dj_ivocha on 25/5/2021 at 00:27
So I purposefully avoided all news and forums and especially TTLG so nobody could spoil the result for me. And after finally watching the recording tonight the first thing I did was head down here to see your reactions and what did I find? Nothing! Zilch! Nada! No European Song Contest 2021 thread?! Are you musical grinches or something? :mad:
*Ahem*
[Spoilers ahead!]
So the ESC being one of my personal highlights of each year (or at the very least, spring), I was so happy to get to watch it again after the COVID19 break - even more so with live audience! I think the Netherlands did a fantastic job with it - for that alone I'm more than glad they won the 2019 event, even though I didn't like the song that much.
Now to the entries. I thought the first semifinal was rather *MEH* - of the 16 entries I only liked 5 or 6 well enough to hope they got to the finals and by "well enough" I mean "the song is OK, I won't hate it if it went to the finals". The Swedish and the Norwegian entries were the only ones I really hoped would get to the finals. I was sad to see the Australian song not make it and I hope we'll see Australia again next year - I think it's fantastic that they are such big fans of the ESC and keep participating in it.
The second semifinal was a lot better, to the point where I was hard pressed to decide which 10 entries would/should go to the finals. I especially liked the Greek and Icelandic entries and only really disliked the Serbian one - the Czech or Estonian entry were a lot more deserving IMO, even the Polish one.
And now some of my favourites (apart from the first one, in no particular order):
1. Iceland - Daði og Gagnamagnið - 10 Years. Some of the Icelandic delegation got tested positive for COVID19 so they had to stay in isolation and couldn't participate live - the video is their second rehearsal. So quirky and fun, it just brings a smile to your face. I was really hoping they'd win, but still, 4th place while not being able to perform live.
[video=youtube;YSMhu-PrLME]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSMhu-PrLME[/video]
2. Norway - Tix - Fallen Angel. The singer has Tourette Syndrome, so ignore his tics if they bother you (that's the reason for his stage name too).
[video=youtube;F0r3vmGLzZU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0r3vmGLzZU[/video]
3. Greece - Stephania - Last Dance.
[video=youtube;QhZhJFp0vVw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhZhJFp0vVw[/video]
4. Sweden - Tusse - Voices.
[video=youtube;NyJRyif6_kk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyJRyif6_kk[/video]
As for the Big Five - LOL, just LOL. Spain getting only 6 points altogether. The UK getting 0 points from both the juries and the televote for the first time in ESC's history - :laff:. Germany literally giving the finger to the ESC (go to 1m24s for example) :joke::
[video=youtube_share;1m0VEAfLV4E]https://youtu.be/1m0VEAfLV4E?t=82[/video]
Maybe it's time to rethink their permanent participation? Ok, Italy and France defended the Big Five's honour in the best way possible, but still, 2 out of 5 is not such a good hit rate...
Overall, I'm very happy with this year's event. Great organization, quite good songs altogether - none of the top 10 songs really irked me and I liked most of them quite well at the very least. The only thing I didn't like is that it's over and I now have to wait for a year for the next one.
Pyrian on 25/5/2021 at 03:13
"The uploader has not made this video available in your country"
henke on 25/5/2021 at 05:37
I forgot it was on and watched Horse Girl instead. It was good, but... just not the same thing, y'know. :|
Anyway, afterwards I watched Finland's nu-metal entry which got surprisingly high up at #6. Eh.
The winner was good tho, this rocks!
[video=youtube;RVH5dn1cxAQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVH5dn1cxAQ[/video]
Good picks, Ivocha. Iceland's ironic hipsters have a pretty fun tune. The Norwegian track is very catchy but too cheesy. Greece's entry is pretty good too.
Harvester on 25/5/2021 at 09:11
I only watched the second semi finals and the finals. After seeing the sexy (
https://www.sgxl.nl/songfestival-jurk-chantal-janzen-stroom-aan-reacties) dress Chantal Janzen wore in the first semi finals I wished I'd watched that too :p. Yeah the organization was good, great show all around. I also thought Nikkie De Jager (huge on YouTube with make-up tutorials) was a great presenter, she has great presence and spoke English without any discernible Dutch accent, which I myself can't manage.
