March 18, 200817 yr Author United Kingdom: Andy Abraham - Even If Onto our very own entry, I was gutted when The Revelations finished 3rd/4th in our national heat leaving two rather average songs to battle for glory...why can't we just have a deal with Sweden where we get what finishes second in Melodifestivalen :P Anyway, its a quite nice disco song, sung by a powerful singer who finished 2nd in X Factor 2006 (behind Shayne Ward). It should at least give him his biggest hit single to date as Hang Up missed the top 40 and his xmas 2006 song went top 20 I think!?! Having to perform second really won't do him any favours...perhaps if he had gone last Andy might have come top 15...as it stands I think it will be last place for UK, though I don't think it will be a 'nul pointer' Youtube Link: Semi-Final Prediction: N/A Final Prediction: 25th
March 18, 200817 yr I'm very undecided about how the UK will do this year. I don't think it'll come last tbh, but top 20 is looking a bit optimistic. We really do send unsuitable dirge though. :(
March 18, 200817 yr Author Andy's managed to get all the way to No.50 in my chart and for now at least, thats his peak! It's a good song but nothing incredible...there is far worse and far better in the contest and with a draw of second place it will be a case of 'not awful but forgettable song comes last' Obviously being patriotic I would love him to finish top ten though :) I remember how happy I was in 2002 when the votes started rolling in for Jessica Garlick :wub:
March 18, 200817 yr I love Andy's song but think it doesn't make top 10 only because of the 2nd number in the show! :(
March 24, 200817 yr Author Malta: Morena - Vodka A return to form or a desperate hope for success? Malta have been one of the more consistent countries in terms of success in the 1990s sadly never winning but coming achingly close in 2002 with Ira Losco and 1998 and 2005 with Chiara. Their 2006 entry was out of tune and finished last while their entry last year was good but not incredible...Vodka is a good song in the Ruslana meets Verka mould but perhaps that's why it sounds like it should be a Ukranian entry rather than the Maltese entry. Do they really listen to this sort of stuff in Malta? I don't know...it doesn't really stand out as one of their best entries ever but its better than their last two efforts...should at least get to the final... Youtube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kclA73eagCQ Semi-Final Prediction: 7th Final Prediction (if it makes it): 16th
March 24, 200817 yr I hope Malta can make it to the final... it's by no means a dead cert though. Could well crash out in the semis. :( That'd mean another douze points for the United Kingdom from them though! :magic:
March 24, 200817 yr Author Croatia: Kraljevi Ulice & 75 Cents: Romanca In the past few years Croatia have sent a few boring ballads and a few attractive women singing Eastern pop...this year though they've decided to send one of the worst songs in the history of the contest. A rather boring old band singing a Croatian folk song in collaboration with a very old man ranting over the song. The song itself has no merits and its hard to believe that anyone outside (or inside) Croatia would like this...hopefully it will crash and burn... Youtube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iK6O0V4ErjA Semi-Final Prediction: 18th Final Prediction (if it makes it): 24th
March 24, 200817 yr Author I hope Malta can make it to the final... it's by no means a dead cert though. Could well crash out in the semis. :( That'd mean another douze points for the United Kingdom from them though! :magic: I'm not sure that even Malta would feel compelled to vote for a 70's b-side :cry: I think Malta should scrape through but it seems that they've been forgotten about by Europe recently :( Their 2002, 2003 and 2004 entries all topped my personal chart :wub:
March 24, 200817 yr Author Serbia: Jelena Tomasevic - Oro The winner's last year with the ballad Molitva by Marija Serifovic, Serbia showed that you can sing in your native language and pick up points from across Europe if you put in a good performance (apart from the UK who gave Serbia no points). Oro by Jelena Tomasevic is very much in the same mould as Marija, 2004's Lane Moje and 2006's Bosnian entry Lejla. That is no bad thing though as this is another quality song which is bound to see Serbia finishing in the top ten once again, most probably the top five...in fact some bookies have it down as the favourite at the moment! Youtube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOTJKHAu2wI Semi-Final Prediction: N/A Final Prediction (if it makes it): 3rd
March 24, 200817 yr Author Ireland: Dustin The Turkey - Irelande Douze Points The most controversial song in this year's contest, taking novelty to a new level is Ireland's famous puppet celebrity Dustin The Turkey. Ireland of course won four times in the 1990s in 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1996 when juries still decided the winner...if juries still decided, Dustin would finish last without a doubt. In fact, if juries still decided, the contest would not be swamped with novelty songs in the first place. The song itself is a standard 90s sounding europop/techno crossover with Dustin speaking over the top...A place in the final is a certainty where it will probably finish top five with a guaranteed 12 points from the UK but can a song like this really win Eurovision? Who knows... Youtube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnsPfRdSU0Q Semi-Final Prediction: 3rd Final Prediction (if it makes it): 5th
March 24, 200817 yr I'm really not so sure about Ireland now ya know... I think everyone's assumption that they will be challenging for top five on May 24th is a little optimistic tbh. :o Europe might be completely baffled by the whole Dustin phenomenon that has swept the UK and Ireland and just not vote for it. And I'm beginning to think that Spain will get the "Verka" vote of 2008. :(
March 24, 200817 yr Author I'm actually not overly keen on Dustin...its old fashioned boring Europop and the comedy isn't that funny, certainly not to anyone outside UK or Ireland so you might be right David...
