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Eurovision 2021

Jonathan

TS Member
Favourite Ride
Helix <3
It's mid-February again, so yes - it's time for the creation of this year's thread dedicated to Gay Christmas Eurovision! :D

Last year's contest was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, but this year's will be going ahead no matter what. Exactly what format it will take is yet to be decided, but there won't be a full audience. Last bit of news I heard was that the area where fans would've ordinarily be standing will now be used for the green room to allow for better social distancing, which makes sense. All acts will be producing 'live-on-tape' recordings, using as close a set-up to the real stage in Rotterdam as possible, in case they aren't able to get to Rotterdam or rules in the Netherlands meaning the EBU has no option other than to have all artists staying in their own countries. I think it's pretty certain that Australia will be taking full advantage of this. This is similar to what was put in place for Junior Eurovision in November 2020, and it worked quite well.

In terms of artists, there are more returning artists from the previous year than any contest in history, which is unsurprising. As it stands, there are 24 countries with the same artists as last year, and it could potentially go as high as 32. It's unlikely to, in all fairness, but it's still great to see so many getting another chance which was taken away from them. One or two from 2020 have said that they wouldn't be returning for 2021 as they didn't have a song they believed in, or similar words, which I can't really disagree with.

The current favourites seem to be Iceland and Lithuania. Iceland's song won't even be released until March 13th, but the hype surrounding Daði og Gagnamagnið from last year hasn't died down one bit. There are multiple national finals over the next few weeks. Sweden's takes place every Saturday at 7pm, and the Swedish broadcaster doesn't geoblock its content, so it can be watched live in the UK. Also, this year, Finland's national selection will be broadcast with the option to have English commentary for the very first time. Details can be found here. I don't want to make any predictions for who I think will win yet, as it's a bit tricky when only seven songs have been confirmed!

Let discussion commence!

EDIT: In a typical case of good timing from me, the UK's artist has been confirmed this morning as James Newman, who was due to represent us last year. It's the second time the UK's had the same artist in two consecutive years, with the first being Ronnie Carroll in 1962 and 1963.
 
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The most important final is tomorrow when we find the winner of the Norway Melodi Grand Prix, the most notable of entries is 2019 Winners of the public vote Keiino. They have a big following and recieved a bye straight to the final of the competition which means they are currently the odds on favourite to win the competition.

James Newman's song from last year was awful hope he improves this year.
 
Well we have a couple more songs confirmed.

In what could definitely be described as a shock. In the Norway Melodi Grand Prix, KEiiNO were not chosen, instead the country has gone with TIX and a song called Fallen Angel. Not sure I'm sure this is going to do well for them as it's not a very interesting song and seems quite slow.



Finland however have gone with Blind Channel with a song called Dark Side. This is much more upbeat and could potentially do well for them and should see them through to the final.

 
And we have Ireland's entry from Lesley Roy, entitled 'Maps'.

I'm thoroughly impressed.
 
"Right guys, we get the whole automatic final place... But we really don't want this. What can we do? OH HAI Jendrik!"



Just putting it out there, that Germany clearly have no intention or desire to win. I mean, where does one even start with that? It is just the most garbled jumble of styles I have ever seen and is in parts quite obviously trying to be Daði og Gagnamagnið. Just STOP.

In the meantime, whilst not available on Youtube Cyprus have basically released Bad Romance. Their song El Diablo (Not it's not about a terrible Arrow Mine Train in Spain, cause ain't nobody giving their heart to that!) is by Elena Tsagrinou and whilst very good and incredibly catchy... It is very VERY much Cyprus by numbers since Eleni Foureira's 2018 smash hit Fuego. It can be found over on record company PanikMusic's website here.
 
Germany’s entry is a bit too weird for my tastes, and it’s incredibly unlikely they’ll win. Cyprus’ is...Fine, I guess? So far this year, there hasn’t been an outright favourite as has been the case for the past few years, which I guess makes things more interesting.

