Eurosong - all the cheesy goodness

Not Games
#1

Last year Eurovision was cancelled due to Covid, they put out some kind of a show using the promotional videos the acts had prepared, but it was pretty lacklustre and felt pretty empty.

Normally I’d use it as an excuse to learn some recipes for food from the host country, and then put out a bit of a spread for friends and family for a fun wee night of cheesetastic europop.

This year it’s back on! And paying attention to the acts a bit earlier than usual, it’s actually looking like a pretty good year. Some good songs that are good, some bad songs that are good too (hopefully the boring bland songs will be weeded out in the qualifiers)
Ukraine’s entry is a genuine standout for me, really like it, but I don’t reckon it will win

Anyway. Although we’re still not quite free enough to meet indoors to have the usual get-together we’re still gonna meet up with our friends online and have a good laugh along

Anyone else gonna be tuning in?

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#2

It’s not a thing I’ve ever done. But…

Looks as though the three live shows are at
2021-05-18T19:00:00Z semi-final 1
2021-05-20T19:00:00Z semi-final 2
2021-05-22T19:00:00Z final

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#3

Iceland were robbed last year. This year their song just doesn’t reach the same peaks.

#4

Definitely. Last year it was a clear head to head between Iceland and Russia.

Unfortunately although a lot of countries are sending the same acts, Little Big aren’t returning for Russia.

Iceland’s entry this year is still a good song, but not close to last year’s.

Lithuania have the same act as well and even though I liked last year’s better, if anyone’s unfamiliar with Eurovision, Lithuania’s Discotheque this year is Eurovision in a nutshell

I also can’t watch Denmark’s entry with a straight face - it’s the most 80s thing ever and it’s absolutely glorious

#5

I reckon France are probably in with the best chance to actually win it. It’s a good song that the judges will love, but it is VERY French

#6

Iceland definitely the unofficial winners of last year. The video to their song this year is fab.

Here’s Popb*tch’s guide to the contenders:

"ONES TIPPED TO DO WELL
Malta – This Lizzo-esque electoswinger is the obvious choice on paper, and the bookies’ favourite for months, but others have been gaining on it in recent days
Iceland – Last year’s hot ticket, 8-bit bedroom-disco hero Daði is back with more of the same and has tons of goodwill in the bank
France - About as French as it can be. Melancholic cigarettes-for-dinner tier.
Italy – Aiming for Arctic Monkeys, landing a little closer to Terrorvision, it’s a juicy bit of red meat for the ‘real music’ crowd

ONES YOU’LL WANT TO CATCH
Ukraine – A bonkers wailing folk-rave mash-up that might induce a passive acid trip
Finland – An early 00s nu-metal call to take shots, throw up, and stick your middle fingers in the air
Denmark – A proper time-warp, like something from Eurovision '87. Not in a kitsch ironic way; a genuine bug-in-amber relic.
San Marino – They got Flo Rida to do a verse on the record, can they convince him to come to Rotterdam?"

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#7

Also love the mad max truck in Ukraine’s video.

Finland’s trying embarrassingly hard to be edgy. It’s SO bad! Like bad bad, not Denmark’s awesome bad.

Italy’s was another one that seemed kinda corporate edgy rock by numbers, but it’s grown on me. It’s pretty good after all.

I hate malta’s entry and can’t put my finger on why, it’s objectively… Fine. It’s fine. It’s… Fine

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#8

Unless you are one of the founders like Spain and no matter what rubbish or boring bland flamenco stuff you send, they put you in the final.

As long as we don’t come last… I guess it’s OK.

#9

I think we’ve got that covered.

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#10

I love Eurovision. Last year was sad, the guy from Finland was 19 and it was supposed to be the first time he’d ever left the country.

It was really emotional last year, when they all sang on Zoom it was great, and the Italian guy on his own.

We’ve got a cheese platter ordered for Saturday night and plenty of wine. Can’t wait

#11

The semi finals are worth it just for Mel.

#12

It can be a deliciously cheesy pleasure if you accept the nuance of the voting. Audiences from the UK and Ireland who miss Terry Wogan’s commentary - although Graham Norton captured some of that dryness too - will be delighted to know that the Spanish commentator has almost exact the same amount of contempt as Ol Tel did.

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#13

I do miss the wildly imbalanced political voting when it was purely audience voting.
Russia getting huge baltic bloc voting roughly around the time that energy supplies were being shut off, stuff like that.

Would have made the last couple of years interesting if during Brexit Europe decided that what the UK needs is to host Eurovision over and over again :grin:

I enjoy Graham Norton’s hosting assisted with a glass of wine or 2, he’s as good a replacement for wogan as really could have been found; but Mel is always an absolute joy

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#14

I admit that is my favourite part. Trying to guess how many points the Balkans and Scandinavians will give each other, or the Russo-sphere will give to Russia, or how the French will resist and still send their votes in French…

Hardly tragic, there is a pandemic, but it has not taken us to the Middle Ages. He will fly out soon. :stuck_out_tongue: :stuck_out_tongue:

This. So true. He kind of make you feel he’s just there for the money…

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#15

Are Israel and Australia participating this year?

#16

image
image828×660 94.8 KB

Answered my own question. Please see the above Eurovision Projection Map, showing Australia in its correct position.

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#17

Also Kosovo having never participated is incredibly sad.

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#18

I’ve just finished listening through all the entries and nothing really stood out to me as something I liked and want to win. Probably Iceland, but their song from last year was much better.

A few I really hated. I want to punch Germany’s entry in his smug face.

There was a lot wrong with nu metal, but some good stuff came out of it. These guys seem to have learned all the wrong lessons from that era.

Italy are better, but they seem to be having an identity crisis. They look like they should sound like Iceland’s 2019 entry, but their song is just kind of generic rock …

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#19

Now I need to go and have a listen… I am not usually interested but now I am curious what weirdness they’ve (usually I would write we but I do not identify with whoever selects those entries) come up with this time.

Edit omfg. And for that I stopped the radio and woke up my partner who murmured: wtf.
When I asked for further comment he said: „is ja lustich“ I think he means he would also want to punch the entry if he were more awake. Ouch. This from the same country that is home to Wacken.

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#20

Having watched it I have to disagree with the title.

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