ESC 2021 Hosts - Luis Braga

EUROVISION 2021 – THE HOSTS

This May 2021, Eurovision 2021 will take place in Rotterdam and to introduce us all to the show and

songs, it was decided by the organization to select those who would have been the hosts for the

Eurovision 2020, that unfortunately was canceled. Ladies and Gentlemen, please meet…

Edsilia Rombley:

Probably the one host that needs no introduction to Eurovision fans. Edsilia was in

Dublin for ESC 1997 representing the Netherlands and placing 4 th and tried her luck again in 2007, in

Helsinki. But this last time she placed 21 st among the 28 countries in the semi-final and did not qualify for

the grand final. This Amsterdam born singer is also an actress and presenter/tv host and one of her latest

works is the song “Als Ik Weer Bij Jou Ben”, released this 2021.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4OpvsSVqww).

Chantal Janzen:

Chantal is a famous musical actress with a wide television career as well. Born in

Tegelen in 1979, she played Belle in the Dutch Musical version of “Beauty and the Beast” and Jane in the

Dutch Musical version of “Tarzan”, among other famous musicals. At the moment, Chantal is the host to

“Oh, wat een jaar!” and “Beat the Champions” TV shows. Chantal Janzen won the Televizier-Ster award

for best TV presenter an impressive 5 times!

Jan Smit:

Dutch singer, actor and TV host, Jan is also a football director (FC Volendam)!

He sings mostly in Dutch in a genre named as Volendam music. In 2017 he joined The Toppers, the

Dutch representants in the Eurovision 2009. Other than his showbiz career, he is also an ambassador for

the SOS Children's Villages. He is very successful not only in the Netherlands but also in other European

countries, especially in Germany where recently we won the smago! Award, an important prize in

Germany schlager music, as part of his current musical band Klubbb3.

Nikkie de Jager:

Last, but not least, Nikkie is, at the moment, the biggest Dutch internet celebrity.

Described as a makeup artist and beauty vlogger, she gained popularity in 2015. In 2021, her YouTube

channel has 13.8 million subscribers and over 1.4 billion video views. She was selected last year to be the

online host for the Eurovision 2020 and we could see Nikkie on the “Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light”

Special broadcast on may 16th 2020. This year it is like Nikkie got a promotion, from online host to

regular host.

North Macedonia - Matt MacD

North Macedonia National Selection Review - Matt MacDonald

Vasil's heart was broken as were so many of ours when Eurovision 2020 was canceled. Possibly as a result of that, his 2021 entry, "Here I Stand," is a much more somber song than "You" was. It is also more of a theatrical number and in a style that many have compared to being a Disney-type song.

 Regardless, it is clear that this song means so much to Vasil personally. In fact, he said that "Here I Stand" was "inspired by my personal journey. They say that every human being carries at least one song within themselves. 'Here I Stand' is that song for me." 

 "Here I Stand" also allows him to show off the power of his vocal cords much more so than he was able to do with "You" a year ago. 

 It is, of course, not known how Eurovision jury members and televoters will respond to him, but, in my opinion, this has a solid chance of doing well with the jury members but likely will not grab the attention of televoters enough for that score to be nearly as high. 

 Regardless, "Here I Stand" is, as he mentioned at the start of the official music video, "the one" for him. He sings, "Trust your heart," and that is what he did in choosing this song. 

 Vasil, who lived in the United States from 1997-2004, will perform "Here I Stand" during the first half of the first semi-final on May 18.

Czech Republic - Lee R

Czech Republic - omaga by Benny Cristo review by Lee Rogers

The last we left the cancelled Eurovision Song Contest 2020, Benny Cristo had been selected to represent Czech Republic through a national final process. All the songs were great choices, and despite that, people felt his song was a surprise choice. With the cancellation, countries were left to decide what to do for 2021. Obviously, the Czechs announced quickly on 13 May 2020 to keep Benny Cristo through an internal selection, giving him the opportunity to represent his country on the stage that he missed in 2020.

While the fandom was hopeful for a small national selection process for his song, the Czechs announced on 4 January 2021 that the song would also be selected internally. This was the best decision considering the dire economic and social situation during the pandemic. Benny Cristo aka Ben Cristovao already has success as a rapper in the Czech Republic and his 2020 song Kemama was quite the upbeat toe tapper. Thus, fans were expecting his new song with a bit of excitement. We need more uplifting songs at this point.

The song was then teased in early February, with the final tease being on 14 February as they released a snippet and a short video of Benny filming his video. The release came on 16 February as we were introduced to his song entitled omaga. One would have to hear the song to know the pronunciation, which is coincidentally close to the pronunciation of that interjection where I am from in the southern US. (D? There's supposed to be a D at the end of that?).

Omaga is fast-paced, with a self-confident and driven beat that exudes the "drageur" nature of the lyrics. It is quite commercial, and yet, it still reflects his personal style embodying his roots from his Angolan father. It has personality with the music trying to represent the emotions of the conversation between him and his on again off again girlfriend. The intro starts on a lighter note as if he is trying to sweet talk a little. Then the beat drops as the message changes to a more confident stride trying to explain himself. The twists and turns in the beat represent to me the twists and turns he tries to make to win back his girlfriend. It is cleverly written to me. However, in the end I would still walk away from him if I were the girlfriend. Omaga those lyrics. *cough* *cough*I think he is trying to sound like a pick up artist that's got no game. Hmmm.

While people take note of dance tracks such as Loco Loco, El Diablo, Sugar, Tick Tock and the like, his dance track has its own originality that hopefully will not be forgotten in May. He is already a seasoned professional with great stage prescence. He *wants* to be there and wants to represent Czech Republic on stage. Hopefully, he will continue the streak of Grand Final qualifications.

Italy - San Remo night 3 - Ilya M

Sanremo’s third soiree was all about covers and duets. On this night, the contestants covered a song from the rich repertoire of Italian classics. They could invite a guest singer to perform with them. Their performances were being judged by the Sanremo orchestra, and the scores for the night were factored into the general chart.

Unlike Eurovision, where the show runs on a tightly choreographed schedule, Sanremo runs on a seemingly infinite schedule. There is no sense of rush, and apparently no time constraints either. As always, each of the five nights went on for over five hours, well past 1 AM. The lineup of competing acts was diluted by various guest appearances, comedy skits, and commercial breaks. Tonight’s guests included Vittoria Ceretti, a successful Italian fashion model, and the Swedish soccer player Zlatan Ibrahimovic, widely regarded as one of the best strikers of all time.

By this third night, the two hosts, Amadeus and Fiorello, seemed more at ease on stage – they must have gotten past the initial shock of speaking into an empty theatre with no live audience. Let’s remember that during the planning stages of the contest, Amadeus even threatened to quit if the show went ahead without a live audience – he stayed on, but that goes to show how important having an audience was to the organizers.

Some colorful, funny-looking balloons with smiley faces on them were attached to all the seats in the theater, in place of a real audience – apparently the idea came from the mayor of Sanremo, who felt bad for the hosts. Fiorello made a joke of the situation by suggesting that there is a phallus-shaped balloon hidden among the rest. He spent a great part of night roaming around rows of seats looking for this special balloon, to no avail.

