Forget apples and oranges! We’re comparing the entire fruit bowl today. It was so hard to pick a favourite this time. Here’s what we’re looking at:
- “Je Me Casse” by Destiny (Malta)
- “You” by Tornike Kipiani (Georgia)
- “Mata Hari” by Efendi (Azerbaijan)
- “Zitti E Buoni” by Måneskin (Italy)
- “Last Dance” by Stefania (Greece)
PHOTO CREDIT: EBU / DUNSKIE BORG / GIORGI TSAAVA / İCTIMAI TELEVISION (İTV) / GABRIELE GIUSSANI / HARIS FARSARAKIS
Destiny – Je Me Casse
So Destiny decided to do electro swing this year? Nice. I appreciate how much more musically complex this song sounds compared to “All Of My Love.” However, I strangely prefer last year’s entry over this one. What drew me to Destiny and Jeangu Macrooy last year was their raw vocal power. Having all of this extra instrumentation distracts from their voices in my opinion. Still, Destiny had her times to shine throughout the song. My favourite part was definitely the bridge. Rooting for her to rank high!
Tornike Kipiani – You
I literally did a double take when I heard this entry. Compared to last year’s entry, Tornike Kipiani sounds a lot more tame. Not that it’s important, but it is quite fascinating that the ability to judge a contestant’s versatility is directly available this year due to the cancellation of last year’s contest. Similar to Uku Suviste, this song doesn’t scream “contest entry material.” However, I do find this song very relaxing. As many others were saying in the comments section, while entries like these don’t tend to win the contest, it’s still a nice song.
Efendi – Mata Hari
I see that Efendi has moved on to another female historical figure. She even samples “Cleopatra” in this song. If I’m being honest, it was a cute concept at first, but I’m kinda over it. She essentially compares herself to these women and turns the song into a history lesson. Also, the chanting of Mata Hari’s name makes the song a bit too repetitive. I will admit that the syncopation before the chorus sounds pretty cool. Other than that, it just wasn’t enough for me.
Måneskin – Zitti E Buoni
I always root for Italy to do well in the Eurovision Song Contest because they always get so close to winning, but no cigar (or should I say “siga'”). This year, not only does Måneskin have a song anyone would be happy to headbang to, but the lyrics are also motivating. Songs like these remind me why people like hard rock and metal. There needs to be some genre of music that lets us take out our anger on societal issues (in this case, people paying too much attention to other people’s business). I also love the irony behind the song title, which translates to “Shut Up And Behave.”
Stefania – Last Dance
Again, not a huge fan of synthwave music, but I definitely think this is a better entry than “SUPERG!RL.” First of all, Stefania went off on the vocals! This song does a better job of showing off her range. I guess if I had to give a critique of this song, I would say that using the same rhyme for an entire verse makes the lyrics sound too simple or even repetitive. It’s only a minor issue, and it doesn’t really matter in the end because it’s a dance song. So dance on, Stefania.
Who has my vote (for now)?
Like I said before, it was hard for me to choose my favourite out of these five. Ultimately, I thought Destiny came out a cut above the rest. I will give an honourable mention to Måneskin, though. I would be happy if either of them got first place. As always, I wish all of the countries good luck!