Eurovision 2024 (ish) – more reviews (ish)

(I had a Spotify playlist with all of the entries on in the background while at work the other day. I didn’t really ‘digest’ a lot of the entries because, background, and I also have this thing where I don’t always concentrate very well if I am listening to music, and girl has gotta pay for that Spotify subscription…)

LITHUANIA

Sounds like: something cool (*snort* I know, I am Gen X but this is cool right? It’s pretty frickin’ cool)

The Lithuanian national selection was really worth a watch.

(And that is only scratching the surface, you know)

I would LOVE for Lithuania to win. I have been fixated with the country since Blog Goddess Aistė sang “Strazdas” so beautifully in 1999. Go on, please give this Goddess the respect she so utterly deserves:

I love her

Back to 2024: I like that this song “Luktelk” is in Lithuanian (singing in a native language will always pick up an extra point for me). There is something really intense yet accessible about this song and it is definitely one of my 2024 highlights.

CROATIA

Sounds like: something Dead or Alive would have done in the eighties (talkin’ about Gen X, huh)

ITALY

Sounds like: a perfect Italian pop song

UNITED KINGDOM

Sounds like: “It’s A Sin” by the Pet Shop Boys (I have waffled on about my whole national identity in the past, but come on: GOOD LUCK OLLY!) (Olly is a big name to get, yes? Even I have heard the song “King”, and my Top 40/Radio One listening days are so far in the past you would not believe it #time)

UKRAINE:

Sounds like: again, something very cool. This sounds really creative.

FINLAAAAND:

Sounds like: something from a video game my brother and his friends would have enjoyed in the nineties

NETHERLANDS:

Sounds like: the nineties. Oh, for the halcyon days of this kind of thing…

Poing!

I actually have a soft spot for “Europapa” after reading the story behind the song. And yeah, there is a ravey bit about halfway through that had me slamming the ‘Like’ button on YouTube.

AUSTRIA

They had me at rave!!!

GERMANY

Germany is an unusual one in that they don’t seem to ‘get’ Eurovision (at least, not in recent years). I don’t know quite what it is. Germany is one of my absolute favourite countries for music and now I am trying to think of German Eurovision entries I have loved. Hmm, I hope to be back.

SWITZERLAND

Sounds like: something range-y and ambitious that is going to slay (sorry) with the right staging.

A lot of the other songs (to be fair, I was familiar with most of the songs featured here) kind of blended together.

Again, I may be back (I am off to think of German Eurovision entries!).

Bis bald!

Eurovision Song Contest 2024 *clears throat*

(I do that a lot, btw. Damn rhinitis! Hmm, alluring image to cultivate on the Internet right there…)

I PLEDGED (well, sort of) that I would go into this year’s Eurovision cold! (As cold as could be!)

(I am still a little put out at last year’s results. Well, it happened. I would love to be a juror one day. Oh, the POINTS I would give to some of the songs… #Power) (I would probably be a rubbish juror actually. I don’t like the bit at the end when the acts receive their public vote: you can tell it’s tough for many of the contestants. Justice for “Who The Hell Is Edgar?” ETC.)

I have heard some songs in their entirety.

Look, we’ll see how this goes, ok?

If anyone is interested *ahem* I made a playlist with some of the national final songs from this year (Lithuania, Estonia, Goddess Konstrakta from Serbia, RAAVE! from Austria).

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1yjfpUHxRqKf55RU44k6CO?si=6dBzPxkqReum9F_VwpYsMw&pi=e-CP17-xqsQVGi

I have watched Eurovision on and off since the 1980s.

My favourite Eurovision song of all time is this captivating masterpiece.

Goddess! Robbed! Babble! Etc…

My favourite songs from the last few years, hmm: Serbia from 2022/2023. Austria from 2023. Anouk (Netherlands). I honestly don’t know! Hold up, is it time for another playlist…

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0g68TA4oT3IJrHAF9Jk5js?si=BtdchOxRSZ6Id5WBjKZ-Yg&pi=e-Jq0QSIXkRJ-e

I like songs to be in native language if possible. I am a middle aged woman whose passport expired. Gimme different cultures, different languages! Give me that flavour, that excitement!

I am aware that I am getting older and some of the factors (things like TikTok integration) mean nothing to me (oh Viennaaaa). I really don’t want to sound like someone shouting at a cloud. I want to get the balance right (oh the title of a Depeche Mode song).

What have I heard so far, then?

Estonia – song with an incredibly long title that I am not going to look up as my cat is on my lap (Eesti, we are cool, right? We have a history!)

SOUNDS LIKE I have no idea

I completely and utterly love this and I am thrilled that this song will be representing Estonia in May. This is why I watch Eurovision! It’s in Estonian, it represents Estonian culture. The package is so fun and charming and clever and infectious. I might have to vote for this, you know. When did I last vote at Eurovision? I don’t always particularly care for the Estonian entries. I used to be a big fan of the Estonian music scene. Tallinn is home to this gem…

https://youtu.be/4j5M4N_NDPg?si=4Hrn_30A9ejbtCOA

(Does the embed work? It is the Depeche Mode bar in Tallinn. GOD. The sweetest perfection indeed.)

Sweden – Impossible

SOUNDS LIKE “Salva Mea” by Faithless (thank you Internet!)

Yes, Sweden has the ‘teacher’s pet’ tag for sure: they are good at what they do and I will always respect a competition like Melfest (they put the work in and it invariably pays off) but, yeah. It can be like eating Pringles (let’s NOT go there) instead of trying a new flavour, something different… I would love to hear Swedish language, for example. (When did Sweden last send a song in Swedish? It is a beautiful language.)

These singers (Marcus and Martinus) are adorable, and it is probably just as well I am not a juror because I don’t like to think of their little faces being disappointed in any way. Eurovision can be ruthless. Of course they will do well because Sweden (and the singers are Norwegian). The song is catchy. Good luck to them.

(I will be back…)

(I love Pringles btw. Way too much. And I always almost eat the original ones.)