One of the most visually striking performances of the night was by the musical guest Achille Lauro, known his extravagant fashion style, together with Emma Marrone. Covered in golden spray paint from head to toe, Achille embodied an ancient Greek statue, performing his song Penelope in an ode to Greek mythology. White ionic columns and golden palm trees decorated the stage complemented this over-the-top visual masterpiece. If you are curious, you can watch Achille’s performance here: https://bit.ly/2OfanDt

Later in the night, Fiorello made a joking remark that Amadeus had forgotten about him, because he hasn’t been called on stage for several hours. Then, in a bizarre twist, Fiorello handed Amadeus an electric razon, asking him for help shaving his mustache, as he got fed up looking like Massimo D’Alema, Italy’s former prime minister who also wears a mustache. Amadeus kindly obliged and shaved Fiorello’s mustache.

At the end of the show (and closer to 2am local time), the scoring chart for the covers night was revealed: Ermal Meta came in 1st place, followed by Orietta Berti, and Extraliscio feat Davide Toffolo.

Take a look at some of my favorite performances of the night:

Maneskin with Manuel Agnelli - Amandoti

https://bit.ly/3rGo0tB

Gaia with Lous and the Yakuza – Mi sono innamorato di te

https://bit.ly/30wJ360

Extraliscio feat Davide Toffolo – Medley Rosamunda

https://bit.ly/2ONVVlq

Iceland - Tony P

In 2020, Daði Freyr and his band “The Data” had one of the favourite songs, “Think About Things”, and a good publicity kick along from the Netflix movie “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga”.  Iceland’s chances in the contest that year were hotter than that volcano of theres that no one can pronounce.  Unfortunately COVID put an end to Daði and Iceland’s dream.

So Söngvakeppnin was placed on hold for 2021 with RÚV internally selecting Daði og Gagnamagnið to represent Iceland at the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam. 

Daði og Gagnamagnið formally released their song “10 Years” on Saturday 13 March 2021, cheekily immediately after the final of Sweden’s Melodifestivalen.  There was a live performance on RÚV’s tv show Straumar which was very much on brand with dad dancing and pixel art jumpers.

It’s difficult to strike gold twice and “10 Years” doesn’t quite reach the heights. It’s disco inspired again but not quite a memorable.  It reflects on the 10 years of him being together with wife and fellow band member Árný Fjóla Ásmundsdóttir.  The song features a choir of fans who Daði Freyr had asked to send in recordings of themselves singing several different vocal parts that he had written.

Daði og Gagnamagnið certainly do have a good thing going and 10 years should do well in Rotterdam.

https://youtu.be/ORDK1XQToAY

Pabandom is Naujo - The Final - Luc Spencer-Gardner

The final of the competition took place on 6 February 2021 and featured the remaining five entries that qualified from the semi-final and the pre-qualified entry: "Discoteque" performed by The Roop. The members of the jury consisted of Ramūnas Zilnys (music reviewer), Aistė Smilgevičiūtė (singer), Jievaras Jasinskis (composer and musician), Gerūta Griniūtė (cultural presenter and event host), Stanislavas Stavickis-Stano (singer-songwriter), Vytautas Bikus (composer) and Ieva Narkutė (singer).

The running order for the final was:

1. Titas & Benas - "No"

2. Martyna Jezepčikaitė - "Thank You Very Much"

3. Gebrasy - "Where'd You Wanna Go"

4. Voldemars Petersons - "Never Fall For You Again"

5. Evita Cololo - "Be paslapčių"

6. The Roop - "Discoteque"

This was the fourth show, listening to the same songs, can get a little tiring. So let' jump straight to what the Jury thought:

Martyna received their lowest score of 40 - allocating her 5 points

Titas & Benas received a score of 44 - and 6 points

Evita got a score of 47 - hence 7 points

Voldemars had a score of 51 - and 8 points

Gebrasy received 70 as a score - and 10 points

The Roop - took out the jury vote with a score of 84 - and 12 points!

The televote - now this is interesting:

Receiving 427 votes, and 5 points - Evita

With 1,094 votes, and 6 points - Titas & Benas

Getting 1,224 votes, or 7 points - Voldemars Petersons

Receiving 2,453 televotes - 8 points - Martyna

In second place with 6,413 televotes was Gebrasy - securing 10 points

The Roop, however, received a massive 74,512 votes - and another 12 points.

Meaning, at the end of the day, The Roop won by a landslide. This long winded process could have been avoided if Lithuania just picked them...

While this is a good vehicle for artists to peddle their wares - the SAME wares can get... tired.

Bonne chance pour The Roop!

Bulgaria - Kieran Hegarty

Bulgaria was one of the first countries to announce they would give a second chance to their 2020 entrant, announcing only 3 days after last year's cancellation that Varna-born singer VICTORIA would return in 2021. Because she was leading the odds by the end of the period tracked by the bookmakers, all eyes were on the country to come back with a track as strong as "Tears Getting Sober," and VICTORIA and her team worked tirelessly over the following months to create one of the most anticipated selections of the season.

A total of 6 songs were publicly revealed as candidate songs for Bulgaria's 2021 participation; one was released as a single with a music video in November, and the remaining five with lyric videos over one week in February which constituted her debut EP, a little dramatic. National broadcaster BNT then held an open feedback period where international listeners could share their opinions and predictions for the songs which they would take into consideration before selecting the final song.

This process culminated in the 'a little dramatic' concert on 10 March, where pre-recorded performances by VICTORIA were revealed of her planned 2020 entry "Tears Getting Sober" and her non-Eurovision related singles "I Wanna Know" and "Alright," along with the 6 candidate songs: ballads "Dive Into Unknown," "Growing Up Is Getting Old" and "Imaginary Friend," and mid-tempo songs "Phantom Pain," "The Funeral Song" and "Ugly Cry." The show also featured clips of her team discussing her journey in the music industry and through life in Bulgaria, and the process of preparing their Eurovision participation.

In the last few minutes, VICTORIA revealed that after hearing from the public as well as international music experts, the two favorites were "Imaginary Friend" and "Growing Up Is Getting Old." She described choosing between her songs as the hardest part of the process as they were all special to her, but she knew in her heart which song she would perform in Rotterdam. "Growing Up Is Getting Old" was revealed as Bulgaria's Eurovision 2021 entry at the end of the concert, accompanied by a new music video, and will compete in the second semi-final on Thursday, 20 May.

Belgium - Rachel Guttler

2020 was an interesting time for Hooverphonic. Their entry for the COVID-cancelled Eurovision, “Release Me” received lukewarm response, the group were criticised by Euro-fandom after they were the only 2020 act not to take part in “Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light” and they even replaced their leader singer, Luka Cruysberghs.

Traditionally both national broadcasters from Belgium VRT and RTBF take turns in selecting Belgium’s Eurovision representative however due to the special circumstances they reached an agreement with Hooverphonic for them to return to Rotterdam in 2021.

Hooverphonic have a career spanning some 25 years and their current line up is Alex Callier (bass guitar, keyboard) , Raymond Geerts (lead guitar) and Geike Arnaert (lead vocal).  Geike had previously been with the band between 1997 and 2008.

The musical style of the current version of Hooverphonic leans towards ambient pop with a splash of electro.  Looking through their discography, songs of note include Mad About You, 2Wicky, Eden and Looking for Stars.

On 4 March Hooverphonic released their song for Eurovision 2021 called “Wrong Place”. https://youtu.be/0EQyG1Yjlgw

I must say, this feels about right for them and their stye.  It’s a song about having mis-givings “the morning after” and the music video captures the mood perfectly. It’s nicely paced and instantly recognisable.

There is certainly opportunity for some creative staging in Rotterdam with the band saying that the team behind The Netherlands’ “Calm After the Storm will be taking the lead.

