The ESC Insider

Moving on...

2011-11-27T15:10:00.000-06:00

Hi, everyone! A few weeks back, I mentioned that I would be migrating over from Blogspot to Wordpress, and moving to the official ESCInsider.com address. Well, I have officially started on the next chapter of this site, and I hope you'll come with me! So, keep on following my news, views, and interviews on the Eurovision Song Contest, please update your bookmarks to find me at http://escinsider.com/! My Twitter handle (@escinsider) and Facebook page are staying just the way they are, so you can find me there, too. To my loyal readers, thank you so much for coming with me on this journey, and I can't wait for 2012!

Hope to see you there!

-Samantha

(FYR) Macedonia has decided: Kaliopi returns! (Sort of...)

2011-11-20T14:20:00.001-06:00

It sometimes feels like the embers of Dusseldorf 2011 haven't even burned out yet, but it's already been a busy weekend for Baku 2012's plans! In the past few days, we've heard about plans from Belgium, Serbia, and Slovakia (assuming that My.RO signs the contract they're rumored to be working on with RSTV...it's still a bit up in the air over in Bratislava, as per usual). Yesterday, however, we got word that (FYR) Macedonia has made their selection for Azerbaijan: veteran performer Kaliopi.

The 44-year-old Kaliopi has been performing since the age of ten, and has recorded nine studio albums over the past two and a half decades. This isn't her first foray into the world of Eurovision: in 1996, she was selected to represent Macedonia in what was expected to be the nation's debut at the ESC. However, due to the then-rapidly increasing popularity of the contest, there were 30 nations clamoring for one of only 23 spots in the Final. A non-televised pre-final occurred, and seven entries were cut before the public even had the chance to see them. Unfortunately for Kaliopi, "Samo Ti (Only You)" was one of the unlucky ones, and Macedonia didn't fully enter the contest until 1998. Here's a look at what could have been:

Kaliopi continued to flirt with the idea of Eurovision participation, and in 2009 she nearly made it to the stage in Moscow with her collaboration with Naum Petreski, "Rum Dum Dum". However, the song eventually took second place in that year's SkopjeFest, falling behind Next Time's "Nešto što kje ostane".

For the first time since 2004, Macedonian broadcaster MKRTV has decided their candidate internally, and they will hold a small National Final early next year, as opposed to the SkopjeFest system we've seen over the past few years. The last time the network picked their candidate internally, they chose Toše Proeski, arguably one of the biggest stars to ever come out of Macedonia. The nation has never placed in the Top Ten at Eurovision, and they haven't made it out of the Semifinals since 2007. Could Kaliopi break the streak?

Željko Joksimović returns for Serbia

2011-11-19T00:05:00.000-06:00

Only hours after the announcement came in from Belgium about Iris's participation in Baku, Serbian broadcaster RTS surprised Eurofans everywhere by suddenly announcing their plans for ESC 2012. To the delight of many, veteran singer and composer Željko Joksimović will be taking the stage at Baku Crystal Hall (assuming it's built in time, of course). Eurovision followers are most familiar with Željko as the man behind 2004's stirring ethno-ballad "Lane Moje", sung for a then-united Serbia and Montenegro. He might have come in second to Ruslana, but "Lane Moje" still remains a beloved modern classic in the eyes of many.

In 2006, Joksimović composed Hari Mata Hari's "Lejla", which came in third for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Two years later, as the event made its way to Belgrade, Željko not only composed another gorgeous ballad, Jelena Tomasevic's "Oro" (which came in a respectable 6th place for Serbia), but he also co-hosted the event itself! He has released five studio albums, two "best-of" compilations, and a live album, and he's sold out concerts all over the region. He penned 2003's Beovizija winner "Cija Si" for Tose Proeski, and even recorded a duet with 2011's Bosnian representative Dino Merlin, "Supermen". Needless to say, the 39-year old Joksimović has proven himself to be one of the Balkans' most prolific musicians, especially in the world of Eurovision.

For the first time, Serbia will have a completely internal selection, but details on Željko's song are still being hammered out (in fact, he's still composing it!). We should hear the song in full early in 2012. It's still incredibly early to start guessing how Serbia will do this year in the competition, but if Željko ends up winning the whole thing, he will be part of an extremely exclusive cadre of ESC performers who have come in second place, returned to the Contest at a later date, and won (the others being Ireland's Linda Martin and Russia's Dima Bilan).

What are your thoughts on the return of Željko Joksimović?

Belgium has decided: Iris to Baku!

2011-11-18T09:05:00.000-06:00

Fresh on the heels of Wednesday's announcement form Slovakia, we have news from Belgium that Flemish broadcaster VRT has also made their internal selection for Azerbaijan. Sixteen-year-old Iris (also known as Airis, real name Laura van den Bruel) will represent her nation this year, with a song to be determined later (VRT will soon hold an open call for songs, but it is unclear whether this means a second internal selection will occur or a small national final). Iris is managed by SonicAngel, the same group that works with Tom Dice, who sang for Belgium in 2010, bringing the country their best result in years (and the Flemish their best result ever). Will Iris have the same success?

Here's a little taste of what she serves up:

(So, looking over my notes, we've only got three names so far, but two of them are sixteen-year-old brunettes (the other being Ivi Adamou from Cyprus). Quite a contrast if Lys Assia ends up representing Switzerland...)

Slovakia has decided: My.RO to Baku!

2011-11-16T10:46:00.000-06:00

Unlike last year, when we had to wait until February for Slovakia to announce their representative at Eurovision (after months of hemming and hawing about coming to the party at all), today ESC fans got word that RTVS would not only definitely be participating in next year's event, but that they've decided to send Miroslav "Miro" Šmajda and his band My.RO (also known as "Rosemaid") to Baku (according to ESCXtra.com, however, a contract has not officially been signed yet, but the Slovak Head of Press is still confident enough to confirm the news).

Photo: Mirosmajda.sk

In order to save the network money, Miro, the runner-up from 2009's edition of Česko Slovenská Superstar (the Czech and Slovak version of the "Idols" franchise), will be a largely self-funded participant, much like the TWiiNS were last year. There will be no National Final to decide what we'll hear from My.RO; more details on the song will be released soon. Here's one of his more recent singles, "Baby", to hold us over in the meantime:

If "Baby" and his Superstar performances are anything to go by, I'm predicting that My.RO will give us something along the lines of Vukašin Brajić, Vlatko Ilievski, and Next Time...mid-tempo rock with a bit of an early-'90s vibe. Brajić made it into the finals in 2010, but Vlatko and Next Time both fell at the Semifinal level. It's tough to predict at this point without a song in hand (or information on any other participants aside from Cyprus's Ivi Adamou), but being a rocker at heart, I'm looking forward to Miro and My.RO.

(On another side note, similarly-named ventures have had irregular results...Bonaparti.lv made it out of the semifinals and eventually to a 16th place in Helsinki, but Gipsy.cz was Eurovision's last nul-pointer...)

Onwards and Upwards!

2011-11-03T21:52:00.000-05:00

Hey, everyone!

It's been a pretty wild year here at the ESC Insider. As my loyal readers know, I've been working hard to share with you all my unique viewpoint on Eurovision past and present, all with a staff of one and a budget of nil. My first trip (really, for me, a pilgrimage) to a live Contest, getting to hang out in the Press Centre and meet the artists personally...well, life doesn't get much better than that. I hope you've been enjoying what I've been sending your way for these past two years, and I hope to keep it up for you all for a long time to come.

The ESC Insider isn't going to disappear anytime soon, but 2012 will be a year of change for me, and for this site, as well. I'm currently doing a bit of jiggery-pokery on my web presence, and that means I'll probably be migrating to the official www.escinsider.com domain within the next month or so. (No worries, though, as all the content that I've worked on here should come with me!) I'm not an expert in web design, so please bear with me as I make the Insider the best it can be! (If you have any suggestions on how to make it awesome, I'm all ears!)

Believe it or not, that's not even the biggest news from this end of things. As many of you know, I had the pleasure of working with ESCKaz.com in Düsseldorf this year, and I am incredibly indebted to them for giving me the opportunity to work with them in Germany. However, while I truly enjoyed reporting on breaking news and up-to-the-minute updates with Kaz, I've realized that my heart really does lie in more in-depth coverage. Because of that, I am THRILLED to announce that I will be working in tandem with the folks over at ESCInsight.com during next year's event in Baku, Azerbaijan. Fans who followed my goings-on in Germany may have caught a few of the lively morning podcasts that I participated in while I was out there, led by the irrepressible Ewan Spence...looks like I'll be participating in more of them!

In short, during the lead-up to Baku 2012, I'll be contributing to Insight by chipping in a number of articles, while maintaining the lion's share of my news and reviews here on Insider. While in Baku itself, I'll be working hand-in-hand with Ewan, Sharleen Wright, and company in order to bring you the in-depth ESC goodness that you've come to expect from both of our sites (I'll still be contributing to Insider, though, much like I did while I was in Düsseldorf). It'll be like chocolate and peanut butter, or like deep-frying and Mars Bars...two tastes that go even better together!

My first article is already up on Insight...check it out and let me know what you think!

