Daniel Motiño Camúñez reports:
The second semifinal for Germany last night with the new six songs, started again by Sabine Heinrich and Matthias Opdenhövel introducing Stefan Raab who commented the overview of the already qualified songs, and agreed with the results. (Hello? His song was kicked out? After the review of the songs, Lena came into scene with leopard troussers to present her new album, including the 12 songs which will be released today. Lena stays fresh, spontaneous and secure on stage. She enjoys the show as it is all about her.
Like in the last edition, we had also two new artist which together with Raab will comment the songs afterwards; Anke Engelke ,who was also there last year, one of the conductors of the Eurovision Song Contest 2011, actress, TV and radio conductor, entertainer and singer since she performs in the "Fred-Kellner-Band", she is a multiawarded actress and also the voice of Maggie Simpson in Germany.
Like in the last edition, we had also two new artist which together with Raab will comment the songs afterwards; Anke Engelke ,who was also there last year, one of the conductors of the Eurovision Song Contest 2011, actress, TV and radio conductor, entertainer and singer since she performs in the "Fred-Kellner-Band", she is a multiawarded actress and also the voice of Maggie Simpson in Germany.
Jani Nagani debuted in the roll, she is one of the most prestigious soul voices in Germany, originally from Berlin she has already 3 albums published. After the presentations the show started;
A Million and One (Errol Rennalls & Stavros Ioannou); the composers of the first song come from Hannover, like Lena, and they co-operated in hits like Honey or Sex bomb . The song started with violins and Lena saying -Hello How are you?-; although not being a dance song, Lena uses the same dancers as by Taking by a Stranger , she looks classy with tied up hair and a black dress. The performance is faultless, specially on the high notes, she is not singing but also performing. The song reminds to one of those Maria Mena or Natasha Bedingfield ballads, although being a great composition, it takes a while before you get into it or surpirse the audience within 3 minutes.
Teenage girls (Viktoria Hansen, Lili Tarkow-Reinisch, Yacine Azeggagh); three women based in London are the composers of the second song. They have never wrote a song together so far but they seem to enjoy doing it while going to have cappuccinos or shopping in London. Viktoria has some hits in United Kingdom and has been working among other for Gary Barlow. Lena introduced the song as hip-hop bounce, but started with a folk guitar and the voice of Lena. Am I missing something? Lena was wearing jeand and a singlet, a bit careless look and performance. She kinda of bounced but the song has nothning to do with hip-hop, maybe reggae. After the performance the commentators admitted the song was boring and nothing to do with hip-hop. Raab looks shocked and said- the song was not so shitty!
Push Forward (Daniel Schaub & Pär Lammers); Schaub and Lämmers are the writers of Maybe that qualified last week for the final They have also co-operated with Lena on her first album; they are two prestigious composers from Berlin. The song was originally given to Lena as a dance track, but Lena suggested to make a ballad out of it, and they enjoyed the result. Lena goes back to classy on her looks but not on her performance. A bit of power was missing not only in the song but also in the performance, it reminds me the typical ballad for an 80's movie. The first three songs are simply boring, none of them would have make it to the final last week either.
At All (Aloe Blacc); Aloe Blacc is a worlwide known singer, rapper and songwriter due his hit I need a dollar in 2010. Lena met him in a party and asked him to write a song for her. He was flattered as he never wrote a song for another artist (and I guess he will not for a while after the result). The song had a funky-touch and expectations were set, but we had just another boring song. The live band did not help the song while Lena never felt it on stage, she also had some issues trying to move along with it, another poor performance and a bottom-3 song for the contest.
A good day (Audra Mae, Todd Wright, Scott Simons); Audra Mae is the grand-grand daughther from July Garland, although she did not tell she inspired herself on her grang-grand mother to compose her songs. She wrote Good news which did not manage to qualify last week and also gave name to the new Lena's album; actually Good news. A good day, everything looks positive to thie singer, but the song was nothing else than another song like Good news, a retro song with a touch from the 30's that could fit Norah Jones. Lena did not gave her best, maybe was she as bored as I was?
Mama Told Me (Stefan Raab & Lena Meyer-Landrut); Just as a coincidence both songs composed by Lena and Raab were the last to performs, how funny are draws aren't they? They wanted to make a remake for the funky song at the beginning of the 70's (yeah in 2011 and for Eurovision Song Contest, does it make sense?) Lena and Raab did have an imaginary text at the beginning and when they did the music, they write the lyrics. Lena looks really sexy on scene with 4 black dancers in a clear Afro-Funk look. The song has its touch, but Mama Told Me is like a deja vu, and Lena is not the kind of woman that has what it takes to perform something called Mama Told Me. Jury and public seems to like it
Once the six performances ended, the commentators highlighted Teenage girls as the worst song, the public seemed to like Mama Told me or Push forward while once the telephone lines were closed, Lena said her favorite. A Good Day. I would have saved Push Forward and A Million and One, there was no comparison with the show last week and this one, the songs of tonight looked like the ones you compose to fill an album.
Push Forward, goes first, second song from Schaub and Lammers in the final; next one is Mama Told Me from Lena and Raab who will also have two songs in the final, the third one will be for Lena fellow's A Million in One, my favorite one of this round.
Lena keeps still two chances to be ex-winner, singer and composer, I am not sure if Stefan is aware about the incompatibility of being songwriter and conductor in the same contest, but I would prefer to have n What Happened to me / Mama Told Me than having him as conductor.
Next Friday 18th just before the Spanish Final, Germany will choose their song in ARD at 20 CET.
Push Forward, goes first, second song from Schaub and Lammers in the final; next one is Mama Told Me from Lena and Raab who will also have two songs in the final, the third one will be for Lena fellow's A Million in One, my favorite one of this round.
Lena keeps still two chances to be ex-winner, singer and composer, I am not sure if Stefan is aware about the incompatibility of being songwriter and conductor in the same contest, but I would prefer to have n What Happened to me / Mama Told Me than having him as conductor.
Next Friday 18th just before the Spanish Final, Germany will choose their song in ARD at 20 CET.
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