#also I'm surprised eurovision was so high up there

[dividedindiversity]

hi! wanted to submit a couple of songs for the eu competition. these are quite famous and problably not as interesting as more niche ones, but i still think they are amazing:

Danger Dan - Das ist alles von der Kunstfreiheit gedeckt (he's a cool german rapper who loves critisising the government and the police. i love his sense of irony)

Ren - Seven Sins (i know he sings in english, but technically he's welsch? and welsch is genetically closer to Breton language in France than to English, so... come on. and this particular song even starts with a verse in welsch, therefore i suggest it and not the more political ones. it's my favourite though: i adore the way he intricately merges his personal chronic pain with political and social problems. it just resonates deeply with me and i find it beautiful)

also, just in case: do you think you could accept songs of oppositional russian singers that had to leave the country because of the political beliefs they expressed in their art? russia is obviously not a part of eu, but it used to compete in eurovision - and most of the singers have emigrated to the countries of eu specifically. i will totally understand if you'd rather not allow their songs to participate. it's just that i know and deeply love so many of them - russian resistance culture is old and poetic; our literature has always been the main way of opposition, as all the other ones are closed. i guess i simply wish to contribute something from my homeland, if i'm permitted to. again, i don't have high hopes and will absolutely accept your reasoning should you refuse.

(hopefully i'm doing this right - was i supposed to give more/less information, provide the links? i'm sorry if so)

anyway, have a nice day! this competition is a great idea and i'm looking forward to it.

First of all, I want to be very clear about this: this answer is *nothing against the person who sent this ask*. I'm assuming they didn't check what all the artists they mention were up to in the past week.

I won't be including any submissions by Danger Dan or anyone else from Antilopengang. Yes, the song mentioned is a banger. However, Antilopengang has long been at least somewhat Antideutsch, and 5 days ago brought out the song 'Oktober in Europa'. The text of the song is mostly about the increase in antisemitism in Germany and Europe in general lately, a very justified and important complaint, and about antisemitism in the left in particular, which is something often dismissed and ignored and should be talked about more. However, some of the parts of the song that are specifically about the war in Gaza give the impression that the singers consider concern for the well-being of Palestinians to be antisemitism. That conflation muddies an otherwise good message. Which isn't surprising considering their antideutsch position, just disappointing. For this reason, it would be weird to include their songs in a bracket that calls for a boycott of Eurovision. I get the impression they wouldn't want to be.

To answer the question about Russian artists- sure, just make a case for their inclusion! But I ask everyone in *general* to please check the artists you submit- I happen to know this about Antilopengang but I don't know about *most* artists.

#ask

[lotlvision]

Time for a full listen to all the Eesti Laul 2024 songs!

The reveal only gave us snippets of them all so I haven't done a proper ranking yet, so here we go! I'll listen to them all first, then you can find my rankings here!

1. 5miinust & Puuluup - "(nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi"

surprising no one, i fucking love this. this is what i want to win. this is what i want to go to malmo. nothing else left such an impact on me from the previews that were shown, and if spotify was still collecting data for my wrapped i assure you this would be my number 1 song. 10/10

2. Anet Vaikmaa - "Serotoniin"

i stand by my original opinion that the artist and the video are giving avril lavigne vibes, though the song isn't quite as rocky as avril. i don't remember my first impression of this one. it's fun enough, i like her voice. it doesn't feel like there's anything special it can pull on for fun staging or costume, so i'm not sure if i'd want it to win, but it's a nice enough song to listen to. 7/10

3. Antsud - "Vetevaim"

as a song, this is not my usual taste. as a potential eurovision entry, i love it. it's weird, it's whimsical, the staging and the costumes and the lighting all have such high huge potentials. i hope they don't just do the band standing around like they have in the music video, i hope they bring the phil is not on fire whiskers and do something insane. this has the potential to be either a huge let down, or be a surprise winner. a hopeful 8/10

4. Brother Apollo - "Bad Boy"

the only other song that got added to my esc '24 playlist from the preview alone. it doesn't take itself too seriously, but the song is still good. i hope they'll take that attitude into the performance, it could be really fun to watch. 8.5/10

5. Carlos Ukareda - "Never Growing Up"

look. the song is fine. i am a swiftie through and through, but if it sounds like it should be on debut it's probably not a eurovision song. for that, a very harsh 5.5/10

6. Cecilia - "FOMO"

this is (very faintly) giving me lights off vibes. i don't hate it. it doesn't stand out to me really as a eurovision song, but it's catchy, it's got a good beat, it's fun to dance to. 7.5/10

7. Daniel Levi - "Over the Moon"

it's a ballad, so i'm not immediately enthralled by it. however, this is a ballad that could grow on me. i think the staging will be beautiful, if the live vocals are polished and everything lines up, this could be a really strong contender. i don't want to admit it, but this is a 9/10

8. Ewert and the Two Dragons - "Hold Me Now"

this gives "dead last in the semi final" vibes, but there's an issue with that. the music video is clearly made up of videos of (what i assume to be) their fans, who've responded to a call from the artist asking for videos of people hugging to be submitted. and if that's the case, then they clearly have a lot of fans, so they'll get a lot of votes.

it's not a eurovision song. it doesn't build, it never really changes, it just feels so damn repetitive. it's boring. 4/10

9. Inga - "No Dog On a Leash"

the music video gives hatari vibes, the artist gives ke$ha vibes. i'm not sure the song is really something that stands out at all, but if the music video is anything to go by then i think the staging will capture people's attention. if her voice sounds good, the song itself might not matter that much. 7/10

10. Ingmar - "Dreaming"

i don't like this song. his voice is good! but the song just feels so boring. it's the usual schtick in a eurovision ballad, there's nothing that makes it stand out, and i just can't pretend there's anything about it that excites me. 5/10

11. Laura - "Here's Where I Draw the Line"

i also don't like this song. and i like it less than ingmar's song. 4.5/10

12. Multikas & Ewert Sundja - "Oblivion"

the opening is unsettling but in a way that makes me quite curious. i do think the song is a little bit underwhelming, personally? the intro really piqued my interest and i don't think the rest of the song holds that, which is a shame. 7/10

13. Nele-Liis Vaiksoo - "Käte ümber jää"

admittedly, the song isn't for me: it's a ballad, no one is surprised by this. objectively, it's a fairly nice song. it doesn't feel special enough to really grow on me though, but it's not bad. and it's actually in estonian, which is always a bonus! 7/10

14. Ollie - "My Friend"

full disclosure, knowing that this is one of the more popular songs - and a real contender for malmo - i am naturally biased against it. i don't want it to win, so i'm probably going to be harsher on it than i have been with the other songs.

it's a darker version of venom, i think. it follows the same sort of structure (which, i have to imagine, is because it's the same artist xD). it's not got the eurovision pizzazz i like, and it's in english rather than estonian, but aside from that i don't think there's anything i can really critique. i will be fair and give it 9/10, but i will not be happy if it wins over (nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi

15. Peter Põder - "Korra veel"

i am SO torn about this one. the song itself is pretty plain, the real selling point with it is the visuals. it could be great staging, but i don't think that would be enough to qualify in malmo. also, some of the graphics in the video are really off-putting. the merge from the guy's real face to his edited face is actually quite scary! i think i have to go 6/10 here

16. Silver Jusilo - "Lately"

this is just kind of boring. i don't think there's anything else to say here. 4/10

17. Sofia Rubina - "Be Good"

look, i'm not under any illusions that this is a good song. it's not even a good music video. they just got a bunch of scantily clad women to shake their butts and - for some reason - and american flag. i wrote those sentences with the hopes that there'd be a "but", but there isn't. it's bad. 3/10

18. Traffic - "Wunderbar"

y'know, i'm not quite sure how to feel about this one. it feels like it'll have fun staging, but it's another one that feels more like club music than eurovision. another one that gives me "lights off" vibes. the star in the video gives me vegas sphere vibes - that doesn't really do anything but i thought i'd mention it. 7/10

19. Uudo Sepp & Sarah Murray - "Still Love"

another one that's just a bit too boring for my taste. i don't really have anything else to say, again. the line "you live rent free in my heart" did make me cringe substantially, though. it does feel a bit like they're trying to be "down with the kids". 4.5/10

20. Yonna - "I Don't Know About You"

last but not least! at least, i hope not least.

usual ballad disclaimer. not my kind of thing, but objectively not a bad song. 6.5/10

#eesti laul #eesti laul 2024 #eesti laul 24 #esc 24

[hellshee]

Eurovision prediction: who do you want most to win, who do you think will get the audience vote, and who do you think the judges will inevitably go for?

truthfully i have no idea who the audience or the judges will go for, i feel like with the audience it's always a mix of eurovision craziness with a more conventional melody or rhythm.

i feel like the winner could be one of the big 5 or it could be sweden because apparently, people love their entry a lot or it could be ukraine because the song is really good and it has been popular for a while. belgium also has a generally nice safe song. and i know there's been talk of uk winning but... idk.

personally, i'd like to see either ukraine, moldova, poland or norway win. and of course, i'm rooting for romania to be in the top 10 at least (but they won't be because we perform second tonight rip).

i feel like both ukraine and moldova have an amazing mix of things that make them worthy of winning, but i've seen some negative feelings from westerns about moldova's song so i'm not gonna be surprised if it doesn't rank as high as i wanted it to.

but to make the case for moldova's song: it has that eurovision sparkle, it's a non-english song, it's not a ballad, it has authentic regional folk elements, it's a song about two countries separated by war but who still feel like one country, it's upbeat and fun to listen to, the performance is really nice.

a lot of the same can be said about ukraine's song. the eurovision flair, the folkloric elements, the amazing melody, the non-english lyrics that have deep meaning if you take the time to look them up on google, the artists have really good voices and they combine two genres of music really well, the staging is really nice and it just stays with you.

this is why i'd like to see them both win. i mean i really like norway's entry because it is catchy and crazy and funny and stuff, and poland's entry is so beautiful and full of meaning, and i love it, but i feel like these two entries have a lot going for them and it would really be nice for eurovision to appreciate eastern european pieces from time to time.

#💌 answered 💌 #anonymous #eurovison 2022 #eurovision #moldova #ukraine

[just-1other-nerd]

My comments on Eurovision this year:

(Disclaimer: like what you like, this is just my personal taste)

The opening song is fire, modern and traditional (but what the heck did Kate do there, our commentator even shout outed her *rolling my eyes*)

Loved that they brought back Go_A

Sometimes, the Eurovision can feel like a fever dream with it's crazy costumes, wild dance choreographies and over the top special effects

I think it's cool that non-European/non-Australian people can vote, too

I liked the energy of Austria's song and the idea is just so much fun

Portugal is really delivering, it feels like vacation at the mediterranean sea

Switzerland's song is very good, the singer has a great voice but there is this tiny bit that is missing in my opinion

I was already thinking she's pretty and then the commentary said she's not even the only model of her family, but the song isn't my thing and personally I think the only dance part was too long. Poland had a TikTok dance vibe.

I definitely heard the video game in Serbia's song but when the commentator said the singer is into anime I hoped it would have a lot more of the anime intro

I like the costume of the France lady but it looks better when she's not standing on a glittery mountain. The song is very good, her voice is fabulous (but in the refrain there's a little too much of that beat for my taste). My mother and the commentary guy both said that they shouldn't have fixated her on that tower thing because she could barely move.

Again, why did the Royals have to be there? And Peppa Pig and Drag Queens are also weirdly enough in the same montage (???)

Cyprus' singer really hits the high notes. The song has such a powerful vibe. I like it, well done.

The Spanish singer has a nice voice and it like the clapping rhythm but why is there this synthesiser-like sound in between.

My mum said something I could not not share: she thinks the presenters' outfits remind her of paw patrol, especially the yellow one

Loreen is back. I liked her song with which she won back then (more than this one). My mum and I were surprised to see her again. The song was more than fine. But what's going on with her nails? They are so distracting.

Albania is great and the voices fit together very well

Btw the Italian guy walking in with a pride flag was iconic because this competition is so fruity fr. The song is very good and I can imagine a dramatic dance scene to this. Our commentator called his shirt "made out of christmas decorations". The guys in the background falling up and down the stairs made me laugh a bit tbh

Estonia's singer has a fantastic voice, and I adore the song. Her outfit is so cool.

The music of Finnland this year isn't anything I normally listen to, just totally not my genre. And the box thing made me laugh out loud.

The Czech women are so pretty but the song, oh dayum I really like it, also it's giving a tiny bit blackpink.

I'm not so much into the Australian song but that's just because of personal preferences. The e-guitar was the best part

Belgium's song isn't my thing, it sounds like one of the songs you hear in the background when you're shopping

There is a woman behind the presenter making butter. I'm not even kidding, this is really happening

Armenia is really delivering, I love it, there are a bit of siren vibes and then it changes to harpy warrior vibes

Moldova has this very cool flute in there, it's a very powerful song and in my opinion it's fun

Ukraine's song is good but it's not my genre. I love the message though

Norway is definitely one of my favourites. What a power anthem!

Metal isn't really my thing, but the lead singer has a great voice, and overall, I like it a lot. Not a big fan of the costumes though

Lithuania has a great singer with a fabulous voice, the song is a vibe

In my opinion, Israels song is okay at best, mostly because I cringe at the line "the power of a unicorn"

Slovenia's song is cool if you ask me, but not extremely memorable

Nope, Croatia isn't my thing this year but like at all. But it's cool that they wear skirts, never mind why did they get rid of their clothes?

Sorry UK, I love revenge songs by , I've heard better (not that this one is particularly bad, but something just doesn't click)

Overall, most songs were pretty solid this year, a better average than most years

I like that they have disabled people on stage and the song isn't bad either, the e-guitar is fabulous.

I didn't expect Germany to loose against literally everyone, I think this year the song was way more original than some of the songs which got a higher rating but were way more basic and mainstream

Congratulations to Sweden

Oh no, our commentator said it was his last time to do this, but he's done it for the last 25 years, his voice is Eurovision, now I'm sad

Greetings from Germany 🇩🇪

#eurovision #eurovision 2023 #esc 23

[dawningfairytale]

(livebloggy) thoughts about the studio versions of eurovision 2023 songs on spotify (don't judge me). also if i say something has "energy" or "vibes" it is almost always neutral/positive.

aijā: the instrumental fooled me into thinking this would be far more upbeat and Quirky. then the melody came in and it's slower than my personal liking. uh, sir are you okay? i do like the strong pulse with subdivisions, i hope that's right terms. i like the ending "please don't wake up" (ig that's the bridge) and the stripped down ending (i do mean ending this time) in latvian.

dance (our own party): i liked it until the verse lyrics came on. AND I LOVE THE INSTRUMENTALS THOSE ARE REALLY BOPPING. the chorus is neat!!!! the verse seems like dichotomy. but not in the best way. idk. i'm really enjoying like the whole song aside from verse 1. apart from that section it's great! also i acknowledge that when i write in this post format my bitchiness and criticism grows three sizes so yk

who the hell is edgar?: is it cringy? MAYBE but it's fun OH THE CHANT DAMN. like the music, even though it's upbeat and electro, suits the vibe of possession and horror. even without the chant (though that was sick). which the last song was missing in the first verse. look. early favourite tbh. thanks austria! (the 'who the hell is edgar?' at the end took me out tho ngl)

breaking my heart: it's not bad. it's cute! it reminds me of something i would do warmups to in dance class!! (not a bad thing at all). the texture drop and tight harmonies is done really well. if you described this to me i'd probably expect to hate it but i'm vibing!

so far when i looked up which country each entry was from i wasn't super surprised. idk what that says but i'm saying it.

tattoo: i know this is loreen. thing is i didn't get the hype for euphoria so we'll see. it reminds me of something? oh it's kinda got greatest showman vibes in the chorus. not really in the verse but. also the pre-chorus does remind me a little of church music (like hillsong music). instrumental reminds me of the slow part of love is blind (lithuania 2012). i think people will probably really like this, i think it's mid.

because of you: i have listened to this one before, admittedly. just dance energy. again reminds me of warmups when i did dance as an extracurricular. the lyrics aren't for me, but if they're inspired by a real person, then that's cute for them!!! i just hope they don't make the staging really basic tbh

heart of steel: i like how it's going hard on the minor key. some villain energy. which i respect and endorse wholeheartedly. like it's chill, but evil, and i think that's what we all need to embody a little bit. also reminds me of 'don't get sad, get even' in vigilante shit. idk where i was expecting to come from, but this is very cool, ukraine!!

carpe diem: i like how it starts a lot, less how it builds. OOOO GUITAR OOOOO. i am a child, but that's besides the point.

d.g.t (on and off): i can't really describe it?? it's very rocking for such a slow song, i love the snapping and the rhythm. the high parts, less so, but it really depends on how it's performed. 6/8 my beloved. my beloved. mmmmmmm dynamic interest mmmmmmm. i am not one to wish different from the high notes but uh, not my fave part of the song rn (then again i generally prefer songs sung lower)

ai coração: OOOO THE PIANO RUN LIKE IN SHREK 2. it's so danceable but non in a generic edm way oh i am in love i love her voice ohohohohoh. thank you portugal this shall be in my top.

power: GIRL WHERE WAS THE INTRO. uh very hillsong. idk what to tell you it just gives strong christian music vibes at the start. the electro undertones minimises it but still. STILL. not even just the music the metaphors too.

stay: it's too slow for my liking. it's not bad, it's just. that sort of song. parts of this are familiar, from other eurovision songs. the chorus gives very 'we are the world! world peace!' energy. not my favourite, but if you like it, i'm happy for you!!

eaea: i have listened to this before!!! i think it's neat!!! the vibes are immaculate!!! thank you spain!!! (don't love it as much as slomo but that was the top of my spotify wrapped so yk)

samo mi se spava: it's giving the 2005 dcom minutemen. no i will not elaborate.

blood and glitter: is this... rap rock?? contrast?? it's giving some form of campiness ig?? I LOVE IT. THE VARIETY. GERMANY?? damn nice work germany!!

we are one: it's a little to 'simple happiness' for my taste? but at least it's happy and uplifting!!! i don't love it but i respect it!! it does however remind me of the australian Classic 'for we are one but we are many, and from all the lands on earth we coMe'. i sang that song for like 4 years before knowing the lyrics. like damn i was really rather no thoughts head empty when i was 5. yeah ireland i'm not shocked.