With Belgium failing to qualify for the Eurovision final on the last two occasions the pressure will be on Hooverphonic to break the run of bad luck.  I think this should do well for Belgium this time around and they won’t end up in the Wrong Place after the semi final.

Austria - Michaela Sowden

Vincent Bueno and Amen

Vincent Bueno was internally selected as Austria's representative in 2020 , however , due to COVID was unable to perform in Rotterdam. Luckily Austria and ORF decided to let him participate in 2021. On 10th March his song Amen was released on Ö3 Wecker and shortly afterwards officially on YouTube, mind you it was leaked a day earlier.

It is a midtempo folk pop ballad , different from his last years song Alive., and in my opinion a much better song. Vincent stated in his press conference that he spent the past year professionally to find the perfect song at both national and international level. He further said that the song found him, and I do believe that. Amen is much better song than Alive, which left me wanting. Vincent conveys the emotion of inner struggle/ death of a relationship really well. He likened the end to a death and a funeral and feels like he had been buried. While it may seem, he is singing about a relationship that is ending , it is much more than that. Vincent stated that for him it was more about an inner struggle with you own strengths and weaknesses. The line “is this what you wanted" achieves both the emotion of inner struggle as well as that of the end of a relationship. It certainly tugged at my heartstrings. I really do like this song and was surprised at its quality. I would give it 12 points.

I hope the staging will do the song justice. It will be choreographed by Austrian Marvin Dietman, who was behind Conchita's staging in 2014 and Cèsar's in 2018. Interestingly he will also stage Cyprus' entry Elena Tsagrinou's El Diablo. I do hope it all comes together for Vincent on the night.

https://youtu.be/1sY76L68rfs

Melodifestivalen Heat 2 - Dennis W Flores

The second heat of Sweden's six week national final Melodiffestivalen was on 13 February 2021. As with all shows this year, it was held in the Annext arena hall as part of the Stockholm Globe Arenas. The main host, the General of Melodifestivalen, Christer Björkman, was joined by former competitors Oscar Zia and Anis Don Demina. The postcards were different compared to the first week's show, instead of the singers walking around Stockholm landmarks to an orchestrated version of the Melodifestivalen theme, they were instead interviewed by Oscar Zia and Anis Don Demina (by the way, this is a hosting duo I did not know I needed, they did a great job) in an informal and comedic fashion over snacks. Also featured in-between songs, was another comedy element titled Stars Tour Mello 2021 Edition, featuring Oscar Zia and Anis Don Demina running into former Melodifestivalen stars like Robin Bengtsson and Nanne Grönvall out and about their daily routines

The current Melodifestivalen format, as established during the tenure of Christer Björkman, the seven competing entries first undergo an initial round of televoting to narrow the field to five songs, from which these five are put in a second round of televoting where the top two advance to the Final and the third and fourth place entries go to the Andra Chansen round.

Song #1 - "New Religion'' (Anton Ewald)

Anton Ewald returns for his third entry in Melodifestivalen (having previously competed in 2013 and 2014). This song reminds me of a mix of Bad-era Michael Jackson song with 90s NKTOB. Visually reminds me of his 2013 entry "Begging" complete with the leather jackets, high-waisted pants, plain white shirts, and two dancers. Filling the stage with lasers and smoke, it's very entertaining to watch. Vocally, Anton isn't the strongest (which is not a surprise when looking back at his previous entries), but I think this song is better suited for him vocally, he's not struggling to hit higher notes. (My Ranking: #3 of 7)

Song #2 - "Rich" (Julia Alfrida)

Julia Alfrida makes her debut at Melodifestivalen. She was the first announced competing artist as she won the P4 Nästa competition over in 2020. Julia is alone on stage but does feature a wall of faces behind her. Immediately when the song starts, it reminds me right away of Lorde (slow, a little dark), but then it becomes an empowering anthem song. I feel like a majority of the song is the chorus, by the end of the song I completely forgot how the first song went. Overall, nice for a debut song, but doesn't have the stand out factor. (My Ranking: #7 of 7)

Song #3 - "90-talet" - WAHL featuring SAMI

Tracksuits and Cyan Yellow Magenta theme, it screams the 90s which conveniently is the English translation of the song title. There are 90s pop culture references mentioned in the song, but I don't remember the 90s sounding like this. The song is a hybrid of a rap verse and a singing verse, but it sounds like it's a mash up of an 80s high energy group fitness song.. (My Ranking: #6 of 7)

Song #4 - "The Silence" - Frida Green

Frida Green makes her Melodifestivalen debut, previously known for being a finalist on Sweden's version of Got Talent. It's quite obvious that Anna Bergendahl co-wrote this song, a country ballad with a deep meaning. Frida is featured simply in alternating orange and green lights alone on stage until she is joined at the end by three backing singers. In my opinion, having the backing singers come in at the very end doesn't make sense to me. I think it would have been more powerful to feature Frida alone the entire time and not walking around on stage too much to let the song shine through. (My Ranking: #4 of 7)

Song #5 - "Rena rama ding dong" - Eva Rydberg & Ewa Roos

Classic schlager style song. The two actresses Eva and Ewa are featured on a gold and purple stage with four dances. It's a very theatre act filled with comedic elements. In all honesty, the chances that Sweden would send this to Rotterdam are extremely slim, but these ladies know how to have fun. Vocally, can't complain about anything. It's entertainment for the entire family to enjoy! (My Ranking: #5 of 7)

Song #6 - "Tears Run Dry" Patrik Jean

Patrik Jean makes his debut as a singer in Melodifestivalen, but he has actually already won Melodifestivalen; last year he was one of the co-writers for The Mamas winning song "Move." Break-up song in the style of a Top 40 pop ballad, a lot of falsetto. Patrik is joined by a circle of four dancers in purple lighting, smoke, and some strobes here and there. I enjoyed this one, when not jumping to falsetto his voice is very calming to me, but feel that the song could have ended better as it ends way too abruptly. (My Ranking: #2 of 7)

Song #7 - "Little Tot" - Dotter

Last year's runner up returns with a high-energy dance song. Definitely different than "Bulletproof" and "Cry," but still undeniably comes across as a Dotter song. In a dark stage with just spotlights and joined by a group of four dancers, and numerous camera cuts, this was the best entry visually. Gave off the feeling of a lot of movement on this year's small stage, fitting for the show to end with this one. Without a doubt Final material, although personally I don't feel it as catchy as "Bulletproof.," but it still stands out as a strong entry. (My Ranking: #1 of 7)

Results:

7th Place: Julia Alfrida

6th Place: WAHL feat. SAMI

5th Place: Patrik Jean

Andra Chansen: Frida Green

Andra Chansen: Eva Rydberg & Ewa Roos

To Final: Dotter

To Final: Anton Ewald

Melodi Grand Prix 2021 - Heat 4 - Marisa Austin

As we pushed on into our first week of February, Norway continued on with its national final, Melodi Grand Prix as the 4th heat of 5 premiered on February 6th. This heat provides a level of musical diversity as we're treated with everything from the token emotional ballad to what could be described as 'dads going wild at the cookout'. So without further ado, let's have a deeper look at the songs competing in the 4th heat.

Duel 1

Marianne Pentha & Mikkel Gaup - Pages

After the songs for this heat were revealed shortly before the airing, Pages quickly emerged as the fan favorite to win. The addition of joik, the traditional form of song of the Samí people, to a driving and anthemic melody turned out to be a recipe for a big success. The kaleidoscope of blues and purples as well as the blankets of fog along the ground make for an atmospheric staging which really helped amp up the live performance.

