We have some exciting acts to check out today! Here are my reviews of Blanka (Poland), Sudden Lights (Latvia), Diljá (Iceland), Andrew Lambrou (Cyprus), Loreen (Sweden), and Mimicat (Portugal).
Lyrics: You didn’t mind that I was bleeding out
“Break A Broken Heart” by Andrew Lambrou is pretty solid: epic instrumental, killer vocals, memorable lyrics. You can already tell by the title of this article which line was my favourite. The tiniest critique I have is that I wish his vocals popped out more in the mix. There were times where it felt like his voice was swimming in the instrumental. If Andrew Lambrou sounds as good live as he does in the studio version, he could get pretty far in the contest. Another person whose live performance I’m anticipating is the legend herself, Loreen. I think everyone knew her staging was going to be a masterpiece. The lyrics though… left more to be desired. I’m glad I’m not the only person online who thinks so. Perhaps I was expecting this year’s entry to blow “Euphoria” out of the water. Unfortunately, I don’t think “Tattoo” tops her 2012 entry.
Music: The most epic lullaby to ever exist
This is quite the pivot from “Eat Your Salad,” Latvia. Besides this song being a stellar alternative track, “Aijā” sounds very unique from the other entries in the Eurovision Song Contest. The time signature is 5/4, giving it a rhythm that feels off-kilter and stable at the same time. I also find the melodic shape of the vocals addicting to listen to. I’m curious to see how well Sudden Lights will do. I’ve heard people are optimistic about Portugal’s entry this year. Mimicat’s entry certainly has that dramatic flair that is always popular in the contest. It has some nice moments, like the half-time in the bridge, and her vocals are strong. I feel like these two entries help diversify this year’s sound even more than it already is.
Vocals: We have found the obligatory Latin pop entry
I never would have guessed that Poland would submit a Latin pop song to the competition. I see what they did with Blanka’s music video. By having her just mess around by herself, she is effectively demonstrating that she is literally “solo.” I wonder how they’ll translate this concept to her staging. “Solo” is a bit of fun, I didn’t hate it, but it is most likely not a contender to win. But you know what song I really want to go far in the competition? “Power” by Diljá. I know I’m not much of a synthwave fan, but I vibe with this song a lot. I love the timbre of her voice; it really brings the song to life. If they could take her staging to the next level, she could qualify for the grand final no problem.
Check out all of the entries reviewed here: