Eurovision Insight Podcast: Juke Box Jury 2021 #8 Written by
Ewan Spence on
May 7, 2021 | 3 Comments
It’s the final episode of Juke Box Jury, and our final discussions of the Eurovision 2021 songs before the rehearsals start. Follow the ESC Insight podcast online to keep up to date with the news from Rotterdam, add the RSS Feed to your favourite podcast application, or click here to follow us in iTunes and never miss an episode.
Eurovision Song Contest Trophy (image: Eurovision.tv)
Sneaking in just under the wire before the artist rehearsals begin in Rotterdam, it’s the final episode of this year’s Juke Box Jury. Five songs are left for our judges to discuss.
Eurovision Insight Podcast: Juke Box Jury #8 with Ellie Chalkley and Matthew Ker.
Denmark: Øve os på hinanden, by Fyr & Flamme. Australia: Technicolour, by Montaigne. Georgia: You, by Tornike Kipiani. Malta: Je Ma Casse, by Destiny. Lithuania: Discoteque, by The Roop.
British Academy (BAFTA) nominated broadcaster and writer Ewan Spence is the voice behind The Unofficial Eurovision Song Contest Podcast and one of the driving forces behind ESC Insight. Having had an online presence since 1994, he is a noted commentator around the intersection of the media, internet, technology, mobility and how it affects us all. Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, his work has appeared on the BBC, The Stage, STV, and The Times.
You can follow Ewan on Twitter (@ewan) and Facebook (facebook.com/ewanspence).
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Denmark – Bad karaoke that may just sneak qualification from the pimp slot.
Australia – The Eurojury jury vote doesn’t make good reading for Australia. NQ. Using the back-up tape may help Montaigne given the live vocal issues.
Georgia – Matthew, if i listened to this in the bath I might drown too, but only as a result of falling asleep.
Malta – On first listen, this screamed winner to me. And the Eurojury poll confirms this. Jury covered? Tick. Televote? Tick. Are we going to Malta in 2022? Hell yes!
Lithuania – This could garner a big Saturday night televote, but the Eurojury poll suggests the jury vote won’t be there to put it in contention for the win.
Denmark-
In the last week of so, I have realised that there are 2 camps in regards to this entry.
On the 1 side you have those who think this a pure nostalgia gold. The 80’s sound, the styling of the singers and even the decission to sing in Danish. On the other side stand the people that think this simply a bad(or even a s***t)song. An example for anything that was bad in the 80’s. Tell me in which camp you stand and I will tell you what you think about its chances.
In this retrospect I can understand why this song won DMGP and I also understand why the producers decided to let the song finish the 2nd semi. In both cases the people in the 1st camp were in majority.
Eurovision in the 80’s was not a good place to be a fan. Songs like this dominated the contest and they were bad than and they haven’t got better just because they are played today. I really don’t see the merit of this song or it’s nostalgic value. For me it’s an example for a country taking the piss on the contest and serving a middle finger to the contest. I ask myself in which camp the juries and the viewers of the semi(and final, if it gets there) will be in regards to this song. I hope those who are in camp 1 remain a minority, because I have no wish to hear this song more than the 3 minutes on Thursday evening – (huge)MISS
Australia –
I understand a singer who want to sounds unique, but do me a favour and sing in tune. The live performance of this song should be a warning for young singers – how to do all things wrong.
The problem was there last year and has just intensified this year. This a singer that can’t control her voice and doesn’t know where her limits are. It is also a rather confusing song, which she can’t carry at all – MISS
Georgia-
In the last 5 years(more or less), Georgia stopped sending songs they think will do well in the contest and has been sending songs they love. Georgia should be commended for trying to find its identity and staying true to themselves. Do I like everything they send? no. but I can appreciate what they are doing.
