EUROVISION DISCUSSION POST - Semifinal #1
It's time for...
A EUROVISION
DISCUSSION POST!
This is sort of on topic because it's a competition that involves singing. And Ivy said that I could post this so whatever whatever I do what I want.
For those of you who have no idea what the fuck I am talking about, Eurovision is a magical annual event. Every year countries from all over Europe (and Israel... lol) submit songs and then they get together and perform them and get judged. There are two semifinal groups and then the top ten from each + the Big Five (Germany, Italy, the UK, Spain and France who are automatic finalists) go on to the finals.
It is AMAZING. There are a lot of cheesy performances, fireworks, pyrotechnics, crazy costumes and ridiculous dancing.
Today was the first semifinal! So click the cut because I posted all the performances for you to watch and then post your thoughts in the comments! I am determined to make Eurovision happen!
(P.S. Just so you know, I'm posting the BBC official videos which aren't the whole song since as I was making this post some of the unofficial videos were being taken down for copyright infringement and I didn't want to come back to this post a couple of hours later to see all the videos blocked. But even though these aren't the full songs, it's enough to give you a taste and you can try to find full versions of youtube if you like them.)
Poland - LOL SPARKLY LEOTARDS. EXCELLENT WAY TO START OFF THE SHOW. The song itself is pretty good too. It's not my favorite ever. But it's not bad and it was a good use of the wind machine. Solid effort from Poland.
Norway - This is cute. I like it. It has a good energy. I don't think it anything particularly special, but it's definitely fun.
Albania - FABULOUS PYROTECHNICS. The songs is pretty lame, but check out how high those flames are! 78% of my enjoyment of any given Eurovision song is due to the use of pyrotechnics, so this song gets a solid C+ from me. Also the whole super dramatic vibe is kind of fun. That fog machine is working over time.
Armenia - Ah yes. A song about fighting with some literal boxing style staging. Fabulous! The background dancers are pretty lulzy, and the lyrics seem to be something about Boom Boom Chaka Chaka. IDEK. This song succeeded on the LOL WTF front, but I think it failed on the "actually being a decent song" front.
Turkey - WHATEVER WHATEVER. I LIKE THIS SONG. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S ABOUT. BUT THERE ARE HUGE FLAMES. AND DRUMS AND STUFF. AND THERE WAS A CONTORTIONIST IN A CAGE. AMAZING. THIS IS A SOLID ENTRY IN MY BOOK.
Serbia - This is so wonderfully retro. Could have used some more crazy staging. One singer + three background singers is not enough, even if they are all in fabulous 60s get up.
Russia - This guy looks like he just came from starring in Grease. This is not a bad thing. I liike this song better than most AND THERE IS SOME FABULOUS DANCING. Lot's of smoke machines and there are some weird lighted panels on the pack of the their jackets. IDEK. ME GUSTA. Also the singer is pretty hot. He could get it in.
Switzerland - I like this one a lot. It's cute. There was a ukelele and cute boys playing various stringed instruments. But half the song seems to be just her saying "na na na na na na". Not exactly scintillating lyrics. But it's cute. I like it a lot.
Georgia - Wind machine is a good start. And her costume is a bit crazy. AND THERE IS A RAP BREAK. OK. I LOVE THIS. THIS HAD BETTER MAKE IT TO THE FINALS. It's like Euro Linkin Park. Also, WHAT IS SHE EVEN WEARING? LOL
Finland - lol. This song. Strummy strummy la la music. It's ok. Also, I think this song is about environmentalism? LOL. OH FINLAND. It seems a bit like Belgium's entry last year ("Me and My Guitar"), but not quite as good. ALSO, this guy totally reminds me of Anthony Federov from season 4 of American Idol.
Malta - Fireworks and some crazy backup dancers. They look like they're in a jazzercize video from the 80s. Not bad. Not my favorite song, but it was pretty good.
San Marino - This song is kind of boring, but I approve of the use of the smoke machine.
Croatia - Promising start with the light show. But the backup singers are just wearing black. How boring. BUT THERE IS A GUY IN A TOP HAT WHO STARTS OUT AS A DJ AND THEN STARTS DANCING AND IDEK. SO, THAT BUMPS MY OVERALL ENJOYMENT OF THE SONG UP. AND THEN THEY JUST DID MAGIC COSTUME CHANGES. AMAZING.
