BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » Eurovision 2023 Liverpool

Liberty · March 2, 2023 6:33 pm

It's getting closer! I thought I would get a thread going as the tickets go on sale this week. Semi-finals on 9th and 11th May and Final on the 13th May.

I have already been listening to a playlist of the songs selected so far and have some opinions, but will probably add them as I go along!

Liberty · March 2, 2023 8:07 pm

I was thinking of doing a whole list, but we don't have all the songs yet, so will maybe wait. I've been trying to think of a top five or so, so here goes. At least these are the ones I'm enjoying listening to at the moment. In order of appearance (I think). Will do some copying and pasting as I can't type some of the letters!

First semi-final
Croatia Let 3 "[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mama_%C5%A0%C4%8C!]Mama ŠČ![/url]" This is so funny because I've watched a couple of ranking videos and it's almost always at the bottom! But I think it's such a Eurovision type of song. It sounds like a nursery rhyme at the beginning but becomes quite a catchy tune. I really hope this makes it to the final.
Finland Käärijä "Cha Cha Cha" This is another quirky one and I love it. I'm not so taken with the official video in the boxing ring but the live performance with thwar,e dancers is great. The dance moves just make it I think. I just love the change in tone half way through. Two songs for the price of one!
Runner up in the first semi-final Norway Alessandra "Queen of Kings" I really liked this the first time I heard it, but the more I listen the less I like it. It's such a very simple tune. It might go up if there was an amazing life performance.

Semi-final 2
Reiley "Breaking My Heart" Not 100% sure this is a top five, and thought it was a very throwaway song on first listen, but the thing is, I can't get it out of my head. So it's gone up in my estimation for being such an earworm! And the singer is so cute and wholesome.

The Final
La Zarra "Évidemment" this is a fun song, enthusiastic singer
Marco Mengoni "Due vite" another one that has grown on me. Initially sounded like such a generic ballad, but it gets stuck in my head and is so romantic and emotional. I like it better than Italy's song last year.
Blanca Paloma "Eaea" This is kind of on my reserve list because I waver over it. It does sound very Spanish and evocative though, and very strong.
Runner up here possibly Ukraine Tvorchi "Heart of Steel" which I do like but not as much as the previous years entries. It reminds me a little of Jeremie Makiese from Belgium last year which I liked but didn't do well. I prefer the lyrics and sentiment of Heart of Steel and it may grow on me. I have found myself singing it!

I'm quite lucky that I like all the songs that are definitely in the final! So at least I know I'll be watching some of my favourites on the night. This is all open to change as I listen more, and as more songs are announced!

Last edited by Liberty (March 3, 2023 7:26 am)

Liberty · March 5, 2023 5:36 pm

https://youtu.be/66eKz0pQlvY
I found this video useful in explaining the voting changes, and the scandal from last year that we were talking about! I don't think I'd appreciated that the whole of the rest of the world only gets the voting power of one country. So there is not likely to be as big an influence on the results as I thought.

Liberty · March 16, 2023 4:30 pm

I think all the songs are in now and there's an official round up about to go up.

I'm a bit overwhelmed with ranking 37 songs! I am trying to do a spreadsheet, for goodness sake.

Semi-final 1:
Loreen (Euphoria) is back for Sweden! This is definitely high on the list for me, but sadly I don't like it quite as much as Euphoria. I think Loreen is an amazing performer, but don't think the song is quite at the same level. But then Euphoria is possibly my all-time favourite Eurovision song!
Latvia has gone up my list a lot. Really like this one. It reminds me of stuff I was listening to in the early 2000s I think.
Moldova is fun. I do like a folky flutey ravey song, and I enjoy this when it comes round on my playlist.
Serbia, I think I like, again feels quite retro to me. Israel is great. I haven't seen a live performance but the singer Noa looks like a good dancer, so this might be my Slo-Mo of the year. Azerbaijan is so retro too, very Beatles-influenced I think. I don't like the song that much until near the end when I love it! I wish the whole song had been like that. They remind me of the Everly Brothers. with the lovely harmonies.
So I'm looking forward to those, as well as the ones I mentioned earlier, Croatia, Finland,

Semi-final 2
I haven't got used to Armenia yet, but liked it on first listen. The same for Georgia.
Australia has really really grown on me. It's another song that gets better as it goes on, and by the end of the song I'm loving it and singing along! Romania, Belgium and Estonia are stuck in my head and I like them but not favourites. I'm still singing Denmark, SO catchy.

