Guest review by Marcello

Here is the first guest review of Eurovision 2009 in my blog. Marcello is a dear friend of mine from Italy, devoted Eurovision and European music fan, active member of OGAE Italy and he is Parisian in his heart.

MONTENEGRO - Finally they have a decent song with good rhythm... even if it is in English >8
CZECH REPUBLIC - Too ethnic and too gipsy for my tastes! >4
BELGIUM - Very 60's rock in true Elvis style. Nothing new. >6
BELARUS - A song that highlights the vocal capacities of Petr. I like it and hope he will be able to nail it live in Moscow. >7
SWEDEN - From schlager to pop opera. Hope this will reach the final as I can't imagine an Eurovision final without Sweden! >9
ARMENIA - The song is nice and danceable but I'm bored with it already after 2 hearings. >6
ANDORRA - I would have sung it all in Catalan. Chorus in English has no sense. >6
SWITZERLAND - I adore this kind of rock! I hope this gets into final. >8
TURKEY - The usual song from Turkey that flies into the final and ends up well but I don't like it that much. >6
ISRAEL - They are very good and the song shows it. >8
BULGARIA - The song is very difficult to sing with that falsetto and he reminds me of Scialpi (Italian singer big in the 80's) >6
ICELAND - I'm not a fan of ballads but this one is very good and Johanna sings it really well. >8
MACEDONIA - I don't like this rock song and singing in Macedonian doesn't help either. >4
ROMANIA - Forgettable unfortunately. >5
FINLAND - This kind of dance music I like a lot and it shows Finland is not only rock. >8
PORTUGAL - ... and they wonder why Portugal never wins! If they keep sending songs this bad it's easy to understand why? >4
MALTA - She tries it for the third time after being 3rd and 2nd. Will she win? I don't think so but she sings always well and is a great professional. >8
BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA - I didn't like it at first but further hearings made me like it. >7
CROATIA - This year the level of the songs from the Balcans is rather low and this falls into that category. Looks like the Eurovision returns to west this year. >4
IRELAND - After turkeys, sisters and brothers and Irish ballads girlpower. I like it! >8
LATVIA - I don't like it as a song or as a music style. >4
SERBIA - Read the comment for Latvia. >4
POLAND - Another pretty ballad I would like to hear in the final. >7
NORWAY - Am I the only one who doesn't like this? Alexander is cute and sings well but I don't see anything extraordinary in that to make him such a superfavourite. >6
CYPRUS - Not an easy song to perform. I would like to see what Elisa would do with it! >6
SLOVAKIA - A very classic duet that gets higher marks only because sung in Slovakian. >6
DENMARK - Very Ronan Keating indeed but I like it a lot. Very catchy. >9
SLOVENIA - If they played live it would be so different. Sounds like a backing track and the few vocals by the girl don't make it any better. >5
HUNGARY - Very Vogue by Madonna in the intro but then nothing memorable follows. >6
AZERBAIJAN - Very danceable duet. If Elena Paparizou sung this I wouldn't notice any diffference. >7
GREECE - Sakis is always Sakis. This one's much better than Shake it. >9
LITHUANIA - Cloned song from Alicia Keys. >6
MOLDOVA - See the comment for Latvia and Serbia. >4
ALBANIA - I like it even in English. Makes me wanna sing and dance. >9
UKRAINE - Too much noise, strange sounds and shouted vocals. With irritating chorus. >5
ESTONIA - Also this one I didn't like first but it's well sung and played. Maybe Estonia will finally reach the final? >7
NETHERLANDS - A song straight from the 80's and I cannot not like this. I adore the 80's! >8
FRANCE - A very elegant song and fantastic singer. I hope she will make the top-3 but it will be difficult. >9
RUSSIA - The gap between Dima Bilan and Anastasia Prihodko is wide. And very evident here. >4
GERMANY - Very Ricky Martin but of instant impact. >8
UK - Couple Lloyd-Webber and Warren didn't let me down. Not so sure about the choise of an unknown singer. Couldn't they have had someone known? >8
SPAIN - Finally Soraya in Eurovision! But I think she has had better songs than this one. Let's see how it will be staged. >8

Comments

Sabina Babayeva for Azerbaijan

The Azerbaijani selection show for the represant was as long as the selection process for the five finalists. Kurt Calleja from Malta and Can Bonomo from Turkey were present with Ell/Nikki to see Sabina Babayeva to emerge as the winner after each and every finalist had done about zillion songs amongst other guests. Now the Azeri TV will shop around a suitable song for her.

