Eurovision 2021 Rotterdam

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Posted by Yitzock
April 6, 2021 10:58 pm
#1

As our forum branches out more and more from a singularly Sherlock-related focus...I'm going to go ahead and make a topic for Eurovision since this will be my first year watching and following it in some way (even though it's aired on TV in Canada in past years, as it will be this year).
I have to be honest and say I'm watching mainly because I love Daði Freyr! While the song he's entering this year isn't as good as "Think About Things," I still really like it and I just love the whole spirit of his music and his group, Gagnamagnið, since it's just about having fun with his friends and family. His music is so wholesome and fun (and catchy)! So I am hoping he will win.
My other favourite entries that I've listened to so far (I haven't heard all of them) are "Discoteque" by The Roop (Lithuania - again, a group whose song I enjoyed last year and doesn't quite live up to their past entry, but I still think their performance style is fun and I like the idea of a song celebrating dancing alone in your home), "Voilà" from France (it has a classic feel that I like) and "Amen" from Austria. "I Don't Feel Hate" from Germany is also pretty fun even if not all the verses are lyrically strong from my point of view. I hope they deliver a live performance as wild as their music video (though I'm still not sure I like the giant finger costume). I think there was one other song that I heard a segment of that I was curious to hear the rest of, but I have been unable to find it since! 

If I have any more thoughts as a first-time viewer I will share if anyone else is interested in discussing!



Clueing for looks.
 
Posted by Liberty
April 7, 2021 7:09 am
#2

Great topic! I'm not a big fan, but I do watch the finals most years.  I haven't got up to speed with this years entries yet.  I know a lot of people had wanted the UK Kingdolls "UK Hun" from the Ru Paul's Drag Race UK queens to be entered for the UK! 

 
Posted by Yitzock
April 7, 2021 3:29 pm
#3

I didn't know that. I didn't know about that Drag Race song (I didn't know they ever recorded original songs with the cast of any of the Drag Race shows). I just looked up the song you mentioned and I can see why they would like something upbeat like that! I'm sure they would have delivered in the live performance, but of course it won't happen. They have had drag performers in the competition before, so it wouldn't have been unheard of as a possibility.

I can understand why you wouldn't have heard all the songs yet unless you were a hardcore fan. Even the number of countries that are in the final is a lot! I've seen videos come up in my recommendations about Eurovision bloggers ranking all 39 song entries and that just seems like too much work (but I guess if it's your job, there are worse things you could be tasked with doing)! 



Clueing for looks.
 
Posted by Liberty
April 9, 2021 8:22 am
#4

I haven't got a favourite yet, and usually my favourites don't win.  But the one I really can't get out of my head at the moment is Fallen Angel, the Norway entry from Tix.  The Ukraine entry is really good fun too, typical Eurovision. And I like Cyprus's El Diablo, even if it does sound like a Lady Gaga knock-off (I like Lady Gaga, so maybe that's a good thing), and the Slovenia entry Amen by Ana Soklic (amazing voice!), although that doesn't seem to be popular at all.  I will do some more listening in preparation!

Last edited by Liberty (April 9, 2021 8:31 am)

 
Posted by Yitzock
April 9, 2021 8:51 pm
#5

I probably won't get around to listening to everything before the competition, and I don't mind hearing some of the songs live for the first time.
"Fallen Angel" reminds me of music that was around when I was a little kid, sort of an early-2000s feel (at least that's my impression on my first listen). But that's not a criticism! I can see why you like it.
The Ukraine song is not really my cup of tea. 
I haven't listened to the entirety of the Slovenian "Amen," but I thought it sounded pretty pretty good. I don't know if it's getting missed because there's two songs with that title.



Clueing for looks.
 
Posted by Liberty
April 10, 2021 7:25 am
#6

Yes, I like the Austrian "Amen" too, and the rest of your favourites as well.  I prefer the Slovenian Amen, but maybe the other one will grow on me more.  The Ukrainian one, I like the folk influence.  I've just realised that it reminds me a little of the (Polish folk influenced?) soundtrack to Witcher III:The Wild Hunt video game.  Loved that soundtrack and used to play it in my car a lot!  Poland and Ukraine geographically close so maybe that's why Shum reminds me of it.
Fallen Angel definitely sounds dated!  I can't make my mind up about it!  It's kind of cheesy, but really catchy and feels heartfelt. 
The one that was in my head this morning was the Switzerland one, and I like Bulgaria as well. (Both of them remind me of something else but I can't think what for either of them). I will need some time to decide on a favourite!  Thanks for starting the thread as it's prompted me to try to catch up!  I agree that we don't need to listen to all of them beforehand, but I think it can be overwhelming on the night if you don't "know" some of the songs!
 