The Final
I liked the songs we already had last time. The UK is good, not a favourite, but I do really like it Germany is great! Reminds me a little of Lordi Hard Rock Hallelujah, tuneful, accessible rock with costumes, although more glam in appearance (the singer makes me think of Brian Eno. Maybe it's the hair!).

There are some songs that I know are well thought of but I haven't mentioned, just because they're not really grabbing me. I think there's a good chance of most of my favourites going through the semi-finals, but I'm not sure. It will be interesting to see how the voting changes affect things. I mostly hope the most interesting entries (e.g. Croatia) go through to the final. I was disappointed when San Marino didn't go through last year, not so much because I liked the song, but because it would have been something a bit different to watch on the evening!

Yitzock · March 21, 2023 10:15 pm

Thanks for making a thread for this Liberty. Sorry for being AWOL for a while.
I've listened to some of the songs as they've come out, but not many. I listened to the video with the snippets for all 37 songs today. Because I can vote this year I decided to download the official app, and there's a little tool in there that lets you rank your top 10 of all the participants.
I think it's cool that Loreen is back, but I don't particularly like the song. Overall I haven't been that impressed with a lot of what I've heard this year (ironic since I actually get to vote!). Maybe when I hear them in competition with full live performances, more of them will stand out, but right now I just have three that I can actually say for sure I like.
It might not be the most lyrically complex, but I like "Because of You" from Belgium. It's very uplifting and I could dance to it. I also like "Power" from Iceland and "Dance" from Malta (I like the saxophone). Those ones have the melodies that stand out to me most.
I've kind of gone back and forth on Norway, I kind of like it but I don't know yet if it's one of my favourites.
I agree, Croatia is very Eurovision-y in presentation. I've only tried listening to it once so far and couldn't get through it, though. I'm not sure it's for me. But I'm curious to see what their live performance will be like. I'm sure it'll be colourful!

I have a new job now and I will be working when the semifinals are on, so I might have to catch up on those afterwards leading into the final. Or have the broadcast on in the background when certain tasks permit.

Liberty · March 22, 2023 4:21 pm

Congratulations on the new job! I hope it's going well. What a shame that it clashes with the semi-finals, but as long as you can watch the final live that's the main thing.
Thank you for mentioning the official app. I had it last year, but didn't install it this year. I gave up on my spreadsheet and changed to another app which I think is called Eurovision scoreboard. It hasn't help me decide though! I keep moving countries around.
Your choices are interesting! I had not scored those songs highly at all. However, I've found when Belgium comes on my playlist I'm often bopping and singing along, and I do agree it's uplifting.

I agree that the live performances will change things as it's not just about the songs but the whole thing. I remember last year really loving Austria but it just wasn't so good live, whereas Serbia, which I wasn't wild about was really good live. (I'm wondering if this will happen with Czechia this year as it's one that I really want to like but I'm not enjoying it much at the moment. I'm hoping it will be better live). And I wasn't so into the UK entry last year until I saw video of Sam Ryder at the London Party and he was so good!

Germany is my obsession at the moment! I really love the singer's voice and looked them up and can't stop listening to them. The singer just seems very likeable, even came across videos with him with his mum, and working with a choir of elderly people, and he seems very respectful to them and to the other contestants in the national final.

