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We carry on looking at the sogs heading to Malmö for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. They all might be fighting for the hits, misses, and maybes, but the journey is just as important as the result. Come join us now…
Eurovision Insight Podcast: Juke Box Jury #2
with Dude Points (dudepoints.fun) and Fin Ross Russell (Island Life Productions).Albania: Titan, by Besa.
Ukraine: Teresa & Maria, Alyona Alyona and Jerry Heil.
Spain: Zorra, by Nebulossa.
San Marino: 11:11, by Megara.
Italy: La Noia, by Angelina Mango.
Stay up to date with all the discussions, news, and reviews as we get ready to travel to Malmö for Eurovision 2024 with ESC Insight. You’ll find the show in iTunes, Google Podcasts, and Spotify. A direct RSS feed is available. We have a regular email newsletter which you can sign up to here., and you can support us on Patreon here.
Albania – didn’t speak to me much in its original version, doesn’t do much or (or less, in fact) in the English version. Both were/are fine, a bit nondespript, hmm … MISS
Ukraine – finally someone agreeing with me that it’s boring. 😉 I’m not sure how much it being from Ukraine will carry it now, it certainly will do well – but not for me. MAYBE
Spain – can absolutley not win Eurovision. I don’t see it finishing on the left side even. That’s not to say I don’t like it, because I kind of do, but I don’t think it has enough general appeal. MAYBE
San Marino – is the better Spain for me this year. 😉 It’s just a song I enjoy listening to, but then I don’t believe it’s going to achieve anything noteworthy in Malmö. MAYBE
Italy – finally they are not sending what they’re always sending, I love it! I find it so weird that people think a country should always be recognizable as a country, like “Italy always do this, the audience is going to punish them for not doing it again” … ?! I don’t get that sort of thinking at all. I find the song thoroughly entertaining, I don’t care what country it’s form – if I like it, I’ll vote for it. And there’s a big chance I will. HIT
Albania: a patent MISS. Sucked out the Albanian DNA with this diluted revamp. Appeals to a common denominator nobody audience.
Ukraine: HIT: partly because of the “political sympathy lift” (which is fading year by year) and partly because this will be slotted in between two upbeat fun songs like Croatia and Estonia possibly, and has a melodic hook that will make it stand out. When was Ukraine last guilty of poor staging?
Spain: MISS. Sure it’s generated an internal debate within Spain. So what? Does that translate to jury and televotes across the other thirty six countries? She’s very weak vocally and doesn’t carry it off for me.
San Marino: MISS. Bar is higher, unfairly, when you’re San Marino. It just isn’t memorable enough sadly, though I don’t expect it to come last.
Italy: HIT. Fabulous to have a solo female artist for first time since 2016. Angelina is charismatic, the chorus is a foot tapper and the verses have a lovely slower pathos. Another top six finish guaranteed. BTW panel: it’s nice to have the song titles pronounced with accuracy! It’s bi-syllabic “la noy-ya” and not monosyllabic “la nwa”!! There’s an easy clue if you listen to her singing the chorus!!
Albania-
As usual Albania didn’t read the memo. You do a revamp in order to improve a song. I can’t remember how the original was, but this sounds so generic it doesn’t make want to hear the song again – MISS
Ukraine-
I am hearing some echos of Shum (Eurovision 2021) and the hook in the chorus is very strong and quite hypnotic. I don’t even mind the rap.If there is a country which knows one or 2 things about staging, it’s Ukraine and there is no doubt they will bring their A game to Malmö. I have 2 reservations about the song: To my feeling it is in the wrong beat, it should have been slightly faster than the way it is now sung. I also have problems with the chemistry between the 2 singers, which basically doesn’t exist – HIT( but with some misgivings)
Spain
It is a bit of 80’s trash track. It may raise discussions in Spain but in Eurovision terms this will pass by with most of the viewers. Even in the studio version, she sounds like having quite a weak voice. The song lacks some power and convictions to really convince me or to sway me to vote for the song. Probably another disappointment for the Spanish Eurovision fans. Bottom 5 at best – MISS
San Marino-
I can’t connect t the song. I am finding it very aggressive and non melodic to the point that I don’t really want to hear the song anymore. There is a section in the song, where it sounds more Spanish than the Spanish entry, and this is the part which is the most interesting part of the song. In a song of 3 minutes this is not enough to keep me interested in the song – MISS
Italy-
For a song, which need to catch my attention in 3 minutes, it misses the mark for me. I’ve listened to this song 3 times in a row and unfortunately I still can’t remember the song. Something in the composition and structure stop this song to be the hit it wants and should be. I can’t put my finger on it, but something is just not right, when it comes to this song. There is enough to grab and to like in the song, but as a whole something is just missing. Nevertheless, the chance is that Italy still will do well – MAYBE(for me) but more likely a HIT (for the contest).