Last edited by Liberty (April 10, 2021 7:30 am)

 
Posted by Liberty
April 23, 2021 10:33 am
#7

I missed this, but thankfully the whole concert is online: 

https://www.eurovoix.tv/concert

"Each year, competing artists would tour the continent to promote their songs for the Eurovision Song Contest, and while there’s no party in London, Amsterdam, or Tel Aviv this year, we’ve invited this year’s participants to join us digitally for a unique live broadcast. Taking place on April 21st, Concert in the Dark will run long into the night as a telethon of European music."
The artists are all performing in low light and/or candle light and it's suggested to watch with low light too! 
 

 
Posted by Yitzock
April 27, 2021 3:34 pm
#8

Oh, the low light is an interesting idea! I hadn't heard about this (of I saw anything about it, I didn't know what it was and don't remember). Thanks for sharing! 
I find it cool to see the different performance and recording setups people have when they have to record their parts for things like this. 
Also, as an aside, I appreciate the spoken introductions of the acts. I had no idea how we were supposed to pronounce Go_A. 



Clueing for looks.
 
Posted by Liberty
April 27, 2021 5:42 pm
#9

Me neither!  I had been pronouncing it "Go - Ah" in my head!  I like that some of the acts have done quite different acoustic versions.  I really like Amnesia by Roxen (Romania) in this performance.

This is a fun video of the making of Monument by Keiino (Norway).  They had to climb up a mountain with all their kit!

 

 
Posted by Yitzock
April 30, 2021 4:22 pm
#10

Cool video! That would definitely have been a challenge, but the scenery is beautiful!

While we're on the subject of videos, YouTube recommended this one to me today. When I first saw the title I thought "Are you sure that's a good idea?" But it was cool to hear some singers singing traditional Ukrainian music. I have a couple of great-grandparents from there, but I don't know much about the culture.


 



Clueing for looks.
 
Posted by Liberty
May 1, 2021 7:59 am
#11

Thank you for the video!  It's a sign of the times that I felt very uncomfortable watching people standing close together singing indoors!  No distancing or masks!   For all I know there was lots of isolating, testing and vaccinating beforehand, so not judging, just thinking it's funny how the pandemic colours the way I look at everything. 
Interesting that you have Ukrainian heritage!  I did enjoy the folk music, and like the folk influence in this entry.
 

 
Posted by Yitzock
May 1, 2021 3:39 pm
#12

I think Shum is slowly growing on me a little! But yes, I know what you mean about seeing people gathered in groups. Even watching things from years ago, I sometimes feel uneasy watching people in large groups without distancing, breathing on each other. Even if before, people didn't consider it dangerous, it looks dangerous to me now. I'm sure there were safety considerations in the video I linked to, but I get why those thoughts would cross your mind.



Clueing for looks.
 
Posted by Yitzock
May 22, 2021 3:01 pm
#13

I'm starting to understand why you only watch the grand final, Liberty. That alone is a time commitment! Though I haven't been watching the shows in full because I PVR them and then start watching while it's airing so that I can skip through parts I'm not interested in. 
In the end, neither of the "Amen" songs made it into the final. Some of the choices in each semifinal surprised me a bit (or just weren't to my taste), but if 10 out of 16 or 17 make it into the final for each one, I can't expect to like all the choices!
I can't vote of course, but I'm still hoping my favorites from Iceland will win. They put so much into their performance themselves and have made it into the final while one of their group members has tested positive for COVID. Also, the choir part is made up of about 1,000 fans of Daði and Gagnamagnið, myself included, so I can't deny that it would feel good to see something that I was a part of in a tiny way win the competition.
Of the remaining acts, I'd accept a win by Germany (my second favourite), Lithuania, or France. I guess my favourites haven't changed much!  There are others I kind of like for their catchiness or vocal skill but those are still my top, because I like their overall energy and how much fun they are (except for France, which isn't really fun, but I like the song and the singer's performance, it's like a classic song even though it's from 2021 - I think I'm repeating myself though). Apparently the people interested in odds are saying Italy is the most likely to win. Although of the two rock groups that made it in they are the one I prefer, but I honestly don't know if the odds mean much.

Last edited by Yitzock (May 22, 2021 3:07 pm)



Clueing for looks.
 
