As I write this, we are just a few hours away from our first all-up National Final of the 2014 season. We might have some names from the smaller countries, and we might have heard snippets of tracks that will be entering musical combat during the first three months of the year, but as the Eurovision ship gets ready to hoist a battle ensign up the mast, I want to savour the moment before Ukraine gets us under way.

I love this time of year.

Hunting High And Low

First of all, it’s the sheer delight of discovery. Ask everyone who loves the Eurovision Song Contest why they enjoy it so much and I suspect you will get a mix of answers from each person. For some it’s the party scene, for others it is international friendship. The presentation and the TV spectacle of the annual show might be another.

For me, it really is all about the music. I love listening to new music, sorting through countless tracks to find one that sticks in my head, to find a new sound to entertain, enthuse, and excite me. Thanks to the internet, the music from the selection process and the National Finals is relatively easy to find online. Perhaps it’s a bit more tricky to get clean studio copies to sit alongside a decent live copy, but that’s part of the challenge.

Anyone who knows me will know that I have an annual collection of ‘NF Songs’ tucked away in my collection. In addition to the 40-odd songs that make the Finals in May, there’s another 50 or 60 songs that had been eliminated that become personal favourites.

Behind this curtain is a revolution… (SVT)

Your Love Is Like A Virus

Even if this year’s National Final performers do not make the trip to Copenhagen, they can still use their appearance to further their career.

The Internet opens up the opportunities to find music online, but it also opens up many possibilities to share and champion tracks online. Look at the coverage picked up by Winny Puhh, arguably the greatest ‘NF’ performers in the last decade. A track that grew organically online, suddenly went viral, and was something that the world shared. Some songs simply get the buzz and become huge. Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style‘ is probably the biggest mainstream song here, but note the success of Ylvis and their ‘Fox‘.

We talk about the Song Contest being a stage that can give a performer a worldwide platform. That’s not just restricted to the Grand Final in May, but rather the entire process. Eurovision, even in the National Finals phase, can break a band at a national level, and if the stars line up, an international breakthrough is possible.

For many performers, Eurovision is the only chance they have to showcase their work, and they’re going to make the best use of their moment as possible. How many fans head to the Maltese short-list to see what delights Deborah C has for us this year? Will Romania have to air a National Final or will they be able to make the decision every fan wants them to make? Which old schlager has-been will Christer Björkman drag out for a valedictory performance opening Heat 4 of Melodifestivalen?

The National Final platform is a rare opportunity for everyone involved. The smart performers will make best use of it.

I wonder if they’ve heard of ‘Army of Lovers’? (SVT)

What’s The Story, Morning Glory?

And then there is the storyteller in me that can look at every song and see the singers, the writers, and the team behind each number. Every one of them has a story to tell. For many, the appearance on a televised National Final will be a high point of their career. For others it is a trial to be endured as they seek stardom. For others it’s a return to a crucible where they have been burned previously and they can only hope that this year will be the year that something larger is forged.

For every dropped note, missed key change, and outrageous prop that are critiqued online, there will be moments of triumph. National Finals are cruel mistresses, which hang a tantalising prospect in front of everyone: the chance to be remembered, to represent your country, and to be part of something even bigger.

Put all of that together and you have the best reality show in the world. There’s no need for the sob stories and life histories, just the raw emotion of performing for a prize is more than enough to create conflict, challenge, and reward as our Campbellian heroes strive for the big show in May.

A National Final appearance is something that stays on your ‘achievements’ forever (SRF)

Everyone’s A Winner

Each Eurovision year finishes with a single song standing undefeated. Every other song from that Saturday night in May has lost. Those songs stand on the ruins of the semi-final songs that failed to qualify. All of those songs are on top of discarded songs from National Finals, internal selections, and a few disqualifications. All of those stand on top of hundreds of songs submitted to long lists, taking part in National Heats, and others that are simply rejected because the Swiss did not understand the majesty of ‘Go, Bath City, Go!‘ and promptly deleted it from the long list.

But today, just before the competitive elements open to the public, there are arguably 800 songs which have not lost yet. There are 800 songs waiting to be discovered by the world. There are 800 songs that cover a range of genres and styles, of languages and beats, and of hopes and dreams. Each song is a story with an emotional core, a heart, and a soul.

And each performer believes they are in with a chance of winning one of the biggest musical prizes on earth.

Yes, this is a glorious time to be a fan of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Everyone who wants this will fail…except for one (picture: EBU)