Eurovision Insight Podcast: Juke Box Jury 2022 #5 Written by
Ewan Spence on
April 14, 2022 | 4 Comments
Episode five of Juke Box Jury is here as we continue to review the songs heading to Turin for the Eurovision Song Contest 2022. You can listen to the Juke Box Jury episodes, and all of the ESC Insight podcasts covering Turin, by adding the RSS Feed to your favourite podcast application, or clicking here to follow us in iTunes and never miss an episode.
Pala Alpitour, Turin 2022 venue (photo: cc Wikimedia)
Five more songs for the judges to get their ears into ahead of the hits, misses, and maybes.
Eurovision Insight Podcast: Juke Box Jury #5 with Ross Middleton and Ellie Chalkley
Finland: Jezebel, by The Rasmus. Armenia: Snap, by Rosa Linn. Ireland: That’s Rich, by Brooke. Netherlands: De Diepte, by S10. Germany: Rockstars, by Malik Harris.
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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I don’t know whether it was Ewan’s exhortation to leave constructive and respectful comments, but I find myself in almost total agreement with the panel’s comments in this episode. No doubt I’ll be back on here next week telling Ewan he is talking nonsense. But for now:
Finland – It’s a decent if not particularly adventurous, rock song and, based on UMK, I’m expecting really good staging , all of which could lead to a fairly big televote. The lead singer’s vocal is rather thin and this, together with it being a rock number, should hold it back with the juries. This all probably adds up to mid-table in the final.
Armenia – There are better songs in Eurovision this year, but this a pleasant toe-tapper which I find myself playing more than most of the entries. We have seen from the pre-parties that Rosa Linn can sing and has an engaging presence. Having the Semi pimp slot, it is a safe qualifier. I don’t see it being a contender for the big jury votes, but in the televote it should bring out the Armenian diaspora at least. Again this is looking mid table in the final.
Ireland – Like Finland and Armenia, Ireland is another one of these broadly ‘3 out of 5’ songs that are prevalent in the contest. What this needs to qualify is something extra in the vocal and staging departments. Like the panel, I’m not confident about RTE bringing this. I expect Brooke will be flanked with two or (if the budget stretches) four dancers, performing a routine we’ve seen many times before. And, unfortunately, when it comes to singing and dancing at the same time, Brooke is no Chanel.
Netherlands – Really good radio friendly song. A performance for Dutch Radio also looked encouraging for the Eurovision staging. I see this as one of seven songs the juries will go for. The televote is less certain, but the number of Youtube views to date potentially bodes well. Top 10 and, if the televote is there, could be Top 5.
Germany – Mid-tempo, Middle of the Road (ish), Mid 2000s (Ellie, I too am getting an unfortunate Daz Sampson vibe). It’s all a bit, well, middling. If Rockstars was a JBJ panel member it would surely be Ross Middleton😉. What this song and its presentation lacks is a bit of edge. I like it, but there are ten or more songs this year that I like more. I expect many Grand Final jurors and televoters will feel the same way, which could mean another bottom five finish for Germany.
Finland-
Finland is sending a again a rock song or in this case a mild version of a rock song, which even ,I who don’t really like rock, can listen to it without thinking that this is a noise.It’s not really an exciting song but the Jezebel at the beginning of the chorus is quite effectieve and stay in your head. There is alo a key change, right out the book of Schlager.
Unfortunately the song itself plod along its 3 minutes in a way that never get you excited about it or even makes you want to vote for it – MAYBE
Armenia-
Is there anything which makes this song specifically Armenian?Or is this just a song which could be sung by any other country and will still sound the same?
The built up and orchestration are really nice. And nice is the best I can say about this one and nice never win Eurovision. Once more I have song here , which I can’t remember once if finished. A lot of people like this song quite a lot, I am just not one of them – MISS
Ireland-
As one of the few uptempo song in this year’s line up, you would expected this to stand out and be a banger. It’s just not. There is something lazy in the writing and in the presentation, which make you think if they really know what they want to achieve with this song. There is an 80’s vibe to this song, and in recent months I have come to appreciate the music of the 80’s but even in the 80’s there were some really bad songs. This song may not be a bad 80’s example but it’s not a good one either. Just a mediocre song – MAYBE
The Netherlands-
First let me talk about her stage name. Her name is Stien. Tien(pronounces as teen) is how jou say 10 in Dutch. So S10, in Dutch, is the same as Stien. Make sense in Dutch, doesn’t make sense in English.