ESC Wish List: France 2012

2011-10-27T23:42:00.001-05:00

Since 2008, France has chosen their Eurovision representatives and songs via an internal selection. Over these past few years, broadcaster France 3 has given us genres ranging from ambient electronica to jazz chanson to afro-dance-pop to operatic bolero, with results generally bouncing around the middle of the scoreboard (often despite expectations or critical acclaim). One thing is for sure: over the past few years, variety has been key. You can't expect France to offer up the same thing twice in a row anymore, which leaves us with the question: what should we expect them to serve up in Baku next year? Well, as a fan with way too much time on her hands during the off-season, allow me to come up with a few suggestions. (Again, as I said when I did this series last year, these are only my opinions, and I do not intend to start any rumors.)

1) Caravan Palace: Following Raphael Gualazzi's surprisingly high result for Italy on 2011's scoreboard, I wouldn't be shocked to see a rise in the usage of jazz or other unexpected genres in future Eurovisions. Continuing on with that trend, might I recommend taking a look at Caravan Palace, an electro-gypsy-swing combo:

They seem to be masters at crafting jazzy earworms that sound both classic and updated at the same time, and any band that can claim both Django Reinhardt and Daft Punk as influences is more than fine with me! It's hard to find music that you can both dance to and chill out with, but this Parisian group has found a nice balance. Plus, considering Baku's surprisingly avid fondness for jazz, this might be an interesting option for France 3 to consider...

2) Julien Doré: I have been a fan of Julien since blogger Perez Hilton featured him on his site a few years ago. The winner of Season 5 of "Nouvelle Star" (the French equivalent of the "Idols" series), Julien is quirky, sexy, and unabashedly talented. Here's his first single, post-"Nouvelle Star" (and. for the record, he's the one dancing in the background, not the one clutching the chicken):

The 29-year old singer from Languedoc-Roussillon has released three albums, including 2011 release "Bichon". In all honesty, I've been unable to get that album's first single, "Kiss Me Forever", out of my head, and his oddly dark and twisted cover of Alizée's "Moi...Lolita" (which he performed on "Nouvelle Star" itself) raises the hairs on the back of my neck in the best possible way. Having Julien representing France would hearken back to the lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek entries of 2007 ("L'Amour à la française") and 2008 ("Divine"): flirting with parody, but without delving into full-on Verka Serduchka territory.

3) Phoenix: Ok, now I know this one is a long shot. One, they're a globally-known act (even in that ever-elusive American crossover market), and Eurovision might be an unexpected step for them. Two, they sing almost exclusively in English, which as we might remember from Sébastien Tellier's "Divine", might have the potential to raise the hackles of many. And finally, they're currently working on the follow-up to their highly successful 2009 album, "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix", so they've got a bit on their minds at the moment. But lead singer Thomas Mars is currently married to Oscar-nominated film director Sophia Coppola...so can you imagine the promotional video we'd potentially have on our hands, people? An upbeat alt-rock smash like "Lizstomania" or "1901" might be just the trick to get France to the top of the leaderboard for the first time since 1977.

(Plus, a participation by Phoenix might raise more interest in the ESC in the United States, a personal hope of mine...a girl can dream, right?)

Who would you like to see for France next year? Let me know in the comments below, on Twitter (@escinsider), or on the ESC Insider's Facebook page; I love to hear from my readers!

Suisse/Schweiz/Svizzera-Mania!

2011-10-23T16:55:00.001-05:00

Switzerland has already kicked off their 2012 National Selection Process, and will be picking their official Eurovision entrant on December 10th (only a week or so after Junior Eurovision wraps up in Yerevan, so there's no time for withdrawal). The country, however, being a land of four official languages, isn't making their selection process a simple one. There are four official pre-Preselections representing German-language radio station DRS3 (who picked three songs via an internal jury), German-language television SF (who will pick six finalists via a 50/50 jury/web vote), French-based station RTS (who will pick 3 songs via an online/jury split vote), and Italian-speaking RSI (who is currently holding a Pre-Pre-Preselection...the public can vote on the two songs that will join five others already selected by an internal jury; only two of those seven will advance to the united Swiss Preselection). Many of these voting windows will be closing over the next few days, so feel free to check them out soon! (Non-Swiss votes are accepted, but the Italian and German polls require registration.)

Nearly 250 songs have been submitted to the four pre-preselections, and it's quite a lot to slog through! Plus, some of the songs have been submitted to more than one selection in the hopes of making it through to the nationwide-rounds. Adding to the confusion is the fact that Switzerland is one of the few places where non-Swiss singers can submit entries, regardless of citizenship, residency, or family history. This year, singers from South Africa, the United States, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Malta, and other nations have submitted entries, hoping to be 2012's answer to Céline Dion.

Are you confused yet? Yeah, me too. In the hopes of clarifying the process, let me point out a few standouts, with a special eye on artists coming from abroad:

Cross-listed in both the French and German selections are a trio of Canadian/Swiss-Canadian standouts: Katherine St-Laurent's "Wrong to Let You Go", Marie-Elaine Thibert & Etienne Drapeau's "Demande-Moi (You Can Ask Me)", and Sosofluo's "Quande je ferme les yeux". Katherine is an alumna of "Canadian Idol", and both Marie-Elaine and Etienne have appeared on Quebec's "Star Académie", so they both have a bit of experience with televised competition under their belts. But there's something about Sosofluo's sweet, genuine nature that really grabbed my attention. She's not as quirky as Lena or Getter Jaani, but not as serious as Anna Rossinelli or Anna Bergendahl...a nice balance, all wrapped up in an accessible, singer-songwritery package.

The largest of the pre-Preselections, sponsored by SF, has attracted quite a lot of attention. In fact, the Grande Dame of Eurovision herself, Lys Assia, has submitted a song written by Ralph Siegel (who has written 19 songs for the ESC, not even counting his preselection entries). "C'etait ma vie (It was my life)" is a wistful counterpoint to "Refrain", the song that she took to victory back in 1956. Considering that Lys is now 85 years old, she looks and sounds pretty great, but is her legacy enough to put her through to Baku?

On the other side of the musical spectrum is American Ultra Naté's "My Love". Fans of '90s house music might recognize her from her hit "Free", or her collaboration with Amber and Jocelyn Henriquez, "If You Could Read My Mind". Some might call this style of dance-pop "dated", but when put next to Lys Assia and Ralph Siegel, you realize that the term "dated" is completely relative! I fully admit, this created a "sing-into-the-hairbrush" moment for me, something that Kati Wolf and Magdalena Tul also inspired. Take that as you will...

Also coming from across the pond is Taryn Murphy, who is better-known as a songwriter for artists like Ani Lorak and Sergey Lazarev. Singing her own composition, "It's Over", Taryn's song reminds me of Safura's "Drip Drop", Nikki Kavanaugh's "Falling", and Maja Keuc's "No One". If you're a fan of this sort of R&B-influenced pop, you might consider sending your votes her way.

South Africa, which is a surprising hotbed of Eurovision fandom, has three artists on the candidate list this year, with one of them, Romanz, being personally touted by the head of OGAE Rest of the World (in all honesty, though, their entry is not my style, and I feel that it's too similar to middling popera entries from past ESCs). My personal favorite by far out of the three, though, is Heinz Winckler's "Who You Really Are". Heinz, the winner of South Africa's first season of "Idol" (and 4th-place in "World Idol"), is no stranger to the Eurovision scene; he also covered Denmark's 2009 entry, "Believe Again", into Afrikaans.

Looking a bit more locally, Zürich-based band Newland's rock track "Believers" caught my attention. It has the "save the world" message that is so prevalent in Eurovision songs, but with a bit more snark and bite. The hook is catchy, and it's easy to find yourself bobbing your head along to it.

I completely recognize that my taste isn't universal, and that there are literally hundreds of other entries this year that might end up in Baku...what are some of your favorites that I might have missed?

Eurovision 2011: The Best of the Rest (Part 8)

2011-10-05T18:23:00.000-05:00

Ok, we're winding down to the end of our country-by-country list of 2011's also-rans: the songs that should-have/would-have/could-have gone to Germany if the people had voted differently/if the juries had taken their bathroom breaks at a different time/if the networks had been bribed by a different record company (just kidding! I think...).

Sweden: As almost any self-respecting Eurovision Fan would know, Sweden's Melodifestivalen is considered one of the biggest events of the National Final calendar. Its position in recent years as the last of the national selections means that it's basically the final stop before the big event in May. It tends to get higher viewership numbers in its homeland than Eurovision itself does, and ESC fans the world over flock to the Globen each year in order to watch the final firsthand. This year's Melodifestivalen certainly did not disappoint, with 32 songs competing over four semifinals and an "Andra Chansen (Second Chance)" round for the chance to redeem Sweden's Eurovision hopes after a tough crash-and-burn last year. As we all know, Eric Saade not only came out on top this year with "Popular", but he gave the Swedes their highest placement on the ESC scoreboard since their victory back in 1999.

