Eurovision Season 2020: The End of the Beginning?
In the title of our final post of the Eurovision 2020 National Selection season, I ask if we are at the end of the beginning. This is not simply a statement of the obvious but an honest look at how a certain virus has successfully managed to shut down life as we know it. In times like this, it is important to take a moment to appreciate quite how globalised a society we are and how a disease which started in a regional Chinese city now leaves no nation on this earth unaffected. Whilst we don't yet know what the effect will be on this year's Eurovision Song Contest, I can only wish that everybody reading this washes their hands and stays safe. No matter how much we love this show of ours, nothing should threaten the health and safety of the people who love it. With that in mind, let's get to talking about the last bundle of songs.
Austria
Eurovision 2020 has its Bruno Mars. When Vincent Bueno was announced as the Austrian act last year, I definitely wouldn't have predicted the incredible amount of diversity that he would be spearheading. As somebody of Asian heritage myself, I am really keen to see Vincent do well and to see more acts of a similar background win the opportunity to represent their respective European nations. Unfortunately for Vincent, this year has seen a number of songs in this funk-pop genre come out meaning that it will be tricky for the Austrians to make ground in comparison to the Germans or Icelanders. On the other hand, neither of those acts are in Vincent's Semi and so with some good staging, it's not unthinkable that this might slip through the net and make it to Saturday.
Azerbaijan
The Azerbaijanis are back with a properly competitive entry and even though we had to wait some time for Efendi's 'Cleopatra', it was well worth the wait once it came. You wouldn't think that so soon after 'Fuego' there would be a lack of female ethnic pop bangers but this seems to be in its own category with Greece this year and this is significantly more credible. Combine that with the trademark Azerbaijani ability to get their songs staged well and this is surely a winning combination that leaves them good value for their place with the bookmakers
Bulgaria
We knew the Bulgarians would be back but would they be back with pre-2013 hunger to compete or post-2016 hunger. The answer for the good of us all is the latter and it returns with that Symphonix brand of dark pop that has served them so well over their last several entries. This is definitely a slow burner of a song and I remember turning to my partner and asking when this song was going to get going on first listen. However once the song reaches its key change, it is truly, truly satisfying. It's difficult to say at this point how the song will do in Rotterdam (should we get there) but I will say that of all the songs we have heard so far, this is the one that sounds most like a Eurovision winner. With some good staging behind this, we could very well be heading to Sofia next year and I don't think anybody in the Eurovision community would particularly complain about that.
Cyprus
As much as I appreciate that there won't be as much hype around the Cypriot entry as there was during the previous two editions, I think 'Running' deserves a fair amount of praise. Cyprus have begun to develop an identity around their Eurovision entries. Ok, maybe that will mean that they miss out on the final this year and yes, 'Running' isn't anything particularly special, but Europe is beginning to get a sense of what to expect from a Cypriot Eurovision entry and that is something that will bode well for the broadcaster moving forward. I think Cyprus will struggle to get out of their Semi, but it should be highlighted that that is really not their fault and that if they had been in the other semi final, that they probably would have gone through. I like Sandro and I like this song but unfortunately, I don't think it's competitive enough to make any ground in Rotterdam.
Denmark
I'm not sure what was more gut-wrenching, waiting years to finally attend Dansk Melodi Grand Prix only for it to not be allowed to go ahead or for Ben & Tan to celebrate their victory in an empty Royal Arena. I like this song, I always have liked this song, it has been tipped to do well for a while and I am glad that it has managed to seal the deal and win the Danish ticket. However, this victory felt very tainted. It was tainted by the orchestra who didn't particularly add much to the song. It was tainted by the lack of audience for the singers to feed off of. Mainly however, it was tainted by the lack of live chemistry between the two singers. I like these two and I like this song but they really have to turn the staging around if they want to have any success in Rotterdam.
Finland
Talk about holding the winning lottery ticket and then losing it on the way to cashing in, Finland have really shot themselves in the foot. Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with 'Looking Back' or Aksel but there's also nothing particularly competitive about it. Even with this being in the second semi, I'm not sure there's a lot about this entry that begs the viewer to vote for it. It's a shame because Finland had great potential with 'Cicciolina' but alas, poor staging means it gets added to the long list of Finnish 'what-could-have-been' moments. Sorry Suomi.
Ireland
And speaking of songs, this Irish act is a true breath of fresh Eire! By which, I don't mean that there is anything particularly Irish about 'Story of My Life' but there is a freshness and an energy that definitely separates it out from not only the rest of the songs this yeah but Irish entries of the past few years. Yes, Lesley Roy will have to fight her way out of a difficult first Semi and she isn't helped by the fact that she is performing in the top half. However, what I also think is that her song attracts a specific demographic who aren't likely to vote for any of the other competing songs. This is a classic slice of Western pop that is a throwback to they heydays of Kelly Clarkson and Katy Perry and even though I liked neither of those singers growing up, there is something that feels so fresh about this entry in this year's competition and I really do think Ireland are coming back to the Grand Final!