My first reaction to this song is: this is not a bad song at all. It’s personal, it’s emotive and she seems to be comfortable singing this in Dutch.The decision to sing in Dutch make sure that this comes out as authentic as possible. I am not 100% she can pull this live. Another issue is that song’s success depend highly if the audience will get the song even if it sung in Dutch. If she she can pull this live and if the audience will get the song, she should end up high on the score board. Not a winner by any means but just a good song – MAYBE/HIT
Germany-
Do I care about the song or the singer? Unfortunately not and here lies the problem with the song. It fails making the audience engaged or care about the song-MISS
Finland: MAYBE. I wasn’t that convinced by it at UMK but it’s grown on my a lot since then. If you hear it enough times the chorus becomes quite the earworm. I agree that lyrics are very uninspired and that the music is much better. However, the band perform well given all their experience. I imagine it will have eye-catching staging and that’s why it’s opening SF2. I think it should qualify without much trouble but I’m not sure it’ll will make the top half in the final because it’s not instant enough and there’s something missing and a bit cynical like you all said.
Armenia: HIT. I really loved this from the first listen and the chorus was easy to remember from the first time. I like the lyrics a lot. It’s a song that fits Rosa Linn well, especially as she is one of the lyricists and composers. If it’s staged well, it could be one of those simpler songs that does quite well. I think it will qualify and hopefully get into the top 10.
Ireland: MAYBE. This is a cheeky, fun song that is great to dance to. The studio version is superior than the unimpressive NF staging and performance that came across very amateurish. From what I can see from the pre-parties, the choreography looks a lot tighter. Brooke can sing and has such a great personality and sense of humour that she should be able to sell this. With the right staging this could easily qualify. I think it will have less of an impact in the final but getting there would be a huge win for Ireland.
Netherlands: HIT. What a great choice to internally select this song and continue their recent tradition of sending varied entries. I was very pleasantly surprised when they said that it would be a modern entry in Dutch from S10 this year and then loved the song from the first listen. There’s a haunting quality to it and her voice really drives the song. I think this should be an easy qualifier and a possible top 10 result.
Germany: MAYBE. I’ve had pretty much the same reaction as Ross. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw this for the first time after the NF. The subject matter is very relatable and Malik gets your attention with how he engages with and looks down the lens at you. I think the rap allows his to lay his emotions out. The rest of the lyrics are a little bit on the generic side, but you can see he believes in the song. I think this could get forgotten in the final but a decent jury score should keep it from another bottom two placing for Germany. I also think this could be the first year since 2013 where an automatic finalist isn’t going to come last at the final.
Finland – MAYBE- They will probably put on a good show with bold visuals. But will is sound good? Will it matters if it doesn’t sound good?
Armenia- MAYBE- A mild mannered maybe for a mild mannered song and an easy going likable singer.
Ireland- MAYBE- I like Brooke, and I’ve enjoyed listening to the song, but I also sense the missed potential.
The Netherlands- HIT- There is something powerful, intimate and authentic, something elemental about how music connects us. Perhaps more than any other song this year, I think this one has the potential to bring people together for a moment.
I think this song would deserve to win as much as any of the other many contenders this year (mho).
Germany- MISS- There is a disconnect for me. “Rock Star” – as a metaphor, emblem, slogan, or narrative- is boring to me. But he seems to been feeling something genuine. I just tune out, and that is on me.
I don’t know whether it was Ewan’s exhortation to leave constructive and respectful comments, but I find myself in almost total agreement with the panel’s comments in this episode. No doubt I’ll be back on here next week telling Ewan he is talking nonsense. But for now:
Finland – It’s a decent if not particularly adventurous, rock song and, based on UMK, I’m expecting really good staging , all of which could lead to a fairly big televote. The lead singer’s vocal is rather thin and this, together with it being a rock number, should hold it back with the juries. This all probably adds up to mid-table in the final.
Armenia – There are better songs in Eurovision this year, but this a pleasant toe-tapper which I find myself playing more than most of the entries. We have seen from the pre-parties that Rosa Linn can sing and has an engaging presence. Having the Semi pimp slot, it is a safe qualifier. I don’t see it being a contender for the big jury votes, but in the televote it should bring out the Armenian diaspora at least. Again this is looking mid table in the final.
Ireland – Like Finland and Armenia, Ireland is another one of these broadly ‘3 out of 5’ songs that are prevalent in the contest. What this needs to qualify is something extra in the vocal and staging departments. Like the panel, I’m not confident about RTE bringing this. I expect Brooke will be flanked with two or (if the budget stretches) four dancers, performing a routine we’ve seen many times before. And, unfortunately, when it comes to singing and dancing at the same time, Brooke is no Chanel.
Netherlands – Really good radio friendly song. A performance for Dutch Radio also looked encouraging for the Eurovision staging. I see this as one of seven songs the juries will go for. The televote is less certain, but the number of Youtube views to date potentially bodes well. Top 10 and, if the televote is there, could be Top 5.
Germany – Mid-tempo, Middle of the Road (ish), Mid 2000s (Ellie, I too am getting an unfortunate Daz Sampson vibe). It’s all a bit, well, middling. If Rockstars was a JBJ panel member it would surely be Ross Middleton😉. What this song and its presentation lacks is a bit of edge. I like it, but there are ten or more songs this year that I like more. I expect many Grand Final jurors and televoters will feel the same way, which could mean another bottom five finish for Germany.
