Julie's Melodifestivalen Blog

Serbia
Željko Joksimović – ”Nije Ljubav Stvar”

This is a really nice and well performed ballad with a lovely chorus and a lot of power. I have no idea what he sings about, but I love it when people sing in their original language – especially when the song is really, really good! Well done Serbia, this will go well.

Macedonia
Kaliopi – “Crno I Belo”

Another song in the countries original language, however, this time it isn’t as good. It is some semi-rock ballad that could have worked, but doesn’t. I don’t know if it is something with her voice, that I am scared will crack at any second. The question is how this will work live and how the number will be put together, because the video is rather lame. And her scream at the end is just too much.

The Netherlands
Joan Franka – “You and Me”

This is so confusing. I like Joan, she is a sweet girl that sings nice in a folklore kind of way. And it could have been so good if she didn’t wear those Native-American clothes?! What is up with that? It only looks stupid and ruins a song that isn’t bad at all. I hope that she has changed the clothes until the semi-final on Thursday. Otherwise it is nice, not outstanding, but not bad.
Malta
Kurt Calleja – “This is the Night”

Boyband-pop performed by a cute guy. Can’t go wrong, right? Well.. It is a bit cheesy, or the video is. But the song is catchy, however, I hope they don’t try to put all the elements they have in the video on to the stage (rain, partying, dancing in water, jamming etc etc).

Belarus
Litesound – “We are the Heroes”

Hmm. This is also confusing. It looks like Nick Carters twin in a robot/space suit with a rock band backing him up. It is so geeky and cheesy that it almost is good. I like this kind of pop, the boyband-rather-bad-but-still-catchy-pop, but the clothes… and the hair… and the everything… Skeptical.

Portugal
Filipa Sousa – “Vida Minah”

Boring, boring, boring. A ballad that for me just says ”snoooz”. She stands in a rather nice dress, with an army of back-up singers behind her. And of course two dancers in white doing lifts. It doesn’t help that she signs good. This is just boring.

Ukraine
Gaitana – “Be My Guest”

This is a song inviting us to the upcoming football events in Ukraine. The singer is so damn cool, a real power lady with an awesome voice! It is too bad that the lyrics are so simple and rather dull, because the song is so catchy and so good! I hope they will put on a real party on the stage to this song. Then it might go well.

Bulgaria
Sofia Marinova – “Love Unlimited”

This is one of my favorite songs in this semi-final. I love the contrast of the electronic beats and her long dress, standing still on stage whilst there is fire around her. She sign beautifully and I just love this, euro-disco-isch. And she is so pretty! I really hope she keeps the number simple and direct like she has done so far. Good luck!

Slovenia
Eva Boto – “Verjamem”

This is boring and strange. The clothes are not the best, the stage number is a bit boring and so is the song. At least at first. In the end it picks up, but by then I have already lost my interest and I am just sitting and thinking about the veil-hat-thingies that the background singers have on their head.

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Anmary – Beautiful song
Lithuania

This is so boring. The chorus is ”The Beautiful song is on the radio” and I only feel that is sure isn’t this song. Sure she is cute and they are trying to make something loveable and easy to sing along in, but this will be one of the songs where I talk about other things instead of listening.

Pasha Parfeny – Lautar
Moldova

The song isn’t terrible, but the clothes and the scene show! WHY?! Naaa, there they completely lost me. I don’t get it at all and the longer the song goes the more I dislike it. Sounds like a circus and looks like one. Too bad because he is kind of cute so why the hideous clothes?

Rambo Amadeus – Euro Nero
Montenegro

Some sort of rap that is just scary and not good… With some funk in the background? And electro? And the mixing of the languages? I just don’t get anything at all. Is he trying to make a statement? Is he trying to be funny? No, I don’t get it and I don’t like it.

Mandinga – Zaleilah
Romania

Another dance song performed by a smoking hot girl in tight or almost non-existing clothes, what more to say? And once again it is the mixing of the native language with the English chorus (can somebody explain this to me?) However, it is a catchy song that makes you happy and makes you want to shake your body to the beat. It isn’t extraordinary but it isn’t terrible either.  I like it.

Buranovskiye Babushki  – Party for everybody
Russia

Six super-cute and adorable old ladies in traditional dresses singing this very likeable dance song that says it should be a party, for everybody. You can’t not like them! They are fantastic. Even if the song gets a bit boring after a while you can’t not help to feel the joy when the old ladies start to dance and smile in the end. They are so happy to be a part of this and that is jus cool in itself, to see these old ladies on that stage. Could they win? Possibly. Is it because it is a good song? No, it is because they are cute.

Valentina Monetta – The Social Network Song
San Marino

This is SO dorky and SO stupid and SO embarrassing. She is singing about Facebook – and I can only wonder why? Who will like this? It is just a big no, no, no. The beat isn’t terrible but… it is childish and so is the lyrics. I will not “click you with my mouse.”

