I’m totally against the fact that the UK, France, Germany and Spain have always been auto-qualified to the finals of ESC. There’s no sense of moral, justice and logic that they do not need to participate in the semi-finals jus because they contribute more financially to the contest than other countries. That should not affect their contestant’s chances. But here they are anyway: my ratings and reviews of the big four and of course the host country Russia.
France: Patricia Kaas - Et S’il Fallait Le Faire
Et S’il Fallait Le Faire means And If It Had To Be Done and it seems that Kaas is entering this contest in that mood. Her chanson is a smoky chanson that won’t get her famous name among the top ten. Plus for the drama and passion.
2/5
Russia: Anastasiya Prikhodko - Mamo
Anastasiya is shouting MOTHER all throughout this moody blues Russian folk meets Russian pop creation. Maybe the lyrics tell something that would not make us non-Russian-speakers to not raise our eyebrow. The ambition bar appears to have been lowered from last year’s ridiculously strained attempt at fishing votes. Pretty much any entry in this year’s competition can jump over this bar.
1/5
Germany: Alex Swings Oscar Sings! - Miss Kiss Kiss Bang
Is the title borrowed from Kiss Kiss Bang Bang? Will it receive votes from that recognition? I don’t think so. It will win many votes for being a very unoriginal and modern swingpop song. Two year’s ago we saw Germany compete with a swing ballad, this time around it’s infectiously danceable.
3/5
United Kingdom: Jade Ewen - It’s My Time
Unlike their arch enemy France, who are a little comme ci comme ca about this whole ESC thing, the UK have finally started to take this competition for real. They show that they have the resources needed and put no other than Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber on creating a piece for a pretty girl to sing as if in her own little Titanic world. The song isn’t and will not be a wreck, but I don’t think it’s Ewen’s, Webber’s or the UK’s time this year. It’s a standardized ballad. It sounds more like a number from a musical than a song written for ESC but that only makes it stand out more. The luxury and pomp and splendour will dazzle Europe but I’m not that easily caught. Especially when Jade needs to tone her body language down quite a few notches. Why not use an established professional: Leona Lewis?
2/5
Spain: Soraya Arnelas - La Noche Es Para Mí
The same Swedish-Greek songwriting team wrote an entry for the Swedish Melodifestivalen: Alla. They seem to specialize in extremely dull dancepop songs with South European rhythmic structures and flavours. That train left over five years ago, you need a little more original than that to accomplish something worth the time of the listeners. Yo creo que esta noche no va a ser la noche de Soraya.
1/5
Completely unrelated bonus: