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We have five songs left from the Eurovision 20204 songs that we will be reviewing, so one last time, let’s bring in the hits, the misses, and the maybes.
Eurovision Insight Podcast: Juke Box Jury #7
with Matthew Ker (Majiker) and Dude Points (DudePoints.fun).France: Mon amour, by Slimane.
Georgia: Firefighter, by Nutsa Buzaladze.
Australia: One Milkali (One Blood), by Electric Fields.
Latvia: Hollow, by Dons.
Sweden: Unforgettable, by Marcus & Martinus.
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.
France: HIT. I know it’s old hat “chanson française” but when done well (2021) there’s market for this. Heard him in London..sublime. Top three jury, but may tail off with the televote who seek something more modern.
Georgia: HIT. Triumph for voice and production. Song is a typical prima Donna ESC high energy bop…but she delivers!!!
Australia: MISS. Playing on the Aboriginal theme but not impactful enough. Didgereedo..,? So what? Staging rather predictable and one of Aussie’s lesser numbers. NQ for me.
Latvia: Miss. Great voice and solid song but it’s so static on stage. In an all televote final? A goner.
Sweden: MISS..all gloss and no substance. You cannot polish a turd. Lacks soul and meaning. Worst of what Sweden has offered in recent times.
A site dedicated to “everything” Eurovision, is pretending that there are only 36 countries competing in 2024.
This last JBJ should have 6 songs, because up till now you only discussed 31 sings and we have 37 countries competing.
The country JBJ never discussed is Israel. My worries back than in March, became true.
You should be ashamed of yourself, Ewan. Personally, this feels like a friend just stubbed me in the back, and I will never forget that.
France – ugh. God, this is sleezy in a very uncomfortable way for me. It’s certainly not a bad song, but the way he oversells it makes me think there’s something wrong with it anyway. I can see the juries fawning over this, and it’ll certainly pick up a lot of televotes as well, giving it a top 5 finish, but I can’t get into it. HIT/MISS.
Georgia – for me this is the weakest of this year’s girl bops. And I’m sure it won’t be the least successful of them on the scoreboard. I think it’s the only one I’ve never found myself singing to myself (of the girl bops, that is). They will put on an impressive show with lots of fire and it will probably do alright (nothing more than that), but I would not have missed a thing if I’d never heard it. MISS
Australia – I want to like this, but I just find it so incredibly boring. I don’t think the digeridoo can save this from not making the grand final, and I’m not sure why Eurovision needs this song. I certainly don’t. MISS
Latvia – another really boring song. You’ve really grouped them well here. 😉 And he’s “keeling” me with the pronunciation, although I admit that is about the only part of the lyrics I could recite now because Hollow simply doesn’t catch my attention long enough to actually actively listen. It probably would have been better in Latvian, yes. MISS
Sweden – hmm. No. These Norwegian twins look about 14 years old, they are okay singers at best, and the whole thing depends on the show with the song itself taking a back seat. I straight away don’t like the concept. Not the first time Sweden are doing it either. I will admit that the chorus is somewhat catchy and knowing the juries they will put this song in the top 5 (because, you know, it’s Sweden), but I hope the audience will find better songs to vote for, and there are many of those around. MAYBE
Just wanted to say that this is the first Eurovision season I’ve discovered your podcast and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this series. Found myself nodding along in total agreement with some opinions, wildly disagreeing with others – but the discussion has always been fair and fun. Thanks for your work on it!
Thanks Julia, we’re here all week (try the fika); daily podcast from Malmö and a fair few articles to go before our Grand Final coming your way.
France-
It is a clasic French chanson. It’s powerfull and emotional and give a goosebumbs every time I hear it. What I don’t understand is why France TV released this back in October/November? which is way too early to gain any momentum. And Eurovision is partly about gaining momentum. I have to say that in a rendition I have seen, he was not singing this efoortless. In some parts he sounded as trying too hard to be emotional. This need to be toned down a bit. I also hope they get staging right, so the whole package is a complete one. It should do well, at least by the jurries and if the televoters will connect to it, he should get high score also from them-HIT
Georgia-
It’s overproduced female pop song which try to convey a message of girl empowerment. We have several of these kind of songs in this year’s line up. It could have been sung by any aother country and I will not hear any different. It’s also loose steam when it get repetitive toward the end. -MISS
Australia –
It’s a song which misses a hook.It sounds tiresome and as if all energy got sucked out of this song. It could be much better with a different arrangement, which could give this song an extra energy, As it is , it just there and getting a bit lost – MISS
Latvia-
I have realy nothing good to say about this one. I know it’s a ballad but even for a balld it is too slow and too monotone. I have listen to this song several times and I still can’t make any emotional connectio with it – MISS
Sweden-
This is plastic and not even trying to conceal it. It is realy going nowhere with this repetitive sound, which sound hollow and unispiring. The staging is polish but is baiscaly there to cover the non existence of the song-MISS
Israel- Bonus part:
ESC Insight decided to ignore Israel in its yearly JBJ podcast. As if, prentending Israel is not participating, will solve all problems in the world.