Eric faced some stiff competition, however. Danny Saucedo's runner-up "In the Club" got quite a bit of attention. The track ended up as #2 on the Swedish Singles Chart, and Danny even got to read out Sweden's votes this year at Eurovision. (Eric had that honor last year; maybe it's an omen of good things to come for Danny?):

In third place was the impossibly sunny "Oh My God!" by The Moniker (real name: Daniel Karlsson). It's like Daniel stepped off of the Magical Mystery Tour, into a Hare Krishna robe, and started hanging out with the backup singers from "Čaroban". I'll admit, I thought this song was absolutely ridiculous the first time I heard it, but it became an complete earworm, and I'd often randomly sing it with my friends in the Press Center, choreography and all. (I feel incredibly fortunate that no video footage of those moments exist, as far as I can tell...):

I don't think that the event can legally be called a proper "Melodifestivalen" without at least one high-energy, key-changing, big-voiced, hyper-caffeinated, epic schlager-pop assault on the senses, which I normally am not a huge fan of. Imagine my surprise when I found myself falling for Linda Bengtzing's "E det fel på mig (Wrong for me)", which eventually came in 7th place. :

Melodifestivalen this year was full of strong, diverse songs, many of which could have easily made it to the left-hand column of a Eurovision scoreboard. My favorite, however, fell out of contention during the Andra Chansen round: Loreen's "My Heart is Refusing Me":

I can't decide what I like best about this song: Loreen's powerful vocals, the sexy, danceable arrangement, or the fact that her outfit reminds me of my favorite old-school member of the Looney Tunes gang:

Switzerland: Sweden might have had the last of 2011's National Finals, but the Swiss were the first, selecting their song on December 11th, 2010. Anna Rossinelli brought Switzerland to the Finals for the first time since 2006 with "In Love for a While", which brought in the first usage of a bubble machine to the Eurovision stage! Despite her eventual 25th-place result, Anna and the boys performed admirably (and, at the very least, it's a helluva lot better than performing on street corners in Basel, like they used to do).

My personal favorite of the Swiss preselection was the CH's Nashville-tinged "Gib nid uf (Don't Give Up)", the only song of the night performed entirely in Swiss-German. It eventually came in 4th place:

Half in Swiss-German and half in Albanian, 3rd-place finisher Illira and the Colors' "Home" was a beautiful, dramatic ballad that would have been stunning if Eurovision ever brought back a live orchestra:

Finally, I would be amiss if I neglected to mention Sarah Burgess. Sarah, an Ohio native, was a contestant during American Idol's sixth season (the year that gave us Jordin Sparks), but she was cut during Hollywood Week. Never giving up on her goal of making it in the music industry, she took her song "Just Me" to the Swiss National Selection, and may have tried a wee bit too hard to endear herself to the local public...check it out here:

Finally, we're skipping Turkey and the UK's internal selections, leaving us with:

Ukraine: To the shock and surprise of absolutely nobody, the Ukrainian National selection was full of drama. Mika Newton's "Angel" won the ticket to Germany (and she even brought her sandbox with her!). The first heats of the competition took place in October 2010, with semifinals going through December, and culminating with a nineteen-song Final in February. After all of that, Mika's stunning victory (sweeping the online, text, and jury vote) left many people crying foul, including accusations of power-voting (that is, multiple votes coming from a single phone number). When a superfinal was proposed, runner-up Zlata Ognevich and third-place finisher Jamala both bowed out, citing scheduling issues and a lack of confidence in the new voting, respectively. So, after all of that, Mika finally got to go to Germany.

But let's not forget what could have been! Here's Zlata's "The Kukushka", which could have been a worthy successor to Svetlana Loboda's 2009 performance:

And here's Jamala's madcap "Smile":

So, there you have it...a not-so-quick trip through 2011's National Finals. There are literally hundreds of other songs that I didn't cover here; what were your favorites? Let me know in the comments!

Eurovision 2011: The Best of the Rest (Part 7)

2011-10-03T17:22:00.001-05:00

Romania: Romania's National Selection was an hours-long affair that also doubled as a New Year's Celebration, with 2010 representatives Paula Seling and Ovi co-managing hosting duties. Guest stars Chiara and Niamh Kavanagh even stopped by to join in the fun. At the end of the night, Hotel FM won the ticket to Germany with the peppy, optimistic "Change". (British-born lead singer David Bryan provided quite a bit of fun for my friends and I at the Press Center, whether he knew it or not...David, if you're reading this, thanks for being so good-natured about all of it!)

The Romanian National Selection was pretty even-keeled, in the sense that none of the songs really strayed too far from the melodic pop mold. Unfortunately, that means that it's somewhat difficult to point out a unique entry for the purposes of this blog! That being said, I consistently smile whenever I hear "It's So Fine", the 7th-place finisher from the Blaxy Girls:

...and I was more than a little amused by the country tinge I heard from Dalma in "Song for Him", which came in 11th place:

Russia and San Marino both had internal selections for their entries this year, so we move on to:

Serbia: Broadcaster RTS sent the impossibly adorable Nina and her Swinging-60s number "Čaroban (Magical)" to Düsseldorf, and the Belgrade-born Pharmacy student definitely made her mark. In my opinion, the Serbian delegation had the best costumes this year, and anybody who gleefully admits she's a nerd automatically wins points in my book!

RTS put an interesting spin on their National Final this year: they pitted three members of the musical Kovac family against each other (father Kornelije against daughters Aleksandra and Kristina), and challenged each of them to compose a candidate entry. In the end, it was Kristina who won out (getting nearly 15,000 televotes, compared to Aleksandra's 6,000 and Kornelije's 4,000), but let's take a quick peek at what her dad and big sister put together:

Kornelije's entry, "Ring Ring Ring" performed by The Breeze, was another '60s-style number, taking more from the early Beatles than from Edie Sedgwick. However, while "Čaroban" still sounded catchy and fresh, "Ring Ring Ring" seemed oddly stuck in the past:

Aleksandra decided to perform "Idemo dalje (Move On)" herself, and she served up a pretty respectable ballad that wasn't too far removed from the formula that served Marija Serifovic well when she won Eurovision in 2007 with "Molitva":

Slovakia chose their song internally, so we turn our attention to...

Slovenia: After missing out on the Final every year since 2007, Maja Keuc's "No One" was a fantastic return to form for the country that brought us Alenka Gotar and Darja Švajger. Maja was incredibly confident and capable in her performance, and I spent about half of my time in the Press Center wondering where I could buy her boots...

Coming in second place in this year's Slovenian National Selection (or EMA) was "Ladadidej", performed by the Lady Gaga-inspired April. The song was catchy as anything, but I kept getting distracted by the gold-lamé soufflé perched atop her head:

Another entry taking her style cues from the Mother Monster was Tabu, with "Moje Luci (My Light)":

After all of that, though, my personal favorite was Nina Pušlar's "Bilo lepo bi (It would be nice)", a well-crafted pop confection from last year's EMA runner-up:

Spain: This year's Spanish preselection, "Destino: Eurovisión", brought in twenty-four artists and had them performing ESC covers until the group was eventually winnowed down to three. It wasn't until the candidates had been narrowed down to soloist Melissa, boyband Auryn, and eventual winner Lucía Pérez that the audience heard the possible songs for Düsseldorf. Each finalist performed three entries apiece, with a professional jury deciding the best song for each performer. Finally, the top songs were compared against each other, with the public audience deciding the ultimate champion.

Lucía's "Que Me Quiten Lo Bailao" was selected for her by the jury, and eventually won the night, but it was almost not to be. After the jury cast their votes, the song was actually tied with "Abrázame", which Lucía had called out as her favorite of the night, and closer to the style that she tended to sing (and part of the audience vocally agreed with her). However, as the jury had given more top marks to "Que Me Quiten Lo Bailao", the upbeat number was picked. Here's what could have been:

It hasn't been made public who came in second or third (although we know that Lucía won with 68% of the vote that night), but here is Auryn's "Volver (Return)":

...and here's Melissa, performing "Eos":

The next post concludes ESC Insider's National Final series, where we take a peek at Sweden, Switzerland, and the always-dramatic Ukraine!

Eurovision 2011: The Best of the Rest (Part 6)

2011-09-26T21:43:00.002-05:00

The Netherlands: When the 3Js revealed the quintet of songs that would be vying for the ticket to Düsseldorf, in my mind there was no question that "Je Vecht Nooit Alleen/Never Alone" would take the title. (The Dutch audience seemed to feel the same way; the song won with over 63% of the public televote!) If there had to be a substitution, however, my vote would have gone to the upbeat "De Stroom (The Stream)", which was a more than worthy runner-up:

"De Stroom" is no slouch in itself; while "Je Vecht Nooit Alleen" topped the Dutch charts, "De Stroom" charted at a respectable #12 when it was released as a single in June, six months after the National Song Selection.

Norway: Melodi Grand Prix 2011 was a pretty big affair, with 21 songs split up into three semifinals. As we all know, Stella Mwangi's bouncy "Haba Haba" eventually took the crown, only to shockingly crash and burn out of the Semifinals. (Subpar performance or technical errors? You be the judge!) Everyone seemed to have their favorites: fans of traditional Nordic sounds pulled for Helene Bølske's beautiful "Vardlokk", the sentimental among us loved Babel Fish's "Depend on Me", and fans of sweet pop sent their votes to Hanne Sørvaag's "Like a Melody". As for me, my heart is divided in two. The not-so-little part of me that loves danceable pop-rock fell in love with The BlackSheeps' "Dance Tonight"...:

...while the other half of me still sings along to The Lucky Bullets and their rockabilly throwback "Fire Below":

A tough decision, I know. What were your favorites?