Liberty · March 24, 2023 11:13 am

I got a bit distracted by looking up the songwriters on wikipedia. Quite interesting and to see their previous Eurovision work, and here were a few that popped up:

- Ireland We Are One Jörgen Elofsson Award-winning writer for multiple big names such as Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion, Westlife, etc. Wrote Ireland’s 2017 Eurovision entry, and In The Mirror from the Eurovision film.

- Switzerland Watergun Ashley Hicklin. This is his seventh Eurovision song! Most recently wrote River for Poland 2022 and Amen for Austria 2021.

- Israel Unicorn Doron Medalie. Has written previous entries for Israel including Golden Boy 2015 which came third, and Toy 2018 which won!

- Sweden Tattoo Thomas G:son Has written 99 songs for national finals, with 15 going to Eurovision, most notably Euphoria which won in 2012

- Netherlands Burning Daylight Duncan Lawrence Most famous for his own song Arcade which won in 2019

- UK I Wrote A Song Karen Poole I don’t think she’s done Eurovision before but has written multiple songs for big names, such as Kylie Minogue, Will Young, Sugababes, etc

It's interesting, I can really see the similarities with the previous Ashley Hinkin songs, which I thought were good but didn't love. I also don't love Arcade (I prefer Keino's Spirit in the Sky from that year by a mile!) and Burning Daylight isn't clicking with me.

A lot of the artists have written or co-written their own songs, but I thought these prolific writers were interesting, and funny that they write for so many different countries. And that Israel, Sweden and the Netherlands have had recent wins. I suppose it makes sense to bring them back!

Meanwhile, my obsession with Lord of the Lost continues. It's partly about the voice, it's quite unusual and feels like there's an underlying sadness (I hope there isn't in real life) and solemnity and I can't stop listening! Apparently they have been wanting to do Eurovision for years and put forward a song called One Last Song last year. I really love this song, much more than Germany's entry last year, but also more than Blood and Glitter, unfortunately. If One Last Song had been the entry this year it would definitely be my number one by far!

a live version with not very good sound, but I thought it shows what a fun, singalong it would be, despite the sombre lyrics!

Yitzock · March 31, 2023 6:27 pm

I hadn't been paying attention to the songwriters. That's amazing how many songs some of them have written! I really loved Poland's song last year, but I haven't actually checked out Switzerland this year (I mean, it was in the "all 37 songs video" but I don't remember what that one sounded like). Interesting that the songwriter for Ireland is Scandinavian and hast written for all those famous people. I remember it coming up in interviews in 2021 that Tix had been involved with writing a US artist's hit song. You don't always realize how people get around, writing for others, since it happens behind the scenes and unless you're in the know, you don't necessarily know who writes a song, you just associate it with the performer.

Thanks for the congratulations on the job. It's related to what I studied in university as well as my interests and things I like to do generally, so I'm really happy with what I'm doing. And it's work from home, so I don't have to commute, which I also like.

Last edited by Yitzock (March 31, 2023 6:29 pm)

Liberty · April 1, 2023 11:10 am

The job sounds perfect! It's great that it's in your field. And no commute! I suppose that is one of the few positive things that have come out of the pandemic, that people are more open to different ways of working.
You might like Switzerland this year, then, with the same writer as Poland 2022. The singer has a lovely voice. I just watched a video of him singing live and he's very good. I prefer the song to River, and it's a lot better than Switzerland's 2022 entry, although I think not as good as 2021.
Moldova has an interesting history too, as the performer, Pasha Parfeny, has performed at Eurovision before, and cam 5th in 2012, the year Loreen won with Euphoria, so funny that they were up against each other again! I much prefer this song to his 2012 one.

Another interesting little fact that I came across is that Mae Muller is the little girl in the Mika video for Grace Kelly!

The more I listen to thtis year's songs, the more I like them, and it actually seems quite a strong year this year, I think. Particularly in semi-final one, I'm finding it difficult to choose songs that I don't want to go through! It's maybe a shame that the semi-finals seem to be slanted differently, in that the first one has a lot of strong contenders which are expected to go through to the final easily (Sweden, Finland, etc.) whereas the second, not so much. So I think there will be acts who don't get through in the first semi-final who maybe could have got through in the second.