Iceland - Needs moar crazy. This is some weird like 1950s retro stuff. But I kind of like this.
Hungary - WHAT IS SHE WEARING? That sleve/cape thing she has going on is pretty amazing. There's some fabulous tumbling and dancing going on. Me likey. And this probably makes me a terrible person, but the lead singer's hair + costume + masculine facial structure makes her look a bit drag queen-ish.
Portugal - I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON BUT I LIKE IT. There's like some protest signage or something. And folk costumes and I DON'T KNOW. BUT THIS IS AMAZING. I think Bob the Builder is there on the end.
Lithuania - Plenty of fog machine which is a promising start. This is totally a classic cheesy power ballad from the 90s. This could play over the end credits to an action movie. I liked how she did sign language for half a verse! For... no apparent reason. At least I hope it was sign language and not just overly literal hand motions to the lyrics while she was singing.
Azerbaijan - LOL. THE CHOREOGRAPHY IS AMAZEBALLS. I don't even care if you judge me. I like this one. Actually I LOVE this. I like the song itself and I like the background curtain of sparks or whatever. Perfect balance of a good song and Eurovision style overproduction. P.S. You should youtube the full version of this performance because the BBC cut out the last minute which is fabulous.
Greece - FABULOUS. AMAZING BREAK DANCING. AND THERE IS SOME WEIRD ASS RAPPING OR SOMETHING. I DON'T EVEN KNOW. Not as fabulous and flawless as their entry last year. (Seriously "Opa" was legendary.) I appreciate the Grecian style columns in the background so that we know that this is Greece. And they brought the flamethrowers. I APPROVE.
And the countries moving o to the finals are.... Serbia, Lithuania, Greece, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Switzerland, Hungary, Finland, Russia and Iceland.
So what did you think? Any songs your particularly loved? Any countries you think were robbed of a place in the finals?
My thoughts: I think that Turkey should have gone in place of Iceland and probably Poland in place of Serbia.
A EUROVISION
DISCUSSION POST!
This is sort of on topic because it's a competition that involves singing. And Ivy said that I could post this so whatever whatever I do what I want.
For those of you who have no idea what the fuck I am talking about, Eurovision is a magical annual event. Every year countries from all over Europe (and Israel... lol) submit songs and then they get together and perform them and get judged. There are two semifinal groups and then the top ten from each + the Big Five (Germany, Italy, the UK, Spain and France who are automatic finalists) go on to the finals.
It is AMAZING. There are a lot of cheesy performances, fireworks, pyrotechnics, crazy costumes and ridiculous dancing.
Today was the first semifinal! So click the cut because I posted all the performances for you to watch and then post your thoughts in the comments! I am determined to make Eurovision happen!
(P.S. Just so you know, I'm posting the BBC official videos which aren't the whole song since as I was making this post some of the unofficial videos were being taken down for copyright infringement and I didn't want to come back to this post a couple of hours later to see all the videos blocked. But even though these aren't the full songs, it's enough to give you a taste and you can try to find full versions of youtube if you like them.)
Click to viewPoland - LOL SPARKLY LEOTARDS. EXCELLENT WAY TO START OFF THE SHOW. The song itself is pretty good too. It's not my favorite ever. But it's not bad and it was a good use of the wind machine. Solid effort from Poland.
Norway - This is cute. I like it. It has a good energy. I don't think it anything particularly special, but it's definitely fun.
Albania - FABULOUS PYROTECHNICS. The songs is pretty lame, but check out how high those flames are! 78% of my enjoyment of any given Eurovision song is due to the use of pyrotechnics, so this song gets a solid C+ from me. Also the whole super dramatic vibe is kind of fun. That fog machine is working over time.
Armenia - Ah yes. A song about fighting with some literal boxing style staging. Fabulous! The background dancers are pretty lulzy, and the lyrics seem to be something about Boom Boom Chaka Chaka. IDEK. This song succeeded on the LOL WTF front, but I think it failed on the "actually being a decent song" front.