Poland: Much like the Dutch National Final, once the Polish candidates were revealed, there was definitely a runaway favorite. Magdalena Tul's "Jestem" might have come in last place during its Eurovision Semifinal, but it won its National Final with 44% of the public televote (which is pretty impressive, considering it beat nine other songs to grab the title). With 22% of the public vote, runner-up Anna Gogola served up the fun, quirky "Ktoś taki jak ty (Someone Like You)":

And if you're looking for something with a little bit more of an edge, there was 8th-place finisher Roan with "Maybe":

Portugal: Homens da Luta's unforgettable 70's-era protest song "A Luta é Alegria" stormed to victory in this year's Festival da Cancão on a wave of public support, getting 12 points from the national televote while the juries only gave them 6. Inversely, runner-up Nuno Norte got the full 12 from the juries, but fell short when the public televote only gave him 5 points, missing out on the tie by the slimmest of margins. (Granted, in the case of a tie, the public vote normally determines the winner, so Homens da Luta still would have gone!) Nuno, the winner of the first season of the Portuguese edition of "Idol", performed "São os barcos de Lisboa (They're the Boats of Lisbon)", a modernized fado:

Grabbing this year's Portuguese bronze medal (and quite a few hearts) was Rui Andrade's dramatic ballad "Em Nome do Amor (In the Name of Love)", which got only five points from the jury, but ten from the televote:

(An interesting point of trivia: if Nuno or Rui had won the ticket to Düsseldorf, they would have been the first male soloists to carry the Portuguese flag since Rui Bandeira in 1999!)

In our next chapter, we'll look at also-rans from Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, and Spain!

Eurovision 2011: The Best of the Rest (Part 5)

2011-09-19T17:15:00.000-05:00

(Pardon the brief hiatus...I just started a new job, and I took a quick trip out to New York to see some family and friends. But now I'm back in full force!)

Lithuania: Evelina Sašenko shocked quite a few people when her dramatic ballad "C'est Ma Vie" qualified for the Finals. (You could have heard a pin drop in the arena when the Lithuanian flag emerged from its little digital envelope the night of its Semifinal!) Without a doubt, this was one of the true surprises of the 2011 Contest.

There were a few other songs from Lithuania that I was hoping to see in Düsseldorf, with some being more guilty pleasures than others. Donny Montell (real name: Donatas Montvydas) has tried many times over the past few years to represent his home nation, and he even had two entries in the National Final this year (including a duet with 2009 representative Sasha Song). Donny's solo entry this year, "Let Me", came in 5th place this year, despite his attempted channeling of Justin Timberlake:

For fans of sweet throwback entries (like Serbia's "Čaroban"), Liepa Mondeikaitė's breezy "Laukiu (I'm Looking Forward)" might have done the trick. This sixth-place finisher was the only song in the finals sung in Lithuanian (and I might be the only one who see this, but I think Kim Cattrall might have a doppelganger in Vilnius...)

(FYR) Macedonia: I had a bit of difficulty following Skopje Fest this year, partially due to a rough connection to the show's stream, and partially because the show was interminably long and drawn-out. When Vlatko Ilievski's "Rusinka" took the crown, I basically shrugged my shoulders and turned to the Slovene selection, which was wrapping up at about the same time.

That being said, there were two other songs that stayed with me after the Macedonian National Final, but for two completely different reasons. This year's runner-up was Martin Srbinovski's "Ram Tam Tam", a danceable, folk-tinged rock number that I immediately fell in love with:

On the other side of the equation, however, was the nul-pointer Rok Agresori's "Kukuriku", which defies all explanation:

Now that I've completely destroyed your faith in humanity, let's move on to:

Malta: Even if you weren't a fan of Glen Vella's "One Life", it was impossible not to get swept up in his absolutely infectious energy. Whether it was him belting out gospel numbers during his press conference, living it up in the Euroclub every night, or his near-constant smile, even when he failed to qualify for the final by the razor-thin margin of a single point. It had been Glen's dream to sing at Eurovision, and his enthusiasm and sheer glee was impossible to resist!

The Maltese national selection was a family affair; runner-up Richard Edwards (here's his "Finally") and eighth-place Wayne Micallef ("Everybody Sing") are brothers, and two-time Eurovision participant Fabrizio Faniello ("No Surrender") went up against his little sister Claudia ("Movie in My Mind"). (Fabrizio came in 4th, Claudia in 9th.) My personal favorite, however, was the big-voiced ballad "If I Could Do It All Again" by Raquela, a song I could easily imagine over the ending credits of some big-budget Hollywood flick:

This 5th-place finisher could have gone toe-to-toe with Austria's Nadine Beiler or Slovenia's Maja Keuc...maybe next year!

Moldova: I've said it before, and I'll probably say it again next year: I love Moldova. They come to the Eurovision Party every year with the intention of having a fabulous time and they generally succeed. Whether they're bringing someone's grandmother, a big comfy sofa, an epic sax, or a unicycle-riding, kushma-wearing fairytale princess (as in the case of this year's "So Lucky" by Zdob şi Zdub), you can't forget them, even if you try.

Keeping in line with the manic, madcap, and exuberant style we're used to seeing from the Moldovans over the past few years, my favorite selection from 2011 was Doiniţa Gherman's "Viaţa (Life)", an energetic turbofolk number that is basically in line with her National Final submissions from 2009 (Hei! Exploadează!) and 2010 ("Meloterapia").

Next up: the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and Portugal!

Eurovision 2011: The Best of the Rest (Part 4)

2011-09-02T17:33:00.004-05:00

Ireland: Like them or not, you simply can not deny that Jedward were an unstoppable force at Eurovision. Even if they didn't take top honors this year with "Lipstick", they were really the talk of the Press Center. From their knee-high Converses to their now-iconic hair, you couldn't resist this year's Irish entry. Even I fell victim to their charms:

But despite the Grimes Brothers' popularity and infectious energy, they only made it to Düsseldorf by the slimmest of margins; only two points separated them from runner-up Nikki Kavanagh's R&B ballad "Falling":

Nikki sang backup for last year's Irish entry, and "Falling" was written by a team that included Jonas Gladnikoff, who was the composer of "Et Cetera" and "It's For You", Ireland's 2009 and 2010 Eurovision submissions. Sadly, Jonas and Co. were unable to pull off the three-peat, but who knows what 2012 will bring?

Israel: Speaking of return performances, Dana International was one of five lead artists coming back to Eurovision this year (the others being Dino Merlin, Lena, Zdob si Zdub, and Gunnar Ólasson). Sadly, she was also the only one of those five to not qualify for the Finals. "Ding Dong" might have not have been the triumphant return Dana might have been hoping for...

For me, there were two other true standouts in this year's Kdam. The first was Chen Aharoni's "Or (Light)", which may have had everything but the kitchen sink thrown into it:

Pretty face? Check. Slow, moving opening? Check. Tempo change? Check. Panflute? Check. Costume change by an unnecessary dancer? Check. A highly entertaining three minutes? Check!

My other favorite from that night had to be Michael and Shimrit Greylsummer's sunny French-Hebrew folk jam "Tu Du Du":

My knowledge of French is pretty rusty, and my Hebrew is even worse (even though I'm pretty sure I hear the words "bottle of rum" and "Bob Dylan" somewhere in there...), but this song never fails to make me smile. It's this perfect blend of Middle Eastern tonal structure, danceable club beats, Rybak violins, and Woodstock joy!

Italy: Ok, so any devoted reader of mine probably knows by now that Raphael Gualazzi's "Madness of Love" claimed the top spot on my own personal 2011 scoreboard, as well as a soft spot in the cockles of my heart. If you haven't read my post-Eurovision interview with Raph yet, by all means, check it out! It's ok, I'll wait.

Raphael was chosen by an internal jury during the San Remo Festival to carry the Tricolore for Italy's return to Eurovision, so we can't really say who would have gone in his place had he refused. That being said, San Remo 2011 was full of fantastic songs that would not have seemed out of place for Eurovision. For example, there was Emma Marrone's stirring collaboration with the rock group Modà, "Arriverá (It Will Come)":

I was also a big fan of Anna Tatangelo's "Bastardo (Bastard)", Nathalie Giannitrapani's "Vivo Sospesa (I Live Suspended)", and Giusi Ferreri's "Il Mare Immenso (The Immense Sea)". I don't know what it is about these dramatic, female-led numbers, but Italy seems to have cornered the market on them. Knowing the quality of the entries at San Remo, and seeing the high benchmark set by Raphael this year, I really can't wait to see what RAI sends us in 2012 (assuming they don't wait another thirteen years...).

Latvia: Hmmm. Compared to the National Finals from Italy and Israel, Latvia doesn't stick out to me as much. It's not that it was a bad preselection by any stretch, it's just that the songs didn't grab me by the heartstrings and eardrums in the same way that the Kdam and San Remo did. That being said, Musiqq's "Angel in Disguise" was a fun number, and possibly my favorite Latvian song since 2005's "The War is Not Over".