Yitzock · April 6, 2023 6:11 pm

I like this year's Switzerland more than last year's as well, though I think both had messages I support. I've noticed a couple of songs with anti-war themes this year, which I guess is appropriate given the current situation.
I've added Moldova to my tentative top, though I still only have four. I have been making my way through the songs very slowly this year and have been getting back into some other interests of mine that have been taking up my free time. But I still have been enjoying some Eurovision stuff.

Liberty · April 8, 2023 11:07 am

I had a while looking after my cat who was unwell (he is now recovering well) so had far too much time on my hands to concentrate on Eurovision! I have probably overlistened to some of the songs now, so they are going up and down in my ratings. I will watch bits of the live shows but maybe avoid too much so I'm not burnt out by May!

Of course it all comes down to the performances on the night, but I'm pretty sure I have my number one with Blood and Glitter. Yes, I like One Last Song and many of the other Lord of the Lost songs better, but then I like Blood and Glitter better than anything in the competition! On first listen I thought "we are blood and glitter" referred to the band themselves, but it's a more universal message about diversity and acceptance and living your life. It's funny how this one hits me in the feels whereas Ireland's We Are One with a similar message leaves me cold and is near the bottom of my rankings! Blood and Glitter is so more poignant and poetic ("we are all from the same blood", rather than "we are one"), and again I think it's that rich,emotional voice as well. Cornelia got me last year with her voice!

There are some amazing singers this year, though. I have been very impressed watching some of the live performances. I'm really quite excited about it.

Just adding, against my better judgment I watched most of the Madrid pre-party. It's interesting to see the artists and how they come across without all the staging, and also seeing how the audience react to them. They loved Finland! I know this is a front runner and I can see why. In fact it was top of my list before Germany took over (and I know Germany won't win, it's just that I personally like it). Portugal has a song that I don't like very much, but I really love the singer. It reminds me of Lithuania last year (loving the singer, but not the song). Austria was much better than I expected live too.

Last edited by Liberty (April 9, 2023 7:56 am)

Yitzock · April 14, 2023 2:48 pm

Glad your cast is getting better. My cat was sick at the end of her life and that was tough to deal with. And even the times when she was sick and still had some life left to live, it was stressful.

I hadn't listened to Blood & Glitter until you mentioned it here, except for I guess a small excerpt. It's not really my type of music, but it was growing on me as I listened and I agree with you about the lyrics. More original than the generic, perhaps cliché, phrase "We are one."

Speaking of Cornelia last year, her song was definitely one I listened to many times after the contest and that has stayed with me, even though in the run-up to the contest it wasn't a favourite of mine.

Liberty · April 14, 2023 8:37 pm

Thanks for your comments about my cat. He is making a very good recovery, thankfully. Now I've come down with something so he's looking after me (well, not really, but it's nice to have cat cuddles when you're not well).
I did get to watch the Eurovision ... A Little Bit More Episode 1 livestream.

It was really good fun and I loved hearing the performers do covers and acoustic versions. Lord of the Lost have an acoustic version of "One Last Song" at the end, which made me quite emotional! Also loved Luke Black's eery haunting acoustic version with viola and piano, and Voyager's cover of Break a Broken Heart amongst others!

I feel really bonded with the 2023 acts this year now. Not looking forward to losing some of them in the semi-finals.

Last edited by Liberty (May 8, 2023 7:58 pm)

Liberty · May 5, 2023 8:07 am

This has been an exciting time! I have been following all the proceedings quite closely this year, all the pre-parties and rehearsals, the acoustic versions and other songs from the artists, the cover versions, some of the social media, the drama and so on! So, so good this year that I almost don't want to all to be over!