Malta
Is was always her Destiny, wasn't it? Aside from her name, she won Junior Eurovision, was part of a superb Maltese package last year and has now come to take a swing at the main contest itself. She is 17 but is amazingly mature for her age and has an utter powerhouse of a song. 17! She would not even be served alcohol in most European bars! She also has a song that has given her and Malta a genuine hope at the top 10 and even a potential victory. It's not that hard to no patronise 17 year old singers (looking at you Greece). The Maltese delegation deserve the world of praise for this masterstroke of an entry and Destiny deserves to do well and succeed more than most of the acts making their way to Rotterdam in May.
The Netherlands
So this is a classic case of a song that the host broadcaster knows they can get away with sending because it won't have to compete through a Semi. That said, this is an excellent song and there is a lot to get excited about. Hearing this song, you have no doubt whatsoever that this is Jeangu having the opportunity to be himself and express that through his music. I would have said that Jeangu was a candidate for last place but with his excellent slot in the running order, I think the Dutch might steer clear of last this year and how well deserved that would be for what is, lest we forget an utterly brilliant song and a joy of a listen.
North Macedonia
Talk about reverting to type. North Macedonia surprised everybody last year when they won the jury vote, but they will quickly be returning to their reputation of Semi final non-qualifiers. The song isn't terrible, but it is utterly unmemorable and will struggle in that first Semi. It's a shame because I hoped last year could be a springboard for the North Macedonian delegation to build from but alas, Tamara Todevska's hard work is looking like it will only count for the one year.
Portugal
As I wrote in my preview, the Portuguese had the option of the 'Portuguese' song or the 'French' song and perhaps unsurprisingly, the 'French' song wins the televote whilst the 'Portuguese' song wins the jury vote and ultimately send Elisa to Rotterdam. This is a lovely song but it doesn't feel competitive. It is also unlucky to be in the second half of the second Semi where it will be placed very close to slow songs from Albania, Bulgaria, Finland & Switzerland not to mention Estonia, Moldova & Poland in the first half. The Portuguese are sticking to their guns but I fear it will leave them crashing out in the Semi for the second consecutive year.
Russia
If Coronavirus doesn't ruin your life with its infectious nature, try Little Big on for size. Ever since they were announced as the Russian act, I haven't been able to stop listening to their music or watching their music videos or attempting their bizarre dance moves. None of it makes sense. Why would Russia's national broadcaster endorse this? How come they are singing a song in which they fail to count in Spanish? How come this is actually really good? This will either be a top 5 act at Eurovision or will be a terrible year for the Russians at Eurovision. For the sake of everybody, I am really hopeful that it is the former because Little Big are exactly the type of act that I want to see more nations sending. They add diversity, popularity across Europe and a much-needed dollop of fun to this year's competition.
San Marino
I hate to kick the San Marinese broadcaster here but this definitely feels like it was all decided at the last minute. They unsurprisingly went for somebody who had already represented the microstate. They then put forward what was probably the song they wanted to compete for San Marino anyway alongside an English version of a song that Senhit had already released. Then the song they wanted won anyway. San Marino don't fill me with tons of excitement this year however I can see this sneaking its way into the Grand Final and Senhit joining Valentina and Serhat on the list of San Marinese acts to have managed to qualify for the Eurovision Grand Final. Whilst I can appreciate Senhit for many things including her being part of the wave of BAME inclusion at this year's Eurovision, I'm not aching to vote for this song on the Thursday night.
Sweden
So as you will learn when I write my further article on my time in Denmark later, I ended up watching the Melodifestivalen Grand Final from the comfort of a living room in Malmo and wow! If I was going to be in Sweden for one Melodifestivalen, this feels like the one to have been there for. Even though I wasn't in Stockholm in the arena, there was something extremely special about seeing the Mamas win the contest by one point. Let's not forget, this follows five straight years of solo men and now three women singing a fantastic song with no gimmicks in their performance have won the Swedish ticket. This is a watershed moment for Sweden at Eurovision but also represents a watershed moment for Sweden in general. To see the Swedish public choose this song was a joy to witness and I genuinely believe they are a dark horse at this year's contest.
Switzerland
I am a French speaker, my partner is a French speaker. The lyrics to this song (whilst I appreciate they have a deeper meaning) are very, very basic making it difficult to take this song seriously. I can see this getting staged very well in Rotterdam and I am glad to see Switzerland not only send a song in French but also to recognise the Balkan influence on the country. I am happy that Switzerland are building on their fantastic result from last year and this will definitely do better than this year's French entry. Nevertheless, I find it hard to get excited about this song or its singer and I definitely don't think this will win even if it sails through its Semi.
So that's us for this year's national final season. There will be an initial projections post coming up soon as well as an article on this year's experience traveling to Copenhagen for the national final that wasn't. Obviously, we will all be nervously awaiting the news on what happens with COVID-19 and Eurovision but until then, we carry on as usual, marching on together in excitement for the show which is now just 8 weeks away!
Austria
Eurovision 2020 has its Bruno Mars. When Vincent Bueno was announced as the Austrian act last year, I definitely wouldn't have predicted the incredible amount of diversity that he would be spearheading. As somebody of Asian heritage myself, I am really keen to see Vincent do well and to see more acts of a similar background win the opportunity to represent their respective European nations. Unfortunately for Vincent, this year has seen a number of songs in this funk-pop genre come out meaning that it will be tricky for the Austrians to make ground in comparison to the Germans or Icelanders. On the other hand, neither of those acts are in Vincent's Semi and so with some good staging, it's not unthinkable that this might slip through the net and make it to Saturday.
Azerbaijan
The Azerbaijanis are back with a properly competitive entry and even though we had to wait some time for Efendi's 'Cleopatra', it was well worth the wait once it came. You wouldn't think that so soon after 'Fuego' there would be a lack of female ethnic pop bangers but this seems to be in its own category with Greece this year and this is significantly more credible. Combine that with the trademark Azerbaijani ability to get their songs staged well and this is surely a winning combination that leaves them good value for their place with the bookmakers
Bulgaria
We knew the Bulgarians would be back but would they be back with pre-2013 hunger to compete or post-2016 hunger. The answer for the good of us all is the latter and it returns with that Symphonix brand of dark pop that has served them so well over their last several entries. This is definitely a slow burner of a song and I remember turning to my partner and asking when this song was going to get going on first listen. However once the song reaches its key change, it is truly, truly satisfying. It's difficult to say at this point how the song will do in Rotterdam (should we get there) but I will say that of all the songs we have heard so far, this is the one that sounds most like a Eurovision winner. With some good staging behind this, we could very well be heading to Sofia next year and I don't think anybody in the Eurovision community would particularly complain about that.
Cyprus
As much as I appreciate that there won't be as much hype around the Cypriot entry as there was during the previous two editions, I think 'Running' deserves a fair amount of praise. Cyprus have begun to develop an identity around their Eurovision entries. Ok, maybe that will mean that they miss out on the final this year and yes, 'Running' isn't anything particularly special, but Europe is beginning to get a sense of what to expect from a Cypriot Eurovision entry and that is something that will bode well for the broadcaster moving forward. I think Cyprus will struggle to get out of their Semi, but it should be highlighted that that is really not their fault and that if they had been in the other semi final, that they probably would have gone through. I like Sandro and I like this song but unfortunately, I don't think it's competitive enough to make any ground in Rotterdam.
Denmark
I'm not sure what was more gut-wrenching, waiting years to finally attend Dansk Melodi Grand Prix only for it to not be allowed to go ahead or for Ben & Tan to celebrate their victory in an empty Royal Arena. I like this song, I always have liked this song, it has been tipped to do well for a while and I am glad that it has managed to seal the deal and win the Danish ticket. However, this victory felt very tainted. It was tainted by the orchestra who didn't particularly add much to the song. It was tainted by the lack of audience for the singers to feed off of. Mainly however, it was tainted by the lack of live chemistry between the two singers. I like these two and I like this song but they really have to turn the staging around if they want to have any success in Rotterdam.
Finland
Talk about holding the winning lottery ticket and then losing it on the way to cashing in, Finland have really shot themselves in the foot. Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with 'Looking Back' or Aksel but there's also nothing particularly competitive about it. Even with this being in the second semi, I'm not sure there's a lot about this entry that begs the viewer to vote for it. It's a shame because Finland had great potential with 'Cicciolina' but alas, poor staging means it gets added to the long list of Finnish 'what-could-have-been' moments. Sorry Suomi.
Ireland
And speaking of songs, this Irish act is a true breath of fresh Eire! By which, I don't mean that there is anything particularly Irish about 'Story of My Life' but there is a freshness and an energy that definitely separates it out from not only the rest of the songs this yeah but Irish entries of the past few years. Yes, Lesley Roy will have to fight her way out of a difficult first Semi and she isn't helped by the fact that she is performing in the top half. However, what I also think is that her song attracts a specific demographic who aren't likely to vote for any of the other competing songs. This is a classic slice of Western pop that is a throwback to they heydays of Kelly Clarkson and Katy Perry and even though I liked neither of those singers growing up, there is something that feels so fresh about this entry in this year's competition and I really do think Ireland are coming back to the Grand Final!