Speaking of "The War is not Over", songwriter Mārtiņš Freimanis submitted an entry for this year's National Selection, but passed away about a month before "Hop" could be performed. Unlike Iceland's Sjónni Brink, Freimanis was not going to be performing the song itself (rather, deferring to the group Blitze), but it was still a sudden and tragic loss to the Latvian music community.

"Angel in Disguise" was not the odds-on favorite to go to Düsseldorf; most people were betting on Lauris Reiniks's "Banjo Laura":

"Banjo Laura" is definitely enjoyable, but I do have to say that the line "La-la-la-la-Laura the banjo girl/ Who was she? What did she play?" bothers me to no end. Lauris, you just answered your own question. She's Laura, and she plays the banjo. 'Nuff said, end of story.

In our next installment, I'll pick out the best from Lithuania, Macedonia, Malta, and Moldova...stay tuned!

Eurovision 2011: The Best of the Rest (Part 3)

2011-09-02T00:48:00.000-05:00

Skipping France and their internal selection, next on our list is:

Georgia: Eldrine's "One More Day" was definitely one of the most divisive songs in this year's Eurovision roster. People either adored this nu-metal track or despised it with the passion of a thousand suns. (Lucky for me, I was in the former camp, and relished the moment when Sopho and company held an impromptu acoustic jam session in the Press Center.) Eldrine was my favorite act from the Georgian preselection, even with their previous lead singer Tako Vadachkoria, but my second favorite had to be Temo Sajaia, who performed "Jarisk'atsis Simghera (Soldier's Song)":

Temo's stage presence might have been a bit dry, but considering that there was a span of about three months to give his presentation a bit more "oomph", it could have been a pleasant surprise. Plus, none of the nation's entries have ever been sung in Georgian, nor have any entries been performed exclusively by a male vocalist. It took me until moderately recently to find an English translation for "Jarisk'atsis Simghera", but it actually has a pretty strong nationalistic bent, with lyrics like "We believe in Georgian immortals/ In the hopes in your eyes and/ We believe in happiness, in beauty/ In no surrender and in victory". It's maybe a bit more subtle than "I Love Belarus", but not quite as easy to sing along with...

Germany: With 79% of the final vote during "Unser Song für Deutschland", there was no doubt that "Taken By a Stranger" would be the song that Lena would use to defend her Eurovision title. Compared to the eleven other songs in contention, it was truly a standout, both in style and in quality. While most of the also-rans (all available on Lena's second album, "Good News") seemed to be a general continuation of the bubbly and youthful motif we all saw in "Satellite", "TBaS" seemed to be more of an evolution in who Lena Meyer-Landrut is, both as an artist and as a person. I know a lot of people were fans of runner-up "Push Forward", but for me, my second favorite was the sweetly simple "Maybe", which was actually written by the same team (Daniel Schaub & Pär Lammers):

I was also a fan of the big, brassy "Mama Told Me", which had Stefan Raab's signature style written all over it (probably because he co-wrote the song with Lena herself).

Greece: Most devoted Eurovison fans were slightly bewildered when Loukas Giorkas and Stereo Mike's rap/laiko fusion number "Watch My Dance" was pulled out of the envelope during the Greek National Final. It even took me a while to warm up to it (although actually hanging out with Mike, Loukas, and the rest of the delegation from ERT, as well as seeing how epic the final staging turned out to be...by the time the semifinals rolled around, I was beginning to really enjoy this one). Most people had tipped the Canadian-born X-Factor alumna Nikki Ponte to take the night with her song "I Don't Wanna Dance":

Looking beyond the two front-runners in this competition, I was also a fan of the bouncy "Hamogela (Smile)" by Trimitonio:

Hungary picked their song internally, so we move on to:

Iceland: By now, we all know about the tragic story behind Sjónni's Friends and the song "Coming Home". The six gentlemen on stage (as well as Sjónni's wife Thorunn) were fixtures in the Press Center and Euroclub, and they were truly some of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet. Their voices were heard harmonizing so often, you could nearly set your watch by it, and I proudly waved the Icelandic flag during the First Semifinal. This song became such an integral part of my experience in Düsseldorf that it almost feels like a betrayal to even consider that another tune could have been in its place. But there were, in fact, fourteen other entries in the running to represent Iceland this year, including fan favorite "Nótt (Night)" by 2009 runner-up Yohanna. My other personal favorites, however, were Magni Ásgeirsson's "Ég trúi á betra líf (I want a better life)" and Jógvan Hansen's "Ég lofa (I promise)":

Coming up next time: Ireland, Israel, Italy, and Latvia!

Eurovision 2011: The Best of the Rest (Part 2)

2011-08-26T18:06:00.002-05:00

Continuing on through our tour of the 2011 Preselections, we move straight on from Bulgaria to...

Croatia: Few people who were in the Press Center in Düsseldorf will soon be able to forget Daria Kinzer's "Celebrate", complete with two costume changes and a special appearance by a creepy Willy Wonka impersonator. But only the most hardcore of ESC fans remembers that the lovely Daria had some serious competition in this year's Dora: Jacques Houdek. Daria and Jacques went head-to-head on three songs, with a public televote and jury vote selecting the best option for each singer. The interesting thing about this, however, was that the scores were tied after the jury and televote was added together during the song selection, with the public favoring "Stotinama Godina (A Hundred Years)" for both Daria and Jacques (by a landslide), and the jury selecting "Lahor/Break a Leg/Celebrate" for the two. Most national finals used the public vote as the prevailing factor, but Croatia deferred to the jury. The uptempo number seemed better-suited for the lovely Daria, and so Jacques' fate as runner-up was sealed. But we were tantalizingly close to having this, instead:

"Stotinama Godina" reminds me of the classic Croatian ballads of years past: songs like "Neka Mi Ne Svane", or "Nek' ti bude ljubav sva" (which, interestingly enough, Jacques performed during the national selection process). It's hard to say if this would have made it into the Final (I'm sure that some would have argued that it sounded "dated"), but I personally preferred it to "Celebrate". As for Jacques, I wouldn't count him out. In a commercial for this year's UK version of "X-Factor", eagle-eyed viewers can catch a quick glimpse of Houdek auditioning for the show that introduced the world to Jedward. Brace yourselves, my friends.
Skipping Cyprus, which chose its song internally, we move on to:

Denmark: "New Tomorrow" by A Friend in London brought the Danes their second consecutive Top Five placement, and may have given Jedward and Poli Genova a bit of competition in the "Best Spiky Blonde Hair" category this year. But the runner-up at this year's Dansk Melodi Grand Prix was no slouch, either.

Anne Noa's "Sleepless" felt like a breezy blend of Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez, and could have easily been a worthy follow-up to the youthful puppy-love of Lena's "Satellite".

Estonia: Once again, some of the best songs this year came to us from Eestilaul, and it's really tough to pinpoint an absolute favorite. Getter Jaani's "Rockefeller Street" was a fun, bouncy, vaguely surrealistic number that people in the press center either lauded or loathed, but there were definitely a handful of songs that could have gone to Germany in its place. Fans of "Oida Taunz!" might have gone for the Argentinian-born Elmayonesa's "Kes Ei Tantsi On Politsei (Whoever Doesn't Dance is a Policeman)", while on the opposite side of the musical spectrum, we have Marilyn Jurman's sweet "Veel on Aega (There is Still Time)". This year's runner-up, "I Wanna Meet Bob Dylan" by Outloudz, is a wonderfully wistful track that I am predisposed to love (both as a resident of Dylan's home state of Minnesota as well as a fan of 80's-style New Wave), but my personal favorite still remains 2011's fifth-place finisher, Ithaka Maria's "Hopa'pa-Rei!":

How can you argue with those cellos, that attitude...that YODEL? It's exceedingly difficult to not sing in English at Eurovision, yet still have everybody singing along with your hook (just ask Magdalena Tul)...but I'm pretty sure that Ithaka Maria would have had Ruslana fans (and many others, for that matter) absolutely eating out of her hand.

Finland: Paradise Oskar may have "Da Da Dam"ed his way to Düsseldorf, but he had to defeat a fairytale princess and a former monster to get to the top of the heap. Finland's runner-up this year was Saara Aalto's saccharine-sweet "Blessed with Love" (if Eurovision's rules had allowed animals on stage, I'm pretty sure we would have seen Bambi, Thumper, and Tweety Bird singing backup...but then again, with the LED screen, I'm sure anything would have been possible). If sweetness isn't quite your thing, how about the glam-rock of Stala and So.'s "Pamela"?

Lead singer Sampsa Astala is the former drummer for Lordi, who famously took the Eurovision crown to Finland for the first time back in 2006.

Next up: Georgia, Germany, Greece, and Iceland!