Landeveiens Helter - Alt det der

Alt Det Der or 'All of That' chronicles the drunk escapades of four middle aged men, who apparently have no regrets about getting hammered and ultimately destroying their livers. While the live performance isn't anything to really gawk about, it does look like these gentlemen are having the time of their lives on that stage, and that's really all that matters right?

Winner: Pages

Duel 2

KiiM - My Lonely Voice:

Much like last year's winner 'Attention', My Lonely Voice is an emotionally driven power ballad with a near pitch perfect vocal performance to do it justice. The stage show provided was dark, yet simplistic enough to allow Kiim's voice and stage presence to deservedly steal the show.

Royane - Circus

This semi's oddball entry comes to us in the form of Royane's 'Circus', a RnB tune laced with elements of jazz, or in the words of a good friend "Witch Woods Lite but with a budget". Which for all we know could be true considering the stage was only a live elephant short of a decent circus show.

Winner: KiiM

KiiM emerged the Second Duel victorious with his song 'My Lonely Voice', which would move on to the Gold Final and face off against the winning song from Duel One, Pages.

Pre-qualified Song

Atle Pettersen - World on Fire

Along with the artists competing in the semis, one of the automatic qualifiers performs as an interval act. This semi showcased 'World on Fire' a slick pop song by Atle Pettersen. Its catchy chorus paired with Atle's undeniable stage presence, this performance was quick to prove that it was well deserving of the automatic spot in the final.

Overall winner: KiiM

After all was said and done, the winners from each duel faced off for a spot in the final but only one could emerge victorious. My Lonely Voice defeated fan favorite Pages and will be performed at the MGP Final, airing on NRK on February 20th.

Melodi Grand Prix 2021 - Heat 5 - Cindy Zhang

On Feb. 13, 2021, Melodi Grand Prix wrapped up its semifinals with its 5th and last heat. Competing in this semi are:

TuVeia “Bli med meg på gar’n” vs RIVER “Coming Home”

Ane.Fin “Walking In My Sleep” vs IMERIKA “I Can’t Escape”

First Duel:

TuVeia - Bli med meg på gar’n

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBx74hndzNw

Norwegian farm boys meet rap in this barnyard rockabilly number. Neither the song itself nor the rapping is anything to write home about, but the colorful set will keep your toddlers entertained.

RIVER - Coming Home

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aIaQ-Yy3pI

The duo RIVER then takes the stage with their country-pop song “Coming Home.” A nice-enough performance all around, if a little European-take-on-country-genre-by-the-number.

Winner: RIVER - Coming Home

Second Duel:

Ane.Fin - Walking In My Sleep

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7sv6Gi8q0M

Ane.Fin takes the stage with her electric-pop tune, “Walking in My Sleep,” in a Barbara Dex Award-worthy ill-fitting suit. Her thin, slightly reedy voice adds a unique touch to the song, even if the vocal color might not be to everybody’s taste.

The non-geoblocked stream of the show on the NRK website also died right after her performance began to overseas Eurofans’ chagrin, who must now rely on either Norwegian fans’ reports or use VPN to access another geoblocked NRK1 web broadcast. (I went for the second option after finding a link a kind Norwegian fan shared so I’m not sure if the international stream ever came back.)

IMERIKA - I Can’t Escape

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC7DQ4M94yg

There’s something different about IMERIKA’s performance. The staging might be simple, but all she needed was the stage and her voice. It is one thing to elevate a song with a masterful staging, but it’s quite another to accomplish it with just a superb live performance where the simple staging elements only serve to highlight your voice and the song.

Winner: IMERIKA - I Can’t Escape

After the two duels, the last pre-qualified finalist, Rein Alexander, unveiled his song “Eyes Wide Open,” which was also written by Eurovision familiar Mørland of “A Monster Like Me” fame.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24lSz5I1z5w

Gold Duel: RIVER - Coming Home vs IMERIKA - I Can’t Escape

Winner: IMERIKA - I Can’t Escape

With the semifinals completed though, there is still one spot in final still left open: the newly-implemented "Sistesjansen," or the wild card entry. The results of the online vote was decided through online votes from the Norwegian audience, and the result was announced on Monday, Feb. 15 through a show broadcasted for both TV and radio. The Siste sjanse show was a simple recap of the 15 eliminated acts, with pre-recorded performances from the respective semifinal shows, with some commentaries from the hosts from the NRK radio studio. At the end, Jorn, with the song “Faith Bloody Faith,” took home the final ticket to the final.

- Cindy Zhang

Pabandom Is Naujo 2021- Semi Final - Ronny Addamo

Televised on January 30 in Lithuania and online was the somewhat unnecessary semi final of the Lithuanian Pre selection. We’ve seen all these acts before, and frankly, most were extremely underwhelming, so here we go, ready to critique for the second time, and look for, what we hope, are major improvements, because it really does look like this is going through the motions waiting for The Roop to be proclaimed the winners.

Once again, we see the jury make up has changed. No new blood thankfully, to warble on for hours, but a few from each of the heats to mix things up a bit. Now for the songs.

1. Be U- Love Yourself

Ron- A vast improvement in vocals and presence, but now she’s wearing a white satin tent. I still don’t think this makes the cut

Luc- A vast improvement on the heats, with greater band participation. They’re having a blast! And so am I

2. Aiste Brokenleg- Home

Ron- Again, an improvement, especially vocally. Now I actually see what she was trying to do, and how she made it into the actual selection shows. Still weird for weird sake though

Luc- The hipster bob and trench coat returns to moan at us, but with more diction and joy…. Still a no but not as hard a no as before

3. Gabrielius Vagelis- My Guy

Ron- HE LOST THE HAT!! Yes! He looks a million times better. Much better visually, but no real vocal improvement, unlike the past two. Mere semi final filler here

Luc- Ditches that horrid hat and goes all white ensemble and clean shaven to bring more life to this dull song. Better, but still not great.

4. Martyna Jezepcikaite- Thank You Very Much

Ron- Yeah, still the same semi baked bop as the heat. The lighting and butterfly bodysuit are the true stars here

Luc- Presence plus, with a bit of a contemporary banger…. Cute, fills the stage…

5. Norbertas- Man In Need

Ron- Oh Norbs, This insipid performance won’t get you anywhere

Luc- Bless the NSync wannabe, sans any real vocal ability. Its as trite as it always will be.

6. Evita Cololo- Be paslapciu

Ron- I feel like Evita has a lot of potential, but this is just not right for her. I can’t explain it.

Luc- Lounge singer brings the late-night vibe with conviction. But, its so late everyone’s a sleep

7. Titas Ir Benas- No

Ron- These boys should not sing separately. They work so well together, that’s about it, as a package, it works though

Luc- These youngens continue to show they’re a cut above with sincerity and harmony. I still like this

8. Voldemars Petersons- Never Fall For You Again

Ron- My favourite from heat one, builds a little more momentum, just a little closer to being Eurovision ready

Luc- The pointy thin man and his band of vagabonds rise above the pack with a still pleasant toe tapper. Fun, interesting and enjoyable.

9. Milita Daikeryte- Shadows

Ron- Still kind of looks like a teen beauty pageant. Id love to see this girl take on a really good actual song.

Luc- Severe haired vocalist who is just so much better than this song. It’s still very acceptable, but not remarkable.