cha cha cha: giving uno energy?? very high energy!! actually add this to a get psyched mix bc this slapsssssss. wooooooooo

mama šč: hey i don't get it i think it's doing A Lot!! but i'm really keen to the staging, and it's bopping

tell me more: it's very sweet and cute. like if it's this sort of slow song it can manipulate me. even if there's non-mischa bachinski rap (seeeee, rtc mutuals, i can slip the references in there!!!)

bridges: reminds me of a matter of time from 2018?? it feels very soft and a little angsty but not in the way i like?? the lyrics, while so valid, aren't what i wanna listen to to live my best life yk?

break a broken heart: ooooo i love the rhythm of this one!! dare i say believer vibes? also the disney channel movie zombies? i know this sounds bad but i'm genuinely thoroughly enjoying it!!! vibes king

what they say: it's sad deep in a way that doesn't particularly mesh with me, unfortunately. although 'i got too much on my plate' eyo same man

evidemment: feels very epic and very french. OH A DANCE BEAT OH. we're vibing now perry the platypus!

solo: it's very upbeat beach vibes. look i just really like it. it's so slay girlboss, you know???

i wrote a song: hmmmmm at least someone's taking alexander rybak's advice!!! not my personal cup of tea musically (not much melodic interest and too staccato for me) or lyrically (since i'm translating catullus, i'm not in the mood for scorned lovers who decide to write verses about how they're getting their revenge. but i don't dislike this artist!! i do hate catullus)

soarele si luna: PASHA PARFENI!!!!! i'm really enjoying this one!!!! (not as much as his 2012 entry, but i had 11 years to fall in love with that one, it'll take time, and they're very different)

due vite: not my thing, and that's okay!!

watergun: it's not my kind of ballad, i hope this person is okay!!

duje: i love the strong pulse with the native language and the violin runs and how it says hyped!!!

my sister's crown: women supporting women. i'm not the biggest fan of the english lyrics or the melody in the verse BUT THE CHORUS SLAPS like majorly so. i don't love the soft ethereal it gets in the english chorus but when it changes languages i do. i think this is a hint that i don't love music in english as much

COMPARE THE MEERKAT AD WOOOOOOOOOO I FUCKING LOVE COMPARE THE MEERKAT (it's a real website you can go to btw)

promise: my country :) i've listened to this one already. i find it rather repetitive in the verses (particularly the first one), the music is fine!! certainly not my least favourite of our entries!!! i really like the music in "cross my heart til the sun turns red in the sunrise" (possibly aided by the brevity of it) and also when they absolutely fucking rock out in the instrumental

burning daylight: i personally don't love it, it reminds me of like 2013 indie stuff. also, to be nitpicky, there's one specific lyric that is the sorta thing that i know pisses me off so. yeah. didn't Help.

queen of kings: yeah this one was an early favourite of mine i've already listened to it. it just musically gives me dark fantasy vibes and energises me, you know?? very disappointed the studio version doesn't include the italian and latin chanting, but it's still like a great song to run to (i don't run). i was a little concerned about if she'd be able to pull of the vocals live (based only on the studio version) but when i watched her melodi grand prix version she fucking slayed

unicorn: i love the epic intro, it was kinda too much of a drop for me when the singer came in. pre-chorus feels a bit basic (***for my tastes) or is it the chorus idk but it reminds me of the circus climax of madagascar 3. the phenonamal part is a bop, and i really do like the ending part!!! the first half just wasn't my taste as much (aside from that beginning instrumentation)

if it's not on spotify, i wasn't bothered to listen to it (but ofc i will eventually!!). honestly this feels like a pretty good year (to meeeee) but not the highest quality ballads/slow songs (i know there's a difference, but for the sake of eurovision, no there's not)

#eurovision thoughts #eurovision #eurovision song contest #esc #eurovision 2023 #esc 2023 #long post

[sparkleapple]

Eurovision 2022 Song Opinions

Albania - I'm pleasantly surprised w their choice this year and it's something I've been wanting for a long time. I've know that Albanians know how to make a good party song and Sekret does not fail to deliver. I'm rooting hard for this and I can sense that it will be one of Albania's best result in a long time.

Armenia - It sounds like a hipster song from the early-mid 2010s that you'd hear in an ad.

Australia - They don't even belong here, but it's very Eurovision and he has a nice voice I guess

Austria - Definitely sounds like a radio friendly hit you'd see in Spinnin' Records. It's probably going to be a flop, but I'm just happy they're not sending another boring jury bait song.

Azerbaijan - So I've waited so long for them to release this song just to hear this snorefest? You've got to be kiddin me. Also do Azeri people feel so badly about their song writing/producing abilities that they have to depend on Sweden (or some western european country) every fuckin time? The chorus is pretty though.

Belgium - Is this the year of changing things? Because Belgium isn't giving us some mid tempo songs and an R&B one instead (which you hardly ever see in ESC). I absolutely love his voice and energy and this sounds like something straight out of Atlanta. I'm worried about his fate though...

Bulgaria - Wow. I expect great things from Bulgaria, but this is a huge disappointment and outdated as hell.

Croatia - Forgettable Taylor Swift demo

Cyprus - Sounds more Greek than anything Greece has sent these recent years. Woodland fairy vibes.

Czech Republic - Generic

Denmark - I love seeing a female rock song, but this sounds dated and is bound to be lost in the semifinals

Estonia - For the love of god, can Europe stop imitating country music?! Why would you want to mimic the US in a place like this? That said, I do like this song actually and at least it's not the Netherlands doing it.

Finland - The lack of rock entries this year is disappointing, and this one is the best one, but that's not saying much. The song's alright. However I love the Gorillaz like animation and, this did introduce me to the Rasmus, which lead me to "In the Shadows", which is a great song, so thank you for that.

France - LOVE! I'm a sucker for an ethnic techno track and the mysterious aura and Brenton makes me love it even more. Will certainly stand out. This is my personal winner. Well done France.

Germany - Forgettable Travis McCoy demo

Greece - Sure it's well produced and will certainly be in the top 10, but it feels very safe and not Greek at all. Gives off more Nordic vibes. If she was a Norweigan representative I'd like this song more. I'm just tired of Greece sending half Greek girls that aren't from Greece...

Iceland - When I first heard it, I thought it was boring, but now I enjoy it. It's pretty and sounds like a warm hug while camping in an Icelandic forest.

Ireland - I usually expect Ireland to send dull songs, but it was a pleasant surprise to hear this bop.

Israel - Fun and very Euroivision. Is it safe to call Israel the king of ESC gay performers?

Italy - I'm not a fan of returning performers bc I like seeing new faces and at first I was annoyed to see Mahmood return (this time with a little friend though). When I actually heard the song, I realized I was a clown. This song is great and it's very different from what he sent last time. If Italy doesn't end up with a high placement this year, no hosting country will.

Latvia - So they're not sending an electronic song. A joke entry I see. Very memeable. I miss the good old days when esc entries did stuff like this.

Lithuania - I thought it was going to hard to have a song almost as good as the Roop last year, but they ate this year too. I can't get enough. Smooth, unique, and mysterious with a touch of 20s/30s sounds. If this doesn't make to the finals, I'll riot.

Malta - I take back what I said about this bing the year of changing things up. Wtf is this hot mess? Out of Sight, while boring was still pleasant. Although with Malta's desperate attempt to be low odds, they replaced that song with something much worse. A corny ass Melofest reject that nobody's going to care for. If they place last in the semifinal, they deserve it. Also I'm tired of them only having girls.

Moldova - A simple, fun, ethnic song that's very eurovision.

Montenegro - I was looking forward for their return, especially since they haven't had a solo female singer in such a long time, but this song is pretty boring and the lyrics are cringey af. So much for making a comeback.

Netherlands - When I saw images of S10, I thought we were going to get a pop song, but instead we get a sad girl song in Dutch, which is even better. I don't like her voice, but I do like this song.

North Macedonia - I know it likely won't make it to the final, but I love it anyway and I can't stop listening to it. It also feels a bit nostalgic.

Norway - For a gimmicky entry with lyrics that don't make sense, it's a banger. It's even got a dance to go with it. Definitely something that'll motivate me to go hard on the treadmill. Another one of my faves.

Poland - Considering how had they've been flopping, I was surprised to see that they ate this year. Easy qualifier. I'd say it's the best of the sad boi ballads.

Portugal - Ooh I like this one. Seems very earthy and touching for someone who lost a loved one. If we forget about last year, Portugal has been serving as quality lately.

Romania - When I think of Romanian music, this is what comes to mind. Good ole' summer dance songs that we heard more in late 2000s- early 2010s. As a fan of Inna and Akcent, this is something up my alley.

San Marino - I heard this guy is popular in Italy so I was surprised to see someone like him represent this tiny country. What was even more surprising was to see them have a rock song and not some disco song.

Serbia - As a fellow weird person with a monotone and obsession with hygiene, I appreciate it. I can see it being a future iconic entry with its catchiness and gimmick on hand washing.

Slovenia - It's a shame this song is overlooked. It's a great example of a modern retro song (with a cute music video to boot). These kids have a mature taste.

Spain - Okay, y'all only like this basic ass song because of the choreography. That doesn't change the fact that the song is mediocre. Also the lyrics are cringey and I'm sick of women objectifying themselves. I'm not looking forward to seeing Chanel and her backup dancer's cheeks.

