EUROVISION 2022: ESTONIA - EESTI LAUL 2022 FINAL REVIEW

Estonia's Eesti laul 2022 has reached the grand final after quarter finals and semi-finals and the 40 songs (out of 202 submissions) have become only ten. These are voted by televote and jury (50-50) and the top-3 will make the super-final where only televoting reigns.

All Eurovision veterans except the winning one Lauri Pihlap, who was eliminated already in quarter finals, made it this far.

I guess my hopes are on Stefan. He has been already in top-3 in 2018 with Laura (Walk with me), 2019 Without you and placed 7th in 2020 with By my side and I have more or less liked all those songs and I think Hope tops even Laura, so.... Go Stefan!

Elena Nechayeva - Remedy ***

I was never a big fan of La Forza, but I kind alike this but the performance is so over produced with every movement and that odd and tired flying and falling sequence that it kinda distracts from the song itself...

Andrei Zevakin feat. Grete Paia - Mis nüüd saab *

I take it Zevakin is rather popular and that explains why he's in the final. As the song. No. Even Grete doesn't save this in my books. And Estonian sounds very ugly to a Finn in this one. Sorry.

Jaagup Tuis - Kui vaid **

I don't get the fan hype for him. Not last time, not this time. I simple can't keep my attention levels up to finish listening this.... Musically very old fashioned, just arranged in a modern way. Like a bad cover from some random 50's/60's hit that pretty much ruins the original song under those sounds.

Elysa - Fire **

Yawn. Another Mello or Malta reject. That's what comes to mind for the first thing. And it doesn't develop any further from that idea. As much as I like Latin music this isn't just good enough.

Ott Lepland - Aovalguses ****

Ott is of course one of the strongest singers Estonia has ever sent to Eurovision and Kuula one of the best songs. And this song is all about his voice and its power. The melody is almost prayer like but its his vocie that captures your attention. Simple and strong.

Stig Rästa - Interstellar ***

Nothing new, nothing original, heard a million times before and maybe better. But I have a soft spot for Stig, so.... But no, he doesn't deserve to win with this one. This might be heading for Uku like result.

Minimal Wind feat. Elisabeth Tiffany - What to make of this ***

There's something about this I like, even if this doesn't really get going ever. But great intriguing atmosphere. And that's already something!

Stefan - Hope ****

Ok, this is very fashionable Avicii/country pop with recalls also Måns Zelmerlöw, but this is likable. Makes me think of black and white classic western movies. In a good way. And I wrote that before I saw the staging!) This could be a contender for Top-10 in Turin, at least.

Anna Sahlene - Champion **

Straight from Melodifestivalen with borrowed staging tricks from elsewhere and how many times we have heard these champion/warrior/winner/hero nonsense at Eurovision already? And why she's here again? Didn't they find any Estonian singer for this? Or was this rejected from Mello for a reason? This isn't going anywhere, not even with the gospel choir bit.

Black Velvet - Sandra ***

I don't know why but I really like this. Estonian sounds cool and this is catchy, very 80's of course. Of course this isn't going to win but I love it making the final and being here!

Comments

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 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?

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..... )

Rumors, rumors, rumors....

While the national selections for Junior Eurovision are going on around Europe and Ani Lorak's been confirmed as host all sort of rumors about the real thing are beginning to be the order of the day. Austria returns - or then not. Andorra stays home - or then not. San Marino returns - well, most likely but not surely. Luxembourg should make a come back - or then maybe not. Liechtenstein is still in the running - or has it ever been for real? Has the local TV ever confirmed anything? Is it just wishful thinking by the fans? Poland on the other hand has confirmed they will be in Oslo. And Italy will be still out. And apparently there will be no ban or such for Azerbaijan nor Spain for the irregularities in and after the 2009 edition. EBU had to change the text in the rules to make it sure nothing like that what happened in Azerbaijan could happen again. Or if it will they have means and rules to back up a ban or sanction.... Katerina Avgoustakis has been rumored to be in Oslo...

JEDWARD GETS NAKED FOR THE FANS

Well, almost. The boys celebrated their 650.000th follower on Twitter by being photographed fresh from shower as promised. It's not the first time they drop their clothes as you see here . Meanwhile their second album is nearly here and the title track Young love is hitting the charts....

UK: Naked Blue

The boys of Blue have posed nude again. This time for the Attitude magazine's annual Naked issue and they are also in the cover. Watch the video of the shooting here . Band member Duncan, who is bi-sexual, recently told The Daily Star : “We are getting our kit off for Attitude magazine like the McFly boys did. I’m up for showing everything off. I’m happy enough about the size of my manhood. ” Extra media attention won't hurt their changes in Germany to win it for the UK for the first time since 1997... They will and they can!

CAROLA'S BOOBS STEAL THE SHOW, SVT APOLOGIES

Update! Another thing got Swedes talking last night: Carola's boobs when she was giving away an award. This is not the first time her boombs cause headlines; her misfortunate adventures in the 80's in Japan wer explained with her boobs being too big for Japanese market. Ok.... Or was it the song ? Anyways, Carola apologies and says she thinks the dress is stylish and elegant (even her friends said so) and she's a mature woman in her 40s, not a 16-year-old girl and looks like one. The Swedish Oscars, Guldbagge awards were given out last night. Carola was there as a guest star to sing Barbra Streisand's The way we were when honoring the movie stars who passed away during 2012. However, the cameras were too much on Carola, not on the stars showed in photos in the background and that upset many viewers as that part of the show was to celebrate them, not Carola. Oh well... The producer of the show tells in Aftonbladet the part of the show was made the sam...

GREECE: HELENA PAPARIZOU HITS AGAIN WITH HAIDE

Eurovision song contest 2005 winner Helena Paparizou has been enjoying Top-5 hits every year since 2003 with the exception of 2010 and 2014, this latest one being already her 27th! And Haide is charting also in Bulgaria and Finland, of all places. The catchiness of her hits has changed less over the years than her face.... Here's the English version , below the Greek version.

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...

Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

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