10. Gebrasy- Where’d You Wanna Go?

Ron- The classiest entry of the night, between this and Voldemars for best of the night. I feel like the song needs just one more elevation though.

Luc- This bloke has presence and the song is dramatic and melancholy. Like the voice, like the song, like this.

And just like that its time for the voting. Both Luc and I agree that if anyone has a shot of knocking off The Roop its Gebrasy, but that would be highly unlikely.

The qualifiers for the grand finale, after what seems like an eternity, are

Martyna Jezepcikaite

Evita Cololo

Titas & Benas

Voldemars Peterson

Gebrasy

These five acts will face off with The Roop for their chance at Eurovsion glory. We aren’t holding our breath for any of them. See ya next week at the finale!

DORA 2021 - Kyle Woods

DORA 2021 – Croatian National Selection – February 13, 2021

Summary by Kyle Woods

Another year has gone by, and it’s time to turn our eyes to Opatija, Croatia for the next edition of Dora. Unlike many other countries, Croatia did not give last year’s selection a free pass to the final – in fact Damir Kedžo did not even compete this year. On the whole, the crop of songs wasn’t the best, though there were certainly at least some interesting outfits to see!

See my quick thoughts below for each of the 14 entries:

1. Nina Kraljić – Rijeka (River) (Placed 2 of 14)

https://youtu.be/xL2sMVwtpk4

I enjoy Nina Kraljić as a performer, but I did not enjoy this performance. Her outfit was horrible, and while the song eventually got around to highlighting her vocal ability, it sure took its time getting there and I am not sure it was worth the journey. Other than the pole dancer, all we had to look at was Nina’s take at cultural appropriation, standing in the middle of the stage with some blue Zulu warrior outfit. I was excited to see she was performing but very disappointed at the result.

2. Eric Vidović – Reci mi (Tell Me) (Placed 10 of 14)

https://youtu.be/vNbf2A2aACM

Eric is adorable, though I don’t know what was going on with the camera work during his number. The song is his own work and he seems to be really enjoying it. I don’t really know what was going on with the creepy shadow dancer on the screen, though. All-told, this was one of the better performances of the night, though, and I suspect we’ll see more of this performer in the future.

3. Ella Orešković – Come This Way (Placed 9 of 14)

https://youtu.be/D8peN0PHmec

I am a sucker for a sea of fog, so I was poised to like this one when it started. The visual effect of Ella’s white dress coming out of the fog was quite striking. Then she turns around and reveals that that beautiful gown is unfortunately backless. The song itself is okay, but Ella seems like she is phoning in the performance.

4. Bernarda Brunović – Colors (Placed 7 of 14)

https://youtu.be/A9_oZ7jzqMM

I don’t know that this one was anything special, though I love Bernarda’s voice. The song itself feels fairly cliched – it feels like something we would see at Eurovision from Azerbaijan probably. The performance itself was unspectacular – Ella stood in a large deltahedron that changed colors periodically. Also, Bernarda may need to talk to her hairdresser. Given the singer’s blindness, I guess there is a message behind the lyrics, but song itself wasn’t really anything special.

5. Sandi Cernov – Kriv (Guilty) (Placed 14 or 14)

https://youtu.be/73PlxuMYsQs

I don’t know that this one was staged very well – the bright blue and purple lighting really didn’t work well and made the song look like something it wasn’t. However, Sandi has a good voice and seemed sincere (even though he doesn’t ever open his eyes). I do not really love his plaid suit and unbuttoned shirt, though.

6. ToMa – Ocean of Love (Placed 6 of 14)

https://youtu.be/sYz4KEibOj4

I loved the silhouette opening here – it looks fun. Unfortunately, once that’s over the song performance kind of feels disjointed. The backup dancers had some questionable outfits, and the lyrics themselves were vapid. It was a fun upbeat performance, though.

7. Filip Rudan – Blind (Placed 5 of 14)

https://youtu.be/vllNxNa_NHg

This is a soft song well-executed. I liked Filip’s circling with the microphone stand and the whistling in final minute is nice. He certainly has a good voice and he succeeds in connecting with his audience. I really enjoyed this one, although ultimately it wasn’t particularly memorable. Still I think it was probably the best performance of the night. The video screens behind him were full of visual noise, and caused me some anxiety, but Filip was a joy to watch.

8. Beta Sudar – Ma zamisli (Imagine that) (Placed 12 of 14)

https://youtu.be/yB0KZAzKVdQ

Tiffany blue anyone? That’s the biggest takeaway from the song, as Beta came out in skin-tight tiffany blue miniskirt, top, and knee-high boots. The performance was certainly upbeat though. Even if the song itself wasn’t anything special, Beta certainly was selling it. She interacts well with her dancers and looks like she is having a good time.

9. Cambi – Zaljubljen (In Love) (Placed 4 of 14)

https://youtu.be/AhHRGhU9tcI

I liked the staging here. The staging has a nice black-and-white effect and the first third of the song is done in with the performers lit only from behind. The performance becomes a little less composed once the lights turn on and the singers stand up. The song itself is a classic Croatian style, and it wasn’t bad.

10. Ashley Colburn and Bojan Jambrošić – Share the Love (Placed 11 of 14)

https://youtu.be/a5fRbbNhkis

This one felt like a classic Eurovision song, but not necessarily in a good way! It is a saccharine “love everyone” song with all the tropes (yes, including making a heart with their hands). Ashley looked kind of tentative and the style of the song made her voice seem weak.  The key change is a bit off too, and the pair appear to have a level of romantic chemistry not seen since my last visit to a nursing home. The performance was far from spectacular.

11. Brigita Vuco – Noći pijane (Drunken nights) (Placed 13 of 14)

https://youtu.be/suzkd0tuBWE

Well this happened. The song has a rap style to it, which isn’t really my style. However, it felt like the Brigita was intentionally holding back her talent. There were some interesting visual effects – with the screen blurring in and out at some points. Ultimately the song itself was fairly forgettable. However, Brigita’s outfit was really quite bad. She wore what looked like white track pants tucked into her athletic socks, and a white halter top over a black corset. It was really quite a disaster.

12. Mia Negovetić – She’s Like a Dream (Placed 3 of 14)

https://youtu.be/CcCYGyvSSmA

I believe Mia is the only returning artist from 2020. I loved her song in 2020 and hated her outfit (you will recall she wore a sports bra over her dress). This year, I don’t really know what was going on with the outfit – some sort of metallic lavender skirt with an ugly top. Mia had some nice dance moves though and her natural charm overcame some of the shortcomings of her song. Mia will end up winning Dora one of these days, though hopefully with something a little better than this.

13. Albina Grčić– Tick-Tock (Placed 1 of 14)

https://youtu.be/CX9fBSTjUfk

I am not sure how this won. It was not the best song of the night and not the best performance either. Perhaps Croatia just wants to win the Barbra Dex award this year and went that route with Albina and her dancers serving construction site realness. The song is kind of soulless, though I did enjoy when Albina’s dancers picked her up and held her horizontal for a good long time. At least it was upbeat, though, and with the words “Tick Tock” flashing on the screen, it’s not likely you will forget the title. I think if we were to compare the Albina Tick Tock with Mariya Yaremchuk’s version from 2014, though, Albina would lose hands-down!

14. Tony Cetinski and Kiki Rahibovski – Zapjevaj, Sloboda je (Sing, it’s freedom) (Placed 8 of 14)

https://youtu.be/k3zxu1SbjF4

This one has an interesting chess motif going on – the stage was a chess board with oversized chess pieces, and the singers wore black and white. However, the problem was that the song had nothing to do with chess at all. Confusingly, they also chose to display the phrase “freedom of speech” behind them in several different languages.

A nice surprise was the interval act by 2002 Dora winner Vesna Pisarović! She had taken a break from performing for several years, but I have been a long-time fan of Vesna, and anytime I get to see her perform, I get excited. Unfortunately, these songs weren’t really all that memorable for a comeback and was very long. It picked up a bit when she donned some of the ugliest red pants I’ve seen in a while and reprised her 2002 Eurovision entry “Sasvim Sigurna” (the superior Croatian language version) – she seemed to be having more fun with that and the performance wouldn’t have been complete without it! However it was fun to see the competitors dancing along from off the stage.

When the dust settled, Albina won the show with Tick Tock, somehow. On the whole, the crop of songs wasn’t really spectacular this year, with nothing standing out as particularly bad but nothing coming off as particularly spectacular either. However, I am excited to see lots of talent in the younger artists (in particular Mia Negovetić, Eric Vidović, and Filip Rudan) which gives me hope we may see something spectacular come out of Croatia someday, just not this time.

Melodi Grand Prix 2021 Heat 3 - Kieran Hegarty

After one of the largest expansions of a Eurovison selection in recent times with last year's multi-week marathon, Norway have stuck to their guns and pushed Melodi Grand Prix even further in 2021. The third of five competitive heats took place on the 30th of January, and it was a doozy. Some criticized the show for its less competitive songs than the previous couple of weeks, but with a genre pool so diverse as the one Norway has created, many discovered their favorite tracks of the competition during the show. Let's take a look at the four competing songs:

DUEL 1

Dinaye - "Own Yourself"

Far from a stranger to the stage, Dinaye performed as a main artist in MGP after previously competing in MGPjr and dancing alongside Amina Sewali in MGP 2017. Her 2021 entry is a feel-good, self empowerment tune that infuses modern pop with elements of her Ethiopian heritage, including a repeated line in Amharic. Dinaye and her dancers performed in bold red outfits and danced in traditional African styles on a colorful stage that reflects the positive mood of the song. It's impossible to watch Dinaye perform without her infectious confidence lifting your mood and making you want to get up and dance!

Big Daddy Karsten - "Smile"

Self-described as Norway's only gay rapper, Big Daddy Karsten joined the contest with a danceable pick-me-up confessing his affection for the song's subject. The stage performance features plenty of pride-esque elements, including rainbows on every wall and unique individual costumes for the dancers and Karsten himself. Some may be put off by the genre or lyrics in the verses, but there's no denying at the chorus that the song is a banging dance tune that deserves such a celebratory stage.

Winner: Big Daddy Karsten

DUEL 2

EMMY - "Witch Woods"

Another veteran of MGPjr, EMMY quickly became the fan favorite to win the show with her song about enjoying the creepier sides of life, warning a boy about the wild rituals he will be roped into if he pursues her. The themes were certainly reflected in the staging, with fire, dancers clad in black, a brutalist throne and shots of EMMY staring into the camera as lights flash from different angles. Certainly not a performance for everyone, but it's no wonder she won so many people over with a song so different from the competition.

Ole Hartz - "Vi er Norge"

With an instrumental that sounds straight out of How to Train Your Dragon, Ole Hartz tells stories about Norwegian people and embodies his Norwegian pride. The song and performance are full of violins, traditional Norwegian dress, and a positive feeling shining through it all. In an area of the world not well known for overt national pride, the song might easily be dismissed by some of the Norwegian public, but for others it could be a fun, proud moment, and for those of us listening from the outside, we can certainly enjoy the music.

Winner: EMMY

In addition to the four competitors, one of the automatic qualifiers performed as a guest in the second half of the show. "Feel Again" by Kaja Rode is a classic pop song, with a catchy progression and a great vocalist. It wouldn't be a stretch to call it a safe song, but the on-stage light show and Kaja's fantastic delivery of the song certainly speak for themselves and clarify the song's pre-qualified status.

EMMY defeated Big Daddy Karsten in the gold duel, meaning "Witch Woods" qualified to the final. The three losing songs will compete again on the 15th of February, along with the non qualifiers from the other shows, in the revitalized "Last chance" round to attempt to secure the last spot for the final on the 20th. The shows are available to stream live and on demand on the NRK website.

Pabandom is Naujo - Semi Final - Ronny Addamo

Televised on January 30 in Lithuania and online was the somewhat

unnecessary semi-final of the Lithuanian Pre selection. We’ve seen all these

acts before, and frankly, most were extremely underwhelming, so here we go,

ready to critique for the second time, and look for, what we hope, are major

improvements, because it really does look like this is going through the

motions waiting for The Roop to be proclaimed the winners.

Once again, we see the jury make up has changed. No new blood thankfully, to

warble on for hours, but a few from each of the heats to mix things up a bit.

Now for the songs.

1. Be U- Love Yourself

Ron- A vast improvement in vocals and presence, but now she’s wearing

a white satin tent. I still don’t think this makes the cut

Luc- A vast improvement on the heats, with greater band participation.

They’re having a blast! And so am I.

2. Aiste Brokenleg- Home

Ron- Again, an improvement, especially vocally. Now I actually see what

she was trying to do, and how she made it into the actual selection

shows. Still weird for weird sake though

Luc- The hipster bob and trench coat returns to moan at us, but with

more diction and joy…. Still a no but not as hard a no as before.

3. Gabrielius Vagelis- My Guy

Ron- HE LOST THE HAT!! Yes! He looks a million times better. Much

better visually, but no real vocal improvement, unlike the past two.

Mere semi-final filler here

Luc- Ditches that horrid hat and goes all white ensemble and clean

shaven to bring more life to this dull song. Better, but still not great.

4. Martyna Jezepcikaite- Thank You Very Much

Ron- Yeah, still the same semi baked bop as the heat. The lighting and

butterfly bodysuit are the true stars here

Luc- Presence plus, with a bit of a contemporary banger…. Cute, fills the

stage…

5. Norbertas- Man In Need

Ron- Oh Norbs, This insipid performance won’t get you anywhere

Luc- Bless the NSync wannabe, sans any real vocal ability. Its as trite as it

always will be.

6. Evita Cololo- Be paslapciu

Ron- I feel like Evita has a lot of potential, but this is just not right for

her. I can’t explain it.

Luc- Lounge singer brings the late-night vibe with conviction. But, it’s so

late everyone’s a sleep

7. Titas Ir Benas- No

Ron- These boys should not sing separately. They work so well together,

that’s about it, as a package, it works though

Luc- These youngens continue to show they’re a cut above with sincerity

and harmony. I still like this

8. Voldemars Petersons- Never Fall For You Again

Ron- My favourite from heat one, builds a little more momentum, just a

little closer to being Eurovision ready

Luc- The pointy thin man and his band of vagabonds rise above the pack

with a still pleasant toe tapper. Fun, interesting and enjoyable

9. Milita Daikeryte- Shadows

Ron- Still kind of looks like a teen beauty pageant. Id love to see this girl

take on a really good actual song.

Luc- Severe haired vocalist who is just so much better than this song. It’s

still very acceptable, but not remarkable.

10. Gebrasy- Where’d You Wanna Go?

Ron- The classiest entry of the night, between this and Voldemars for

best of the night. I feel like the song needs just one more elevation

though.

Luc- This bloke has presence and the song is dramatic and melancholy.