Last year he was shouting at me but this year he taking a much gentle approach. There is a nice contrast between the intensity of his voice and the calm way he sings. It just like a volcano about to burst -(a personal)HIT. I suspect the contest will mark it as a MISS
Malta-
This is really a good song. It’s playful and a bit tongue in cheek. It is a sort of a 2021 version of “Toy”, without the brutality of the Israeli 2018 winner. It also miss a bit of hook to make it extra memorable. If they can bring the atmosphere of the video to the stage it will do really well. Destiny herself has the charisma and the voice for the song. I hope she does feel comfortable to sing the song. By the way- the symphonic version of this song is lovely but it sucks the life out of the song. I wouldn’t be surprise if the song was originally a ballad.
My concerns in regards to this song lies by TVM, the Maltese broadcaster, which is known for overkilling of overblowing a staging. They should really focus on the Destiny herself and hopefully Sacha Jean-Baptiste involvement will make sure that Destiny will get the center stage she deserves.
If it wasn’t clear, this is a HIT and we might go to Malta next year.
Destiny & TVM: Good luck and don’t f**k it up.
P.s.-
I understand that this is a MF reject and if this is true, it should make alarm bells ringing by those in charge of Melodifestivalen. If they missed this song, it means that there selection process is not as good as they think it is.
Lithuania –
We have again the crazy dance move and a song that have a nice beat but is thin in the text section. It’s also less memorable than last year effort. Matthew’s remark about the speed of the song, got me searching for the Nightcore’s version and Matthew is right. The song should be a little bit faster than what it is now. However, not as fast as the Nightcore’s version. The Nightcore’s version made it clear for me what is my problem with the song. For a dance song it’s a bit too gloomy and it is not really an uplifting dance song. I like my dance song to be more cheerful than this one. I think it will qualify but it’s not a winner baby-MAYBE/HIT
JBJ this season has been a joy to listen, as usual, but you had a lot of HITS. Sometimes more than 1 HIT in an episode. It’s only prove that this is a very open year with no clear front runner.
Success to all participants and May the Best Song Wins(or the song with the most points win, because in Eurovision the best song doesn’t always win)
Denmark: MAYBE. The bombastic opening sounds like the theme tune for a Saturday night entertainment show in the 80s or early 90s. This brings back the sound of Eurovision in the 80s rather than a more commercial, American 80s sound in other songs like Greece. Every time I watch the video it brings a smile to my face. It isn’t an obvious qualifier. It’s fishing in the same pond as other songs with the 80s aesthetic and the other uptempo number, except it’s in Danish. I agree with not being sure if it’s something that the Danes have embraced that might not travel outside the country/region. However, performing last and the fact that Denmark has a knack of qualifying means it might just get there. I don’t think it would do much in the final apart from adding some language variety.
Australia: MISS. On the good side, the repeating of the word technicolour is pretty catchy. The verses are the best and most relatable part. I like that she’s choosing to sing about people coming together. I find her vocal delivery in the bridge and chorus off-putting. I think it’s just too niche and arty to make a big impact and qualify from SF1. How much of a disadvantage she’ll have from being live on tape I don’t know. There’s just better songs in SF1 and songs that are hard to digest or really need time to grow just often don’t qualify.
Georgia: MISS. A very gentle and surprising song from Tornike. When the crescendo kicks in at the end it’s quite powerful. However, this is very uncompetitive even in the the more open SF2. Recently Georgia have struggled to qualify and are pretty friendless in its semi so I think it’s going to be another year without Georgia in the final.
MALTA: HIT. This is much better than her song last year, which was solid but not an obvious top 5. I love that this gives Destiny room to show her personality as well as her fantastic voice. There are many similar songs not just this year but in SF1 too. However, I think this stands out with the inclusion of the saxophone and that it has humour, personality and something positive to say to women. I think this will definitely be one of the songs to compete for the win. It’s likely the winner will come down to the best staging between 3 or 4 entries.