Sweden - I've tried to see what makes this song so high in the odds, but I still don't see it. Her voice is nice, but this sounds like something in the A Star is Born soundtrack, which I don't care for. But hey, at least they're not boring us with another generic male pop song.

Switzerland - I was disappointed considering how well they've been doing lately after so many years, they've sent us this Toy Story song. Don't get me wrong, he has a great voice and I really love the message of the song, but the delivery could have been better.

Ukraine - I prefer the Alina's song, but this one is great too. Fun, ethnic, and lighthearted with the iconic flute guy. I know for sure this will do well, but I'm afraid a lot of its points will be sympathy points and making it win would be cruel seeing that Ukraine can't afford to be the host country both location and financial wise.

UK - From the looks of it, this looks like it won't be a flop and possibly in the top 10. I wouldn't get my expectations to high though. The staging could be a hot ass mess and end up in the bottom once again.

#eurovision #esc #eurovision 2022 #esc 2022

[subtle-edge-of-rot]

watching Eurovision with the Sinclairs or Michael

I feel like Michael would get super bored and confused/irritated at me complaining about stuff so he'd quickly go to... distract me 👀 should be paying attention to him anyway 😌

also day went fine, it was hot outside (at least not sunny though), lecture was fun 👌🏼 there'd be so much rambling about random stuff the Sinclairs would have to deal with from me 😂

Bo would be like "wtf", Vincent would probably listen just cause he likes your voice and presence, and Lester would be feeling with you (like probably mirroring whatever you're feeling) even if he doesn't get it, and make an active effort to understand you

though tbh I could see Bo either asking you later in private, or looking up stuff on his own (maybe asking Vincent for help) so next time you talk about it he can flex with his knowledge - or just the fact that he does know stuff

he'd also just love how happy his interest in something you care about makes you

imagine Lester trying to learn a language for you 🥺 though I do for some reason have the hc that he did learn a language in school (I think Spanish would be most common but I'm self-indulgent and know some places teach German), that he was better at it than expected, and actually retained quite a bit of it - not even his brothers know this so when he suddenly comes out with that ability to understand some things you say etc they'd be surprised and... amazed? proud?

it would be beautiful

- 🔪

*is a filthy American who knows next to nothing about Eurovision*

Michael would be interested at first because he’s so hungry to learn, but he would quickly tire of it, of course making a move on you because it’s been too long since he’s had you last (his drive is so high).

Glad your day turned out okay!

I agree with you on the Sinclair stuff 🖤 and Lester taking German actually kinda floats my hc boat. He’s not fluent but he understands a fair amount.

#payton’s asks #🔪 anon #the sinclair brothers

[bidgies]

but what are your eurovision favorites, wanna share?

Oooooh sure, let me see. I took notes on every song when I listened to it the first time. I haven't watched any of the rehearsals or all live videos, though. This is just based on whatever first impression I had. They're in no particular order, just the way they come up first in my notes:

The Netherlands: De Diepte - S10

This is actually one of the only quieter songs I like this year. Objectively, I think it's a really good song. She's got a great voice and the song is pretty deep and heavy, but it's got enough catchy elements that it's not depressing or forgettable. It also didn't feel physically painful to get through the whole song like some other songs did (looking at you, Malta)

Albania: Sekret - Ronela Hajati

I love the choir, I love the drums, I love the traditional bits, I love the dance choreo. Great song. Only criticism is that it almost tries too hard. Doesn't matter that much to me, though. I'm still super enjoying it. It also fooled me into thinking it would be a boring ballad for the first few seconds, so the pleasant surprise of it not being one probably boosted it up into my favorites

Moldova: Trenulețul - Zdob și Zdub & Advahov Brothers

It's such a cheesy, fun song and I really want to dance to it and I know it'll be so much fun to watch live. I just want to have fun at Eurovision and Moldova is delivering.

Norway: Give that Wolf a Banana - Subwoolfer

Similarly to Moldova, Norway is delivering on everything I want to see in a good Eurovision year. I don't watch Eurovision for the most artistic and serious songs. I watch Eurovision for the fun, for the party, for the memes. Norway is giving me all of that and I looove them

Ukraine: Stefania - Kalush Orchestra

This is a work of art. I love the traditional singing mixed with the rap parts and they'll deserve all the points they will get because Ukraine actually bothered to choose a unique and interesting song. If anyone talks about Ukraine just getting points because of the war, I'll come for them. This is beautiful and it's much better than what many other countries sent

San Marino: Stripper - Achille Lauro

I listened to that one really late for some reason. Just a few days ago actually. But I've been listening to it on loop since then. And I really love it. Because it's like my genre. It's got everything I liked in Måneskin while still feeling like it's own thing

Honorable mentions that I don't really like that much but apparently they scored really high in my notes ranking for some reason beyond my understanding:

Estonia: Hope - Stefan

This is country, so I'm ehhhhh on it. But I listened to this on loop for some days in March? April? And it got stuck on me then and now I'm actually enjoying it somewhat

Finland: Jezebel - The Rasmus

I don't even think it's that good. It's just nostalgia feelings, I guess. Basically, it appealed to my inner teenager who thought listening to alternative rock was the best form of rebellion against my boring Christian cult upbringing

Italy: Brividi - Mahmood & Blanco

I do not like this song because it's so not my genre, but I can acknowledge it's good in its own way (and similar to the Netherlands, not painful to sit through). So I hope they do well

#answering asks #eurovision 2022 #there's so many songs this year that I dislike or am feeling really meh about

[deep-hearts-core]

2022: semifinal one

AAAA okay! so i watched this yesterday with my partner and didn't take notes, BUT i'm going to go through and rewatch it again (as though anyone on tumblr cares abt my thoughts) and review at least the songs. maybe not the hosting though.

Albania I hated this in studio, but I feel like it was a strong opener. Ronela performed really well live and I found myself enjoying this. Some of the camera angles were a bit weird but this wasn't nearly as bad live as I'd thought it would be; it was overall a strong performance and I'm shocked it didn't qualify. Even though I don't like this style of music.

Latvia It was still quite fun, I liked their suits and they did well live and the guy in the green had a lot of energy. But I guess I wish they'd done a little more with it. I was oddly reminded of 2014's Pollaponk (Ileana, if you're reading this, know I misspelled that as Peppaponk at first).

Lithuania I was so sure this wasn't going to qualify, and then it did! And I'm delighted! Monika and the staging team did a great job. It felt really intimate and evocative of the classic contest and the way Monika was styled and the way she moves does an incredible job of evoking that as well. Also her sparkly dress is gorgeous.

Switzerland I remain unimpressed by the song and his voice, but they did a great job staging this one, and I laughed out loud when he dropped the mic stand and it literally bounced on the floor.

Slovenia Yeah I mean it wasn't that impressive. I liked their suits.

Ukraine Expected a little better from the staging, but given the... yknow... i guess I ought to cut them some slack. I maintain that this would have qualified even without the war.

Bulgaria Yeah, no surprises here. Nice to see Stoyan there jamming out I guess.

Netherlands This song has meant a lot to me lately. I've been struggling with my mental health quite a lot. And it was beautifully sung and the Netherlands shockingly did a wonderful job with this staging - it's evocative of Sweden 2014, Belgium 2017, and of course Arcade itself. Stien looked a bit nervous onstage but honestly I would be too if I were singing about my mental health struggles to an audience of millions. Wonderful job.

Moldova Was expecting a little weirder, tbqh. But the Advahov brothers look quite happy to be there, and I LOVED the visual of using train lines to make traditional Dacian patterns.

Portugal Live vocals left a bit to be desired, but I liked the staging. This still isn't very high on my list but suddenly I wonder if this could win this year.

Croatia This NEEDED a costume change. Mia needed to rip her dress off and have a littler dress underneath. And maybe it would have been better if the whole thing were sung in Croatian, she seemed a little more invested there at the end.

Denmark It's not the best girl band ever but for Eurovision it's alright. I don't like their outfits. And honestly the disconnect between the first and second verses, how long it takes for the guitars to kick in, is probably why this didn't do so well. But once it picks up I really do enjoy it.

Austria This one just sucked lol worst performance of the night. Sorry to Sarah Z I guess. It is the thing that it is which is mediocre Euroclub, it was badly staged, and Pia sounds strained.

Iceland I'm glad they went with the nf staging. Idk, it's nice to listen to but I feel like it loses a lot live, it's very quiet and while that can be nice it's like. I don't know. Maybe I'm still stuck on that ill-advised major chord at the end. It's nice that they qualified and I'd like them to do well but I wished the song had just a little more.

Greece Her outfit is extremely Victorian ghost, I don't know what's up with the chairs onstage, I am still weirded out by these lyrics. HOWEVER. Greece made one good choice this year and that was by putting the high note clip as the recap. Definitely a smart move.

Norway Yeah. it is the thing that it is. It sure is, huh. It's fun. My girlfriend really liked it. Not really for me.

Armenia On the one hand, the all-white post-it quilt whatever staging really does not look good. On the other hand, this sort of staging worked really well for I think it was Malta 2019 - makes the stage look smaller, makes Rosa have more stage presence.

Miscellaneous Thoughts Hosts seem cutely comfortable with each other. I liked their lil hug. Even if Laura seems a little too comfy with the male hosts. I also liked the postcards! They'll probably look pretty cheap in a couple of years but for now they're cool.

