Eurovision 2017, Semifinals 2!
Semifinals 2~~~~
Tonight I'm watching a Swedish stream, since it's up and I can! It's interesting, because the Swedish commentary so far has had some occasional English. The Ukrainian hosts are making me long for Sweden's hosts. Especially Petra.
I do like the opening of a Eurovision medley with traditional Ukrainian music, dancing and costumes.
02 - Austria - Reminds me of Seth Green for some reason. Okay, I like the wing shoes and the sequinced moon chair in all the fog machine. This Jason Mraz impression is better than a lot of stuff that gets sent, music-wise. AND the performer is moving on the stage! I have no idea how potential favorites are determined going in, but I could see something like this winning.
11 - Croatia - Looks so happy. Oooh, string instruments. Thanks for the spoken introduction. ...wait, one guy sings a duet by himself! Facing one way is poppy, the other way is opera...in different registers. WHAT IS THIS. One single silver fingerless glove, my friend.
05 - Romania - I don't know how to feel about this, they have interesting staging. But pop/rap/yodeling? I don't know if that was the worst thing or the best thing. And the guy singer's pink guitar earring is my aesthetic.
07 - Hungary - Seems like a traditional type song. I like the violin exiled off on the little pod stage and the blinged out milk jug. And the dancer's outfit! And here are the flame geysers! I don't know how I feel about the rap breakdown.
15 - Bulgaria - I actually like this ballad. I think it helps a lot to have something interesting going on onstage while the singing is happening.
12 - Norway - Instrumental backup is a buncha guys in LED full face masks. The vocalist's outfit, voice, and demeanor all clash with the music, instruments, instrumentalists, and the staging. WHAT IS THIS. I do like the chorus, but I don't know if I like how it gets there. I really liked the staging and stuff, though!
14 - Belarus - Apparently didn't realize they have wind machines and brought stage fans. They are very energetically singing a folk song. I feel like she's wearing about the 15th wedding dress I've seen, but they're both in white and so's his guitar, so maybe this one's just a coincidental white gown.
18 - Israel - Needs to stop doing runs if they end on bum notes when he can otherwise carry a tune. Generic Europop. With goofy backup dancers. I would have loved to see this midway through last semis. I think this will get a boost in the voting just from being last. At least they took advantage of the pyro geysers and I like the fiddle breakdown. Sorry, but you can't eyefuck the camera like Mans can though.
08 - Denmark - I like the backing vocals better than the lead vocalist. She's not bad, but of course I hate when the low notes aren't being hit because of the later belts. But the song's not that boring, and the staging ends with a very cool spark effect. This semis is much better than the last, I think.
06 - The Netherlands - Has a number in their name? Her name? Anyway, are we sure they just aren't singing a deep cut from a Wilson Phillips album? They can sing, and they can harmonize, and I'm getting 90s feels for some reason. I like this more than I think I should.
13 - Switzerland - SO much pink and yellow. I also feel like I must advise against following Greek gods around. They're assholes. I feel awful for not liking this very much, but this semis is collectively one of the better ones I've ever seen? She sings very well, the whistle tone actually worked.
03 - MACEDONIA, BITCHES - I'm not a big fan of her voice, but I like her outfit. The song's also not horrifically boring and she's dancing a bit, so it's all right. "I dance alone" is ironic, since the singer lady is apparently expecting currently! XD
01 - Serbia - Begins rather blandly, then eventually the lights come on onstage and there's a slight beat. Then a half naked guy came out and flailed around a bit. She sang pretty well. This is probably a solid middle of the pack...unless tonight is ballad overload.
10 - San Marino - Only has one singer, so they sent her again. This is pretty lame. I'd like it a lot better if this semis didn't already have some decent stuff. But look, San Marino...if Valentina needs to take a year off, I'll come sing for you. You already borrowed one foreigner for this performance.
09 - Jedward - ...I seriously typed that instead of Ireland, so I'm leaving it. I really wish it was Jedward. :( Instead, we get prepubescent Harry Potter. It's the breathiness more than anything that's not really doing it for me. It's on key, but the song is slow and kinda boring. The staging was interesting with the giant balloon though.
04 - Malta - It's too early for a nap break. And it's gotten obvious that the singer in the background is actually shorthand for "no one had any idea how to do staging for this song." It's a shame because entries like Austria's looked fucking cool with the screen/projection thing they have going on. TL;DR: She sings fine, the song doesn't really have any interesting dynamics, it's bad for a ballad.
16 - Lithuania - WTF is that topknot. This...is unfortunate. This is probably the first really "pitchy" performance tonight. I'd like this song if they had gotten someone who could sing better to sing it. :(
17 - Estonia - Sorry you had to go so late in a strong setlist. Bland, boring, badly accented, and the staging is dull. It's like...I think they hit more notes than Lithuania, but they didn't try as hard as Lithuania, so they're worse.
I liked the interval act, but it seemed a bit overlong. Did like the guy spinning on his head forever.
CONGRATULATIONS EUROPE, FOR MAKING THE RIGHT DECISIONS FOR ONCE. My top ten made it to the finals. That has never ever ever ever happened. It helped that the Netherlands performed 6th and they seemed like a good marker for whether or not I liked an entry.
I'm still not sure if Austria was my absolute favorite tonight, but none of it matters. ALL THE POINTS TOMORROW ARE FOR MOLDOVA AND SUNSTROKE PROJECT.
