Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

OMG again. If Denmark went all wrong for me I am amazed WRS won in Romania. For some reason I thought he wouldn't have a chance. Instead..... :-) And Kyrie second! WRS actually won the jury vote (!!!) and came second with televotes, won by third placed Dora the juries placed only sixth! Kyrie was second with juries and 7th with televoters....  Selectia nationala 2022 results: 1. WRS - Llámame (jury 48 + televote 11.23) 59.23 2. Kyrie Mendel - Hurricane (46 + 2.06) 48.06 3. Dora Gaitanovici - Ana (32 + 12) 44 4. Gabriel Basco - One night (35 + 3.37) 38.37 5. Vanu - Never give up (34 + 2.17) 36.17 6. Petra - Ireligios (34 + 1.32) 35.32 7. Alex Parker & Bastien - All this love (27 + 1.38) 28.38 8. Cream, Minadora and Diana Bucsa - Romania mea (13 + 2.45) 15.45 9. Andrei Petrus - Take me (11 + 2.59) 13.59 10. Møise - Guilty (10 + 1.88) 11.88

Oh dear. My least favorite or almost won the Danish Melodi Grand Prix 2022. Well, what can I say? Better say nothing.The three entries making the superfinal were besides Reddi Conf3ssions and Josie Elinor & Jack Warren. DMGP results: 1. Reddi - The show  37% 2. Conf3ssions - Hallelujah  32% 3. Josie Elinor & Jack Warren - Let me go  31% First róund: The voting was made up of three parts. Weekly votes top-3 each got 10%, SMS voting's top-3 each got 12% and finally app voting's top-3 each got 78% 1. Conf3ssions - Hallelujah (10 + 12 + 78) 100% 2. Reddi - The show ( 0 + 12 + 78) 90% 3. Josie Ellinor & Jack Warren - Let me go (10 + 0 + 78) 88% 4. Fuld Effekt - Rave med de hårde drenge (10 + 12 + 0 ) 22% 5. Patrick Dorgan - Vinden su ser ind 0 5. Der var engang -  En skønne dag   0 5. Morten Filipssen - Happy go lucky   0 5. Juncker - Kommet for at blive   0

Serbia has always been a favorite of mine, and I fondly recall 2007 when I listened through the Serbian entries and when Molitva came on I said to myself "If this wins in Serbia it will win the whole thing" and that's exactly what happened in Helsinki 2007. Let's see how it gores with this review. Once again I have not listened the songs beforehand nor watched the semi-finals.  The Serbian Pesma za Evroviziju is a three night affair with two semi-finals with 18 songs each and half of them made to third night's grand final. There has been 50/50 jury/televote all nights. Lift - Drama * Ok, they've got the look. Sadly it doesn't go at the all with the song that is simply .... Well. Nothing.  Zorja - Zorja *** This seems to have a lot of support in Twitter, at least in my Twitter bubble and I can hear why. This has all the typical Serbian Euroviison elements in one. But is this a new Molitva? No. Too much shouting and wailing.  Aca Lukas - Oskar *** 100% Balc...

In the end they chose the best one, even if for a moment or rather all through the radio pre-vote the runner ups were leading but tonight's vote turned it to Malik's favor. I believe he will get more than 12 points .... Conchita Wurst was there, Jamala came and sung 1944 in complete silence and people standing up, and Emily forgot her lyrics and messed it all up  and got 7 televoting points Germany 12 points results: 1. Malik Harris - Rockstars (radio 90 + televoting 118) 208 2. Mael & Jonas - I swear to God (106 + 79) 185 3. Nico Suabe & team Liebe - Hallo Welt (63 + 94) 157 4. Felicia Lu - Anxiety (74 + 65) 139 5. Eros Atomus - Alive (53 + 70) 123 6. Emily Roberts - Soap (46 + 7) 

  Montenegro has finally released their entry for internally chosen Vladana. It's Breathe . I must say the first hearing left me a bit cold. It has a hint of Balcan ballad but.... Maybe it works better live?

Romania's Selecția Națională 2022 has been through auditions and semi-final, a couple od withdrawn entries and now we have the ten finalist left. Along the way we lost both previous Eurovision entrants Ciro De Luca and Cezar Oatu. But no worries there are plenty of this year's Eurovision artists showcasing their songs as well in the show's guests: Intelligent Music Project (Bulgaria), Zdob și Zdub & Frații Advahov (Moldova), Vladana (Montenegro), Andrea (North Macedonia), Ronela Hajati (Albania), We Are Domi (Czech republic) and Stefan (Estonia). Last minute addition is Eurovision winner turn refugee Jamala singing again her 1944, more actual than ever! As it is I am a complete virgin what comes to these songs so this is going to be interesting, I haven't heard the songs that didn't make the final either so I can't say if the best ones are here. Knowing from the past this can be quite a roller coaster. Let's go! Alex Parker & Bastien - All This Love ...

The Netherlands announced S10 as their entrant for Eurovision song contest already in December last year ( read more here ) and today finally her song is out. And guess what? It's in Dutch! The first semi-final is shaping up like old school Eurovision with most countries singing in their own language.  S10's song is titled De diepte and it's definitely a stand out in many ways. How it will feature in Turin 2022 is a another story but the Dutch should be proud.  

France has found it's track on Eurovision success again and was the runner up (and sour loser) last year A jury has chosen the 12 finalist who will be first voted by televoters alone and five songs will make the second round. One more act will be chosen as a wild card by the jury. The six super-finalists will be then re-voted. Listening to these songs after Germany and Denmark restores my faith in Eurovision. Merci! I have quite a few favorites but I have no idea who should go to Eurovision but I do have many songs for my playlist for sure! And this seasons first five stars! Alvan & Ahez - Fulenn *** This seems to be already a fan favorite, maybe the same ones who wanted Tanxueiras for Spain? I'm old enough to have lived through the ethno-Eurovision decade so I don't warm up to these so much anymore. Still better than anything in Germany or Denmark ;-p Cyprien Zeni - Ma famille *** This is exactly what I hear everytime I try to check on what's going on French charts...

Denmark is one of the four countries having its national final for the Eurovision song contest 2022 this Saturday. There will be pre-voting online added to the votes on the night. The top-3 will then have a super final with zeroed votes. Denmark, just like Germany, seems to be a bit lost in their search for success. If I remember correctly they have the submission window open all year and these eight are the ones they came up with? Might be something wrong with the jury then. Or what do I know? Nice though there are quite a few songs in Danish! Patrick Dorgan - Vinden suser ind ** Quite nice voice and quite nice beginning but it takes two full minutes until anything happens really. And that's a long time at Eurovision. And what happens isn't much. Shame.  Confessions - Hallelujah ** Sounds very familiar. If you asked me I'd say the chorus is from some advertising for sanitary towel or something. Completely forgettable but pleasant at the same time. Could come alive live, or...

Germany 12 points is quite a demanding title for the German national final show. They haven't gotten that many points as a total in 2021, 2017, 2016, 2015... And they have placed 25th, 25th, 4th, 25th, 26th and 27th in the past six editions. This year out of 944 submissions these six were picked up by a jury after an audition with 25 entries. Hooray to them as it really takes talent to get this kind of group of songs together.... Felicia Lu, Malik Harris or Emily Roberts should win, but none of them will most likely do any better than the previous German entries. Germany 25th again should be the name I guess.  Malik Harris - Rockstar ** I'm glad I had a quick listen of the songs already before so now I know this is one of the best ones, if not the best one of this lot. I don't know why I am thinking Eminem as this is all but, but..... I kinda like his voice. Maël & Jonas - I swear to God * Somehow the same mood continues here as  Malik. But this is more of the uninteres...

  This week among the new tunes from Finland also Vesala's coming summer hit Uu mama she premiered at UMK2022 final with quite a staging  and a hommage to Katri Helena's old school Euroviisut selections :-) ANI / Nelli Matula - Vegasissa naimisiin Vesala - Uu mama Jussu Pöyhönen - Sydämessä matkustaja ILON - Dream

They came. Finally. And they won with a big margin winning both international jury vote and the televote. The Rasmus and Jezebel with fly the Finnish flag in Turin Eurovision! Here are UMK 2022 results: 1. The Rasmus - Jezebel (jury 68 + televote 242) 310 2. Cyam Kicks - Hurricane (52 + 169) 221 3. BESS - Ram pam pam (56 + 148) 204 4. Olivera - Thank God I*m an atheist (46 + 121) 167 5. Isaac Sene - Kuuma jäbä (28 + 99) 127 6. Younghearted - Sun numero (40 + 51) 91 7. Tommi Läntinen - Elämä kantaa mua (4 + 52) 56

Pre-contest favorite Sheldon Riley with his Not the same has won the Australian national final for Eurovision song contest 2022.  Sheldon (22) is of Australian and Filipino origin. He started his career in 2016 with X Factor without much success being eliminated as soloist, then put into a boyband that was eliminated in the live performance stage. Two years later he was back trying The Voice of Australia this time, and better luck as he finished third. He has released three singles before Not the same. Other than that he is gay and has Asperger Syndrome and has been open about both. Australia decides results: 1. Sheldon Riley - Not the same (jury 50 + televote 50) 100 2. Voyager - Dreamer 37 + 60) 97 3. Jaguar Jonze - Little fires (51 + 40) 91 4. Charley - I suck at being lonely (33 + 30) 63 5. G-Nation - Bite me (11 + 45) 56 6. Paulini - We are one (32 + 20) 52 7. Andrey Lambrou - Electrify (16 + 35) 51 8. Jude York - I won't need to dream (32 + 15) 47 9. Erica Padilla - To the ...

After demands from SVT and a couple of other broadcasters, and artist like Citi Zēni from Latvia Finland's Yle comes out clear and loud: If Ebu doesn't band Russia from Eurovision 2022 Yle and therefor Finland will stay home. “Russia’s attack on Ukraine is against all the values that Yle and other European broadcasters represent. Yle always defends Western democracy, the rule of law, freedom of expression and human dignity. Yle cannot take part in an event where Russia, which has blatantly attacked these values, can use one of Europe's best-known brands to advance its own interests. I hope that the EBU will live up to its values here, ”says Ville Vilén, Director of Yle's Creative Content and Media Unit. Yle is due to select the Finnish entry for Eurovision song contest 2022 tomorrow night at Logomo in Turku.  Updates: Estonia follows and joins the boycott. And so does Ukraine, Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Lithuania, Iceland apparently. Add Poland. Ebu'...

UMK 2022 has been a success already. The international praise when the songs were released, approval by the fandom and the chart action in Finland proves it. Four out of seven songs has made the official singles chart besides making waves in streaming platforms, and each song has made the Radio play Top-100 as well. If we were to believe charts BESS would be clear winner, being at #1 for the fourth week at the moment, and also the highest entry on radio charts but is it destined to be a domestic hit only? We'll see. On top of that the UMK final in Logomo, Turku, sold out in record time. It is also a record it sold out completely unlike the previous attempts to have a national final arena style. I personally have three favorites, a couple of other that would be fine. too, so it's very hard to say how this will end and what would be the best choice, I let the live performance guide me. And there lies my biggest fear. We all remember what happened to Cicciolina on stage and how w...

  Australia is back at the Euroviison for the eight year counting the cancelled contest in 2020 and last year when they remained home and participated with a video, and failed to qualify for the first time. This is only third time Australia chooses through national final having trusted internally chosen artists and songs the first years. Quick listening these songs one spontaneously thinks maybe it was better to stick to that formula..... But let's go:  Andrew Lambrou - Electrify ** Ok, this is a sort of club anthem. Also in Spanish, which gives a nice touch. But thinking of Turin wouldn't Italian been a bit more original and useful? Sadly the song isn't going anywhere and has no beginning nor end but endless flow of the same for 3 minutes.  Charley - I suck at being lonely ** Very much in line with many songs in the national finals, especially in 2020-2021 seasons. Also this one is not going anywhere really, but could get some life to it live? On the other hand I may aga...

Ukraine has re-chosen after Alina Pash, the winner withdrawn from Eurovision due travel document scandal and backlash on social medias etc. Among other things. Long story short the runner up (and televoting winner) Kalush orchestra was asked to do the honors and after few days of thinking they have accepted.  Kalush is Ukrainian rapper Pleh Psiuk, multi instrumentalist Ihor Didenchuk (also a member of Go_A) and DJ MC Kilimmen. The band was formed in 2019. Last year Kalush became a parallel project with added multi instrumentalis members Tymofil Muzychuk and Vitali Duzhuk and added folk and traditional music to the sound, just like their Eurovision entry Stefania. Today the full results of Vidbir 2022 were also published: 1. Alina Pash - Tini zabutykh predkiv (jury 8 + televote 7) 15 , total televotes 19.535 2. Kalush orchestra - Stefania (6 + 8) 14, 31.634 3. Wellboy - Nozzy bossy (7 + 6) 13 , 5.642 4. Roxolana - Girlzzzz (3 + 5) 8 , 5.034 5. Barleben - Hear my words (4 + 3) 7 , 2....

 Emma Muscat (22) joins Mahmood & Blanco and Achille Lauro as household names for Italian viewers at Eurovision song contest 2022 in Turin as she won Malta's national selection last night with Out of sight. Emma studied music and dance, and started uploading her songs to Youtube in 2016 and two years later she was in Italy taking part in Amici di Maria de Filippi finishing fourth and getting a record deal. 2018 and 2019 she was inIsla of MTV with names like Jason Derulo, Martin Garrix, Bebe Rexha and Ava Max, dueted with Joseph Calleja and Eros Ramazzotti. Then followed her EP, Christmas songs and featuring with Italian stars like Shade and Junior Cally, followed with collaborations with Biondo, Astol and Alvaro De Luna and her first major hits.  And now she's ready to step out to the spotlight for real and represent her island in her adopted home country.  All the jurors gave her full 12 points (while all of them giving 10 to Aiden) and she clearly won also televote,...

  Achille Lauro (31) was announced the winner of Una Voce per San Marino 2022 as soon as his name was revealed by most everyone. Which puts a shadow over the everlasting casting extravaganza selection and audition credibility a bit. Doesn't it? This said, choosing him is a smart move whoever came up with the idea to invite him. He surely won't pass by unnoticed, he has a following in Italy and coming straight from Sanremo could attract this movement also in coming years. Sadly Italians can't vote him in the semi-final so he needs to survive that without that support. Having Mahmood, Blanco and Achille all in Turin will surely give media something to write about for that Eurovision period. Achille is all around artist who has recorded and performed different music styles over his career that lasts already almost ten years. But like many, only his Sanremo participation have made him a household name and opened new doors. He has been present there the past four years, three ti...