My personal qualifiers: Lithuania, Netherlands, Albania, Croatia, Norway, Moldova, Greece, Ukraine, Denmark, Switzerland

#esc reviews

[lucifer-is-a-bag-of-dicks]

I posted 3,263 times in 2021

861 posts created (26%)

2402 posts reblogged (74%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 2.8 posts.

I added 2,869 tags in 2021

#danny phantom - 1689 posts

#asks - 562 posts

#eurovision - 106 posts

#guardian spirit au - 90 posts

#bitter - 85 posts

#overpowered danny - 79 posts

#lula's headcanons - 77 posts

#lula's life - 77 posts

#gray ghost au - 54 posts

#birds - 50 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#and if i do i will get paranoid about how many hints i might have missed before this one and then never want to speak with you again out of

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

so if Danny aged but Phantom didn't would that make him like the opposite version of Shazam

2375 notes • Posted 2021-11-19 07:19:23 GMT

#4

so imagine if Dan escaped and Danny had to fight him again, but this time the general population of Amity Park saw, and clockwork didn't rewind anything

and yeah this is absolutely nothing new to this phandom but CONSIDER

what would literally everyone, ghost and human, think about this ghost who has the same logo as Danny telling him he's gonna become just like him one day and has a whole bunch of the same powers and they kinda look alike?

I guaran-goddamn-tee it they wouldn't be thinking 'oh that's evil Phantom from the future'

they'd be thinking 'oh shit Phantom's dad is a real asshole'

2823 notes • Posted 2021-10-06 23:28:40 GMT

#3

it's fucjing. 2am but I just had a conversation with my sister and I need to talk about it

Danny's at college right, he's stuck sharing a dorm with some guy he doesn't know, and through some unfortunate timing the dude happens to walk in while Danny is in Phantom form

his dorm mate isn't from Amity Park tho, and all the ghost shit is sort of hush hushed by the GIW so this dude has no idea who Phantom is, at most he's maybe seen some youtube vids and thought he was some made up character

so he walks in on Danny wearing what he thinks is a costume and a wig and says

"oh shit are you doing like a cosplay tiktok? sorry dude, I'll come back later"

all it takes is for him to casually mention his dorm mate cosplaying some white haired superhero character in the vicinity of an Amity Parker and they're just like

DID YOU SAY FENTON IS COSPLAYING PHANTOM ON TIKTOK??

within the hour every single Amity Parker on campus is furiously searching for Danny's cosplay account, but all they can find is one where he geeks out over space news and shit

suddenly his new tiktok about a recent space shuttle expedition is bombarded with comments like

"drop your cosplay account"

"WHWRE'S YOUR COSPLAY ACCOUNT"

"omg Fenton where's your Phantom cosplay I neeeeed"

"WE KNOW ABOUT YOUR SECRET COSPLAY FENTURD NOW DROP THE LINK"

next minute he's getting texts from Sam, Tucker and even Jazz asking him why everyone's harassing them for his tiktok account Danny what did you do

3051 notes • Posted 2021-09-21 16:31:44 GMT

#2

what if Danielle is just wandering around Amity Park in human form with Valerie, and Maddie or Jack happens to see her and they just do a hard double take like

who the fuck is this child

why the fuck does she look like Danny

why the fuck does she look exactly like Danny

like imagine that she's a little older and about Danny's height and they think it's Danny dressed as a girl and that is just, SUPER confusing and they go home and sit Danny down like 'sweetie if you want to start presenting as a girl again we will support you' and he's just like ????????????

3135 notes • Posted 2021-07-16 00:23:31 GMT

#1

new favourite hobby, stitching dumb shit onto pretty fabric

24187 notes • Posted 2021-08-15 05:43:48 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

#my 2021 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #interesting that my no. 1 wasn't even DP related pffft #also I'm surprised eurovision was so high up there

[jesuisgourde]

from your blog you seem to have impeccable taste! any song recommendations? i’m trying to diversify my listening a bit, i’m in a bit of a libs rut again at the moment!

Thank you!

Oh man, song recs! I can just throw out some random recommendations and things plus commentary because that's how I roll. These are just random good songs in my library. Have a giant list, because it turns out I was having fun going through my files.

-Eat Yr'self Fitter and Smile, both by The Fall, both from their Perverted By Language album. It's not their most celebrated album, but it's my favorite. -If you want to be sad and also amazed at the narrative skills of a bunch of teenagers, Spiderland by Slint is an amazing album. Don, Aman is my favorite song but it does make me quite sad. -Sensoria by Cabaret Voltaire is just a fun 80s synth song -Can U Dig It by Pop Will Eat Itself (which features audio clips from The Warriors film, which you should see if you haven't, it's great) -Positively Lost Me by The Rave-Ups. I love this song so much, it's so fun to sing and the guitar part is so good. -Shum by Go_A which you have probably heard if you followed Eurovision this year but I still think it's a fucking banger song. Also Zitti E Buoni by Maneskin, the winners of Eurovision (their two new singles are also fantastic). -Synapse and Malarone, both by Linea Aspera, a band from the mid-2000s that sounds like what I imagine that gif of those two 80s goth girls doing a very solemn shimmy in a club sounds like -Tomorrow by Working Mens Club (which also sounds like you could mash it with Begging by The Libertines and it would work) -Slip Inside This House by Screamadelica, which is just a fun song to listen to, especially while traveling somewhere. -Shotgun Mouthwash by High Contrast. This song was in the soundtrack to Trainspotting 2 but it is my favorite song to drive home from work to because I'm just doing 80 on the freeway in the dark with this great beat. -Psoriatic by Scott Walker. A very creepy song and I think perhaps the second Scott Walker song I ever heard. It is extremely weird and I love it, although other people might not. If you like it, all his self-titled albums are very cool, as is his collab with Sunn O))). -C30 C60 C90 Go! by Bow Wow Wow. Malcolm McLaren stole Adam Ant's drummers for this band but the result is this awesome single. -Sockets by Slaves. Watch the music video if you listen to this song, it's amazing. -Speaking of amazing music videos, Tongues by Joywave is a pretty awesome song with the most surprising and fun music video I've ever seen. -Venus by Television (okay, all of Marquee Moon really). This song and Gary Gilmore's Eyes by The Adverts (another banger) are connected in my mind for some reason as "poetic songs about random anatomy that are extremely creative". -Cinnamon Road by Tangerine Dream is just a fun electronic instrumental that makes me really happy -Blank Expression by The Specials. It's the Specials, idk, it's just good. -Andrew In Drag by The Magnetic Fields. It's a really good fun song and Stephin Merritt is a cool dude. -I'm In Love With A German Film Star by The Passions. I've had this song for years, I have no idea where I picked it up, but I like it. -Dumb Waiters by Psychedelic Furs. The entire Talk Talk Talk album is amazing. It's just straight punk and Richard Butler has such a distinctive voice. I listened to this album constantly in high school. -Sea Calls Me Home by Julia Holter. This song is just really pretty. It’s like a mermaid singing. -Death Disco by PiL. Basically the end of John Lydon being cool/not a shitbag, but it's a fantastic song and I love the use of the Swan Lake motif because I am a nerd. -Yes by McAlmont & Butler. There's some quote about David McAlmont along the lines of "one day he'll open his mouth and a cathedral will fall out" and yeah. This song is so great. Fueled by both members falling out with their other bands, so the emotion behind it is intense. (It's also the song that apparently inspired Manic Street Preachers to start writing music again after Richey Edwards died.) -Who Do You Want For Your Love by Budgie. I really wish I could learn this song on guitar, with its funky bassline. -Atlas by Battles. I found this song via the tv show Torchwood a million years ago but it's a good song. -Bad Seeds by Beat Happening. One of the PNW bands that inspired Kurt Cobain, and this song is really good, and also reminds me of Goo Goo Muck by The Cramps. -Back Into The Future by Man. Thanks to Nicky Wire for this one. I think he played it when he was a guest on some radio station. -Starlings by Elbow (warning: this song starts soft and then has a really sudden, loud brass horns sound, so I'd advise not listening to it super loud because it will be very startling.) The entire Seldom Seen Kid album is awesome, I think it's their best, lyrically and musically. -QYURRYUS by The Voidz. I like The Strokes even though Julian is in his slutty middle aged douchebag phase, but I prefer The Voidz and all his weird vocorder experimenting. This song and Cool As A Ghoul are my favorites. -Me by The Wolfhounds. Just a good early punk song. They have a more recent song called The Stupid Poor that's also really good. -Nick The Stripper by The Birthday Party. Great bass, the way Nick Cave says "insect" is so cool, the sickly sliding brass is so great. (Listening to this is reminding me that I need to listen to Birthday Party more often.) -Here Comes Your Man by The Pixies. You’ve probably heard this one because everyone has but it’s just a great song. -Wing Run by the Osees. I only discovered this one last year. My roommate was listening to it in the shower and I literally knocked on the wall to ask him what he was listening to because it sounded cool. Very proggy, but I like prog rock. -No Witness by LP. I have no idea where I found this song but the singer's vocals are really cool. -Goodnight New York by Vienna Teng. It's just a really pretty, nostalgic, sweet song. -Vitamin C by Can. You’ve probably heard this one. It’s just brilliant. The entire Ege Bamyasi album is awesome but this is obviously the best song. Those drums! -Christian Dior by Morrissey. I hate Morrissey the person, I love Morrissey the music. This song has always made me feel very bittersweet for some bizarre reason but it's one of my favorites. -Human by Rag N' Bone Man. This dude has such a great voice and this song is really good bluesy soul. -Do You Love Me by The Contours. A classic r&b song and yes it’s the one from Dirty Dancing but it is actually a really good song. -David Watts by The Kinks. This song is so silly and I just love it. It was one of my alarms on my phone for a while. -Here’s Where The Story Ends by The Sundays. This song is kind of sad, and I have no idea where I found it, but it’s really pretty. -The Passenger by Iggy Pop. Also Perforation Problems by Iggy Pop. And of course I Wanna Be Your Dog. I just think Iggy Pop is awesome. One of my roommates saw him live and I’m extremely jealous. -A Letter From Home by Ulrich Schnauss. Another electronic instrumental. This actually played at my job and I fell in love with it. -Happy Feet (High Heels Mix) by Blam. I admit to liking electroswing. Idk if this really counts because it's more like a club mix of a swing song, but it's fun. (I found it off the soundtrack to the first season of US Queer As Folk.) -Law (Earthlings On Fire) by David Bowie. I know most people like Bowie's 80s stuff but I love his mid-90s industrial phase (even though his hair was ugly). -Sound And Vision by David Bowie. My all-time favorite Bowie song. Low is his best album imo. The song is just so perfect in every way. -Faster by Manic Street Preachers. I'm cliched in that this is my favorite Manics song, but it's just Richey at his absolute best. Other Manics favorites are This Joke Sport Severed, Roses In The Hospital, and NatWest Barclays Midlands Lloyds. -Sinnerman by Nina Simone. She’s just such a force and this song is so cool, just totally driven by her voice and this very simple guitar/piano motif. -The Cutter by Echo & The Bunnymen. You’ve probably heard this one before. It’s just a great song. -We Can Be Together by Jefferson Airplane. My parents were hippies so I grew up on the Volunteers album. Most of the lyrics are taken from a UAW/Black Panthers leaflet which I just think is so cool. -She Sells Sanctuary by The Cult. Just a really good gothy psychedelic 80s song. -Ebeneezer Goode by The Shamen. I really love 90s dance music, it scratches my brain real nice, and this is a great one. -Please Don’t Touch by Polly Scattergood. It’s like if Toni Basil was mentally ill. Idk why I like this song, I think it’s because it’s almost obnoxious but somehow manages to pull back from it at the last second. -Under The Light by Fleece. You know the "How To Make An Alt-J Song" video that went viral like 6 years ago? Those guys have a band and they're great. Really lovely mellow dreamy music. -At Home He's A Tourist by Gang Of Four. The entire Entertainment! album is really good. -Candy Says by The Velvet Underground. It’s really feels like Lou Reed singing about a friend which is nice. Run Run Run and Vicious are also great songs. -Smokestack Lightning by Howlin’ Wolf. A good blues song with a really nice riff. -Beijing Taxi by Viagra Boys. This is the first song I heard by them and it’s just a really weird dream story being talk-sung but it’s great. (Also please watch the music video for Sports by them for some laughs.) -Down In The Tube Station At Midnight by The Jam. Another good classic punk song. I just really like the way old school punk songs tell stories. -Ampun Bang Jago by Tian Storm & Ever Slkr. I found this song from that viral video of that woman obliviously exercising to it while the Mayanmar coup occurred behind her but it’s actually a fucking bop. -Slow Motion by Patrick Wolf. It’s just really pretty. His song The Days was featured in that cute gay movie God’s Own Country. I had another song of his in my library for years before properly looking him up. -Exit Everything by Rowland S Howard. He’s just so cool. I can never decide what song by him I like most. There’s also Breakdown and Autoluminescent that are great. -Johnny B Goode by Chuck Berry. A classic. Also the Sex Pistols cover of this is really funny. -(Feels Like) Heaven by Fiction Factory. Very 80s but I like it a lot. -Sex And Drugs And Rock N’ Roll by Ian Dury And The Blockheads. This song is fun and always makes me laugh. -Heartbreak Hotel by John Cale. It’s a cover of an Elvis song but I hate Elvis and I think John Cale is great. All the instruments are whack out of tune but it sounds so cool. Way better than the original.

