It's time to kick of the usual reviews. The opinions are all mine and if I don't like some song it's simply just not my cup of tea so to speak. If I like something you dislike or hate, it's fine, too. No stresso, no need to be depresso it's just music and tastes that are diverse and therefor beautiful! I also try to predict their success come May a little bit, but as we know once the staging is out everything may change, remember Fuego and Rise like a phoenix for example?
For this series I have grouped the songs in fours as usual as the songs may have similarities or something in common. Some fours came out beautifully, the others.... well not so well. But here we go!
ALBANIA - Shkodra Eletronike - Zjerm
One of the big fan favorites. Original, well performed, great arrangement, intriguing stage presence. Could it be Albania's big year? Or will it be the shock non qualifier? I wasn't hooked up the first time I heard it nor the second and that might be it's problem - will it get voted by others than the usual Albanian diaspora? Will the juries war up to it? I guess it's safe to say this is a finalist, but will it be
top-10? I wouldn't be so sure yet. I have learned to like this and enjoy it when I hear it but when I list my favorites I tend to forget this one exists.....
ICELAND - Væb - Róa
I admit. I wasn't a fan at first. But slowly they have conquered me and this chorus plays in my head way too often that I would like to! And the icing on the cake is this Jazz version in English, love it! I hope they qualify for the final but I'm afraid they'll end up in the right side of the scoreboard there.
SAN MARINO - Gabry Ponte - Tutta l'Italia
It's still somewhat insane to see Sanremo's theme song and my younger year's favorite Dj here. For San Marino of all countries. Then again San Marino has made the weirdest twists in Eurovision bubble the past years inventing something strange every year for their history books. And this song is fun, nostalgic and somehow melancholic at the same time like the last night at beach disco in Rimini-Riccione when the season's over and it's time to fly home. Better sweet memories. And it's funny how some people, mostly non Italians, lose their sh*t for Estonia when these lyrics are as bad and racistic or even worse in stereotypes if you want to put it that way. A lot of noise for nothing.
I am hoping San Marino scores its best placing yet even if facing the evident problem being San Marino. If this was some more fashionable and successful country to start with this would be top-10 in odds.
AZERBAIJAN - Mamagama - Run with U
This one's hard to predict. I like this a lot, it has personality with the vocals, great arrangement and production, memorable melody and as icing on the cake the Azeri sounds. But will it get love from the juries? Will televoters send it to the final? I am afraid they won't. Even this would deserve it. I hope they come up with some innovative staging that pushes this over the borderline to the final!
They have also released the amazingly relaxing Deep House Version.
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