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Last Active 12-27-22 12:13 am
Joined 09-12-10
Review Comments 30,311
| Eurovision 2021 Review
Going in to this on a whim, blind and a plentiful supply of wine (as is tradition), this year's Eurovision was a pleasant evolution from the usual bloated B-rate Europop-fest of recent editions. A trimmed schedule helped, with the 26 finalists skipping by at a pace and the salvation during the jury vote reveal that was only the gold-medal 12-pointer being announced by the pondering pothead announcing the votes for Iceland or Lithuanian Jedward. I still think it's kinda arbitrary they announce the jury votes drip by drip before splashing the viewer votes which, let's face it, are the juicier ones anyway. Anyhoo, this year seemed a battle between your scantily clad Slavic Lady Gaga and your melodramatic goth/rock/rap rock/Edith Piaf, with the dark side coming out on top. Don't get me wrong, I always love a glittery Moldovan or Greek girl, but the swerve in style was a hit. Frankly, this year was a good year, with a lot of strong songwriting on all sides. Many songs that you'd think would do well were to be sidelined by the end. Also interesting to note a number of songs sang in native languages, including all of the eventual top 3, and after the drab editions of recent years it was nice to see a lot of the performers going all out and just being themselves instead of conforming to the dry formula (get fucked Azerbaijan). List is digs (except #1) and commentary is chronological highlights cos idgaf. | | 1 |  | Hooverphonic
Hidden Stories
Belgium. This was my first big clue this Eurovision was gonna be a lil different, and going into this blind I had no idea they were playing, nor that they were Belgian. What the hell Hooverphonic? That's kinda cheating using a band I already listen to, but their moody trip hop track is an adequate entry for this edition of Eurovision and a good song in its own right. Despite a respectable outing with the jury it was probably a tad too sedate a song in the end with only a meagre 3 points from the public. | | 2 |  | Burial
Chemz/Dolphinz
UK. This uncharacteristically un-flippant entry from the UK didn't deserve 0 points. | | 3 |  | Devil Sold His Soul
Loss
Switzerland. Probably should've won tbh. | | 4 |  | Boards of Canada
Music Has the Right to Children
Iceland. This is the kind of shit I've missed from Eurovision. The best of this year's pisstakers for sure (honourable mention to Lithuania), and it's actually a damn good song, AND this dude can sing. Plucky Iceland etc. | | 5 |  | Karnivool
Sound Awake
Finland. Yeah ok we get it Finland. Not that I can blame you, 2006 was a legendary win, and this song is a serviceable Hollywood Undead B-side with Huu-esque Mongolian gang vocals...and synths...anyway a strong score from the public 25 years too late couldn't make this top of Europe. | | 6 |  | 21 Savage
Savage Mode II
Lithuania. I lied, this should've won. From the stupid yellow jackets and the silly camp dance, to the bumping dance chorus, I really dig it. | | 7 |  | Dua Lipa
Future Nostalgia
Ukraine. Another weirdo banger. I like it too. It has a Eurovision meets witchhouse vibe to it, and that flute bops. The singing witch from dragon age origins rocks too. | | 8 |  | Robert Rich
Echo Of Small Things
France. I'm biased but this should've won just for how much better it is than France's usual entries. I know the tense ballad is in vogue since Ukraine won it but this is actually another very good song (and performance) in the style of classic Edith Piaf. | | 9 |  | Gojira
Fortitude
Italy. Definitely stands out with its groovy garage rock feel and their 80s goth/glam look, and they're even singing in Italian which is cool. What a gnarly voice has too. After relistening to this I'm more accepting of its victory but I think Switzerland's is still my favourite. | |
anarchistfish
05.23.21 | Best of the rest: Germany sending Ninja, San Marino and Flo Rida getting battered by the audience score, Russia, Greece, Serbia, Moldova and Albania | Pangea
05.23.21 | Great review and agreed with most of your takes. Iceland, France & Ukraine were my favourites, but i'm quite happy with the Italy win. It's a cool glam rock song i think. Lithuania, Albania & Russia were all great as well.
UK was one of the weaker performances, but 0 zero was still harsh i agree. I think it, along with the other 0 point televoters, was hurt by the overall strength this year. Most other eurovisions it would have gotten a few points i reckon. It's a decent radio pop song, but the performance was a little shoddy
Was hoping a bit more on my homecountry (The Netherlands). I think it was a pretty cool song, but I don't think it connected well enough with the average eurovision viewer. Jeangu didn't have his greatest performance last night either | ItsTheSquirrel
05.23.21 | As a Finn I don't even bother with our Eurovision entries anymore. Can't remember the last time one of them was worth listening | ReturnToRock
05.23.21 | Funny you should mention the increase in songs sung in native languages - in Portugal, our reps got lambasted for NOT singing in Portuguese!
What'd you make of them by the way? | anarchistfish
05.24.21 | It was a good entry though a bit bland compared to the stuff that came after, and the main guy sounds like Adam Levine | GhandhiLion
05.24.21 | what would you rate them? | anarchistfish
05.24.21 | Portugal? | Sabrutin
05.24.21 | Maneskin are often loathed locally (think Greta Van Fleet) but looking around there's some genuine hope that their success between both Eurovision and Sanremo could bring back some actual rock in the mainstream | Scheumke
05.24.21 | I think Portugal sounded more like a male Anastasia. One of the only entries I'm actually prone to check the band for, but the song itself was a bit to mellow to actually win. Loved France and Switzerland, but my favorites were Italy and Iceland. You're right too, 10 years is actually a great song aswell! Was a good year with relatively many good entries. | Scheumke
05.24.21 | Owh and I loated Finland. Linkin Park parody by a couple of angry kid posers with the most cringe lyrics I've ever heard (and I enjoy my cheese!), and literally not a creative bone in it's body. It felt like all the stereotypes against rock music put into a single song. | Pangea
05.25.21 | yeah didn't like finland as much as well. was too much of an edgy nu metal song. i'll admit, though, it's super catchy | Tundra
05.25.21 | Eurovision is becoming more outdated year by year | Pikazilla
05.25.21 | Unlike Periphery who were outdated right from their inception | Pangea
05.25.21 | in what way Tundra? | DDDeftoneDDD
05.25.21 | "Switzerland. Probably should've won tbh." prob 2 | StickFeit
05.25.21 | My country was so fucking bad.. and we hosted it for god sake | Demon of the Fall
05.25.21 | I would've voted for Hooverphonic even if the song sucked tbh (well, if I was to vote/or even watch the damn thing).
Hearing the reaction to it as a whole makes me think I may have messed up ever so slightly by negotiating my way out of watching it. | anarchistfish
05.25.21 | It's understandable. Most years I can't take it anymore after 30 minutes | anarchistfish
05.26.21 | Switzerland is still the best for me. 2nd and 3rd to France and Ukraine respectively. Those are the the ones I'm going back to anyway.
For Ukraine that stage design is very cool too but the direction is peculiarly static with very little movement. I wonder if that's why the juries marked down |
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