Sorry this is a lot. I was having fun! If there’s stuff you really like, let me know and I can make more suggestions in that direction!

#squash rambles #music recs #listen i am very verbose when i type so if you ask me something you will get at least 3 paragraphs worth

[betweenthetimeandsound]

Three Minutes to Eternity: My ESC250 (#45)

#45: Danijel Popović-- Džuli (Yugoslavia 1983)

“Stigla je sama sa ljetom, Prišla i rekla hello, Pogledi su nam govorili više od riječi,”

“She arrived alone with summer Came over and said hello Our looks said more than words”

I'm writing this piece as the ESC250 for this year opened on songfestival.be, and will continue to do so for a month. Amongst the songs that hardly appeared on the list, I think Džuli would be a good candidate to be voted on--it hangs around in the top 500, and deserves its place in the limelight. And here's why.

”Hajde da Ludujemo” (#73) is a beloved entry, and I love it myself, but Dzuli stole my heart from the first listen. They're both in the same pop vein which Yugoslavia would ride with until the country disintegrated, but while Hajde da Ludujemo is a dance floor banger, Džuli is a bit more innocent in terms of how the lyrics flow, and the instrumentation reminds me of being in a carnival.

A nostalgic, but summery bop, it exudes joy while telling the story of his lost Dzuli of the summer. We have a whole story in three acts--one where Danijel meets Džuli and is immediately smitten by her, how they spent time together until she suddenly left, and he's left yearning for her (the last verse is especially good). All confined into a three minute track, and done to perfection.

The melody is quite upbeat, with an accordion motif throughout the song. (There are some comparisons to Shakin Stevens' Oh Julie, which isn't surprising considering they're from the same era). However, the orchestration for it turns a good, fun song to new heights. to the point where it makes the studio cut fall flat on its face. The strings are so lush and cheery, especially when given their time in the limelight between choruses.

Danijel sings this with a boyish charm, and his two backing vocalists add to the fun with their hyper excited dancing and happy smiles (though sometimes, I tend to focus more on them than on Danijel himself!) I keep clapping along to their parts and singing along to Danijel's "Dzuuuuli..." there. Either way, this got Yugoslavia's first top-five placing since 1962, and became a huge hit across the continent (though Danijel's music career would go through a number of highs and lows throughout the decades)!

In the end, Dzuli is a little pearl, which brings about joy and a vibe throughout. It's enough to make me smile and play it on repeat over and over again. And as Danijel says himself (translated from an article):

"Julie" is a symbol of a time in me personally and in many others. It awakens a clearly defined image, sound, feeling, thought, memory and association to that time. "Julie" withstood all the challenges of that time and kept her beauty and playfulness forever."

Personal ranking: 2nd/20 Actual ranking: 4th/20 in Munich

Final Impressions of Yugoslavia: Yugoslavia had a tale of two cities thing going on in Eurovision. Up until their withdrawal in 1976, they would experiment in different styles, ranging from medieval folk (Jedan Dan) to progressive rock (Moja Generacija--see #198) to general dark pop (Gori Vatra--#72 for example). Despite this, they had little success with any of them; they had one last run with it in 1981 before switching towards pop (exceptions include Željo moja from 1986 and their swan song Ljubim te pesmama). Dominated by the Croatian broadcaster, it gave them more success, and led to their only win in 1989.

Considering that Yugoslavia would have some seriously strong sports teams if they joined together, I can't say the same about Eurovision. Slovenia had some soft songs as part of Yugoslavia, and then really mixes it up with genres after they broke off (Montenegro too). Bosnia-Herzegovina also has this eccentricity, albeit with a heaviness towards even their greatest songs. Croatia peaked early and slid down into a rabbit hole of mediocrity this decade. And Serbia relied more on their Balkan Ballads, though they have some quirky pieces here and there.

Notably, (North) Macedonia never represented Yugoslavia in Eurovision--they had only one artist win Jugovizija in 1980--when the country didn't participate in Eurovision. But speaking of which...

#eurovision song contest #eurovision #esc 250 #esc250 #esc top 250 #esc yugoslavia #danijel #daniel #daniel popović #džuli #esc 1983 #Youtube #montenegro's proudest eurovision moment #and they had a song written by zeljko #i am once again asking you to vote for dzuli in the esc250 #danijel was a part of srebena krila for five days #vintage eurovision #three minutes to eternity

[niedolia]

i'm curious as to how "misunderstood" you think russia is as a country. i once asked a russian blogger about this and they said that they think russia is often misunderstood by the west and that a lot of misconceptions exist as a result of western countries always making russia out to be the bad guy. what's your opinion on that?

If you’re talking about this ask, I read it & loved it. But I’m assuming you want more information so I’m going to try and be thorough & actually get into politics. I live in the West so it’s what I’m most familiar with in how others feel about Russia but I read Russian news often so hopefully I can get both accounts in. In the basics, I do think it’s sort of a half-&-half situation where Russia deserves some questioning, but not nearly the amount of hate it gets (yeah, hate) in certain areas. I also want to take a moment to address what Russia has done wrong and that the West just ignores, it doesn’t help things.

