(Unfortunately this is a late post, as I believe the first semi-finals has already commenced.)
Eurovision 2013 is happening in a few days at Malmö, Sweden.
Euro-what? For those unfamiliar with this glorious music contest, I’ve gladly included a link to its Wikipedia entry.
So we’re going to list down our favorites by assigning points to our top 10, as is done in the actual finals. Here we go:
1 pt.: Montenegro (Who See – Igranka)
A non-ballad, and Montenegro’s bringing some dubstep into the competition. The female vocal on the chorus makes this song soar.
2 pts.: Belgium (Love Kills – Roberto Bellarosa)
Catchy chorus. At first, I didn’t like this song, but I found myself randomly singing this song at times.
3 pts.: Moldova (O Mie – Alliona Moon)
Good thing they’re using the Romanian language version, because it is so so much better than the English one. Beautiful, haunting ballad and exceptional singing. The staging and production though will suffer from comparison with the Azerbaijan routine from last year.
4 pts.: Sweden (You – Robin Stjernberg)
Not as strong or as much of a fan favorite as Loreen’s song last year, but this is definitely going to be somewhere in the Top 10 in the finals. Catchy song — the almost-yodelling, the drums, the anthem chorus. (Aside: How do you pronounce his name? It sounds totally different from how it is spelled.)
5 pts.: Hungary (Kedvesem [Zoohacker Remix] – ByeAlex)
I am a sucker for indie pop-rock songs, like those from the early Apple iPod commercials, so this is right up my alley. It might be too “boring” for a contest that’s known for its big Europop numbers, but it has a nice simple melody to it, almost like a soothing lullaby. (Oh, come on, it’s not that much of a snoozefest!)
6 pts.: Italy (L’essenziale – Marco Mengoni)
This is my favorite ballad this year. I’ve had it on repeat since I first heard it. Italian really sounds beautiful in a ballad like this, and Marco Mengoni brings the raw emotion.
7 pts.: Malta (Tomorrow – Gianluca Bezzina)
This song is a surprising change in direction for the country’s past entries. Nice, cheery song and the vocalist is so smiley. While the other ballads bring the gloom, this one is all glee.
8 pts.: Slovenia (Straight Into Love – Hannah)
This is my favorite EDM song this year. I feel like this song is the proper successor to last year’s “Euphoria.” However, I feel like I’m listening to a Zedd track, as it seems to be heavily influenced by “Spectrum.”
10 pts.: Denmark (Only Teardrops – Emmelie de Forest)
Continuing with their folksy theme from last year, this song is such an anthem. Marching band! Snares! Pan(?) flute! Since folk is gaining traction in the mainstream, this might emerge as a favorite.
12 pts.: Ukraine (Gravity – Zlata Ognevich)
This. Song. Is. So. Good. I think Denmark and Ukraine are top contenders for this year, but the vocal pipes on Zlata are unbelievable. She shows a lot of range on this song. I know it screams “Disney!” but who cares. It’s an absolute hit for me.
Special Mentions:
– The UK isn’t really trying anymore are they?
– Romania has the weirdest entry ever. Not bad, but the classical opera and the Europop dance tune don’t really match. Maybe if it was just straight up classical opera, I would’ve given it a chance.
– Germany’s entry really eerily sounds like a mashup of “Don’t You Worry Child” and “Euphoria.” It might just be me, though Cascada has had a history of songs which sound like other songs. (Sorry)
Those were our favorites for Eurovision 2013 in Malmo. Who are your favorite Eurovision 2013 entries? Sound off in the comments below.
