Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Germany revamped its national selection concept. Some big or bigger invited names plus one wildcard from open to all selection (that received 2200 songs!), that had its very own final before the Grand final. Elaiza won that round and went on to beat the Big Names in the Grand final as well, surprising everyone, including themselves. Ela (21, Polish-Ukrainian), Yvonne (30) and Natalie (29) have just released their debut album after meeting originally in the recording studios. Last year they also won the best newcomer award in the Women of the World festival in Frankfurt. Is it right? Robert: The German preselection was the best preselection of all the National finals in Europe this year. Lots of interesting artists with modern, contempory, non typical eurovision songs. This is how I would like to see it in the whole of Europe. The artist in Germany that stood out the most for me was MarieMarie, both with Candy Jar and Cotton Candy hurricane . She has a new fan in me and I defini...

Germany will select its entry for the Eurovision song contest 2014 tonight. It's the last Big5 country to do so and in the show another Big5, Italy, will give us a peak of things to come as Emma Marrone will present her entry La mia città , for the first time in a big arena other than her own concerts. Little birds told she's having dancers! Italy + dancers! Incredibile! The German selection has a rather weird way of selecting the song and artist as in the first round all eight artists will present their first entry. Televoters will will then select the four artists that go on to the second round and they present their another song. Again televoters will choose two artists to the superfinal where they will present their both entries and in the end we have a winner..... Confusing? Mad? Weird? I would say yes.... You can watch the show here from 20.15 CET. So, what to say about the songs? Unheilig seems to be the one to beat and indeed I kinda like them. I would send to...

UPDATE: The qualifier is Elaiza. No surprise. Germany has revamped their national final and besides the seven internally selected big acts one slot is received for a newcomer. Ten made it to the selection show tomorrow night out of over 2200 applications. You can watch the show live tomorrow, Thursday February 27 at 22.00 CET here .Televoters will decide on the finalist. Elaiza -  Is It Right  Nicole Milik -  I See Fire  Simon Glöde - Blame It On The Boogie   Melanie Schlüter - Run  Cassie Greene - Not This Time  Valentina - Love Is Gone  Caroline Rose - Amber Sky  Max Krumm - Home  Ambre Vallet - Siehst du mich?  Bartosz - Walk away The other seven acts already in the final are: Madeline Juno – Like Lovers Do / Error The Baseballs – Mo Hotta Mo Betta / Goodbye Peggy Sue Das Gezeichnete Ich – Weil Du Da bist / Echo MarieMarie – Cotton Candy Hurricane / Candy Jar Santiano – Niemals untergehen / Th...

Also Germany has revealed the seven acts that have made it through to the final in March. One more act will be added through a new talent casting. But whoever the newcomer is has a tough job to beat the million sellers that have set their eyes on Eurovision stage in Copenhagen.  First of all Unheilig , over 2 million albums sold, several ECHO and other awards and 19 platinum albums collected in German speaking countries. Their hits include Geboren um zu leben , So wie du warst , Lichter der Stadt and Stark . If we can't get Rammstein to Eurovision this somehow makes up to it... Oceana scored a pan-European hit with Endless summer while she can also ad Cry cry to her CV of hits.  The Baseballs are/were maybe bigger abroad than at home, like in Finland and Sweden where they scored #1 album and several hits and at least in Finland they are a household name thanks to their frequent visits and performances in top TV-shows with Umbrella,   Hot 'n cold and Last in ...