To start off with: America’s postwar foreign policy was based off of viewing Russia as the enemy and no matter how we try to reword it, the fact is it still has a “need to fight the villain” policy. And I believe it contributes to the West’s ability to fall back into the “Russia is Bad” mindset quickly. I know the Russian blogger’s opinion on this, but let’s just call it out as is: if the West has nothing good to say, has misconceptions about Russia it’s not willing to address, and is acting on these misconceptions, then the West views Russia as evil. So we’re facing a complete disregard to Russia on the West’s part and no one takes the time whether to say it’s deserved or not. And from an objective standpoint, it’s not completely deserved. So, I’m going to get into the modern politics and try to clear some of this up.

Chechnya: I’m getting this out of the way now. Because the US asked Russia to crackdown on Chechnya’s concentration camps for gay men… and Russia asked the same of Chechnya before the US asked. Soon after the story broke, the Russian Human Rights Ombudswoman Moskalkova approached Chechnya, asked whether they were kidnapping people, and Chechnya lied and said no. Now why would Chechnya, a part of Russia, lie to its government? Because Chechnya doesn’t want to be there. Chechnya wants to be independent, it’s resisted Russia for a long time and based on their shaky relations, I’m not surprised Chechnya basically just said “go away” to Russia. & yeah, Russia should have been way more active by now, but Moskalkova has been speaking with Putin (to try and start fully investigating the matter (and not just trusting Chechen officials’ word) so I know the West likes berating Russia on its LGBT rights but there are obviously people in the government fighting to protect them, like Moskalkova.

LGBT Rights: Since we’re already here, I want to reaffirm that the West’s pure hatred for Russia on the LGBT community’s behalf may not be as needed. Same-sex activity has been legal since 1993. Gender change has been legal since 1997 (it was also legal in the Soviet Union from 1920-1960 but that’s another matter). And a single person can adopt a child, no matter their sexuality. The situation is complex, I’d like to think it’s moving in a better direction at least in public opinion, but it’s not going to get very far if the West keeps demonizing Russia as it has been ;; rather, the government will probably try to keep rejecting anything “pro-West” at least in part. I could go on about this but there’s actually a really good post here explaining what exactly is going on in Russia & will help you understand why the West hasn’t been handling Russia’s homophobia in the right way (as with most countries)

The Crimean Crisis: or, how the West did and is really messing this up. The general American opinion is that Russia wrongfully invaded Ukraine (Crimea) and refused to leave, making Russia the villain. That’s so drenched in bias that there’s no fact in this. So here is what happened: Crimea was given to Ukraine back in 1954, ignoring the fact that Crimeans overwhelmingly identify as ethnic Russians and align in belief with Russia, not Ukraine. Skip forward to 2014 and Ukraine is trying to pull closer to the West, and, y’know, away from Russia. Since Crimeans didn’t care for this change, they declared themselves independent (which Putin recognized as autonomous) and asked Russia if they could join Russia. This was between Ukraine and Crimea, Russia was just a third-party that answered ‘yes’ to Crimea after they asked. They were a third party acting on behalf of their citizens. Ukraine may not recognize it, but in general, this was the act of Crimea, Russia was only so involved after Crimeans asked Russia to get involved in peacekeeping. And if that’s not enough, there were several protests ( in Russia against using violence in Crimea. I understand that Ukraine has struggled economically since then, but pro-Russian sentiment has always existed in Crimea, and to blame Russia is not compatible with the facts. The situation got out of hand, but Russia was a third-party called in. There’s also been the “Russia wants Crimea back and will invade for it” mindset, which is wrong. Russia literally had the chance to ask for Crimea back when post-Soviet Eastern Europe was being settled and didn’t. They let Ukraine keep it without a word.— Why is this misconception still bad?  Because the West (and Ukraine) is still punishing Russia for Crimea’s actions. Ukraine even banned Russia from Eurovision 2017 because their chosen entrant toured Crimea during the crisis. Which, fine, this is between Ukraine and Russia. But the West is still heavily involved in a situation it does not belong in if it won’t even consider the actual facts. Instead, the EU is still sanctioning Russia until, as Merkel has been basically putting it, “Ukraine is resolved”. Which, if we look at the facts, is not Russia’s business. If Ukraine is suffering because of Crimea, take it to Crimea.

I can go on (the mess that is called the US elections, Syria, etc.) but there’s a pattern here where the West either doesn’t handle Russia’s problems right when “calling Russia out” or it jumps to blaming Russia too much/at all. And the public is okay with falling into the “evil Russia” opinion because it’s what a lot of the West grew up with, for all generations. Russia is depicted as wrong and backwards in the media more often than not, once you know the facts.

And not only is the West spinning bad stories on Russia then punishing Russia for them, but there is little focus on the bad things Russia should be accused of. Like, y’know, how Russia is not owning up to its crimes during the Soviet Union (unlike Germany) and not learning more from it. Saying “Russia is not communist anymore” is ignoring the fact that the Communist party still holds some power in Russia - which, 2 Communists in the 170-member national Parliament is too much. In light of how much Soviet Russians caused, there is no room for this. And how the West has reacted to all of this is odd, because it ignored (yeah, ignored) the Holodomor (the man-made famine in Ukraine in the 1930′s, average estimates put the number as high as 10 million deaths) but now that the West is in the know of Eastern European news, Ukraine is viewed as this “weak child in need of help from Big Bad Russia”. And this is just a past example, using a present example of how the West does this skipping around on what it addresses and decides to acknowledge and remember would make this post a lot longer & complex.

So, tl;dr, yes, the West has a lot of misconceptions about Russia, makes the country into the “bad guy”, and more.  Not only does it have misconceptions about Russia, at times altering the story completely to fit the “evil” narrative, but the West would be better to stay out until it can be more objective on such major issues. Until it’s better at recognizing what Russia did or didn’t do, because the West is obviously having some issues on fact-checking and understanding Russia. Until it’s better at not just assuming that Russia will always act badly, just because it’s “evil”. It’s geared towards seeing Russia as the anti-West and it’s hindering any real progress in relations. I’m not the first in line to excuse Russia (for whole other reasons), but this bias by the West needs to be addressed and corrected too. It’s not going to work if Russia alone is expected to take responsibility while the West is “always right”. & obviously, this post is in no way complete, I just took the basics and gave modern examples to show patterns.

#;; ask #Thanks for asking! #long post #;; EE politics #politics // #its less than 2k words bless. lol. #i dont excuse russia but. #the west can fuck off. #like yeah. address russia's wrongs. #but how 'bout we understand russia first. #thank you for asking this. it's good that you're seeking more info.

[deep-hearts-core]

2017 - final

originally posted 5/19/20

Italy Francesco and his gorilla went all in on this stage. The performance is full of energy, even if the message went right over people's heads. I really vibe with the song, but I think it suffered from the revamp it underwent after Sanremo. The second verse that got cut down was one of my favorite parts of the song and I haven't been able to see the song the same since. The psychedelic staging, although relevant to the lyrics of the song, isn't nice to look at, and also pulls this down in my personal ranking. Spain I had forgotten about the catastrophic voice crack. Manel might look good for the cameras, but the song is boring and repetitive and the surferboi staging is ugly and unappealing. I find it hard to believe anyone actually liked this - if memory serves, it was a shock when this won the national final (I believe I was rooting for LeKlein myself). United Kingdom Beautiful song (written by one of my all time ESC favorites, Emmelie de Forest), sung amazingly by Lucie and with better staging than the UK usually sends. Gosh, the staging... it was so beautiful, the lights and the use of mirrors too. I don't remember how I felt about this song way back when, but I really love it now. Germany The song is boring but relatively inoffensive. My real problem here lies with Levina. She's not engaging onstage at ALL. I followed the German NF pretty closely that year and Levina with Perfect Life was literally my last choice. I enjoyed Wildfire, the other song, over this one, and thought that Helene Nissen or Felicia Lu would have been better choices to represent Germany in Kyiv. The funny thing is that Germans really like the song. I have a friend who lives in Germany whose family likes the contest and she says that they really don't understand why they all score so badly. I mean, if that's their taste, then it is what it is, I guess... Ukraine  Not the biggest fan of rock in Eurovision, but this is all right I guess. I still think they should have sent Melovin or Tayanna. France Good song, Alma is lovely to watch. While the staging isn't bad, I feel as though it could have been a lot better and could have been more creative. My top 42

United Kingdom

Finland

Bulgaria

Belgium

Netherlands

Moldova

Azerbaijan

Sweden

Denmark

Hungary

North Macedonia

Belarus

Romania

France

Armenia

Cyprus

Ireland

Norway

Israel

Austria

Italy

Iceland

Slovenia

Serbia

Poland

Lithuania

Georgia

Australia

Czechia

Ukraine

Estonia

Switzerland

Albania

Greece

San Marino

Latvia

Germany

Portugal

Montenegro

Spain

Malta

Croatia

Well... some surprises here, certainly. I'm not sure how Macedonia or Belarus ended up that high. Eh. I put my trust in the ranking website, so I guess this is what it's gonna be.