No matter what the reasons behind this decision, once Israel is competing , it deserve the same treatment as any other competing country. That would be in the spirit of the contest we all love.
I disagree ,very much, with ESC Insight decision,and I am therefore publishing below the piece I wanted to publish on Israel, if it would have received a place in a JBJ podcast(part of the p.s. section would not have been published if this song would have been on a JBJ podcast).
If I am the only one talking about Israel – so be it.
This year we have those countries which are trying to be the new Cha Cha Cha(Finland 2023) or those who are trying to cash on the success of Israel 2023(all the girl/women BOP songs, with a dance break).
In such a year, Israel is sending the most normal of a song. It’s a female ballad, the only one of its kind in the semi (Latvia is a male ballad) and one of the few female ballad in the whole year. It’s one of the best songs Israel has sent in years and it’s definitely one of the best songs in this year. It’s a strong song. With some musical choices that sit right, like the one at the end of 1st chorus when the song goes low( similar to what “Rise Like Phoenix”did, only longer),while you expect it to goes high. There is a sense of urgency in the way the whole song is built and the last 30 seconds is the calm after the storm. It’s a classic jurries bait but it has enough emotional layers to grab the interest of the televoters. It is, surprisingly for a ballad, quite catchy. You hear it once and you get it. It is also a song you want to hear more than once. The first 15 seconds of the song, which are similar to a heartbeat, draw you in to the song, and never let you go. The singing is dramatic but not over dramatic and both arrangement and singer just keep the whole song in balance.
This a sure qualifier. In any other year, this should be a top 5 materiaal and a contender to the win. However this is not a usual year( I already have some jurries in vision, which will not give a single point for Israel) and no one really know how this will fair-HIT(even if there is a very big question mark hanging above it)
France: HIT. A powerful and emotive ballad. I’ve liked this song from the beginning. Without Slimane, it might not be the most exciting french chanson you’ve ever heard but his performance and voice bring it to another level. A man who sings with such passion and with such emotion is rare. I think this will be top 10 and should score very highly with the juries. With so many contenders for the win, I wonder if this could be a dark horse?
Georgia: MAYBE. A good artist with a solid but over-produced entry, and not one of Darko’s best. The whole thing seems like one long chorus, with only a small section towards the end where Nutsa gets to rest her voice. Some of the sound mix on the studio version has the music so loud it drowns out the vocals. It’s another song with a part to allow for a dance break. I do think this will qualify because I think it will be better live, and has been staged well from what I’ve seen so far. Nutsa herself elevates it. Qualifying for Georgia after the drought will be huge. In the final I think it’ll end up in the bottom half.
Australia: MAYBE. An enjoyable song, but maybe not the most competitive. I appreciate the song when it’s on and I really like its upbeat and inclusive message. Hearing another new language and cultural elements we haven’t seen at the contest before will always enrich it. This really needs to come alive on the stage to get enough points to qualify. Zaachariaha normally fills up the stage with his presence and if that happens they have a shot.
Latvia: MAYBE. A very well-sung and introspective ballad. This song would benefit more from the juries voting in the semi, but if it serves as a palate cleanser from all of the more energetic and high-energy numbers it could have a chance. Estonia managed that last year, but that song was more showy vocally. How Dons appears on the stage and how he connects with the viewer will be more important with this song than others in SF2 in terms of qualification.
Sweden: MISS. I think we should expect much better from a powerhouse like Sweden; it feels like a parody of what’s in Melfest at the moment. The song just feels empty and the chorus just being “she’s unforgettable” repeated isn’t powerful enough. The Melfest staging also feels a bit anonymous and you can’t really connect to the boys during the chorus. If the juries eat this up and Sweden ends up with another top 10 it will be very disappointing. There’s lots of other songs in the same genre doing it better.
France: ça marche pour moi. Frappe!
Georgia: she’s a hit, the song’s a miss so MEBBE
Australia: hot mess hit.
Latvia: were there juries for the semis, would sail through. I give it a hit, but I don’t rate Dons’ chances.
Sweden: might not qualify out of a semi, but doesn’t have to. Maybe.