SONGS OF THE YEAR 2015: #5 KRISTA SIEGFRIDS - ON & OFF

Krista Siegfrids is delivering nice pop tunes one after another and this one is particularly catchy and soon you will be singing along..... Hopefully her Melodifestivalen entry will be equally good!

ESC 2015 NORWAY: LISTEN TO THE FINALISTS

The Norwegian entries are now and there to listen, or here . This time Norway has only one off final with 11 songs and a live orchestra, so it will be interesting to hear how these songs will turn out as most are rather modern sounding and not so Eurovisionesque midtempo numbers. There could have been also only ten if they had dropped that joke entry from the line up. The old veterans Elisabeth and Tor have nothing to be ashamed among this lot. To be honest I didn't get excited by any of these really... Something is wrong in my books if a classic schlager like Heaven sounds almost the best... What's wrong Norway?

ESC 2016 WISH LIST: MARGARET FOR POLAND

Małgorzata Jamroży aka Margaret has also been tipped for Eurovision and apparently she did turn it down but she'd be perfect. She's got a look and persona you can't unnotice nor forget, she's got hit songs, she has been voted or nominated for everything from Trendy artist to the Hope of the Year, Fashion Icon and Glamour Woman of the year besides the usual best video, song, album, debut..... Oh she's also a fashion designer! She's very clever with social medias and would surely use it to her advantage if selected for Stockholm 2016. Her debut album is titled Add the blonde , do we need to say more? Except it includes mostly Swedish written pop tunes like Tell me how are ya , Wasted , Start a fire and Heartbeat . And of course her debut single and internationally noticed Thank you very much that you can enjoy below with all its anti-textil feel. I think she's Eurovision perfection, she's cheeky and fun, can we have her?

FINLAND: LORDI RELEASES SEXORCISM - THEIR 9TH STUDIO ALBUM

Brand new studio album SEXORCISM is released tomorrow, 12 years and 5 days after their monstreous victory in Athens 2006 Eurovision song contest. It is quite possibly the most controversial Lordi album yet and already their 9th stuido album (plus three compilations and one Ep)

THE ABBA REUNION 2016 - WATCH THEM SING TOGETHER AGAIN

The 2016 Eurovision song contest organizers didn't manage it - or any of the previous ones either nor those offering them millions of dollars - but they seem to get together for birthdays, the way the old friends do. Back in 1999 they performed together in a private party for Görel Hansel's 50th birthday, and now to celebrate the first meeting of Björn and Benny 50 years ago. Venue was Stockholm's Bern's Salonger and once again in a private setting but today even they can't stop the cell phone videos and social medias. Enjoy the magic of Frida's and Agnetha's voices again.

GOODBYE, FAREWELL...

The time has come. After all these years, 5,7 million visits, 12.000 articles I guess the time has come. As much as I love and care for Eurovision it just doesn't feel the same. The Corona years took their toll and the past two years and certain decisions have helped me to mature the idea that next year I will hear the songs for the first time in semi-final just like any so called local. The bubble has burst. Add the toxicity in social medias and fandom. The arrogant teenagers who saw their first contest somewhere 2017 or even 2021 who think they know it all and only their opinion matters. Did I mention the toxic atmosphere on social medias? I'm too old for that sh*t. It's been a long ride that took me to various Eurovision on spot as a fan and tourist, as a journalist, as a delegation member. I met some great people, made memories of lifetime. In stressful, sad periods of my life this blog has been my safe place, a place to escape and forget everything else for an hour o...

FINLAND: REMEMBERING KIRKA

ESC 2016 BELARUS: NAKED WITH WOLVES?

Today's funniest Eurovision related story comes from Belarus. Some sources claim Ivan wants to perform on stage naked and with live wolf or wolves. It surely would be a first on Eurovision stage! We have seen some forgotten underwear over the years, and some cardbox animals though..... Is it time to take things a bit further? No, according the rules live animals are not allowed, and Eurovision being a family show nudity won't do either. (It seems to be ok to be half naked if you are a dancer though..... )

Boobs for summer: Samantha vs Sabrina!

The old rivals have put their bras (or the lack of them) in peace and entered the studios together to record Blondie's boombastic Call me . Life could be worse.....

Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

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