Eurovision 2011: The Best of the Rest (Part 1)

2011-08-24T17:13:00.000-05:00

Like many Eurovision fans and fanatics (myself included), the period between the end of May and the beginning of December is often a melancholy bit of time while we wait for news on the next year's edition and constantly re-hash the events of the past. For me, this is the perfect time to look back on the songs that didn't quite make it to Düsseldorf this year; some of these also-rans are just as entertaining or endearing as the tunes that made the journey to the main event. Out of the forty-three nations that sent songs to Germany this year, thirty-four of them had national selections (and the rest, like France, Belarus, Turkey, et cetera, were internal selections made behind closed doors). Needless to say, there's a lot of ground to cover! So, starting alphabetically...

Albania: For me, the Albanian Preselection (or Festivali i Këngës) is one of the more underrated events of the Eurovision year. It occurs early in the ESC cycle (generally falling around Boxing Day), and it tends to involve both young, fresh faces as well as veteran performers. This year's FiK winner was Aurela Gaçe's "Kënga Ime", which eventually became the epic, aquiline "Feel the Passion". However, in second place this year was the lovely duet "Ende ka shpresë (There is Still Hope)", written and performed by Alban Skenderaj and Miriam Cani.

I don't know if this song would have been translated into English (as so many other Albanian entries have been over the past few years), but if it had, it could have possibly given Azerbaijan's Ell and Nikki a run for their money.

(And, for the record, another personal favorite of mine was Kamela Islamaj's "Jetova per te dy (I Lived for Us)", which came in 10th place in the FiK. While it might not have gone over as well in the ESC as "Ende ka shpresë", I absolutely love Kamela's soulful, bluesy, voice.)

Armenia: The Armenians had decided internally that they'd be sending Emmy, the runner-up from last year's National Selection. Giving the public the choice of four songs, they ended up sending "Boom Boom", which hovered near the bottom of my own personal list this year. The three other options were the uptempo "Hi", the melancholy "Goodbye", and, my personal favorite, runner-up "Ayo":

I just hope that Armenia, if they participate in the ESC next year, decide to go for a broader, multi-artist National Selection...

Austria: This was the first year since 2007 that ORF decided to send a song to Eurovision, and Nadine Beiler's "The Secret is Love" was a fantastic return to form. With her asymmetrical hair, Swarovski-encrusted dress, and consummate professionalism, Nadine was a true joy to watch. She was the epitome of class, sweetness, and style.

The runner up in the Austrian National Selection, however, might have been the polar opposite of Nadine, but that doesn't mean I love it any less! Behold, the wonder and glory of...Trackshittaz!

"Oida Taunz!" would have been either an absolute smash in the Esprit Arena or it would have fallen flat on its face. But wouldn't it have been absolutely amazing to have seen this performed next to Lithuania's "C'est Ma Vie" or France's "Sognu"?

Azerbaijan and Belarus both used internal selections to pick their songs, so we move straight on to...

Belgium: Acapella group Witloof Bay nearly made it into the final with "With Love Baby", but my favorite entry from their national final was, by far, Alexandre Deschamps' "Elle Merveille (She Wonders)":

The tune is sweet, the lyrics thought-provoking, and considering the fact that the only French we heard in 2011 was from Lithuania, this would have been a refreshing change. I could easily imagine myself listening to this while sitting out on a patio on a sunny spring afternoon, lazily sipping cafe au lait. Can't say that about Trackshittaz, that's for sure...

Skipping Bosnia and Herzegovina, we move on to...

Bulgaria: Nothing could have topped Poli Genova's "Na Inat (Defiance)" in my eyes. She was sweet, spunky, and had a fantastic voice! For me, there was no question that "Na Inat" was the best of the Bulgarian National Final, but if someone twisted my arm and made me pick a second choice, I'd probably have to pick Lazar Kislov's slinky, sexy "Zamestitel (Substitute)".

Barring that, you can't deny the off-the-wall insanity of Milena Slavova's "Fire in My Hair", which came in second place this year. Fire dancers AND sumo wrestlers? Will wonders never cease?

More to come...

Ivi Adamou picked for Cyprus

2011-08-06T01:46:00.000-05:00

I don't know about all of you, but I'm still recovering from my post-Eurovision funk. Coming down from the high that Düsseldorf provided is an arduous process, especially considering that ESC news goes so suddenly from a fire-hose to a trickle after the main event. We've seen an occasional follow-up single (as I've highlighted in a few past entries), some speculation about who's in and who's out (still no confirmation on Armenia, as of right now, and it seems that both Morocco and the Czech Republic are still out for the moment), and fanciful rumors about our hosts in Azerbaijan (will a new venue be constructed in eight months, or will people just wise up and put a roof on the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium?), but little concrete news has been confirmed.

Until now, that is!

CyBC, the broadcaster from the island nation of Cyprus, has not only confirmed the country's participation, but they've also given us our first official name for the event in Baku: 17-year-old "X-Factor" alumna Ivi Adamou. (And yes, that's the same series that brought us 2011 participants Loukas Giorkas, Kati Wolf, and Jedward, so take that as you will.) Since Ivi's appearances on the show back in 2009 and 2010, she has released 2 EPs, a full-length album and a handful of singles. Here is a link to one of her more popular hits, "Sose Me (Save Me)", and the video to her first single, "A*G*A*P*I (L*O*V*E)":

More details are still to come from Cyprus, but it seems that a small National Final will be held around the New Year, with Ivi performing somewhere between three and five songs.

And for those of you who might be surprised that news is already coming in, just remember that the Netherlands confirmed the participation of the 3Js back in mid-July of 2010, and we knew Cyprus's plans this early, as well. So much for post-ESC Withdrawal! Once more unto the breach, dear friends...

Follow Up Single Time, Part 3

2011-07-13T18:23:00.000-05:00

Over the past few weeks, we've seen a whole bunch of new and recent releases from all over the Eurovision world. Let's see what we've got...

One of the more highly-anticipated songs from the post-Düsseldorf boom comes, of course, from the irrepressible Jedward. The Irish twins, who are planning on releasing their new album, "Victory", in August, have already gone to the top of the Irish Charts with their new single, "Bad Behaviour". Featuring Hollywood blogger Perez Hilton (who, incidentally, happens to be the namesake of the Grimes Brothers' parrot...), both the song and accompanying video keeps the high-energy, frenetic pop vibe of "Lipstick" going strong. The pair are currently touring the UK, Ireland, and Germany.

Jedward - Bad Behaviour (Official Music Video) HQ from xeaaasy on Vimeo.

San Marino's Senit has also released her next track, entitled "Through the Rain". At this point, however, it is only available through the Italian version of iTunes. This upbeat, danceable track seems to be more in line with Senit's previous releases than the sweet, subtle "Stand By", and it even clocks in at less than the Eurovision-standard three minute mark. Could this have been the mysterious other track that SMRTV had considered sending to Eurovision?

Following "Rusinka", (FYR) Macedonia's Vlatko Ilievski has just released his next video, for "Moja Tamna Rijeko". Call me crazy, but I prefer this softer side of Vlatko over the man we saw in Germany. It might not be as catchy as "Rusinka", but at least we can hear him singing this time around! What are your thoughts?

Last, but certainly not least, Finland's Paradise Oskar (Axel Ehnström) has released his second single, "Sunday Everyday".

Axel took home the Marcel Bezençon Press Award from the accredited journalists in Düsseldorf after his performance of "Da Da Dam", and if you were a fan of his sweet, introspective, acoustic-driven style, his album "Sunday Songs" might be just your speed. It's hit the Top Five in the Finnish charts, and he's touring actively throughout the summer.

Catching up with Raphael Gualazzi

2011-06-27T12:48:00.004-05:00

During my time at the Press Center in Düsseldorf this year, I had the great (and often surreal) pleasure to get to know a number of 2011’s Eurovision performers. I sipped tea with the Greeks, chatted with the Icelanders, danced with the Armenians, practiced my Portuguese with Homens da Luta, and raised a few toasts with the Bulgarians. However, one of my favorite artists to work with was Italy’s Raphael Gualazzi. After having the chance to interview him for ESCKaz, we would often run into each other as he went from rehearsals to press conferences to interviews and back again, always sharing a quick smile and a “ciao”. I sat in the second row during Raphael’s intimate showcase at “Jazz in der Alten Schmeide”, and saw firsthand how much he and his bandmates truly feel their music, a fantastic, soulful blend of old-school stride piano fused with modern blues, funk, and jazz. When “Madness of Love” defied expectations and quietly climbed up the leaderboard on May 14^th, ultimately making its way into a surprising (to some, anyway) second place finish, I may have been celebrating louder than the Italian delegation itself. I had the chance to catch up with Raphael this week before his gig at the Teatro Tenda in Vascon, near Treviso. Despite an often-fuzzy cell phone connection, I was able to get a few questions in.

ESC Insider: It’s been over a month since we’ve last talked…how has life been since Düsseldorf?

Raphael Gualazzi: Well, we were very busy before [Eurovision]…a lot of gigs around Europe. And now, after that, we are in a lot of different countries, so a lot of work on promotion. And at the same time a lot of concerts around Europe, like Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, France, Germany, all around. You can check [the tour schedule] out on the Internet, for sure. Also, there’s been some television in Munich, Hamburg, and Berlin, and we’ll have also a tour in October, from the 1^st to the 15^th in Germany that will start in Stuttgart, through Berlin, Hamburg, and it will stop in Frankfurt on the 15^th. And now, I’m just doing a lot of work, touring around festivals in France…

EI: So, is there any possibility of you coming over to this side of the Atlantic?