Posted by Liberty
May 22, 2021 3:44 pm
#14

I have watched some bits of the semi-finals, but not the whole things.  I'm disappointed that the Amen I liked was out: I thought it was a good song and a fantastic singer, but maybe just not what they're looking for at the moment.  I have a playlist with some of may favourites and they have mostly gone through.  It's funny how listening to the songs several times can change what you feel about them.  Some have grown on me, some less so.   For instance Adrenalina didn't grab me when I first heard it, and now I can't get it out of my head and I liked the performance in the semi-final! 

I don't really mind who wins. I just enjoy watching it!  But glad most of the songs on my playlist are there.  I like Ukraine, Norway, Bulgaria (I said Belgium before but I meant Bulgaria!), Switzerland, Malta, San Marino, Cyprus and Russia is growing on me.  Funny but good that we like different songs (more interesting than if there's a single favourite!).  I do like your choices but they're not my favourites.

If I had to choose one, probably Ukraine! 

Maneskin haven't really grown on me. I prefer this song, and the pole dancing! 


But I thought they gave a good performance and like that they are singing in Italian.   Eurovision rock bands tend to sound very "pop", no matter how rock they look.  I'm thinking of Lordi .... who I loved! 

Really looking forward to tonight! 
 

 
Posted by Liberty
May 23, 2021 8:40 am
#15

No spoilers, but this was my favourite part of the evening!



I gave points to all the performances as I watched and there was some changes from my previous.  Best on the night on my table were Ukraine, Switzerland, France and San Marino, then Russia and Norway. 

 
Posted by Yitzock
May 25, 2021 3:53 pm
#16

Sorry for taking so long to respond to your posts. I watched the performances on Sunday and didn't get around to watching the points until yesterday afternoon and I had been staying off of social media so I wouldn't get spoiled.

I think if I were just watching Eurovision just on its own, I would have not cared so much who won. As it is, I just let myself enjoy each song as they went by. But because since last summer I'd become such a big fan of Daði Freyr and Gagnamagnið, I really wanted them to win not only for the one song but also everything they stand for and their personality. I like their quirky performance style because it's not like anyone else's. I like that they work hard to do a good job (he wrote the song himself, did the choreography, his sister made their jewelry, and Daði and his wife made the pretend keyboards that they dance onstage with) but also are about having fun and doing things as family and friends.
I was feeling pretty bummed yesterday when I found out they got in 4th, since I thought they deserved more points, but 4th out of 26 isn't too bad!

I think I wanted The Roop from Lithuania to do well for a similar reason. I liked their song from last year more than this year's. By the time I was watching them in the final I wasn't sure they stood out as much as they did before, though I like their energy and that their song celebrates dancing alone at home (it's something I like doing now and then).

I thought the guy asking for Jaja Ding Dong was funny, even though I think by now the joke is a little old. Daði Freyr begrudgingly recorded a cover of the song because people kept posting comments asking him to sing it (though it hasn't completely stopped them, haha). He did a good job but I get the feeling he didn't love doing it!



I'm with you on Adrenalina. That one definitely grew on me over time. I heard a snippet of it in the video listing who would be in each semi-final and it didn't do anything for me. I tried listening to it in the semi-final, but ended up skipping it. But I watched the whole performance in the final and enjoyed it. I thought they would get more points than they did.
I like the songs you mentioned, too, actually, except maybe the Russian song, which I've never been able to get through even though I like the message. The chorus for the song from Cyprus gets stuck in my head a lot, but I felt that the chorus was the song, the verses weren't much of anything. That one I think was better live than in the studio recording, too.

As for Maneskin. I thought their performance was good, but their song wasn't my favourite. I also have mixed feelings about the fact that their song's title translates to "Shut Up" and I guess I have mixed feelings about the lyrics (though I only know what they mean in translation) overall. Not super important, but I thought their outfits were kind of ugly, too. I didn't know they had been on X Factor in the past, or covered a song by The Struts! That was kind of fun to watch! 

 

Last edited by Yitzock (May 25, 2021 4:01 pm)



Clueing for looks.
 
Posted by Liberty
May 26, 2021 7:11 am
#17

I agree with all your points.  I've avoided posting too much until you'd had a chance to catch up!  The scoring was too late for me, so I just watched the performances live, then watched the scores the next morning, so I was behind too, and got spoiled by finding out the top and bottom entry first thing! 

I did think Maneskin gave a good performance, and they looked fantastic!  And Italy has suffered terribly during the pandemic, so it's something nice.  Mind you, the UK has suffered really badly as well and got nil points!  Italy were a high middle in my personal scoring.  I agree about the message (I had to look up the lyrics in English!) and even the "rock and roll never dies" sounded a bit banal, but they are very young and enthusiastic, and it's not like previous winners have tended to have great messages anyway!  

