We’ve reached the home stretch, ladies and gentlemen! All that lies between us and the end of Eurovision is five entries to review and five days of destiny (not the contestant from Malta). The five songs remaining are:
- “Technicolour” by Montaigne (Australia)
- “Øve Os På Hinanden” by Fyr Og Flamme (Denmark)
- “Russian Woman” by Manizha (Russia)
- “10 Years” by Daði og Gagnamagnið (Iceland)
- “Voices” by Tusse (Sweden)
PHOTO CREDIT: EBU / JESS GLEESON / RASMUS LAURSEN / MANIZHA / BIRTA RÁN / GUSTAV IKE & STREETCHIC MEDIA
Montaigne – Technicolour
After hearing, “Don’t Break Me” last year, I was fully expecting not to like “Technicolour.” But aside from her voice not being my cup of tea, I found this song catchy and pretty funny. The line about the “nasty dudes” threw me off guard in the best way. And of course the lines before the chorus are iconic. Although she won’t be performing in Rotterdam, I hope Montaigne blows the Eurovision fans away with her unique entry.
Fyr Og Flamme – Øve Os På Hinanden
Fyr Og Flamme weren’t kidding when they said they were “[t]eenage idols your parents can understand!” For that reason, it was really hard to review this song, since it’s not a style I tend to listen to. We’ve all witnessed the revival of ’80s music, but this song comes straight from the source instead of trying to put a modern spin on the era. My favourite part of the song is the brass instruments. What a nostalgic song to close out the semi-finals!
Manizha – Russian Woman
There’s something so cheeky about this song that makes it fun to listen to. It’s almost poking fun at Russian culture, from the traditional string instrument (my favourite part of the song), the bells chiming, and the lament in her voice at one point. Manizha’s playfulness really sells the song. Even I felt strangely empowered by this song and I’m obviously not Russian. I can’t wait for Manizha to bring her boundless energy to the Eurovision stage.
Daði og Gagnamagnið – 10 Years
Some people were against Daði og Gagnamagnið competing with a song that sounds so similar to “Think About Things,” but I honestly don’t mind it. Even though they lose the element of surprise, it’s their preferred style of music and I would be happy to vote for a funky song like this again (if I could vote in the first place). It’s also touching how devoted he is to his family that he would dedicate entire songs to them. The talent really jumped out. On top of the song being great, Daði og Gagnamagnið make me so excited to see their live performance.
Tusse – Voices
Someone said that the chord progression for “Voices” sounds identical to the one from “Princess of China” by Coldplay featuring Rihanna and now I can’t unhear it. Personally, none of the lyrics nor the music stood out to me in particular. I feel like this performance solely rides on Tusse’s stage presence, which he has in spades. Tusse passionately stands by the message of his song and you can hear it in his voice. I hope he does well in the competition (and in his studies since he seems just as concerned about that as the contest).
Who has my vote (for now)?
Even in the final Eurovision post of 2021, I still can’t decide. It was tough, but I have to give my vote to Daði og Gagnamagnið. The smooth moves, the cool instruments, and I really want my own jumper with a pixelated version of my face. I can’t wait to know the results (and actually get to watch the competition live)! See you on the other side!