Turkey - WHATEVER WHATEVER. I LIKE THIS SONG. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S ABOUT. BUT THERE ARE HUGE FLAMES. AND DRUMS AND STUFF. AND THERE WAS A CONTORTIONIST IN A CAGE. AMAZING. THIS IS A SOLID ENTRY IN MY BOOK.
Serbia - This is so wonderfully retro. Could have used some more crazy staging. One singer + three background singers is not enough, even if they are all in fabulous 60s get up.
Russia - This guy looks like he just came from starring in Grease. This is not a bad thing. I liike this song better than most AND THERE IS SOME FABULOUS DANCING. Lot's of smoke machines and there are some weird lighted panels on the pack of the their jackets. IDEK. ME GUSTA. Also the singer is pretty hot. He could get it in.
Switzerland - I like this one a lot. It's cute. There was a ukelele and cute boys playing various stringed instruments. But half the song seems to be just her saying "na na na na na na". Not exactly scintillating lyrics. But it's cute. I like it a lot.
Georgia - Wind machine is a good start. And her costume is a bit crazy. AND THERE IS A RAP BREAK. OK. I LOVE THIS. THIS HAD BETTER MAKE IT TO THE FINALS. It's like Euro Linkin Park. Also, WHAT IS SHE EVEN WEARING? LOL
Finland - lol. This song. Strummy strummy la la music. It's ok. Also, I think this song is about environmentalism? LOL. OH FINLAND. It seems a bit like Belgium's entry last year ("Me and My Guitar"), but not quite as good. ALSO, this guy totally reminds me of Anthony Federov from season 4 of American Idol.
Malta - Fireworks and some crazy backup dancers. They look like they're in a jazzercize video from the 80s. Not bad. Not my favorite song, but it was pretty good.
San Marino - This song is kind of boring, but I approve of the use of the smoke machine.
Croatia - Promising start with the light show. But the backup singers are just wearing black. How boring. BUT THERE IS A GUY IN A TOP HAT WHO STARTS OUT AS A DJ AND THEN STARTS DANCING AND IDEK. SO, THAT BUMPS MY OVERALL ENJOYMENT OF THE SONG UP. AND THEN THEY JUST DID MAGIC COSTUME CHANGES. AMAZING.
Iceland - Needs moar crazy. This is some weird like 1950s retro stuff. But I kind of like this.
Hungary - WHAT IS SHE WEARING? That sleve/cape thing she has going on is pretty amazing. There's some fabulous tumbling and dancing going on. Me likey. And this probably makes me a terrible person, but the lead singer's hair + costume + masculine facial structure makes her look a bit drag queen-ish.
Portugal - I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON BUT I LIKE IT. There's like some protest signage or something. And folk costumes and I DON'T KNOW. BUT THIS IS AMAZING. I think Bob the Builder is there on the end.
Lithuania - Plenty of fog machine which is a promising start. This is totally a classic cheesy power ballad from the 90s. This could play over the end credits to an action movie. I liked how she did sign language for half a verse! For... no apparent reason. At least I hope it was sign language and not just overly literal hand motions to the lyrics while she was singing.
Azerbaijan - LOL. THE CHOREOGRAPHY IS AMAZEBALLS. I don't even care if you judge me. I like this one. Actually I LOVE this. I like the song itself and I like the background curtain of sparks or whatever. Perfect balance of a good song and Eurovision style overproduction. P.S. You should youtube the full version of this performance because the BBC cut out the last minute which is fabulous.
Greece - FABULOUS. AMAZING BREAK DANCING. AND THERE IS SOME WEIRD ASS RAPPING OR SOMETHING. I DON'T EVEN KNOW. Not as fabulous and flawless as their entry last year. (Seriously "Opa" was legendary.) I appreciate the Grecian style columns in the background so that we know that this is Greece. And they brought the flamethrowers. I APPROVE.
And the countries moving o to the finals are.... Serbia, Lithuania, Greece, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Switzerland, Hungary, Finland, Russia and Iceland.
So what did you think? Any songs your particularly loved? Any countries you think were robbed of a place in the finals?
My thoughts: I think that Turkey should have gone in place of Iceland and probably Poland in place of Serbia.