jacques Zegers
2010
And with this clash between neighbours coming in a World Cup Semi-Final, it is only right that we refer back to the edition of Eurovision that was defined by the World Cup. Norway had to sell their rights to World Cup matches in order to afford to host Eurovision in Oslo that year. The French got into the spirit when they sent the song to Eurovision that would go on to be played around France in association with what would go on to be a disastrous campaign for the French in South Africa. The Belgians came into this edition of Eurovision having completely failed to qualify from a Semi Final since their introduction to the contest in 2004. Then along came Tom Dice who charmed Europe with a song about him and his guitar and the rest is Eurovision history. It would take until Loic Nottet in 2015 for the Belgians to re-establish themselves as a Eurovision powerhouse but Tom Dice will still go down in Eurovision folklore as the only Belgian act to ever win a Semi-Final (so far). This is the battle of two Eurovision songs that both made it into the mainstream music worlds and became number 1 hits in their country, two modern classics, but which gets your vote?
France - 'Allez Ola Ole' by Jessy Matador
Belgium - 'Me and My Guitar' by Tom Dice
Who deserves to go through to the World Cup final based on their Eurovision history? Who wins these individual duels? Let me know in the comments below.
Croatia vs. England
A disclaimer on this before I get started. Yes, I am using United Kingdom Eurovision entries as representative of England but I am not selecting any artists who are Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish. Also, I apologise for only choosing contests from the 90s, but this was the big period of Croatian Eurovision success and so it's only fair to highlight this period.
1995
Perhaps appropriately, we begin our look at this duel and three editions of Eurovision in the 1990s with one of the many contests hosted on Irish soil. This year is defined for me by Secret Garden's winner for Norway, the Irish entry that they supposedly chose to not win and the Spanish entry which will always be my winner of this year. Croatia had debuted at the contest in 1993 but hadn't manage to get the debut country boost that many other countries managed to get. 15th in their first year and 16th in their second year was definitely not at a lot to get excited about. Then came 'Nostalgija' and nobody had quite heard anything like it. The violins got everbody's attention but it was the sultry nature of the vocals and the way that Magazin and Lidija came together on stage that really made everybody sit up and listen. A song that had its own character and unique twist, it pushed the barriers of the possibility of what could be done with a Balkan ballad. Meanwhile, the UK were also trying to push the envelope, this time by hoping to bring rap to the Eurovision stage. It was an interesting experiment but one of the first in many rap entries to have graced the Eurovision stage and failed to gain love from the majority voters. It nonetheless came a respectable tenth. These are entries that people will love and hate, but who's getting your vote?
Croatia - 'Nostalgija' by Magazin & Lidija
United Kingdom - 'Love City Groove' by Love City Groove
1996
And so to Oslo and a Eurovision year that will be classic for many. This was the last Irish victory at Eurovision, it was the return of Bobbysocks' own Elisabeth Andreassen who came second on home soil and one of the first in a string of absolutely beautiful Estonian entries (though that's my personal opinion on that matter). All British Eurovision fans will remember Gina G and I for one still believe that this was an entry that Europe really should have gotten more behind (though maybe I am biased). Performing second was unlucky but the song is still a British Eurovision classic and as Terry Wogan said in his commentary on the night, it went big in the hall. This was the last British Eurovision entry to top the UK chart and I nostalgically hope it won't be long before we get another song back up there. Very few people remember who came in fourth position in any given year and Croatia in 1996 was no exception. Another unique and beautifully performed Balkan ballad, we can read a lot into Europe at the time from the fact that this song was embraced more than Gina G's dancehall number. What do you the great Eurovision public of 2018 think?
Croatia - 'Sveta Ljbav' by Maja Blagdan
United Kingdom - 'Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit' by Gina G
1998
And we end on British soil with two of the most loved entries from each of these countries. This was the last year that it was mandatory for countries to sing in their national language and whilst this has benefited many countries, it has perhaps hindered others. No song has ever scored more points in a Grand Final for Croatia than when 'Neka mi ne svane' opened the Birmingham show with an absolute firecracker of a ballad. It also says a lot that the top five Croatian scoring entries are all sung in Croatian yet they haven't sent a song in Croatian to the contest since 2013 (just before their two-year hiatus). Whatever people make of those statistics, 'Neka mi ne svane' is one of my favourite Eurovision songs of all time, the staging was beautiful, her vocals were perfect and the performance is to this day, the best song to open a contest in Eurovision history. By coincidence, the last time Croatia made it to a World Cup Semi-Final was also in 1998! Similarly, nobody has done better for the United Kingdom since Imaani performed 'Where Are You?'. I bet that if you had said that to British Eurovision fans who were in Birmingham that night that they would have laughed you off. The language rule has affected different countries in different ways but it is definitely true that this year was a fantastic year for both these countries and one which Eurovision fans from the UK and Croatia will look back on with nostalgia. What about you? Do you prefer the soaring Croatian vocals or the thumping British house beats that would come to be a staple of British music even to this day.
Croatia - 'Neka mi ne svane' by Danijela
United Kingdom - 'Where Are You?' by Imaani
And that's it folks for your World Cup Semi Finals Eurovision preview! Please vote in the comments below and we will tally the results and post them out right before each match begins. Which is your favourite of each of these countries' Eurovision history? A reminder that Belgium vs. France is on from 8 pm CET on Tuesday July 10th whilst Croatia vs. England is on from 8 pm CET on Wednesday July 11th. We will be putting out a World Cup Final preview as well once we know who's gone through. Enjoy the summer with some world class football and some gorgeous Eurovision nostalgia. Please like, share and subscribe and we will be back with the next round of this super soon!
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