The winner, Italy, has great stage presence and the appropriate cocky attitude, but it's not my kind of music. I liked Finland's rock song better, even though that genre of music is pretty dated.
(
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unj9WbeLzRU) France had a chanson done well, a good performance and I found the singer very attractive personally. The other French language song, by (
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jznH_fltcYA) Switzerland, was also a good, sincere performance.
Of the ballads I liked (
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1ZiPrMwMYA) Bulgaria's one. A sincere performance, a song that start small and gradually builds up. This is the kind of thing I like.
Norway also had a song I liked, yeah it was cheesy but I dug it, and I think it's brave to perform like that when you have Tourette's syndrome. The singer from Greece has lived in the Netherlands and spoke Dutch, and the commentators were joking around with her before the show. She seemed like a fun, friendly, bubbly girl who had my sympathy vote (thought I didn't actually vote), and then the song and performance turned out to be pretty decent too.
(
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqvzDkgok_g) Ukraine's song was really weird and intense, but in a good way.
I watch TV with a soundbar with subwoofer. Give me a dance or hiphop song with a thick, heavy bassline and I'm easily satisfied. So I don't know how good the song by (
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkhiH-JXFPs) San Marino (with Flo Rida performing), the Lady Gaga like song by (
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgGc1F_cOE8) Cyprus and the song by (
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTQ22S5YC7Q) Azerbaijan actually are, but they sounded awesome on my system.
Things I didn't like: Germany, Serbia. The UK had a fluff piece, maybe they didn't deserve 0 points but it wasn't anything special. And I'm sorry, I personally didn't care for Iceland's song. Belgium had a decent song I guess, I mean I like Hooverphonic, but it wasn't Eurovision appropriate music, it had the atmosphere of a funeral.
WingedKagouti on 25/5/2021 at 09:40
Quote Posted by dj_ivocha
Are you musical grinches or something? :mad:
Eurovision is almost never about the music, the primary focus has always been on showmanship. Sometimes politics gets mixed in.
dj_ivocha on 27/5/2021 at 08:35
Quote Posted by WingedKagouti
Eurovision is almost never about the music, the primary focus has always been on showmanship. Sometimes politics gets mixed in.
I might have not been entirely serious with the musical grinches part. I mean, Harvester did watch it so he's definitely not one... On the other hand, he didn't like Iceland's song, so maybe a grinch after all? :mad:
But yeah, I'd also like it if there were less politics in the ESC. I don't mind the showmanship though - that's what makes it interesting.
Oh, and I also liked the fact that the top songs were all in their country's language and not in English. Maybe more countries will take notice and we'll get even more such songs next year.
WingedKagouti on 27/5/2021 at 10:03
Quote Posted by dj_ivocha
I don't mind the showmanship though - that's what makes it interesting.
It's the only way to tolerate Eurovision.
Most of the time the music itself is rather bland and forgettable.
qolelis on 27/5/2021 at 15:02
Quote:
Are you musical grinches or something?
Yes, only music produced before September 23rd 1973 is worth listening to; everything after that is pure shite, and the muck we are served today isn't even worth to be used as toilet paper.
Just kidding... or am I!?
Thanks for the reminder; I had mostly forgotten it was on, but I usually do like to listen to at least the finale songs, even though I don't care much for the rest of it.
I liked Germany (or at least half of it: for all I care, they could have kept the style it started in), France (felt real), Ukraine, and Russia. Italy was actually a lot better than I thought it was going to be; started generic enough, but then they switched it up considerably. Switzerland felt genuine too, if a bit nasal at times.
A couple of songs felt really overproduced, like for example Iceland; it was so perfect that it became dead and sterile.
I might watch a few highlights later from the whole show.
reizak on 28/5/2021 at 12:02
I had no intention of watching the show but ended up getting pretty into it. I thought the overall level was much higher than usual. My favorites were Switzerland, Ukraine and Italy and they all did well, so I guess I have nothing to complain about there. France was pretty good too although I don't know whether it was the song or the disarming performance.
Is it just me or did many/most of the performers from Eastern Europe try to do some Discount Shakira thing like it's 2005?