Malta
Is was always her Destiny, wasn't it? Aside from her name, she won Junior Eurovision, was part of a superb Maltese package last year and has now come to take a swing at the main contest itself. She is 17 but is amazingly mature for her age and has an utter powerhouse of a song. 17! She would not even be served alcohol in most European bars! She also has a song that has given her and Malta a genuine hope at the top 10 and even a potential victory. It's not that hard to no patronise 17 year old singers (looking at you Greece). The Maltese delegation deserve the world of praise for this masterstroke of an entry and Destiny deserves to do well and succeed more than most of the acts making their way to Rotterdam in May.
The Netherlands
So this is a classic case of a song that the host broadcaster knows they can get away with sending because it won't have to compete through a Semi. That said, this is an excellent song and there is a lot to get excited about. Hearing this song, you have no doubt whatsoever that this is Jeangu having the opportunity to be himself and express that through his music. I would have said that Jeangu was a candidate for last place but with his excellent slot in the running order, I think the Dutch might steer clear of last this year and how well deserved that would be for what is, lest we forget an utterly brilliant song and a joy of a listen.
North Macedonia
Talk about reverting to type. North Macedonia surprised everybody last year when they won the jury vote, but they will quickly be returning to their reputation of Semi final non-qualifiers. The song isn't terrible, but it is utterly unmemorable and will struggle in that first Semi. It's a shame because I hoped last year could be a springboard for the North Macedonian delegation to build from but alas, Tamara Todevska's hard work is looking like it will only count for the one year.
Portugal
As I wrote in my preview, the Portuguese had the option of the 'Portuguese' song or the 'French' song and perhaps unsurprisingly, the 'French' song wins the televote whilst the 'Portuguese' song wins the jury vote and ultimately send Elisa to Rotterdam. This is a lovely song but it doesn't feel competitive. It is also unlucky to be in the second half of the second Semi where it will be placed very close to slow songs from Albania, Bulgaria, Finland & Switzerland not to mention Estonia, Moldova & Poland in the first half. The Portuguese are sticking to their guns but I fear it will leave them crashing out in the Semi for the second consecutive year.
Russia
If Coronavirus doesn't ruin your life with its infectious nature, try Little Big on for size. Ever since they were announced as the Russian act, I haven't been able to stop listening to their music or watching their music videos or attempting their bizarre dance moves. None of it makes sense. Why would Russia's national broadcaster endorse this? How come they are singing a song in which they fail to count in Spanish? How come this is actually really good? This will either be a top 5 act at Eurovision or will be a terrible year for the Russians at Eurovision. For the sake of everybody, I am really hopeful that it is the former because Little Big are exactly the type of act that I want to see more nations sending. They add diversity, popularity across Europe and a much-needed dollop of fun to this year's competition.
San Marino
I hate to kick the San Marinese broadcaster here but this definitely feels like it was all decided at the last minute. They unsurprisingly went for somebody who had already represented the microstate. They then put forward what was probably the song they wanted to compete for San Marino anyway alongside an English version of a song that Senhit had already released. Then the song they wanted won anyway. San Marino don't fill me with tons of excitement this year however I can see this sneaking its way into the Grand Final and Senhit joining Valentina and Serhat on the list of San Marinese acts to have managed to qualify for the Eurovision Grand Final. Whilst I can appreciate Senhit for many things including her being part of the wave of BAME inclusion at this year's Eurovision, I'm not aching to vote for this song on the Thursday night.
Sweden
So as you will learn when I write my further article on my time in Denmark later, I ended up watching the Melodifestivalen Grand Final from the comfort of a living room in Malmo and wow! If I was going to be in Sweden for one Melodifestivalen, this feels like the one to have been there for. Even though I wasn't in Stockholm in the arena, there was something extremely special about seeing the Mamas win the contest by one point. Let's not forget, this follows five straight years of solo men and now three women singing a fantastic song with no gimmicks in their performance have won the Swedish ticket. This is a watershed moment for Sweden at Eurovision but also represents a watershed moment for Sweden in general. To see the Swedish public choose this song was a joy to witness and I genuinely believe they are a dark horse at this year's contest.
Switzerland
I am a French speaker, my partner is a French speaker. The lyrics to this song (whilst I appreciate they have a deeper meaning) are very, very basic making it difficult to take this song seriously. I can see this getting staged very well in Rotterdam and I am glad to see Switzerland not only send a song in French but also to recognise the Balkan influence on the country. I am happy that Switzerland are building on their fantastic result from last year and this will definitely do better than this year's French entry. Nevertheless, I find it hard to get excited about this song or its singer and I definitely don't think this will win even if it sails through its Semi.
So that's us for this year's national final season. There will be an initial projections post coming up soon as well as an article on this year's experience traveling to Copenhagen for the national final that wasn't. Obviously, we will all be nervously awaiting the news on what happens with COVID-19 and Eurovision but until then, we carry on as usual, marching on together in excitement for the show which is now just 8 weeks away!
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