Finland-
Finland is sending a again a rock song or in this case a mild version of a rock song, which even ,I who don’t really like rock, can listen to it without thinking that this is a noise.It’s not really an exciting song but the Jezebel at the beginning of the chorus is quite effectieve and stay in your head. There is alo a key change, right out the book of Schlager.
Unfortunately the song itself plod along its 3 minutes in a way that never get you excited about it or even makes you want to vote for it – MAYBE
Armenia-
Is there anything which makes this song specifically Armenian?Or is this just a song which could be sung by any other country and will still sound the same?
The built up and orchestration are really nice. And nice is the best I can say about this one and nice never win Eurovision. Once more I have song here , which I can’t remember once if finished. A lot of people like this song quite a lot, I am just not one of them – MISS
Ireland-
As one of the few uptempo song in this year’s line up, you would expected this to stand out and be a banger. It’s just not. There is something lazy in the writing and in the presentation, which make you think if they really know what they want to achieve with this song. There is an 80’s vibe to this song, and in recent months I have come to appreciate the music of the 80’s but even in the 80’s there were some really bad songs. This song may not be a bad 80’s example but it’s not a good one either. Just a mediocre song – MAYBE
The Netherlands-
First let me talk about her stage name. Her name is Stien. Tien(pronounces as teen) is how jou say 10 in Dutch. So S10, in Dutch, is the same as Stien. Make sense in Dutch, doesn’t make sense in English.
My first reaction to this song is: this is not a bad song at all. It’s personal, it’s emotive and she seems to be comfortable singing this in Dutch.The decision to sing in Dutch make sure that this comes out as authentic as possible. I am not 100% she can pull this live. Another issue is that song’s success depend highly if the audience will get the song even if it sung in Dutch. If she she can pull this live and if the audience will get the song, she should end up high on the score board. Not a winner by any means but just a good song – MAYBE/HIT
Germany-
Do I care about the song or the singer? Unfortunately not and here lies the problem with the song. It fails making the audience engaged or care about the song-MISS
Finland: MAYBE. I wasn’t that convinced by it at UMK but it’s grown on my a lot since then. If you hear it enough times the chorus becomes quite the earworm. I agree that lyrics are very uninspired and that the music is much better. However, the band perform well given all their experience. I imagine it will have eye-catching staging and that’s why it’s opening SF2. I think it should qualify without much trouble but I’m not sure it’ll will make the top half in the final because it’s not instant enough and there’s something missing and a bit cynical like you all said.
Armenia: HIT. I really loved this from the first listen and the chorus was easy to remember from the first time. I like the lyrics a lot. It’s a song that fits Rosa Linn well, especially as she is one of the lyricists and composers. If it’s staged well, it could be one of those simpler songs that does quite well. I think it will qualify and hopefully get into the top 10.
Ireland: MAYBE. This is a cheeky, fun song that is great to dance to. The studio version is superior than the unimpressive NF staging and performance that came across very amateurish. From what I can see from the pre-parties, the choreography looks a lot tighter. Brooke can sing and has such a great personality and sense of humour that she should be able to sell this. With the right staging this could easily qualify. I think it will have less of an impact in the final but getting there would be a huge win for Ireland.
Netherlands: HIT. What a great choice to internally select this song and continue their recent tradition of sending varied entries. I was very pleasantly surprised when they said that it would be a modern entry in Dutch from S10 this year and then loved the song from the first listen. There’s a haunting quality to it and her voice really drives the song. I think this should be an easy qualifier and a possible top 10 result.
Germany: MAYBE. I’ve had pretty much the same reaction as Ross. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw this for the first time after the NF. The subject matter is very relatable and Malik gets your attention with how he engages with and looks down the lens at you. I think the rap allows his to lay his emotions out. The rest of the lyrics are a little bit on the generic side, but you can see he believes in the song. I think this could get forgotten in the final but a decent jury score should keep it from another bottom two placing for Germany. I also think this could be the first year since 2013 where an automatic finalist isn’t going to come last at the final.
Finland – MAYBE- They will probably put on a good show with bold visuals. But will is sound good? Will it matters if it doesn’t sound good?
Armenia- MAYBE- A mild mannered maybe for a mild mannered song and an easy going likable singer.
Ireland- MAYBE- I like Brooke, and I’ve enjoyed listening to the song, but I also sense the missed potential.
The Netherlands- HIT- There is something powerful, intimate and authentic, something elemental about how music connects us. Perhaps more than any other song this year, I think this one has the potential to bring people together for a moment.
I think this song would deserve to win as much as any of the other many contenders this year (mho).
Germany- MISS- There is a disconnect for me. “Rock Star” – as a metaphor, emblem, slogan, or narrative- is boring to me. But he seems to been feeling something genuine. I just tune out, and that is on me.