EUROVISION 2023: SERBIA - PESMA ZA EVROVIZIJU 2023 REVIEW

EUROVISION 2023: SERBIA - PESMA ZA EVROVIZIJU 2023 REVIEW - SF 2

I already reviewed the first semi-final here, so let's move on to the second semi-final without further explanations. (Edit. I have made a tiny little mistake in the main photos - spot the wrong one!)

Hurricane - Zumi zimi zami ***

Hurricane is no more, long live the new Hurricane. Somehow this feels a bit Hurricane light compared to the original trio and their energy and voices. But this is fun anyways. I don't know how they are live so hard to say how this works on stage or will they make a mess of zumi zimi zami?.

Nadia - Devojka tvog dečka *

This takes forever to get going and when it does it isn't anything special. A filler.

Filarri - Posle mene ***

Balcan botox disco, quite pleasant one. I imagine myself driving with a car by the Adriatic seaside roof down this blasting out enjoying life.

Zejna - Rumba ****

Oh yes, love this one! I hope she delivers live and the staging works. This is silly enough yet catchy enough to stand out. Rumbanbumbum! Ram pam pam!

Frajle - Neka, neka **

Quite pleasant and enjoyable but also forgettable. For the village fest rather than Eurovision stage.

Igor Vins & Bane Lalić - Zato što volim *

Groovy ok, but that's all. Sounds like a demo. Just over 2 minutes but still feels long that proves the point?

Egret - Ako shvatim kasno **

A generic ballad that wouldn't be out of place in some hotel's lobby piano bar. Quite pretty but...

Dzipsii - Greh ***

We move from hotel's lobby to its nightclub's early bird cocktail hour. Promised more than delivered in the end. Potential disaster live I think for some reason.

Eegor- Star ac dana **

I don't find anything to say really.... The wailing ladies, the drama.... Meh.

Jelena Vlahović - Kao grom iz vedra neba ***

Very old school indeed. And therefor quite refreshing. Half way comes sound effects in attempt to bring this to 2000's. Could fit in into ESC in the 1990's.

Ivona - U noćima ***

Typical Balcan pop as I see it. Good ideas but could be sharper. This could go either way with further listenings.

Gift - Liberta *

Sounds like Italian pop rock that sometimes ends up in Sanremo. And leaves me equally indifferent.

Milan Bujaković - Fenomen ***

Sounds anthemic. Like a hit for someone big whose fanbase would suck this up as a masterpiece. I don't know if he's one. This is also straight from the 1980's/90's.

Duo Grand - Viva la vida ***

The intro leaves you wondering what an earth is coming up and then it's opera pop with gypsy vibrato. And then it all changes to Arabic rock. Very strange. The genre changes are really in this year! But this is by far the weirdest so far!

Anđela - Loše procene **

Back to standard pop tunes of this era. Not much happening here. Except those annoying beats and sounds most everyone seems to feel obliged to add these days.

Doris Milošević - Tišina **

Very airy intro. And then off we go to a questionable arrangement again. Sigh.

Update:

The finalists are (a very weird results, I would have changed a half of them relaly):

Frajle, Nadia, Filarri, Gift, Hurricane, Dzipsii, Zejna and Duo Grand.

Comments

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?

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 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..... )

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

BLOGILKAR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: HANNAH MANCINI

Straight into interview with my Bycycling reporter Robert goes American born Slovenian represent Hannah Mancini. The chatty lady tells us how she ended up from LA to Slovenia and how it is. She does also some serious name dropping. Talks about Slovenian music business. And has her husband turned into an Eurovision maniac?! And how Slovenian does she feel actually? And who would she like to grace the Eurovision stage for Slovenia again? Read it all here: Thank you Hannah for this interview. You're an American woman singing for Slovenia. How on earth did you end up there? I married a Slovenian man! Actually he lived in the States when I met him. I always loved the idea of living in Europe and it was kinda perfect as I met an European man! And he always wanted to come to Europe, his parents emigrated when he was a small child so eventually when the opportunity came, he had a good business thing happening there and also I had some music contacts in Amsterdam and in the UK an

NO AMOR IN ICELAND FOR ÁSDIS MARIA

In Iceland Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2014 started as well. Five songs in the running and two were voted to the final: Gréta Mjöll - Eftir eitt lag and Gissur Páll Gissurarson - Von . To be honest I'm not very suprised about the choices even if I was hoping for Ásdís María Viðarsdóttir - Amor to make it. The people of Björk didn't warm up to that enough, sadly. Also Sverrir Bergmann - Dönsum burtu blús and Vignir Snær Vigfússon - Elsku þú are out but that's ok. Or maybe I would have sent Ásdis Maria with Vignir to the final....Oh well. Next week another five songs and two qualifiers.

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

FINLAND: CONGRATS HANNA PAKARINEN - BABY IS COMING!

No more leave me alones as Eurovision 2007 veteran Hanna Pakarinen has published in her Youtube channel a video unboxing the Finnish state's maternity box aka layette set thus announcing she's due to have a baby later this spring. Congratulations!

SWEDEN: LOREEN GETS NUDE WITH BODY

Loreen. A legend for some. A one hit wonder for most. Since winning Eurovision song contest 2012 with Euphoria she has released seven singles. None of them has left the mark really. Her third attempt in Melodifestivalen this year with Statements ended up in a real defeat. Now she's ready to finally release her second album Nude in August. The lead single is Body . It's... well, like her previous stuff. Okeyish to listen to when it's on but completely forgettable once it's finished.... Pretendious comes to mind. But then maybe I just don't get her. Maybe I never did. Her fans are surely euphoric. Maybe. Listen in Spotify

Summer songs: Kylie Minogue - On a night like this

This is one of the songs that make me think of sweaty summer nights, humid air and being slightly drunk... I wonder where that all comes from? Anyways. Kylie Minogue recorded On a night like this, maybe not first but better than Pandora or Anna Vissi . And Lord which is actually great!

Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Search This Blog