Lord of the Lost (Germany) have been doing acoustic covers of the other entries from hotel rooms while on tour in South America. They have been fantastic, but this morning they blew me away by releasing a full-on cover of Finland's entry! I can't stop listening to it!
As Germany is number one in my rankings and Finland is number two at the moment, you can imagine how happy this makes me. They are doing a free acoustic gig at the Cavern Club next week but unfortunately I can't get time off work ... but am going to see them live on their tour later and so, so excited!

Australia, Romania and others have been covering songs from other countries too: I love that they are doing this!

Kaarija (Finland) and Bojan (Slovenia) seem to have bonded and I've been following their adventures around Liverpool https://www.instagram.com/stories/paidatonriehuja/3095450395835729915/ (warning NSFW soundtrack in one of the clips).

Last edited by Liberty (May 5, 2023 9:31 am)

Yitzock · May 6, 2023 12:40 am

That's cool to hear your favourite act of the year sing your second favourite song! Lucky you!
Are they playing at the same Cavern Club where the Beatles used to play? It's Liverpool, so I assume it probably is.

I saw recently that they announced some interval acts for the Grand Final who are former Eurovision acts who will be covering famous songs from artists who are from Liverpool. Kalush Orchestra and Daði Freyr are among those acts, so I'm looking forward to that.

Liberty · May 6, 2023 10:54 am

Yes, it's the same Cavern Club! It's only a few minutes walk away, I think. Yes, I saw the news about the interval acts! I think Mahmood (Italy 2022 and I think 2019) is covering John Lennon's Imagine, but I don't know what the other ones will be. I hope it's not all Beatles/Lennon/McCartney. I'm really excited about Verda Seduchka and Go_A!

Yitzock · May 7, 2023 1:06 am

I can imagine they wouldn't all be Beatles, since they're not the only group from Liverpool that's famous. I wouldn't be surprised if there's more than one song of theirs, though. I'm looking forward to hearing what Go_A does as well.

Liberty · May 8, 2023 7:58 pm

First semi-final tomorrow night. I have opinions on all of them, and really wish we could keep them all and have a massive 37 act show on Saturday. But it's not to be. Because of all the voting shenanigans last year (can't even remember which countries were involved), there is no jury for the semis. So it will all be televote, and I think that will be interesting as there might be some who will get a better score on televote only. I'm thinking maybe Moldova and Croatia, for example. The performances I'm most looking forward to are Serbia, Israel, Sweden, Moldova and Finland, and I already have an idea who my five least favourite are, but want to keep an open mind on the night. I can't vote in this semi, so will just be watching. I know you won't be able to watch live, Yitzock, so I'll try to keep spoilers away from this thread until you've caught up. I hope you have a good day at work instead!

Yitzock · May 9, 2023 10:27 pm

I've listened to many of the performances. But before I comment, I just want to say I think this year's postcards are my favourite I've seen since I started watching Eurovision. I had hoped they would use Ukrainian locations (though I wonder how they filmed them, considering ongoing war), and I liked how they group a Ukrainian place with a UK place and a place from the performer’s country. It gives a sense of connection between countries, and I like the way they filmed them.

Anyway, I haven't watched all the performances yet, but of what I saw I'm not really thrilled about a lot of the choices made by the voters. I'm happy for Moldova, because I like the traditional aspect to it since the song references folklore. I enjoyed Norway, I wasn't surprised Norway and Sweden got through. I find Finland kind of annoying.
Azerbaijan wasn't really on my radar before, but I enjoyed their performance. I also enjoyed Netherlands (sidenote: I think Mia's hair is cool) and Malta. I would have voted for them, but I doubt my few votes would've moved the dial much since I probably wouldn't have paid for the full allotment of 20 votes. But you never know. Even if I don't manage to vote Thursday, I'll probably vote in the final.

besleybean · May 10, 2023 4:39 am

Dipped a toe in yesterday...sort of!
Well, I scrolled right to the end of my TV guide and found a Eurovision show:
Well it was the best of the last 20 years.
I go to the third song, the Russian grandmothers and turned off!