Like the voice, like the song, like this.

And just like that it’s time for the voting. Both Luc and I agree that if

anyone has a shot of knocking off The Roop, its Gebrasy, but that would

be highly unlikely.

The qualifiers for the grand finale, after what seems like an eternity, are:

Martyna Jezepcikaite

Evita Cololo

Titas & Benas

Voldemars Peterson

Gebrasy

These five acts will face off with The Roop for their chance at Eurovsion

glory. We aren’t holding our breath for any of them. See ya next week at

the finale!

Pabandom is Naujo - Heat 2 - Ronny Addamo

On January 23 the second heat of the Lithuanian national final was televised. It followed the same format as heat one, but in a strange decision, the jury of experts’ changed, with two different jurors than in heat one. Odd, but ok Lets get into the songs though, shall we..

1. UNOBAND- Eisiu

Ron- A Lithuanian country act to kick off proceedings. A good-looking bunch, shame it sounds like the whole song is mumbled 4/10

Luc- mumbling quiet jockey croaks out something unintelligible 3/10

2. COSMIC BRIDE- Solitary Star

Ron- Oh dear. What a mess, and that’s just her outfit. Don’t even start me on the cringeworthy vocals, please make It stop 1/10

Luc- BALLS! Stoned fairy quacks whatever words come to her… no melody or tune 1/10

3. RAPOLAS- Degram

Ron- A sigh starts the song, how apt, to follow on with a green pinstriped suit. Add a touch of jazz and some seen it all before dancing. yeah that’s it 3/10

Luc- Fresh faced bloke with a pointy nose gives us a lazy disco, bossa nova mix, it’s ok, if not exciting 4/10

4. SUNDAY AFTERNOON- Open

Ron- Interesting choreography…. When that’s the only focus of a whole song, in a song contest, you know you are in trouble 3/10

Luc- She has a whale spout hairdo. She does what she can but it’s not much 4/10

5. AISTE BROKENLEG- Home

Ron- Ok, I think I need to be on whatever these artists are on tonight. Truly odd warbling mini organ thingy playing hipsterette. 3/10

Luc- Hipster bob hair humming… and in typical hipster meaninglessness, bleats and bops to no melody... or interest… or talent 2/10

6. NORBERTAS- Man In Need

Young lad has found a typical radio friendly bop. Sadly, he has zero presence or vocal talent, Jeepers Creepers, tonight is awful 3/10

Luc- Oh come on! 12-year old with drunk uncle dance moves, forced vocals that could have been by a goat 2/10

7. GABRIELE GOSTAUTAITE- Freedom.

Ron- It really is amateur night. There is nothing remotely exciting about this, next! 2/10

Luc- Severe eyebrows with a cool, cruisy beat and melody undone by poor live vocals and a gross lack of presence 3/10

8. GEBRASY- Where’d Ya Wanna Go?

Ron- Ok, this one catches my intertest straight away! Look, it’s not fabulous, but put beside what we’ve watched so far today, this is pure art! Well written tune, vocals need a tweak. 6/10

Luc- Oh that unbrushed look… this managed to hold interest in its despondency, and the lad believes it. 6/10

9. EVITA COLOLO- Be paslapciu

Ron- Ooh sweetheart likes herself some snakeskin! A late-night lounge number… it’s not bad I guess 5/10

Luc- Not a fan of the faux snake skin jacket. Nice jazz vocals, but the song holds little attention 4/10

10. GABRIELIUS VAGELIS- My Guy

Ron- Oh Gabs, take the hat off!! This could actually be a commanding performance but he holds no camera connection. Song could be the strongest of the show. 6/10

Luc- Why is he hiding under a tartan hat? We can see he is a ginger from the facial hair. The song is nice enough, but there’s a disconnect from audience 5/10

That’s the ten songs from tonight’s show! Honestly, I kinda hoped they’d just send them , all home to think about what they had done. But No. We did get a treat though. We got to see the Roops performance of their entry which is straight through to the grand finale.

THE ROOP- Discoteque

Ron- Are we even watching the same selection? This has everything, including EYEBROW CHOREY! Amazing, crazy fun!!! If this doesn’t win I’ll eat my hat! Its almost unfair to the others! 9/10

Luc- Winner!!! Campy fun, interesting composition, striking performance, and nonstop captivating visuals. And, Another dance to learn 9/10

The songs to forward through to next weeks semi final are, Gebrasy, Gabrielus Vagelis, Evita Cololo, Norbertas and Aiste Brokenleg, Which I guess is the best that they could have expected from this lot.

Next week we get to revisit the ten songs that have qualified to the (rather unnecessary) semi-final, before whittling those ten to five, of which will join The Roop in the grand final.

Melodi Grand Prix 2021 Heat 2 - Evan Stewart

On January 23, Norway held its second of five heats for Melodi Grand Prix 2021. Four songs competed in two duels with the winners of each duel battling it out in a “Gold Duel” to decide who would advance to the national final. A fifth song was introduced before the Gold Duel as an automatic qualifier to the final.

Duel 1

The first performance of the night came from a name familiar to many Eurofans. Ketil Stokkan, the Norwegian Eurovision representative in both 1986 and 1990, returned this year with “My Life Is Ok.” The song is an upbeat number about shutting down the haters and being confident in one’s self. Ketil seemed quite confident indeed, performing it in a garish purple and pink leisure suit surrounded by three gorgeous ladies fake-playing the saxophone and in front of a video wall of remote background singers that included, somewhat inexplicably, Ketil himself. Gaudy and outdated, it was a performance that somehow seemed both on the nose and off the mark. Or, as Ketil would say, “This opener’s OK!” 

Ketil’s competition in the first duel was Daniel Owen and his song “Psycho,” a very current number about a guy being driven mad by his crush. Daniel previously won Norway’s Got Talent as an 11-year-old hip-hop dancer. He attempted to employ his choreo skills here though their inclusion may have come at the expense of his vocal, which seemed nasally in the lower register and shrill in the falsetto. Despite the vocal woes, “Psycho” advanced to the Gold Duel over the Ketil Stokkan tune. 

Duel 2

The second duel began with Raylee’s “Hero.” The song has a strong synth component that gave it a retro feel, which Raylee played up by wearing a bodysuit and sporting a large frizzy perm. Eurofans of a certain age may have been reminded of Jennifer Beals in the film Flashdance and they would be right to make that connection; at the climax of her song, Raylee sat in a chair silhouetted by dramatic lighting and pulled a lever releasing a shower of water onto her, a direct reference to that 1983 film. It’s a shame that there was no audience at MGP this year because one can imagine that a crowd would have gone wild at that point. It was the clear standout moment so far of this year’s Melodi Grand Prix.

As Raylee donned a towel to dry off, her competitor Maria Solheim took the stage with her song “Nordlyset.” The song could hardly have been more different than its predecessor. Set against a beautiful forest scene, “Nordlyset” seemed part-country song, part-lullaby with its simple string melody and Maria’s almost whispered singing in Norwegian. It came off as a very sweet (though slightly static) entry and was ultimately no match for Raylee’s ‘80s homage, with “Hero” advancing to the Gold Duel.

Auto-Qualifier

Prior to the Gold Duel, this week’s auto-qualifiers took to the stage. Stavangerkameratene are a group of four friends, each with a background in reality TV singing contests, who formed a band. Their song, “Barndomsgater,” is a nostalgic, folksy number about returning to one’s childhood home and was handsomely staged with LED screens full of childhood photos and mementos.

