Well, it’s Eurovision season again… but things are a little different this time. For starters, I don’t plan on watching the live show in May. But I still want to discover music from countries I don’t hear from often. So that’s my focus this year.
Round 1:
- Antigoni — JALLA (Cyprus)
- Essyla — Dancing on the ice (Belgium)
- JONAS LOVV — Ya Ya Ya (Norway)
- Delta Goodrem — Eclipse (Australia)
- LAVINA — Kraj mene (Serbia)
- Noam Bettan — Michelle (Israel)
- LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER — Eins, Zwei, Drei (United Kingdom)
- Monroe — REGARDE ! (France)
- Tamara Živković — Nova Zora (Montenegro)
Tamara Živković — Nova Zora
“Nova Zora” is a tasteful dark electronic piece complete with a gothic chorus and a commanding vocal performance by Tamara Živković. As soon as the drop hits, listeners are transported to a church that, inexplicably, also has a dance floor. The song has propulsive momentum, building to an impressive but somewhat predictable crescendo. It closes with another drop seasoned with a dash of dubstep and the pure chiming of church bells. Not too shabby, Montenegro.
Essyla — Dancing on the ice
From wanting praise and being too modest to accept it, to wishing for connection and fearing vulnerability, the lyrics for “Dancing on the ice” strike to the core of what makes being a woman so exhausting. While the lyrics could benefit from more concrete detail, they are tastefully cloaked in a display of melismatic vocals and harmonies with an infectious house rhythm. Essyla’s raspy voice adds to the bite of the song, giving it a nice density. Overall, the song upholds a delicate balancing act, perfectly encapsulating its title. A bop from Belgium.
Delta Goodrem — Eclipse
In “Eclipse,” delicate plucks of strings and the insistent thrumming of drums paints an ethereal picture worthy of a goddess. Delta Goodrem completes the image with her heavenly voice. This song feels larger than life while being shockingly vivid. For instance, Goodrem’s vocals soar across the sonic space while nimble fingers run along a piano in the bridge. However, the key change and the addition of the snare drum playing at half-time don’t have me quite as convinced. These elements don’t feel earned, especially given the song’s short runtime. In spite of this, Australia offers a delightful dose of levity.
Rankings
- Montenegro
- Belgium
- Australia
- Israel
- Cyprus
- France
- United Kingdom
- Norway
- Serbia