#Dedicated Hosting in Sweden

[wopsa]

Shared vs. Dedicated Servers | Key Differences Explained

Find out which hosting option is best for you: shared hosting or dedicated servers. Trust Wopsa Web Services for expert guidance in Sweden. Explore our complete infographic to decide the best option and visit our website to know more.

[estnoc]

We are living in a technological world, where online presence is paramount for businesses.

[sflow-er]

Addressing the top complaints (outside of tumblr) about KAJ winning Melodifestivalen and representing Sweden at Eurovision:

1 "It's a joke act!"

Fun Eurovision entries are a spectrum. There are true joke acts at one end (e.g. We Are the Winners in 2006, Dustin the Turkey in 2008), "serious" acts with fun elements at the other (e.g. Lordi in 2006, Hatari in 2019, Daði Freyr in 2021), and acts with variable levels of humour in between (e.g. Verka Serduchka in 2007, Cezar the opera vampire in 2013, Käärijä in 2023, Baby Lasagna in 2024).

KAJ are also in that middle part of the spectrum. Based on their musical talent and dedication to their craft, you could even put them a couple of notches closer to the "serious" end. In the sixteen years they've been making music and comedy together, they have released seven albums as KAJ and one as Vörjeans, and written two musical plays. They have parodied loads of different genres (e.g. Kpop, rap, EDM, Latin-inspired party music, even opera) and sold out venues in Svenskfinland.

Several of the non-joke acts on this spectrum did very well in the ESC, especially in the popular vote. Just as KAJ did very well in Mello, where they smashed the all-time voting record and defeated runner-up Måns by about one million votes.

2 "They aren't Swedish!"

Céline Dion isn't Swiss, but she still won the ESC for them in 1988. Plenty of artists have represented countries they had little or nothing to do with - which isn't the case with KAJ.

Finlandssvenskar are descended from Swedish settlers who came to Finland from the Middle Ages on, [EDIT1: misconception, many thanks to the user who reached out!]

KAJ are native Swedish speakers from a country where Swedish has been spoken from the Middle Ages on. Part of a minority that has close cultural ties to Sweden, they will have grown up following Swedish entertainment alongside Finnish. Hell, Jakob has even told an anecdote of how it was his biggest dream as a tween to be on Allsång på Skansen (at age 14, he even won a contest to be on stage with Anders Lundin but got cold feet).

Also, Bara bada bastu was written with Swedish producers. It's a Swedish song performed by native Swedish speakers who were specifically invited to participate in Melodifestivalen.

3 "Their dialect isn't real Swedish!"

Fun fact: it's not Finnish influence that makes Ostrobothnian (österbottniska) dialects so distinctive. It's elements retained from Old Swedish (fornsvenska) which have fallen out of use in standard forms of Swedish, such as old words and the tendency to shorten words at the end. Finland wasn't part of Sweden anymore when pronouncing all the last letters and endings as written became a thing there, and the Ostrobothnians still aren't doing it.

[EDIT2: Of course, the dialect does also have Finlandisms, as pointed out by the user who reached out! My point here was to highlight how close Ostrobothnian dialects are to Old Swedish: closer than other Fenno-Swedish dialects or even standard forms of Swedish. So, what KAJ are singing is very "real" Swedish by all measures.]

4 "They are promoting a tired stereotype of Finnish people!"

...said journalists from the country whose hosting organisation made an entire interval act joking about Finland last year.

"Finnish people are extreme sauna lovers" is indeed a stereotype, but KAJ aren't mocking it, nor are Finns at large offended by it. Even those who don't actually enjoy the sauna acknowledge it as a pillar of Finnish culture and tradition. It's where babies used to be born and bodies washed for burial, where ailments were healed and the toils of the week washed away. "The best remedy for the body and soul" as it says in the song.

Not only that, some finlandssvenskar even find Bara bada bastu validating. They are often stereotyped as wealthy snobs in Finland because a small percentage of them are descended from the colonial elite, which is unfair and frustrating to the large percentage who are just completely normal people. By embracing the Finnish national stereotype on the big stage, KAJ are showing that the Swedish-speaking minority are not that different from the Finnish-speaking majority and uplifting them - while also giving Swedish people with Finnish ancestry something nostalgic to relate to.

Also, take a second to consider who or what it is the guys are very gently poking fun at. It helps if you know the random Finnish words and phrases aren't actually random; they are widely joked to be the only phrases that Swedes know in Finnish.

But that's okay though. If this is how you see us, we aren't offended. We are here to help you relax and let go of the stress that everyone feels living in these times - as per Finnish sauna tradition!