Gold Duel

The night wrapped-up with a reprise of “Psycho” and “Hero” followed by a final vote. In the end, Raylee was the winner. She will join Stavangerkameratene at the Melodi Grand Prix final on February 20. The other three entries in this heat will return on February 15 for the Second Chance round, where one of them may earn the right to return to the competition. 

Pabandom is Naujo - Lithuania Heat 1 - Luc Spencer-Gardner/Ronny Addamo

First of all……. The HOSTS!  A peacock farm was raided for plumage for the pasty lady’s top, with that guy who played an ancillary nerd in every movie ever made, separated by a Perspex screen.  How very.  And then Vaidas in PVC pants and full face screen with the judging panel practicing social distancing.

Now the acts….

Black Spikes - Don’t Tell Me

Luc:

Hard Rock Warrior Nuns with two red-clad screamers unconvincingly “rocking out” – like actors in a play… bad ones.  Cool nails and okay lyrics don’t save this, and when the death=metal growl is the most interesting thing…  3/10

Ron:

Whoa!  What an intro – Goth Rock chicks with impossibly sharp nails and masked guitarists atop trash cans.  Yep… Looked spectacular, but the actual song and performance lacked.  4/10

Thomukas1 - Wish

Ron:  Super Ner in orange t-shirt squawks at me for 3 minutes.  Must be the dodgiest falsetto I have ever heard!  1/10

Luc:  Mulleted nerd going for a John Lennon vibe and failing.  Laser beam music and a ringtone open to incoherent wailing.  The “chorus” works best in this orange tie-dye awkwardness.  3/10

BE U - Love Yourself

Luc:  Ill fitting blue satin suited lead is not vocally appropriate for the late nite vibe of the music.  It switches to bossanova-esque tone for the bridge… Confused!  4/10

Ron:  Hipsters doing some odd 80’s synth.  Leading lady looks all intense, but nothing seems to be coming out!  UNCONVINCED!  4/10

Titas ir Benas - No

Ron:  Two cute teen boys singing standard boyband fare… however they are doing a pretty good job!  Great harmonies.  With some fine tuning this could really work.  6/10

Luc:  Two youngens sitting and lamenting with believability and harmony… the endless intensity of the piano behing the music drives this chart friendly song very well.  Not too shabby!  7/10

Martyna - Thank You Very Much

Luc:  She has presence and staging and visual is striking.  The song is okay, if a little juvenile (suiting her age I guess).  That banging chorus is certainly welcome though.  She is better than this.  6/10

Ron:  One for the eurofans… Fierce and leggy.  This song was originally named something else…  I feel like this is not her usual style, her voice is great but the performance seems forced.  6/10

Donata - The Way I Am

Ron:  She owns this!  Another positive message song but Donata really believes it.  Reminiscent of Laura Risotto… I like it!  6/10

Luc:  Ginger-locked beauty champions life-affirming, self-loving anthem with jazz vocals and faith in herself and the song.  It is a little heavy handed, but she is quite strong.  6/10

Twosome - I Love My Bear

Luc:  Jailbreak gives us 3 cartoon criminals who love their BEER… I mean BEAR.  And then there is a dancer in a Rooster onesie… They’re having a blast in this toe-tapping insanity!  5/10

Ron:  Last year they were Lithuanian Basketball Players… This time they love their bear, or beer?  These guys are hilarious but I just cannot see this setting Europe alight!  5/10

Milita: - Shadows

Ron:  Long legged lass has the best English diction so far.  Slightly dated track, but she’s competent enough, and has enough presence, to pull it off. 6/10

Luc:  Sparkly pant suit grins her heart out through generic music and lyrics.  It is all very underwhelming, even with the 80s synth scattered through the chorus.  Her thin vocal needs work.  5/10

Aldegunda - Sit Down

Luc:  Immediately visually arresting and a commanding vocal… But it kinda just sits there and doesn’t pick up.  Nice break/bridge…  6/10

Ron:  A dark pop rock track sold nicely by the talented Aldegunda.  I think the darkness may just be its undoing though.  6/10

Voldemars Petersons - Never Fall For You Again

Ron:  This is instant.  Very interesting track!  Lord he is thin!  I really like this one.  7/10

Luc:  Skeletor and the Broken Hearts Club bop their way through an effectively simple track with presence.  It never seems to lose its interest.  Quite the ear worm too… 8/10

And the voting happens, and the qualifiers are:

5. BE U – Love Yourself

4. Milita – Shadows

3. Martyna – Thank You Very Much

2.Titas ir Benas – No

And……

1.      Voldemars Petersons = Never Fall for You Again (!!!!)

Stay tuned for Heat 2 coming soon!  😊

Melodi Grand Prix 2021 Heat 1 - Cindy Zhang

On Jan. 16, 2021, Melodi Grand Prix returned with the 1st heat of its 59th edition.

This year, NRK continued with the new format from last year: 5 semi-finals of 4 songs each followed by a final with a mix of pre-qualified entries and winners from the semis. New this year will be a “wild card” entry: one of the eliminated acts from the semifinals will be able to win a ticket to the final through an online vote, the results of which will be announced Feb. 15, the day after the last semi-final.

After a live draw, the 4 competing entries are divided into two duels: Stina Talling’s vs Beady Belle’s, and Jørn vs Blåsemafian feat. Hazel.”

First Duel:

Stina Talling - Elevate

Link: ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3nPMDvbWG0

Starting the show is 17-year-old Stina Talling, who enters as the odd-on favorite among fans. The performance is nice if a bit Melfest/MGP-by-numbers, and her vocals seem a bit weak for the song.

Beady Belle - Playing with Fire

Link: ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8durce0AI_A

Following up in this duel of girl vs woman is Beate S. Lech with her jazz band Beady Belle. The song falls on the wrong side of retro, but Beady Belle, with their strong vocals and a staging that’s reminiscent of a poor man’s Sergey Lazarev with its mirrors, elevates the performance to something that’s quite enjoyable.

Winner: Stina Talling - Elevate

Second Duel:

Jørn - “Faith Bloody Faith”

Link: ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgcGN_oc93I

Jørn, another veteran artist, seems to have gone with a “throw the kitchen sink at the stage and see if it works” approach. The performance is a curious mix of Eastern sounds and images, hard rock sounds, and Viking visual elements. The smörgåsbord of elements seems to work despite itself, though the song may not be everyone’s cup of tea (as is often the case with rock/metal entries).

Blåsemafian feat. Hazel - Let Loose

Link: ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qiy15KUZ9sg

Make room Epic Sax Guy, because here comes the epic brass guys. The popular brass trio makes full use of the stage to present the most engaging and funnest staging of the night.

Winner: Blåsemafian feat. Hazel - Let Loose

After each duel, each of the two pre-qualified acts scheduled for tonight (out of a roster of 6) also perform their songs.

1. KEiiNO - Monument (Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GUsLvUvSu0)

KEiiNO is back, and they sound better than ever! While the staging looks like it’s still a work in progress, KEiiNO proved with their performance that it’s absolutely their final to loose (especially Alexandra that killer of a high note).

2. TIX - Ut av mørket (Link: ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4otEnMUGcg​)

This performance is...well...just watch it. (I claim no responsibility for any damages

caused by too much extraness and cringe)

Gold Duel: Stina Talling - Elevate VS Blåsemafian feat. Hazel - Let Loose

Winner: Blåsemafian feat. Hazel - Let Loose

- Cindy Zhang