Voting/Intervals God, I love Mans, the sketch he did with the hosts is so fucking funny. Having Mariam play host was also very cute. That year's JESC is the only one I've watched and I really loved her song. We need to talk about the actress who plays Verka's mom, she's just as funny as Verka herself at times! John Karayiannis: "Now, I'm sure everyone is curious to find out how Cyprus voted." [cue audience laughter] Cyprus has really leaned into the whole giving douze to Greece thing lol Timur: "Hi, Mr Sand!" Jon Ola: Jon Ola: Jon Ola: Jon Ola: "Hello, Timur." Thoughts after watching I really hate Salvador as a winner, he's such an asshole about it. "Music is not fireworks, music is feeling" my ass. And he was so pretentious throughout the voting too, each time Portugal received 12 he was just like "oh okay, that makes sense". Luisa was much more excited about it, I think the contest meant a lot more to her. I also like her version of the song better... if Luisa had sung Amar Pelos Dois I would have liked it a lot more. She seems like a great lady. Everyone always hates on the Ukrainian hosting, but I think Oleks, Vova, and Timur did a good job. They're a really funny group of guys who put on a great show together and all seemed happy to be taking part. The stage design, logo, and intervals were all really fun as well.

#esc reviews

[deep-hearts-core]

2019 - final

originally published 5/12/20

Thoughts before watching It's actually pretty time consuming to write down my thoughts after each song that performs, so for the finals I'm only going to really dissect the auto-qualifiers. If something really notable happens in another country's performance I'll note it at the end. Germany This was cute! A bit bland but honestly compared to some of the stuff Germany's sent in the past it was pretty good. Staging was good up until the end, then it fell apart a little bit. It seems that their voices don't blend well together either. I'd really like to see each of them represent again individually, seems like they'd have a lot to offer and this just wasn't the right time. Israel Certainly very heartfelt. I like the chorus, especially the last one, definitely has a lot of emotion in it. It's not a standout otherwise. United Kingdom Eh. It's alright. Not sure where I stand on this one - it's not a bad song and Michael Rice is certainly a good vocalist - but the staging was really bland compared to the other entries and there was just nothing that really sold it. France I LOVE THIS. First of all, I'm in love with Bilal, he's amazing and so personable. I'm eh on the staging but this was an amazing song and Bilal really sold it. I do worry for his voice though, he sounded kinda hoarse, but ultimately everything went off great. Definitely one of my favorites. Italy Damn. This doesn't feel like a Eurovision song, it's personal and targeted and well-produced enough that it's something I could almost hear on a radio. It's a good song! And Mahmood is a great performer. The staging wasn't my thing though. I don't know how they could have staged it better but something about the way they did it didn't resonate with me. All in all I really think this deserved top 10. Italy always sends solid stuff. Spain This one's just pure. Miki's having a great time, the audience is having a great time, we're all just having a good time! The staging, though... the autoqualifiers really dropped the ball on the staging this year which is especially rough because so many of the other countries really gave it their all. My top 41

Serbia

Norway

Russia

France

Australia

Netherlands

Azerbaijan

Hungary

Slovenia

Montenegro

Malta

Italy

Sweden

Germany

Switzerland

Poland

Estonia

Iceland

Czechia

Armenia

Austria

Albania

Romania

Israel

Latvia

Moldova

Lithuania

Spain

Denmark

San Marino

Greece

Cyprus

North Macedonia

Belarus

Croatia

Georgia

Finland

United Kingdom

Belgium

Portugal

Ireland

I did this ranking using this sorter, so even I'm surprised by some of my results! I didn't expect to have Azerbaijan that high and thought I'd have Greece and Cyprus a little higher.

Voting/Intervals The song covers were actually really fun, the performers made the songs their own with twists that made them seem very different from the original. I enjoyed it a lot (ESPECIALLY Verka doing Toy, that was just fantastic). Madonna is HILARIOUS but I'm still not sure why she's here. I thought Gal Gadot was a genuinely nice touch. Jon Ola: the juries have voted correctly Me, mutuals with Bruno on Twitter and a frequent visitor to the ESC 19 Wikipedia: lol no More spokespeople than I expected delivered their points in French. Was also pleasantly surprised to have the Irish spokesperson talk in Irish for a bit, and the Australian spokesperson greet the hosts in her native language. This is really a good year for non-English languages at Eurovision! Not @ the audience going "Greece" in unison before Hovig announced it himself, that was so funny. (And they also did it less loudly for Greece giving 12 to Cyprus.) I don't think there's anything wrong with Greece and Cyprus giving each other 12 points all the time but come on you can't deny that was the best way to throw shade. Tamara Todevska seems really sweet, I wasn't a huge fan of her song but she was so stunned to lead the jury vote. I think she got North Macedonia's best ever result so good for her, I'm happy for them! The Russia spokesperson literally playing the piano onscreen made me fucking lose it, as did the Greek guy playing it on the guitar. Oh, the BALLS on the Icelandic delegation. Jeez. I don't disapprove but.... damn. Like, everyone else in the Icelandic part of the green room had to have known about this which means they were all like "eh, seems legit" and let Hatari do their thing. We stan. Seriously, only 7 points from the public to Czechia? Not the hugest fan of Friend of a Friend but damn that was harsh. Thoughts after watching I agree with most of the results. I really like Arcade and I think Duncan's a very personable dude, and I'm certain the Netherlands had a great show prepared and will have something great prepared when it's safe to hold the contest again. I liked some of the production aspects of the show - stage design wasn't bad, I loved the postcards - and disliked others. Namely, I think the show would have been better were it only Bar and Lucy hosting, I felt like I was always cringing when Assi and Erez talked. And as I've said before I'm skeptical about some of the interval acts. Inviting Madonna... jeez. Israel was showing off - I mean, that's what all the countries do when they host but I feel like Israel put on way more of a show than was necessary and leaned into the "gay superbowl" stereotype of the contest. I'm queer myself so that's not necessarily a bad thing, but idk at times it means people take the contest a lot less seriously. Not sure when I'll start the watch for 2018 - maybe tomorrow, maybe I'll give myself a break and do it later in the week, I'm not sure. Until then!

#esc reviews

[betweenthetimeandsound]

Three Minutes to Eternity: My ESC 250 (#20)

#20: Alma -- Requiem (France 2017)

“Je sais que je t'aimerai encore Quand la Terre ne tournera plus”

“I know that I will still love you when the Earth doesn’t spin anymore”

From a French classic to a song with a distinctive French sound, we have Requiem, which became the first Eurovision song I really clung onto. While most of the pre-contest hype went to Occidentali's Karma (#150), my heart went with France in whom I wanted to win. And in the process, Alma became my first Eurovision love.

Especially after J'ai cherché's (#34) success, I was happy to hear this song for the first time, as it combined French music with a very pop sound. There was a whimsy in the instrumentation, with how it takes multiple twists and turns and maintains a lightness throughout. The lyrics are very poetic and romantic, though sometimes I forget that they also focus on death. With lyrics focusing on the ethereality of life and how things grow, along with how this life is "a season and nothing more", it still holds the hope that their love would last "beyond the bones".

However, because Alma sung this song before 1 September, Requiem had to be reworked. The production was strengthened, with a more prominent percussive beat and strings. It really stands out in the last part of the song, where everything builds up beautifully rather than falling flat. The biggest change was writing a new chorus in English, which got a bit of flack for disturbing the "French character" of the song.

Like with Je n'ai que mon ame (#139), the English parts felt a bit forced; Alma seemingly rushed through the chorus before going back to the French parts. It does work in the end though, with the "embrasse-moi/tell me that you love me". While I was a bit worried about her chances, I didn't mind it too much, because the rest of the song held its weight.

And if people were especially worried about how "French" it would be, the staging affirms it with a landscape of Paris turning from day to night, with the Eiffel Tower coming into focus in the bridge. In the context of 2017's stagings, this was actually quite good, with all the pretty lights and the spinning circle towards the end. However, the images, especially with the floating buildings, were quite weird to say the least. The dancers from the music video could've featured more on stage, but I'm not sure how it would work without getting too messy (though I'm a sucker for a good tango!).

It ended up not getting the result Alma deserved (though it came top ten in the televote!), which placing last in the running order didn't help with. I haven't listened to this song as much, but it has held up well amongst its class, and I get wrapped in the ambience of it all. Alma also released her debut album, Ma peau aime, and it's got a bunch of solid songs (my favorites are Après l'aurore, the title track, and 8 ans et des poussières). Recently, she turned to more English-language songwriting, but I still recommend checking it out too!

Personal ranking: 1st/42 Actual ranking: 12th/26 GF in Kyiv

Final Impressions on 2017: It feels like 2017 has a bad reputation from the fandom--controversies aside, the songs and production weren't as strong as it was in previous years, almost every delegation placed the contestants' face on the LEDs, and there was a runaway winner which not everyone is onboard with. The #13-16 range in the GF was especially horrendous in terms of song quality.

Though sometimes, I think it's like the "Endurance: Tehachapi" to 2016's "Endurance: Hawaii". With the latter, everything was up to the 9's in both songs and production, so the expectations were quite high for the following season/contest. While I do agree on that, Kyiv's second hosting still had its charms, from the Eurovision medley with Ukrainian elements, to the highly experimental interval act. And of course, there were some more surprises, which were much less expected!

#eurovision song contest #eurovision #esc250 #esc 250 #esc top 250 #esc france #alma #alexandra maquet #requiem #esc 2017 #Youtube #my first eurovision love #michel berholc would've orchestrated this beautifully #but he died in 2002 #yes I made an endurance reference there #three minutes to eternity