RG: I really would like that! We’re just building our way, and probably, I hope, soon…I think we will!

EI: It sounds like you’ve been so busy since Eurovision…well, really, since Sanremo! Have you taken any time to take a deep breath and relax? When you take time off, what do you do?

RG: Well, I’ve had not so much time and, you know, I like to compose, so I ask to bring in a piano to the hotel room, so I can practice or write down something…

EI: Thinking about the Eurovision experience itself: out of twenty-five songs in the Final, you came in second place, and the Jury put you in first. The huge scale of it: the arena held over 30,000, and the night of the final had over 70 million people watching. Has it sunk in, how huge of an experience it was? When you look back on it, what do you think?

RG: Well, I think it was amazing…I’ve never believed in competition, but I think it was a great occasion to be in front of so many people and viewers. Just three minutes to express yourself. We worked very hard…weeks just for three minutes in front of so, so, many, many, many people. And I just said to myself, ‘I just have to do my best for my music, and be thankful for the possibility to express myself in front of so many people.’ For three minutes, I had the possibility to bring back Jazz to its full popularity. That’s what I think I did! People around me were nervous…‘oh, we are in first, second, third’. I didn’t really care; I just had a glass of wine! For me, it was a game…the same atmosphere you can have with your parents after dinner in Italy, around the table when you play Tombola or Bingo or something like that. [laughs]

EI: You were at Eurovision for a little bit over a week. What was your favorite memory from your time in Düsseldorf?

RG: Well, the memory of joy from seeing people from different countries joining together and making music. I know that with popular music, you get different kinds…but to see more than forty countries just joining together…you see how much power can be with music. I don’t believe in contests, but it can help people meet and cooperate with each other, like I did with the 3Js and some other people. But it’s great, the most important thing!

EI: You mention working with the 3Js [2011’s representatives from The Netherlands]. I read on another website that you’re planning another collaboration with them; is this true?

RG: Well, why not? I have no official news on that, partially because I’m so taken up by my work, I cannot say. I have some things to talk about with my label, but I think so! I think we’ll have some gigs together. I don’t know what’s going on, but if I have some news, for sure I will communicate with you.

EI: Is there anything you would change about your experience [at Eurovision]?

RG: At the moment, about this experience in Germany, I wouldn’t change anything! I was that everything was perfectly set and perfectly organized. It was amazing…it’s certainly not so easy to work with so many people and their delegations, so I think that it was great. It was all very good, and I wouldn’t change anything.

EI: Now, when you came from the Sanremo Festival and were selected to go to Eurovision, you didn’t know very much about the competition. It’s not very well known in Italy, and even this year, only about a million viewers watched the Final. But now, with the possibility of Italy taking part more often in Eurovision, what advice would you give other Italian singers and songwriters about your experience?

RG: What I can tell is, for sure, that we didn’t take this opportunity, and we didn’t have this choice for so many years, that many people probably, a little bit, forgot about it. Today, one of the questions that people often ask me is ‘how many people waited for you at the airport [when you came back from Düsseldorf]?’ And the answer is ‘nobody’! Very few people…they really follow Sanremo, so [Eurovision] is not so popular….I can say to the Italian people that the Eurovision Song Contest is a contest of pop songs, but it’s very good experience. First of all, it gives you the possibility to express yourself in front of an amazing audience of viewers, and an amazing audience live. At the same time, it’s an important occasion of collaboration. I always say, like that song…[singing] ‘Always look on the bright side of life!’ [laughs] Like that, you know? So big of an experience…people really need to know that. If you have the possibility…it’s part of our business. It’s a great occasion to…bring your music to so many. It’s three minutes of magic.

Since the release of his album “Reality and Fantasy”, Raphael has topped the iTunes Jazz charts all over Europe, and has even made an impact on that chart’s Australian counterpart. He’s touring all over Europe, booked almost solid at least until November, selling out venues from Berlin to Strasbourg to Rome and back again. (For fans on the other side of the Atlantic, however, patience might have to be a virtue. Raphael did, however, express a definite interest in coming to the US for a few dates, especially considering his successful performance at the “History and Mystery of Jazz” festival in New Hampshire and Vermont back in 2009.)

Some might think that such success, even in a niche market like the world of Jazz (or, for that matter, the world of Eurovision), might go to a man’s head. But when Raphael and his delegation returned to the Press Center after the Final, with dozens of people crowding around the newly-minted silver medalist, the soft-spoken pianist from Urbino with the old soul and boyish smile took the camera flashes and sudden attention with the same quiet humility that he showed on the stage at Sanremo only a few brief months earlier. For Raphael, it has always been about the music, not the fame or the spectacle. At one point, when a small group of volunteers asked him for a photo, he quietly took their camera and pointed it at the four young women, seemingly unaware that they wanted him to be in the photo, as well. After I took the camera from Raphael and snapped a group shot for his giggling group of fans, I gently reminded him that yes, he was the celebrity here.

(MAJOR thanks go out to Raphael and his team at Sugar Music, including his manager Francesco Pasquero, for their help in getting this interview arranged. Grazie mille, ragazzi!)

Follow Up Single Time, Part 2

2011-06-20T18:12:00.002-05:00

As the weeks progress, more of Eurovision's Class of 2011 are continuing on with their careers and releasing their next singles.

Bosnia and Herzegovina's Dino Merlin has followed up his 6th-place finish in Germany with his new single, "Undo". Despite the title, the song is in Bosnian, unlike his ESC-entry "Love in Rewind". Dino is actively touring this summer, and will likely release his next album in early 2012.

Albania's preeminent diva, Aurela Gaçe, has collaborated with local rapper MC Kresha to bring the world their new single, "Cash". It might not harness Aurela's epic vocal prowess in the same way that "Kënga Ime/Feel the Passion" did in Düsseldorf, but it's still a fun listen, and any video that has echoes of "Tron" gets a thumbs-up in my book:

Norway's Stella Mwangi, who shockingly missed out on this year's Final with the peppy, Afro-inspired "Haba Haba", has picked herself up, dusted herself off, and is continuing on with her career. She released her new album, "Kinanda", on June 10th, and has already released the video of "Haba Haba"'s follow-up, "Lookie Lookie":

Finally (for now, at least), 2011's Dutch representatives 3Js have also released a new single in the past few days (although sharp-eared Eurofans will recognize "De Stroom" as the runner-up in this year's National Selection).

Jury vs. Televote...the Saga Continues

2011-06-09T15:27:00.000-05:00

There’s been a lot of chatter from fans (both casual and obsessed) about the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of a 50% Jury, 50% Televote split at Eurovision. Call me crazy, but I actually kind of prefer having the two sides. A jury might be less inclined to vote for a song based on geographical or cultural distribution, while a public vote might be a better divining rod of what’s actually popular. Juries also have the benefit of having a few hours to digest their thoughts and register their votes, while televoters have a smaller window to decide where to spend their hard-earned cell-phone minutes. (Granted, until the full votes from each nation are released by the EBU or by the broadcasters themselves, this is a lot of speculation.)

What *does* bother me a bit, however, is the fact that the juries and the public vote on two different performances. The Juries give their scores based on the final dress rehearsal from the night before the actual event. As many have said over the past few weeks, Blue's vocals simply didn't do the song justice during the Jury Final (which pains me to say, since I loved both the song and the boys themselves, as my readers knew).

I think it all boils down to what makes a Eurovision Winner the "best" song. Is it the composition? The showmanship? The personality? The actual vocal performance? The potential for a song to become a commercial hit? The public will look for one thing, while the juries might look for something else. When it comes to actual musical talent, I sincerely think that the juries got it right when they favored Italy. In terms of showmanship, the Azeris put on a great performance that was visually stunning (with a bit of eye candy for all). Was "Running Scared" my personal choice or prediction for the winner? Not by a long shot. After watching the semifinals and a slew of rehearsals, I was hoping for Rome, Reykjavík, Copenhagen, Athens, Sarajevo, or Tblisi, and I predicted it would go to London, Dublin, Paris, or even Belgrade. But even though “Running Scared” wasn’t my personal taste, I can sit back and understand how it took the crown. Düsseldorf was full of impressive songs and performances, and when enthusiasm is spread out over a number of different nations (a total of 20 nations out of 25 ended up with at least one “douze points”, with only Estonia, Russia, Switzerland, Germany, and Serbia missing out), an entry can easily fly under the radar and take a victory.

It’s possible to go on about this topic for pages and pages, and you might never come up with a true consensus of how to find an ideal winner. My friend John Kennedy O’Connor wrote a really in-depth and incisive piece on this topic for ESCInsight.com, and I recommend that you all check it out, if you haven't already.

Ok, everybody...let the (hopefully civil) debate begin! What would you like to see, in terms of the voting?

Follow Up Single Time!

2011-06-03T23:15:00.001-05:00

As is customary in the days following Eurovision, many of the artists that we have come to know and love from their participation on the ESC stage realize that there is, in fact, life after the world's largest musical competition. (Granted, the same can't necessarily be said about the bloggers you have come to know and love, who still cling to every fiber of their time in the Press Center!). Whether an artist is a newcomer on the scene or a professional with an established career, it's only natural that new singles follow on the heels of the Grand Final.