March 24, 200817 yr Well, as you know, I disagree about Croatia. ;) I think that their song, just like Moldova's, is too classy for Eurovision. It has too much art and subtle ideas, which are not easy to comprehend at such festivals like ESC, where everything has to be simple and catchy. I don't agree that it's an old folk song; in fact, it's the music style of 1930s/1940s in the entire Eastern Europe. Besides, this song has amazing lyrics, check the translation in youtube.
March 25, 200817 yr Song one listens to while drinking away their sorrows. <-- That's a good description I saw on ESC Nation of Moldova's entry. It is pretty, but instantly forgettable. By the way, I loved the MANUALLY BLOWING BUBBLES in the background of the National Final stage show.
March 25, 200817 yr Author Well, as you know, I disagree about Croatia. ;) I think that their song, just like Moldova's, is too classy for Eurovision. It has too much art and subtle ideas, which are not easy to comprehend at such festivals like ESC, where everything has to be simple and catchy. I don't agree that it's an old folk song; in fact, it's the music style of 1930s/1940s in the entire Eastern Europe. Besides, this song has amazing lyrics, check the translation in youtube. Too classy :unsure: Classy in 2008 is Switzerland and Norway not Croatia...this sound should be left in the 1930s :P
March 25, 200817 yr Too classy :unsure: Classy in 2008 is Switzerland and Norway... True, the line "Love can catch you off-guard like bad crimes" reeks of classiness. ;) And, once "Era Stupendo"'s (rather weak) 'beat' kicks in, it (like the true class Croat entry) takes moi back a couple of years. Your reviews have made an interesting read, tho' I disagree on most. :)
March 25, 200817 yr Author :P perhaps the lyrics aren't the best in Norway's song but compared to the joke entries and the sclager its in a league of its own
March 31, 200817 yr Author Netherlands: Hind - Your Heart Belongs To Me Netherlands haven't had much success in a while...their last great result was 4th in 1998 for Edsilia Rombley's Hemel En Aarde...unfortunately Europe didn't appreciate Edsilia's comeback last year anywhere near as much and it failed to make the final. This year's song is by another solo female, Hind, and its quite a good catchy song but won't set the contest alight and probably won't qualify for the final. It sounds quite Eastern European and apart from the UK, Iceland and Ireland, The Netherlands is about as far West as you can get in Europe so it doesn't exactly smack of authenticity. Perhaps they should have sent the Vengaboys! Youtube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJlnclg-JoA Semi-Final Prediction: 17th Final Prediction (if it makes it): 23rd
March 31, 200817 yr Author Turkey: Mor ve Otesi - Deli It's been a good Eurovision decade for Turkey, particularly in 2003 when Sertab gave them their first win. Last year they came 4th with a weird electro pop song and this year they've gone back to rock. This is a different type of rock to the much harder rock that Finland keep sending though, and is the sort of thing you might here on the soundtrack to an American film (if the song wasn't in Turkish). It's not a particularly memorable song or melody though it seems to be quite popular with the bookies...I can't see them finishing top ten in the final again this year... Youtube Link: Semi-Final Prediction: 6th Final Prediction (if it makes it): 14th
March 31, 200817 yr I still reckon we'll seebig things from Turkey! Agreed with th Netherlands though. :(
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