Our Hosts
Much of the coverage around this year’s Eurovision Song Contest has been intrinsically linked to the last time Italy hosted the competition back in 1991.
At the time, RAI chose Italy’s two former Eurovision winners Toto Cutogno and Gigliola Cinquetti to be that year’s hosts and thus brought about the “allora” reference used often by Toto throughout the show which is now part of contemporary Eurovision lexicon.
Whilst there are many elements of the 2022 contest that are different, what remains the same is RAI selecting two famous singers in Mika and Laura Pausini neither of whom have significant TV presenting experience. Although they are joined by Italian presenting veteran Alessandro Cattelan, the singers have been given most of the on-stage hosting work and tonight is our first opportunity to see how they do when faced with the show’s live broadcast.
Additionally, the number of big set changes in this Semi Final mean that all three have several hosting segments planned throughout the show and could require more should planned set-up times run over and the broadcast has to cut to them in order to buy more time.
There will also be a lot of smooching between all 3 of them, it’s weird but you’ll get used to it.
Latvian Lyrics
Yes, you know exactly which lyrics we’re talking about (and if you don’t, listen out for the opening line of ‘Eat Your Salad’ by Citi Zeni). During the two rehearsals yesterday, both journalists and fans in the hall sang the expletive quite loudly (to the extent that even with a smaller crowd for the Jury Semi Final, it was still audible).
The EBU will be aware of this and will obviously be attempting to minimise any potential broadcast fall-out but short of putting a full-on bleep and drawing attention to it midway through the Latvian performance, there’s not much they can do. What will be interesting is to see firstly, what the reaction to this on social media is, secondly, what the reaction from audiences at home is in terms of potential complaints to their nation’s OFCOM equivalent and finally, if all the buzz around this is enough for it to qualify for the Grand Final despite its early placing in the running order.
We have no idea what it’s going to unleash, but it should be fun!
Ukraine’s Reception
As mentioned during the episode of Juke Box Jury in which we explored Ukraine, there is little precedent for a war-torn country competing at Eurovision in the televote era.
Whilst competitively, it’s tricky to say exactly how this song will land with voters, what is for sure is that when Kalush Orchestra take to the stage tonight for their first public performance on the Eurovision stage since the conflict began, it will be a seminal moment. What reception they get in the hall tonight will also be interesting, in 1993, Fazla represented Bosnia-Herzegovina at the contest in Millstreet having famous ran across the tarmac of Sarajevo airport and open fields in order to reach Ireland. He was greeted onto the stage with a heartfelt round of applause that quickly died down and left a sombre air in the room before he began singing his entry ‘Sva bol svijeta’. A year later in Dublin however, cheering before Alma & Dejan representing the same country with ‘Ostani kraj mene’ went on for so long that it drowned out the opening notes of the song.
Again, there’s no knowing how tonight’s audience will react but however they do, Kalush Orchestra having to focus on harnessing the emotional energy of the arena into their performance just as Jamala did in 2016. Look out for a nice full arena hand-clapping moment on the final chorus tonight.
Moldova’s Runaway Train
Unfortunately Checkov’s train has not made an appearance on stage, but the infectious energy of Zdob și Zdub partnered with the folk sensibilities of Advahov Brothers) has brought another classic moment from the returning band.
There may not be a train in sight for ‘Trenulețul’ but with a powerfully visual opening, a massive lyrical hook that the audience in the arena latch on to quickly, the arena is going to be jumping to this one. No doubt you’ll be jumping around as well.
When Props Look Familiar
Austria has decided on a literal staging approach to ‘Halo’, and it’s an impressive way to control the use of space on an expansive stage. No doubt Paula Sellng and Ovi are going to have a flashback to ‘Miracle’…
Portugal in the Round
As with a lot of Portuguese entries, ‘Saudade, Saudade’ is very slow and sweet, making many Portuguese songs difficult to stand out to viewers at home and convincing them to pick up the phone and vote; they won’t have any trouble standing out this year. Portugal have used the same tactics they used for Salvador Sobral by putting Maro and her backing singers out on the satellite stage and just like in Kyiv, the fact that nobody else has done this, makes her immediately stand out.
Combine that with their decision to stage the entire act in the round with the six singers all facing each other and all performing live vocals and this is one of the boldest staging choices at Turin 2022. It’s a choice however that has absolutely paid off and Portugal have gone from being a borderline-qualifier to sailing through to Saturday’s Grand Final having possibly won last night’s jury vote. Tonight, it will look even better than the rehearsals as a full standing audience on the arena floor should mean that the satellite stage is almost totally surrounded by people.
Armenia’s Cosplay Stargate
Speaking of impressive staging, you have Rosa Linn’s ‘Snap’. With Armenia’s video suggesting that a house would play an important role in the staging, it was perhaps too much to expect an actual flying house to appear on and above the stage.
Instead we start off inside the Rosa’s house with what looks like a million post-it notes stuck all over the walls as she quietly sits with a George Harrison-esque weeping guitar exploring her situation. The clues are slowly revealed before Rosa makes the biggest jump of all.
The ‘Return’ Of Diodato
Robbed by Covid of his opportunity to represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2020, it already felt like a nice touch to see RAI give him his moment on the Contest stage. When you consider however how iconic that song became in the immediate aftermath of lockdown restrictions being imposed as people sang the song together from their balconies in Italy, you appreciate how hearing this song on this stage is almost a celebration of the gradual move away from COVID-19 restrictions.
The song begins as expected with Diodato singing from a grand piano but the camera soon zooms out to reveal backing dancers and a choir backing up Diodato’s performance offering him a scale he wouldn’t have been able to perform with in Eurovision competition.
To top all of it off, his having more than 3 minutes means that we finally get to see the large kinetic sun at the centre of our stage this year in all its mobile, turning glory. Whilst it’s a shame that this couldn’t be part of the competing performances this year, it’s still something to marvel at. This performance received incredible receptions in both the press centre and the arena and despite it coming in that awkward space between the performances and the results, make sure you aren’t making a cup of tea when this comes on.
There Will Be Surprises
The race for the ten qualifying spots is always an intense one, and with many similar styles of song in this Semi Final, working out which song is favoured, or if two or one style qualify at the expense of another, is a game of prediction that is easy to get wrong. Presentations have lifted songs into contention, and whatever happens… there will be highs and lows for those watching, those in the arena, and those hoping to sing again on Saturday.
Stay tuned to ESC Insight for a review of the Semi Final on the ESC Insight podcast. Check out the latest version of the ESC Insight newsletter here, or subscribe here to receive regular updates direct to your inbox.
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