Tonight I'm watching a Swedish stream, since it's up and I can! It's interesting, because the Swedish commentary so far has had some occasional English. The Ukrainian hosts are making me long for Sweden's hosts. Especially Petra.
I do like the opening of a Eurovision medley with traditional Ukrainian music, dancing and costumes.
02 - Austria - Reminds me of Seth Green for some reason. Okay, I like the wing shoes and the sequinced moon chair in all the fog machine. This Jason Mraz impression is better than a lot of stuff that gets sent, music-wise. AND the performer is moving on the stage! I have no idea how potential favorites are determined going in, but I could see something like this winning.
11 - Croatia - Looks so happy. Oooh, string instruments. Thanks for the spoken introduction. ...wait, one guy sings a duet by himself! Facing one way is poppy, the other way is opera...in different registers. WHAT IS THIS. One single silver fingerless glove, my friend.
05 - Romania - I don't know how to feel about this, they have interesting staging. But pop/rap/yodeling? I don't know if that was the worst thing or the best thing. And the guy singer's pink guitar earring is my aesthetic.
07 - Hungary - Seems like a traditional type song. I like the violin exiled off on the little pod stage and the blinged out milk jug. And the dancer's outfit! And here are the flame geysers! I don't know how I feel about the rap breakdown.
15 - Bulgaria - I actually like this ballad. I think it helps a lot to have something interesting going on onstage while the singing is happening.
12 - Norway - Instrumental backup is a buncha guys in LED full face masks. The vocalist's outfit, voice, and demeanor all clash with the music, instruments, instrumentalists, and the staging. WHAT IS THIS. I do like the chorus, but I don't know if I like how it gets there. I really liked the staging and stuff, though!
14 - Belarus - Apparently didn't realize they have wind machines and brought stage fans. They are very energetically singing a folk song. I feel like she's wearing about the 15th wedding dress I've seen, but they're both in white and so's his guitar, so maybe this one's just a coincidental white gown.
18 - Israel - Needs to stop doing runs if they end on bum notes when he can otherwise carry a tune. Generic Europop. With goofy backup dancers. I would have loved to see this midway through last semis. I think this will get a boost in the voting just from being last. At least they took advantage of the pyro geysers and I like the fiddle breakdown. Sorry, but you can't eyefuck the camera like Mans can though.
08 - Denmark - I like the backing vocals better than the lead vocalist. She's not bad, but of course I hate when the low notes aren't being hit because of the later belts. But the song's not that boring, and the staging ends with a very cool spark effect. This semis is much better than the last, I think.
06 - The Netherlands - Has a number in their name? Her name? Anyway, are we sure they just aren't singing a deep cut from a Wilson Phillips album? They can sing, and they can harmonize, and I'm getting 90s feels for some reason. I like this more than I think I should.
13 - Switzerland - SO much pink and yellow. I also feel like I must advise against following Greek gods around. They're assholes. I feel awful for not liking this very much, but this semis is collectively one of the better ones I've ever seen? She sings very well, the whistle tone actually worked.
03 - MACEDONIA, BITCHES - I'm not a big fan of her voice, but I like her outfit. The song's also not horrifically boring and she's dancing a bit, so it's all right. "I dance alone" is ironic, since the singer lady is apparently expecting currently! XD
01 - Serbia - Begins rather blandly, then eventually the lights come on onstage and there's a slight beat. Then a half naked guy came out and flailed around a bit. She sang pretty well. This is probably a solid middle of the pack...unless tonight is ballad overload.
10 - San Marino - Only has one singer, so they sent her again. This is pretty lame. I'd like it a lot better if this semis didn't already have some decent stuff. But look, San Marino...if Valentina needs to take a year off, I'll come sing for you. You already borrowed one foreigner for this performance.
09 - Jedward - ...I seriously typed that instead of Ireland, so I'm leaving it. I really wish it was Jedward. :( Instead, we get prepubescent Harry Potter. It's the breathiness more than anything that's not really doing it for me. It's on key, but the song is slow and kinda boring. The staging was interesting with the giant balloon though.
04 - Malta - It's too early for a nap break. And it's gotten obvious that the singer in the background is actually shorthand for "no one had any idea how to do staging for this song." It's a shame because entries like Austria's looked fucking cool with the screen/projection thing they have going on. TL;DR: She sings fine, the song doesn't really have any interesting dynamics, it's bad for a ballad.
16 - Lithuania - WTF is that topknot. This...is unfortunate. This is probably the first really "pitchy" performance tonight. I'd like this song if they had gotten someone who could sing better to sing it. :(
17 - Estonia - Sorry you had to go so late in a strong setlist. Bland, boring, badly accented, and the staging is dull. It's like...I think they hit more notes than Lithuania, but they didn't try as hard as Lithuania, so they're worse.
I liked the interval act, but it seemed a bit overlong. Did like the guy spinning on his head forever.
CONGRATULATIONS EUROPE, FOR MAKING THE RIGHT DECISIONS FOR ONCE. My top ten made it to the finals. That has never ever ever ever happened. It helped that the Netherlands performed 6th and they seemed like a good marker for whether or not I liked an entry.
I'm still not sure if Austria was my absolute favorite tonight, but none of it matters. ALL THE POINTS TOMORROW ARE FOR MOLDOVA AND SUNSTROKE PROJECT.