Lithuania: HIT. This is joyous and so much fun. For me, I think this is the hardest to split from last year’s entry in terms of first listen/watch impact. I enjoyed On Fire from the first listen and it was the same for Discoteque but to a slightly lesser degree. I’m not sure if this is just because I know what The Roop is like and the type of music they make. I think this will affect the casual Eurovision audience less than it may do with Iceland as I don’t think their last entry reached outside the community as much. I think this could be in the run to win. It’s memorable and the lyrics are relatable. There’s a dance to try and recreate and the hand dance too. The band commit totally in their performance. One indicator could be whether it goes viral and leads the social media conversation after SF1. Even if they don’t win I hope this becomes Lithuania’s best placement at the contest.
So looking forward to a week of semi-finals and final and some post-Eurovision analysis next week! I’ve loved JBJ being back and for brightening our lives and discussion of the entries.
Denmark – Bad karaoke that may just sneak qualification from the pimp slot.
Australia – The Eurojury jury vote doesn’t make good reading for Australia. NQ. Using the back-up tape may help Montaigne given the live vocal issues.
Georgia – Matthew, if i listened to this in the bath I might drown too, but only as a result of falling asleep.
Malta – On first listen, this screamed winner to me. And the Eurojury poll confirms this. Jury covered? Tick. Televote? Tick. Are we going to Malta in 2022? Hell yes!
Lithuania – This could garner a big Saturday night televote, but the Eurojury poll suggests the jury vote won’t be there to put it in contention for the win.
Denmark-
In the last week of so, I have realised that there are 2 camps in regards to this entry.
On the 1 side you have those who think this a pure nostalgia gold. The 80’s sound, the styling of the singers and even the decission to sing in Danish. On the other side stand the people that think this simply a bad(or even a s***t)song. An example for anything that was bad in the 80’s. Tell me in which camp you stand and I will tell you what you think about its chances.
In this retrospect I can understand why this song won DMGP and I also understand why the producers decided to let the song finish the 2nd semi. In both cases the people in the 1st camp were in majority.
Eurovision in the 80’s was not a good place to be a fan. Songs like this dominated the contest and they were bad than and they haven’t got better just because they are played today. I really don’t see the merit of this song or it’s nostalgic value. For me it’s an example for a country taking the piss on the contest and serving a middle finger to the contest. I ask myself in which camp the juries and the viewers of the semi(and final, if it gets there) will be in regards to this song. I hope those who are in camp 1 remain a minority, because I have no wish to hear this song more than the 3 minutes on Thursday evening – (huge)MISS
Australia –
I understand a singer who want to sounds unique, but do me a favour and sing in tune. The live performance of this song should be a warning for young singers – how to do all things wrong.
The problem was there last year and has just intensified this year. This a singer that can’t control her voice and doesn’t know where her limits are. It is also a rather confusing song, which she can’t carry at all – MISS
Georgia-
In the last 5 years(more or less), Georgia stopped sending songs they think will do well in the contest and has been sending songs they love. Georgia should be commended for trying to find its identity and staying true to themselves. Do I like everything they send? no. but I can appreciate what they are doing.
Last year he was shouting at me but this year he taking a much gentle approach. There is a nice contrast between the intensity of his voice and the calm way he sings. It just like a volcano about to burst -(a personal)HIT. I suspect the contest will mark it as a MISS
Malta-
This is really a good song. It’s playful and a bit tongue in cheek. It is a sort of a 2021 version of “Toy”, without the brutality of the Israeli 2018 winner. It also miss a bit of hook to make it extra memorable. If they can bring the atmosphere of the video to the stage it will do really well. Destiny herself has the charisma and the voice for the song. I hope she does feel comfortable to sing the song. By the way- the symphonic version of this song is lovely but it sucks the life out of the song. I wouldn’t be surprise if the song was originally a ballad.
My concerns in regards to this song lies by TVM, the Maltese broadcaster, which is known for overkilling of overblowing a staging. They should really focus on the Destiny herself and hopefully Sacha Jean-Baptiste involvement will make sure that Destiny will get the center stage she deserves.