Everything in Denmark’s national final is just disappointing this year. Spain won’t get out of the bottom 5 again. At least France are sending something really good and classically French for once - they’re definitely one to watch out for. Sweden aren’t setting me alight much this year with their Melodifestivalen entries, but we do have The Mamas in tomorrow night’s semi, and the snippet of their song was excellent.
 
Well, San Marino have played an absolute blinder and got Flo Rida to provide some of the vocals for their entry this year.

If this doesn't qualify, I'll be shocked. It's in the seemingly more open semi-final as well, which helps its chances.
 
So the UK's entry has been released



IT'S ACTUALLY GOOD!! Looking forwards to this now. Not long to go. Keep your eyes out closer to the time for the return of the Eurovision Sweepstake!
 
ONE WEEK TO GO.

Who's everyone's favourite entry?

Will the UK finally win?

It's a tough competition this year!

Loving the German, Icelandic, Ukraine, Australian and British entries.
 
Clodah Rodgers for me, or Sandie Shaw.
What do you mean...not on the list???
Half a century ago, god I'm ancient.
 
San Marino, Lithuania and France are faves for me.

UK entry is another ‘meh’ for me. It’s ok but will probably struggle to stand out on the night.
 
I'll be posting my thoughts on each entry ahead of the respective semi-finals, though I'll do the automatic qualifiers now.

Spain - 'Voy a quedarme' by Blas Cantó
It’s a touching ballad about lost relatives, and Blas performs it really well indeed. Not sure about the staging, though, and I unfortunately think it may get lost among the other entries, which is disappointing. Spain need to do better, but they sadly won’t with this.

United Kingdom - 'Embers' by James Newman

FINALLY, the UK sends a banger! And it’s quite good! James can sing very well, and delivers a great performance. The staging seems interesting, to say the least, and the lack of pyro is concerning. Still, I think it should finish relatively solidly in mid-table.

France - 'Voilà' by Barbara Pravi
Sometimes, simplicity is key. Barbara doesn’t just ooze class. It’s pouring out all over the place. She’s like the 21st century version of Édith Piaf, and it works so incredibly well. Best French song in years, and I’d be very happy to see it win.

Germany - 'I Don't Feel Hate' by Jendrik
I didn’t like this at first, but it’s definitely grown on me over the past few weeks. Jendrik’s a really charismatic performer, and he’s excellent at this song. Doubt it’ll win, but it’s one that could be a guilty pleasure for many, and is a definite earworm!

Italy - 'Zitti e buoni' by Måneskin
Italy and rock music isn’t a combination one would ordinarily think of, but it’s really good. It’s simple in terms of melody, but that should help it be more memorable, and the energy they bring to the stage is obvious. Could very easily win. Milan 2022, anyone?

Netherlands - 'Birth of a New Age' by Jeangu Macrooy

It’s nice to have some non-European flavours in Eurovision, with Jeangu originating from Suriname. The backing vocals work well, and while I’m not 100% on the staging, I think it should do well for a host country. Jeangu should be proud of himself.
 
UPDATE: The UK delegation have confirmed at the Turquoise Carpet event (the opening ceremony) that despite it not being included in rehearsals, there WILL be pyro. Thank goodness - this'll help the song to elevate a lot.
 
So, tonight is Semi-Final 1. Here be my reviews of each entry.

01 – Lithuania (‘Discoteque by The Roop’)
Just as wacky as last year, and just as good. It’s catchy, not too in-your-face, excellent use of visuals in the staging, and well-choreographed. Good choice of opener, should qualify relatively easily and give Lithuania their best result in years.

02 – Slovenia (‘Amen’ by Ana Soklić)
She’s got good vocals, but I’m not sold on the staging. It just feels basic, and the song doesn’t really go far. Second in the running order for the semis can qualify, but it’s often given to a song that doesn’t have much chance, and I think Slovenia won’t qualify this year.

03 – Russia (‘Russian Woman’ by Manizha)
Something a bit different from Russia this year, and it works. The staging at the start is interesting, but Manizha rolls out and delivers an excellent performance. She has a lot of stage presence & energy, and makes the most of it. Qualification chances are good.