Italy's representative Raphael Gualazzi released his album "Reality and Fantasy", and since its release in February it has reached #1 on the iTunes Jazz charts all over Europe. (It's also available on iTunes in the US, and I give it my personal ESCInsider seal of approval!) Raphael's keeping the momentum up releasing the follow-up single to "Follia d'Amore/Madness of Love", "A Three Second Breath".

We also have a pair of releases from Greece's artists. Rapper Stereo Mike is currently working on a radio edit for his song "Μπορώ/Mporo (I)". Taken from his new album "Ανέλιξη (Evolution)", Mike actually decided to release "Μπορώ" after asking his Facebook and Twitter followers what his next single should be. He's currently in the studio remixing the track, but here's the full album edit:

Not to be outdone, Loukas Yiorkas also has a new single out. Teaming up again with composer Giannis Christodoulopoulos and lyricist Eleana Vrachali (the pair behind "Watch My Dance"), Loukas has unveiled his next track, "Για Πρώτη Φορά/Gia Proti Fora (For the First Time)".

Sweden's bronze-medalist Eric Saade has released the follow up to "Popular", the highest-scoring Swedish Eurovision song since their 1999 victory. Eric will be releasing his new album, "Saade Vol. 1" at the end of June, but "Hearts in the Air" will actually be the album's third single, after "Still Loving It" and, of course, "Popular".

Romania's Hotel FM (led by British-born David Bryan) has released their next track, following "Change". I had the chance to hear a brief acapella version of "The Gathering" while I interviewed the guys back in Düsseldorf, so hearing the full arrangement was pretty cool. Judge for yourself:

Finally, Estonia's Getter Jaani has released a new duet with Koit Toome (a fellow ESC-alum, from 1998). "Valged Ööd (White Nights)" is a poppy summer song that seems to be a seamless continuation from "Rockefeller Street". Getter's only eighteen years old, and when she was appearing on Eesti otsib superstaari, she performed a pair of songs by Miley Cyrus, so this sort of upbeat pop seems to be just her thing.

::Drumroll please?::

2011-05-14T18:54:00.000-05:00

And the winner is...Azerbaijan?!?!?

It's not a bad song by any stretch, but in my opinion, it benefited from a pretty good draw and the fact that Turkey wasn't competing in the Final that night. It's too early to tell if I'm going to Baku next year or not; I might need a few days to decompress! (Lucky for me, I fly to Israel tomorrow to board a cruise with my parents! If you don't hear much from me over the next few days, that's why!)

On the happier side of the coin, I'm absolutely THRILLED that Italy's Raphael Gualazzi came in an incredibly respectable runner-up position. It wasn't because of the fact that Eurovision fans missed Italy, and it wasn't because of some hyped-up production...I like to think that it was because the music was real, heartfelt, and well-performed. I've met with Raphael a few times over these past two weeks, and, bar none, nobody else that I had met with here in Germany feels the music running through his veins as much as he does. If someone asks him to sing acapella, he closes his eyes and moves his fingers as if a piano were in front of him. He's fantastic, and he has an amazing career ahead of him.

Sweden came in 3rd, which is a pretty remarkable contrast from the train-wreck that his first few rehearsals displayed. Early fan favorites Hungary and Estonia came in 22nd and 24th, respectively, and Jedward beat Blue in the scoreboard.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm exhausted, and I've got an early flight to catch. My voice is gone, and my feet hurt from the three-inch stilettos I'm rocking tonight. But I've never been happier.

I'll catch you guys soon!

Personal Highlights from these past 2 weeks

2011-05-14T12:39:00.000-05:00

Well, like I've mentioned before, tonight's the Grand Final of the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest. For the past two weeks or so, I've had the honor and the pleasure of writing not only for ESCInsider, but also for ESCKaz.com, the official website of the OGAE Rest of the World fan club. My work with ESCKaz (and the press accreditation that comes with it) has afforded me the incredible opportunity to meet equally incredible people, from the fraternity of journalists here to the hardworking volunteers to the EBU staffers to the delegations and artists themselves. I cannot express my gratitude deeply enough to the ESCKaz team for not only giving me the chance to work with them, but also taking me under their wing and helping me learn on the fly as I was tossed into the Deep End of the Eurovision world.

I had the chance to interview 20 of this year's artists, and I got to meet nearly all of the performers either at the Euroclub or one of the myriad other events here over the past few weeks. I got particularly close to the Icelandic delegation, the Greeks, Raphael Gualazzi from Italy, Finland's Paradise Oskar, and the Sanmarinese staff. Even the biggest divas here were sweet and welcoming; Albania's Aurela Gaçe always greeted me as we passed each other in the hall (especially after I told her that I was from New Jersey).

As I've previously said, this entire experience has made me reevaluate the entire notion of "fame" and "celebrity". I've witnessed quiet moments of coffee-sipping, flirtation, personal breakdowns, musical jam sessions, and the panic of realizing that one is about to perform in front of 150 million people, not to mention YouTube clips ad infinitum. Celebrities are people, too, my friends. Treat them with respect (especially the newcomers on the scene).

I'm also still amused by the obsession with collecting the delegations' promotional CDs. I will happily accept the swag and goodies from countries that I either have a relationship with or enjoy the song of, but I'm not going to step over my own mother in order to get the promo material from Kreplachistan if I think the song is abysmal. (That being said, the prize for the BEST promotional swag has to go, hands down, to the Georgian delegation, who provided selected members of the press corps with magnets, notebooks, pens, locally-produced teas, silk scarves, and even bottles of Georgian wine!)

Other things I have learned:
1) You catch more flies (and interviews) with honey than with vinegar. By going out and simply being polite to the volunteers, heads of press, and other staffers here, one can make significantly more headway towards where you want to go than by going in charging like a bull in a china shop and making demands from the higher-ups. The delegations don't owe you anything.

2) Be more in charge of your own accommodation arrangements. I left my housing to my colleagues in the OGAE Rest of the World. While the housing was inexpensive and in a very safe location, I didn't know until I arrived how distant my apartment would be from where the rest of the action was. It took me nearly an hour every day to get to the Arena via public transportation, and the buses stopped running too early, meaning that I had to pay for a taxi home nearly every night, upping my daily incidentals by about 25 Euros per night. Also, while my housemates were lovely people, I was the youngest of the four of us, and the only one who wanted to go out often and enjoy what the city had to offer. Because of that dynamic, I feel like I've missed out a bit.

3) Never say "No", and break down your own barriers. I've been overwhelmed, stressed, and crazed at times, but I've never turned down an opportunity to shake a hand, do an interview, or smile for a random camera. I'm also pretty shy by my nature, but I've overcome my own fears and put myself out there. I don't really like the way I look on camera or in audio recordings, but I recorded a handful of podcasts for ESC Insight and have been interviewed for Belarussian television. I've felt my knees shaking as I got up to ask questions to Jedward, but I ended up creating a great moment (but, then again, with Jedward, aren't they all?). I often hate sitting alone, but I went on my own to Raphael Gualazzi's showcase and it might have been the highlight of my time here. I've made some great friends by keeping myself open-minded, and who knows where those connections will lead?

4) Enjoy every second. There are about 2,500 accredited journalists here at the Press Center, and the vast majority of them are screaming Eurovision fanboys and fangirls. We stress out, we freak out, we explode, but we love every moment. The arguments, the punditry, the debates...we live for this. We're all hopelessly addicted, and we do this out of love. Eurovision is our Summer Camp, our Prom, and our Bar Mitzvahs all rolled into one yearly event. Veterans see old friends and make new ones year after year...often times, the question asked isn't "who do you want to win?", but rather "where would you like to meet up next year?". (That's one of many reasons I'm hoping Iceland takes it...direct flights from Minneapolis to Keflavik!)

What else can I say? I'm sure I'll have quite a bit more to discuss in a few hours, once we figure out the results...but until then, you've got a bit more time to mull over the possibilities.

Catch you on the other side of Eurovision History, people!

Raphael Gualazzi's Epic Showcase

2011-05-14T09:50:00.000-05:00

I've mentioned before how much I love Italy's entry this year. Raphael Gualazzi, who'll be performing "Madness of Love" on Saturday, is a brilliant jazz musician who takes his cues from both the old school beginnings of the genre as well as newer styles and techniques. (His album "Reality and Fantasy" is already out, so definitely give it a listen!) I had the chance to attend an exclusive press conference and showcase with Raphael and his band, with a special cameo from the boys in Blue (and France's Amaury Vassili was seen in the audience). The venue was a tiny, intimate little space, and I was sitting close enough to the action to see the sweat dripping from Raphael's brow as he pounded away at the piano. At times, his hands were absolute blurs (you should have seen his rendition of "Caravan"!), and there were a few instances where the sheet music sitting on the piano flew off of the rack and onto the keyboard, but he kept on playing with gusto. Blue stopped by and performed "I Can" and "Sorry Seems to Be The Hardest Word" while Raphael tickled the ivories behind them...unbelievably cool.