If it wasn’t clear, this is a HIT and we might go to Malta next year.
Destiny & TVM: Good luck and don’t f**k it up.
P.s.-
I understand that this is a MF reject and if this is true, it should make alarm bells ringing by those in charge of Melodifestivalen. If they missed this song, it means that there selection process is not as good as they think it is.
Lithuania –
We have again the crazy dance move and a song that have a nice beat but is thin in the text section. It’s also less memorable than last year effort. Matthew’s remark about the speed of the song, got me searching for the Nightcore’s version and Matthew is right. The song should be a little bit faster than what it is now. However, not as fast as the Nightcore’s version. The Nightcore’s version made it clear for me what is my problem with the song. For a dance song it’s a bit too gloomy and it is not really an uplifting dance song. I like my dance song to be more cheerful than this one. I think it will qualify but it’s not a winner baby-MAYBE/HIT
JBJ this season has been a joy to listen, as usual, but you had a lot of HITS. Sometimes more than 1 HIT in an episode. It’s only prove that this is a very open year with no clear front runner.
Success to all participants and May the Best Song Wins(or the song with the most points win, because in Eurovision the best song doesn’t always win)
Denmark: MAYBE. The bombastic opening sounds like the theme tune for a Saturday night entertainment show in the 80s or early 90s. This brings back the sound of Eurovision in the 80s rather than a more commercial, American 80s sound in other songs like Greece. Every time I watch the video it brings a smile to my face. It isn’t an obvious qualifier. It’s fishing in the same pond as other songs with the 80s aesthetic and the other uptempo number, except it’s in Danish. I agree with not being sure if it’s something that the Danes have embraced that might not travel outside the country/region. However, performing last and the fact that Denmark has a knack of qualifying means it might just get there. I don’t think it would do much in the final apart from adding some language variety.
Australia: MISS. On the good side, the repeating of the word technicolour is pretty catchy. The verses are the best and most relatable part. I like that she’s choosing to sing about people coming together. I find her vocal delivery in the bridge and chorus off-putting. I think it’s just too niche and arty to make a big impact and qualify from SF1. How much of a disadvantage she’ll have from being live on tape I don’t know. There’s just better songs in SF1 and songs that are hard to digest or really need time to grow just often don’t qualify.
Georgia: MISS. A very gentle and surprising song from Tornike. When the crescendo kicks in at the end it’s quite powerful. However, this is very uncompetitive even in the the more open SF2. Recently Georgia have struggled to qualify and are pretty friendless in its semi so I think it’s going to be another year without Georgia in the final.
MALTA: HIT. This is much better than her song last year, which was solid but not an obvious top 5. I love that this gives Destiny room to show her personality as well as her fantastic voice. There are many similar songs not just this year but in SF1 too. However, I think this stands out with the inclusion of the saxophone and that it has humour, personality and something positive to say to women. I think this will definitely be one of the songs to compete for the win. It’s likely the winner will come down to the best staging between 3 or 4 entries.
Lithuania: HIT. This is joyous and so much fun. For me, I think this is the hardest to split from last year’s entry in terms of first listen/watch impact. I enjoyed On Fire from the first listen and it was the same for Discoteque but to a slightly lesser degree. I’m not sure if this is just because I know what The Roop is like and the type of music they make. I think this will affect the casual Eurovision audience less than it may do with Iceland as I don’t think their last entry reached outside the community as much. I think this could be in the run to win. It’s memorable and the lyrics are relatable. There’s a dance to try and recreate and the hand dance too. The band commit totally in their performance. One indicator could be whether it goes viral and leads the social media conversation after SF1. Even if they don’t win I hope this becomes Lithuania’s best placement at the contest.
So looking forward to a week of semi-finals and final and some post-Eurovision analysis next week! I’ve loved JBJ being back and for brightening our lives and discussion of the entries.