04 – Sweden (‘Voices’ by Tusse)
Sweden give well-polished performances every year, and this is no exception. It’s very similar to the Melodifestivalen performance, but I feel it’s lacking something. Should still qualify, but may not do as well as previous Swedish entries have. Tusse’s excellent, though.

05 – Australia (‘Technicolour’ by Montaigne)
It’s difficult to judge Montaigne’s live-on-tape recording, but from what I’ve seen, it’s definitely much better than her first live performance. Should stand out after Sweden & before North Macedonia, which will help. I really want it to go through, because Australia.

06 – North Macedonia (‘Here I Stand’ by Vasil)
There’s no doubt about Vasil’s vocal ability. He’s excellent. As for the song and staging? It’s similar to Slovenia, in that I don’t think it’s got much chance of qualifying. Which is a shame, because his recent interview he did with Attitude magazine shows him to be so eloquent.

07 – Ireland (‘Maps’ by Lesley Roy)
Best song Ireland have sent in years. Lesley is superb. The video shows off Ireland’s lush landscapes. The staging looks complicated, but if they get it right, it’ll work really well. Pretty confident it’ll qualify and give Ireland a very good well-deserved result.

08 – Cyprus (‘El diablo’ by Elena Tsagrinou)
Cyprus have been quite strong in recent years, and this is no exception, albeit controversial upon release from some Christians. Well-choreographed with great vocals, this is going through to the final and should give Cyprus another respectable finish.

09 – Norway (‘Fallen Angel’ by TIX)
I’m torn on this. I find the staging to be rather boring and doesn’t connect with the song, but TIX himself performs it well and it’s doing well in the odds. It’s not one of my personal qualifiers, but I think it probably will. Still salty KEiiNO didn’t win the national final.

10 – Croatia (‘Tick-Tock’ by Albina)
This is one of those where I like it, but am doubtful of its chances. Staging seems to be a bit inoffensive, which isn’t ideal in a tough semi-final. Albina’s a great performer, but I’m concerned that this alone won’t be enough to help Croatia qualify.

11 – Belgium (‘The Wrong Place’ by Hooverphonic)
Belgium have lost their way in recent years, and Hooverphonic stand a chance at breaking that streak. I’ll admit I’m not a fan of this style of music, and I’m worried its staging could be too dark in terms of lighting for Eurovision, but it’s got a shot.

12 – Israel (‘Set Me Free’ by Eden Alene)
There’s no doubt Eden can sing, and it’s elevated a lot from its original release. The staging doesn’t seem great, but it’s not terrible, either. That high whistle note towards the end could well be what makes or breaks its chances, but I’m hopeful.

13 – Romania (‘Amnesia’ by Roxen)
It’s a very good song, and Roxen performs it well in the studio cut, but the rehearsals so far in Rotterdam have been disappointing. She’s struggling to combine singing with a lot of movement in the staging, and her enunciation isn’t great. May not qualify, which is a shame.

14 – Azerbaijan (‘Mata Hari’ by Efendi)
I can see what Azerbaijan are doing by trying to have a bit of ethnic flavour in the song, but I’m just not sold on it overall. It’s just not as good as Cleopatra from last year was, and I feel she references it for the sake of it. Efendi’s a good performer, which should help.

15 – Ukraine (‘Shum) by Go_A)
Eastern European wackiness again! It’s a wall of noise, it’s performed & staged pretty well, and it’s loud. It’s not one of my favourites of this year, but I do still like it. Should qualify well and give Ukraine a half-decent result.

16 – Malta (‘Je me casse’ by Destiny)
It’s a banger to close the semi, and one of this year’s favourites. Destiny is SUPERB, and nails everything perfectly. Staging is somewhat questionable, but still doing VERY well in the odds. Will qualify and give Malta their best result in years. Maybe even their first win!

My ten qualifiers are: Lithuania, Russia, Sweden, Australia, Ireland, Cyprus, Croatia, Israel, Ukraine, Malta.
 
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