Eurovision 2017: Russia
Russia
Semi Final 2
Artist: Юлия Олеговна Julia Samoylova
Song: Flame is Burning
Odds: $21
Word of the day:
пропаганда - Propaganda
Take out of that what you will.
Click to viewJulia may not be allowed into the Ukraine due to politics, which there is none of in Eurovision. Her ban is due to her going into Crimea in 2015 to perform at a gala concert, which is a completely political ban. Some has suggested that the song was picked because if its title and to raise the ire of the Ukrainian authorities. Well it wasn't picked for being a great song, thats for sure.
After coming second in Фактор А (Faktor A), The Russian X-Factor, Julia has had moderate success, though she was known in Russia before Фактор А. Julia had won a number of competitions and was also in a group called TerraNova, who were (heavy) alternative according some translated articles. Perhaps Julia is best known for being part of the opening ceremony at the Sochi winter Olympics... Interestingly Sochi was the location that it was rumoured that Russia would use to host this years Eurovision had they won last year.
Russia determined their song and performer using an internal selection, which is not unusual. Russia has not let the people vote since 2012... for their Eurovision representative at least... That was the last time there was a Presidential election in Russia, but I couldn't comment on the voting.
So Russia's song this year is 'Flame is Burning' and in 1995 they gave us a Lullaby for a volcano, which is along the same theme though I like the hair from 1995 better.