What business does a Canadian have commenting about the Eurovision Song Contest? None. But I’m gonna do it anyway. I can’t not be invested into something that is considered the (pop) music version of the Olympics. And before you ask, I did not watch the Eurovision movie on Netflix. In fact, I don’t want to watch it if it’s just a parody of the actual contest. Anyway, the contest in Rotterdam is just getting started and we already have two official music videos from Eden Alene (Israel) and Barbara Pravi (France).
Videos belong to EBU.
Eden Alene does not disappoint.
“Feker Libi” from last year really raised my expectations for Eden Alene, and “Set Me Free” managed to set them even higher.
First of all, I dig the synth strings, especially because they’re not being used to replace real strings. These strings were punchy and powerful, and they really uplifted the energy of the song.
Second of all, I am a sucker for some funky guitar riffs. The switching between funky and latin music vibes surprised me. I know “Feker Libi” also had a switch up at the end and I’m glad her style hasn’t changed. Another commendable thing about Eden Alene’s entries is that she is able to seamlessly include phrases in Israel’s native languages into her song. I know that including native languages is big issue among Eurovision fans, so good on Israel for that.
Finally, this song definitely showed off Eden Alene’s voice a lot more. Not only does she have a lovely timbre to her voice, but she’s also got pipes. Her high note in the song was everything. I was even more pleased at the modulation at the end of the song. Dance songs can be fun and impressive at the same time.
Where the song needs improvement is its lyrics. It’s unclear whether she’s in a toxic relationship or she just got out of one. Apparently the Hebrew version of the song is more cohesive, so maybe they should’ve gone with that one.
Barbara Pravi has an enchanting entry.
As soon as I listened to France’s entry, I immediately heard the influence from the chanson française genre.
Strangely, the beginning of the song reminded me of France’s 2019 entry, “Roi” by Bilal Hassani. I think it’s due to the similar rhyme scheme and structure:
I am me
And I know I will always be
Je suis free oui j’invente ma vie
Ne me demandez pas qui je suis
– Bilal Hassani, Roi
Écoutez moi
Moi la chanteuse à demi
Parlez de moi
À vos amours, à vos amis
– Barbara Pravi, Voilà
I’m obsessed with the way she sings “silence.” She hesitates before singing the last syllable, as if to demonstrate the silence. I was also delighted to hear the tempo change near the end of the song. It felt like just what the song needed. It reminded me of “Nathalie” by Gilbert Bécaud. I haven’t heard that song in a long time!
Although I’m not a huge fan of this particular genre, I like how Barbara Pravi’s song contrasts with Israel’s entry. The lyrics are actually the strongest part of the song. They are unabashedly self-deprecating but honest. Not to mention that they’re more cohesive than “Set Me Free.”
Who has my vote (for now)?
I think it’s pretty clear which song I prefer. I tried to be impartial despite the fact that “Feker Libi” was one of my favourite entries from Eurovision 2020. That being said, It took listening to “Set Me Free” for 30 seconds to get me screaming “YES!”
Although Eden Alene has quite the strong entry, we still have 39 more songs to check out. I’m looking forward to the returning acts and the new faces.