[saynomorefic]

Wilmon AU where Simon and Wille are both food / cooking influencers. Wille is one of those quick edit / thirst trap chefs who cooks in a tight white t shirt. Simon has a culinary degree and got big on tiktok by cooking his family recipes, often featuring his mom and sister.

They randomly get paired up to host a new show to drive younger viewership to Sweden's top cooking channel. Simon hates Wille's guts and thinks he lacks substance. Wille is instantly enamored with Simon and is convinced he can win him over. There are subreddits and fan edits dedicated to their weird chemistry. The ratings are through the roof.

[ladyxgaga]

Lady Gaga will tour The MAYHEM Ball Tour 2025 hitting over 20 cities with multiple dates all around the world this year.

Fans in Brazil, Mexico, Singapore, Canada, United Sates, United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France will be able to attend the event.

Pre-sale, artist pre-sale and general ticket sale is on this week, grab your tickets before they are gone!

Check out all the dates at Lady Gaga's official website and read more about the VIP Ticket options for the event down below:

PREMIUM VIP HOSPITALITY PACKAGE

One premium reserved ticket in the first 3 rows

Invitation to the pre-show VIP hospitality lounge including:     - Specially selected hot and cold appetizers and drinks (3 drink tokens included for beers / wines / softs)     - Photobooth opportunities, music, and more

One £50 Uber voucher per order to use on the night of the show

Premium VIP ONLY special gift item

Limited edition Lady Gaga merchandise item created exclusively for VIP package purchaser

Pre-show tour merchandise shopping opportunity (where available)

Collectible laminate and lanyard

Red carpet photo opportunity in front of the VIP backdrop to commemorate your evening (No artist participation included)

Dedicated check-in and merchandise pick up location

VIP concierge team and on-site hosts

*No artist participation included

*London and Manchester only

VIP HOSPITALITY PACKAGE

One premium reserved ticket

Invitation to the pre-show VIP hospitality lounge including:     - Specially selected hot and cold appetizers and drinks (2 drink tokens included for beers / wines / softs)     - Photobooth opportunities, music, and more

Limited edition Lady Gaga merchandise item created exclusively for VIP package purchasers

Pre-show tour merchandise shopping opportunity (where available)

Collectible laminate and lanyard

Red carpet photo opportunity in front of the VIP backdrop to commemorate your evening (No artist participation included)

Dedicated check-in and merchandise pick up location

VIP concierge team and on-site hosts

GOLD VIP PACKAGE

One premium reserved ticket

Limited edition Lady Gaga merchandise item created exclusively for VIP package purchasers

Collectible laminate and lanyard

Dedicated check-in and merchandise pick up location

VIP concierge team and on-site hosts

SILVER VIP PACKAGE

One seated ticket

Limited edition Lady Gaga merchandise item created exclusively for VIP package purchasers

Collectible laminate and lanyard

Dedicated check-in and merchandise pick up location

VIP concierge team and on-site hosts

EARLY ENTRY VIP PACKAGE

One general admission / gold circle standing ticket*

Early entry into the standing / gold circle floor section

Limited edition Lady Gaga merchandise item created exclusively for VIP package purchasers

Pre-show tour merchandise shopping opportunity (where available)

Collectible laminate and lanyard

Dedicated check-in and merchandise pick up location

VIP concierge team and on-site hosts

*Location may vary by venue, see specific date for details

*Not available in London and Manchester

Check out more information at VIPnation

[asharawild]

Ser Davos Seaworth is a lowborn man. He’s a sailor who breaks the laws of the realm by bringing food to break a siege. Liam Cunningham, the man who depicted him in HBO’s Game of Thrones, is today turning 64.

He’s doing it from the deck of the Madleen, part of the Freedom Flotilla, which is sailing from Sicily to attempt to open a humanitarian corridor and get aid–food, medical supplies, anything and everything that might save a life–into Gaza, which is currently subject to genocide by Israel.

I say ‘currently’. It is difficult to periodise Israel’s behaviour toward Palestine into a ‘genocidal’ and ‘non-genocidal’ era. From the 1948 Nakba onwards Israel has explicitly treated Palestine as a stain upon the land — which it has claimed under shield of British imperialism, though its settlements contravene international law.

What is the clearance of a people from its land, if not genocidal? So asked a speaker at a UN panel discussion titled “1948–2024: The Ongoing Palestinian Nakba”. Representing Doctors Against Genocide, he:

said that the reason for the current genocide is that the international community “never addressed the original sin”. Instead, in the same month that the UN recognized genocide as an international crime, it turned a blind eye to the Nakba. He then asked what it would take for the UN to create a special body to restudy the Nakba as an act of genocide to both hold perpetrators accountable and strengthen the case currently before the International Court of Justice. (source)

Here’s the rub, or part of it: to correctly label the entire Israeli project as genocidal also implicates every other imperial and colonial project as such. They were and are, of course.