I did feel sorry for the UK act, and some of the press here have been slating him.  I thought the song was OK, and his performance was OK (he sounded a bit breathless), but not great. He's third from bottom on my list that I was making as I went along.  I did like how well he took it! 

Top of my list on the night were Swizterland, Ukraine, France and San Marino, so I was really surprised with how badly San Marino did!  I thought they were great on the night and it was a great last song of the evening.  I liked her outfit after all the silver or black underwear type things that most of the other women were wearing, and thought it was energetic and fun.  The only thing I can think is that I wasn't wild about the song the first time I heard it and it grew on me, so maybe for people hearing it the first time it didn't make such a great impression. 

I didn't like the French song so much but thought it was great on the night, so it went to the top.  I can see why you like Iceland so much.  I do too, particularly for the originality, but they didn't jump out at me quite as much as my top ones.  But fourth is a really good result! 

The scoring has always been a bit strange, and there are always accusations that the voting is biased.  For instance Greece and Cyprus voting for each other.   I don't know how true that is, so I just enjoy the show and don't worry too much about who wins. 

Incidentally, I tried to vote, and couldn't, so I'm also wondering if other people had problems voting? 

A couple of articles on the voting:
https://escxtra.com/2021/05/23/eurovision-2021-split-voting-results/
https://escxtra.com/2021/05/23/%f0%9f%87%ab%f0%9f%87%b7-france-would-have-won-eurovision-2021-with-the-old-voting-system/
https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2021/0517/1222031-eurovision-voting-patterns-ireland/
https://wiwibloggs.com/2021/05/23/a-flop-for-pop-why-were-eurovision-2021-results-so-bizzare/265465/

The last one gives a possible explanation for why San Marino (along with Malta, etc.) scored lower then expected - two many pop bangers by women, splitting the vote.

Last edited by Liberty (May 26, 2021 7:13 am)

 
Posted by Yitzock
May 26, 2021 2:49 pm
#18

I had noticed Greece and Cyprus voting for each other, which I thought was interesting. I also noticed that Denmark gave points to all the Nordic countries in the final (not necessarily a bad thing and it could have been a coincidence, but when I saw the flags I thought "Nordic solidarity!"). But I don't know if it's just a coincidence or not. I doubt that it could be completed due to certain political reasons, but I'm not inside their heads so who knows? But I can only assume some of the points are for performance and musicianship.But nobody can be completely unbiased.

I agree with you about how the singer from the UK took getting zero points. I had listened to the song once a while back and thought it was only OK, but I enjoyed it more when I heard it live.

Those are interesting points about the San Marino song. It's possible it's not everyone's cup of tea on the first listen. And I hadn't thought about the possibility of voting being split between the female solo acts (though I had wondered ahead of the final how much rock fans' votes would be divided between Maneskin and Blind Channel - obviously didn't affect Maneskin too negatively if there was any splitting).
Thank you for sharing those interesting articles! It's amazing how many factors can play into votes that you don't see while watching the show. I thought the comment about diaspora voting was interesting. It made me think about how Canada has so many immigrants from various countries. It made me wonder how the results could be different if we were allowed to vote. I learned just last week that we have more Icelanders living here than any other country (except Iceland, of course, which has the most). 

I had also seen some discussion on some other sites about people not being able to cast their votes for some reason when trying to call in. I found it a bit disconcerting (obviously not the scariest thing - nobody is going to die because they can't vote in Eurovision!) how widespread the problem seemed to be. I don't know enough of the details, though, whether the problems were only with call-in and text voting or if app voting was also affected. Most of the anecdotes I read seemed to have to do with calls and telephone providers. But it makes you wonderwho got short-changed from votes that weren't counted because they weren't received.

Last edited by Yitzock (May 26, 2021 2:49 pm)



Clueing for looks.
 
Posted by Liberty
May 26, 2021 6:14 pm
#19

Yes, I thought the the diaspora voting was interesting.  We are lucky to have a lot of European immigrants in the UK, and possibly some of them are more interested in Eurovision and voting for their birth countries?  I think Lithuania got the biggest vote from the UK?  Also the comment about neighbouring countries having more similar taste in music so voting for each other for that reason, rather than politically. 

It's a shame to hear that I'm not the only one who was having problems voting! 
 

Last edited by Liberty (May 26, 2021 6:16 pm)

 
Posted by Yitzock
May 26, 2021 10:17 pm
#20

Yes, I think it makes sense that certain countries that share history or culture by being geographic neighbours would have similar tastes, though of course anyone from anywhere can like any song.



Clueing for looks.
 


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