Sometimes an artist who’s tried to represent their country multiple times, then finally gets the ticket with something inferior (paldies Samanta Tina). Thankfully this is the best attempt Jerry’s made. Ukraine does super-well because their artists care and they put all their energies into staging. With the right staging, this could do a Shum. Even without the war it’d be top 10. And please let me write an article about Mother Teresa. Pleeeeeaaaaase. :
Italy’s not had a woman in the top 10 since 2012. Europe seems like Italian men, even shouty ones. The vibe of La noia is great, but it’s still not registered with me, months after Sanremo. I’d love to be wrong…
1. ITALY –> HIT: Together with Switzerland one of the contenders for the victory. If they bring that Colombian/Ecuadorian cumbia vibe on stage with 5 dancers, and Angelina still sings this complex song well, it can win.
2. UKRAINE –> HIT: Sublime entry. The best of the more emotive down-tempo entries. Outshines France, Israel, Latvia. And I find it hard, but it just barely outshines Belgium too. Will do wonderfully, potential medalist.
3. SAN MARINO –> HIT: Perhaps the most serious Sanmarinese Eurovision entry to date. If this entry came out for Spain it would’ve been higher in the odds and polls. This will qualify easily and could be a dark horse TOP 10.
4. SPAIN –> MAYBE: I personally like thos old school / italo disco. It’s like Raphaëlla Carrá going through a time machine and applying some 2020’s electro. Will do much better with televoters, but not with juries.
5. ALBANIA –> MISS: This country keeps dwelling in 1990’s orchestrated drivel. It all sounds nice. But every Albanian entry, bar 2004, 2012 and 2018, seem to be missing chart worthiness or vocal stunningness.
Albania: MISS. Even though she said it was written in English first, this song was slightly more interesting in Albanian like 2016 and 2017 were. Besa has a great voice so I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. What will be an issue is that the song is forgettable, we’ve heard the subject matter many times and the vocal runs at the end don’t make for a memorable ending. The death slot in SF2 will make this a non-qualifier.
Ukraine: HIT. Another great choice from Ukraine and another nice mix of rap and singing. The beginning and end are quite haunting and the lyrics focus on the past and future, on sadness and hope. I think it will stand of in SF1 and qualify easily and will probably be top 10.
Spain: MISS. The opening of the song is great but it pretty much stays in the same gear for the rest of it. I was surprised this did as well as it did at Benidorm Fest, especially with the juries because of the poor vocal performance. That the song has something important to say and that it has provoked debate in Spain is the best thing about it. However, I think that will all be lost on most viewers. I just don’t think it has enough to grab people in the final and has a good chance of coming 20th or lower.
San Marino: MISS. For me, the best aspect is the mix of rock, electronic and flamenco elements. Apart from that, it’s a bit too repetitive and messy. Being one of the few rock songs will help it stand out, but if the staging is a messy and unfocused like at UVPSM that will let it down. Being in such a strong SF will mean it won’t qualify. I do want to point out that even though Midnight Gold was incredibly well staged it came 11th with the televote and wouldn’t have qualified with the current system.
Italy: HIT. Another fantastic Italian entry and a welcome female artist too. Angelina has great live vocals and stage presence. The song is memorable and catchy. I think this is one of the rare cases where you can have an uptempo song and just one person on stage. Angelina can fill that stage so I hope they don’t overcook it. You could argue that Soldi wasn’t an obviously Italian-sounding song but performed incredibly well with both juries and public. Could be top 5 or top 3.