Sinplus – Unbreakable
Switzerland

It is a really good rock song. The only this that is a tiny bit annoying is the singers really strange pronunciation but hey, maybe it is kind of the charm? The chorus gets a bit long and boring, but it is catchy and totally okey. Up-tempo, nice catchy rock by cute rock guys. Good go well.

Compact Disco – Sound of our Hearts
Hungary

Electro pop/rock that works really, really well. It takes two-three listens to really appreciate it but then it is actually really good! It is mid-tempo in a good tempo with some cool soundpatterns and nice vocals. If the stage performance is good and energetic this will hopefully go really well!

Trackshittaz – Woki Mit Deim Popo
Austri

This is just terrible. Rap about how you should like you ass. Girls in horrible catsuits with clowing details around their asses doing pole dancing.  This is just embarrassing and terrible. If this is the best they had to send I am sad for them.

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In Sweden we have this tv-show called “Before Eurovision” where some TV and music personalities look through all the contribution for this year’s Eurovision and give them points. I will not give the songs points, but I will however comment upon them. Give you a chance to see what I think of this year’s starting field.

Here I have 9 of the songs from the first semi-final. If you haven’t heard them you can probobly find them on youtube (takes to much space to link them all in here).

Which songs is you favorite this year?

Albania
Rona Nishliu – Suus

Rona gives us a ballad in Albanian, with a video that is cool, but a bit depressing. And the high, big notes she delivers, or should I call it screams? It is exhausting after a while. I am not impressed and worried how this will be live. Will she be able to hold the tones? How will the performance be?

Belgium
Iris – Would you?

This is really confusing. She sings nice, the song is awful. However, the performance is awful. The styling doesn’t fit the song. Her body language, standing with her legs wide apart, bumping up and down in that dress is not flattering. And I can’t decide if she is happy or not. The song is sad, sometimes she looks sad, but the second after she looks happy doing a step-touch. Confusing, because she is a cute girl with a nice voice.

Cyprus
Ivi Adamous – La La Love

In the first semi-final this is one of the best songs. A happy dance song, maybe a bit stereotypical but hey – it is Eurovision, it needs to be catchy and stick after one look. Also the video is nice since it doesn’t show girls in bikinis/small dresses grinding on the floor. The question is how the performance will be. But so far so good! Catchy up-tempo about the always so great love, can’t go wrong. La la la la la Love!

Denmark
Soluna Samay – Should’ve known better

She looks like an indie singer in her crazy outfit. However, the song is rather typical Eurovision acoustic mid-tempo song. It is catchy, the performance isn’t super exciting but fine. She looks super cool and maybe I would have wanted something cooler than this, but it is a good song. But I think it will be one of the songs that you watch, say “Oh, this is good” but then forget about it. Though I think it will do great in this semi-final that doesn’t really contain that many good songs.

Finland
Pernilla Karlsson – När jag blunder

Pernilla Karlsson is Swedish-Finnish and sings in Swedish-Finnish and it is so pretty. And unusual. The song was written by her brother for their mother, which makes it even prettier. It is a ballad, and even if I normally don’t like it this really speaks to me. It is calm, nice, to the point and different. I really hope she does well, but I am afraid that if you don’t understand the lyrics some of the magic will go out of the song.

Greece
Eleftheria Eleftheriou – Aphrodisiac

Another up-tempo dance song that is so typical for Eurovision. Of course it is performed by a hot girl in a short dress. Grinding on the floor. But it is still catchy, it is still Eurovision. Even if I feel that Greece has just been trying to make another Elena hit ever since their victory in 2005, I still kind of like it. But I would prefer if something original to win, it does not hold the same quality as Elena’s My Number One.

Ireland
Jedward – Waterline

Last year’s color and power explosion Jedward is back for Ireland. However, even if I loved them last year with their awesome Lipstick, this year they are dull… Or rather, the song is dull. It doesn’t fit them, it sounds like a 90’s boy band song (even if it is written by Swedes) and it is a bit boring. Where did the power go? Where did the color go? Where did the explosions go? But they will probably go to the final with all teenage girls out their voting for the cute twins. But I am a bit too old.

Iceland
Gerta Salome & Jonsi – Never forget

This is awesome. It reeks of Nordic mythology, of mystery and of tradition. Songs like this pop up in Eurovision now and again, embracing the roots of the country, and it is (almost) always nice.  It is a powerful power-ballad and I think of Sweden’s winner in 2000 Roger Pontare (my Dad’s favorite Swedish Eurovision contribution, and one of mine). Iceland have had some really great songs in the past few years, some of my favorites so I really hope they make it to the final this year and get a good placing.

Israel
Izabo – Time

It is a bit silly, but it is also very nice. I don’t know why, it is something with his voice (even if the singing in the chorus ruin it a tiny bit), something with the playfulness, with it not being too serious but happy. I like it, but I don’t really like the chorus so… yeah… difficult one.

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