George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire examines at length the effect of war upon the smallfolk. Hundreds of thousands of words are dedicated to famine and flame and fear:

“You in the holdfast. We mean you no harm. We’re king’s men.” Faces appeared on the wall above the gate. “They was king’s men burned our village,” one man called down. “Before that, some other king’s men took our sheep. They were for a different king, but that didn’t matter none to our sheep. King’s men killed Harsley and Ser Ormond, and raped Lacey till she died.” (A Dance With Dragons, Jaime I)

In the north, the existential threat of the undead gathers beyond the realms of men. The Commander of the Night’s Watch, Jon Snow, makes the controversial decision to admit the Watch’s frequent enemy, the wildling host, through the wall to safety. Note the construction of wildlings as Other: savages, barbarous, undeserving of the rights afforded by being considered human. Genocidal rhetoric relies on such othering.

“You have not seen them. Half of them are dead on their feet.” “I would sooner have them dead in the ground,” said Yarwyck. “If it please my lord.” “It does not please me.” Jon’s voice was as cold as the wind snapping at their cloaks. “There are children in that camp, hundreds of them, thousands. Women as well.” […] “These are godless savages,” said Septon Cellador. […] “I am the shield that guards the realms of men. Those are the words. So tell me, my lord — what are these wildlings, if not men?” Bowen Marsh opened his mouth. No words came out. A flush crept up his neck. (A Dance With Dragons, Jon XI)

A Song of Ice and Fire was first conceived in 1991, shortly after scientific consensus crystallised on climate change (the IPCC, for example, was formed in 1988). George RR Martin himself acknowledged the similarities:

“The people in Westeros are fighting their individual battles over power and status and wealth. And those are so distracting to them that they’re ignoring the threat of “winter is coming,” which has the potential to destroy all of them and to destroy their world. And there is a great parallel there to, I think, what I see this planet doing here, where we’re fighting our own battles.” (source)

Greta Thunberg, then aged 15, went on strike from school to campaign for Sweden to comply with the Paris Climate Agreement. She is also aboard the Madleen. As a pigtailed child exhorting leaders to care about climate change, she received a relatively warm reception from world leaders who perhaps thought her easily defanged and coopted.

Yet she has always recognised that climate justice is inextricably linked to colonial injustice. She reified this stance in 2023 when attacked for her support of Palestine:

“Advocating for climate justice fundamentally comes from a place of caring about people and their human rights. That means speaking up when people suffer, are forced to flee their homes or are killed — regardless of the cause.” (source)

I watched a video today of Thunberg, close to tears, as she says from the deck of the Madleen that “no matter how dangerous this mission is, it is nowhere near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world in the face of a livestreamed genocide.”

I can’t identify a ‘most horrifying’ part of this genocide. No one can rank a burning child against a beheaded baby against the 335 rounds fired at five-year-old Hind Rajab. But the silence and indifference of those watching this genocide is something I did not quite expect. I thought we would all be howling in the fucking streets.

What privilege, to be intimidated by a few flags and leaflets!

In Gaza, people sit in rubble and makeshift housing, without food or water or hope, as F-35 jets (whose construction depends on British parts) fly overhead. We sit here in the so-called developed world (developed at whose expense?) and are all of us materially complicit in this genocide. We should not be able to speak for shame, and some of us laugh!

Are people so blind to empathy, so eager to turn their eyes away, that they would rather pretend Gaza has nothing to do with them than look in the mirror and ask what action they can take?

Those on the Madleen have a simple ask: all eyes on deck. Their task is dangerous: in May another Freedom Flotilla ship, The Conscience, was attacked by drones in international waters. It costs nothing to extend your solidarity. It costs everything–your very soul–to look away.

If you have loved another living thing, you should be screaming. You should be boycotting everything on the BDS list, and having uncomfortable conversations with others who do not. You should be supporting direct action like that undertaken by Palestine Action, who act to impede the operations of companies who profit from the genocide (and succeed in doing so). If you cannot undertake arrestable actions yourself, you can learn more about supporting actionists here, or donate here. You should be supporting Medical Aid for Palestinians, and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. You should be showing solidarity with a keffiyeh, or a pin, and otherwise doing everything you can to at the very least ensure that Palestine, and its people, are not forgotten. Don’t let people look away.

All eyes on deck, and free Palestine.

this post is also on Medium and Substack

[athenanfaymont]

🎤🎵Eurovision with the Batfam

Location: Gotham, 2:45 PM.

Alfred (finishing the setup of the food spread: Spanish tortilla de patatas, Hungarian dolmas, a tray of Greek spanakopitas, Italian arancini, Norwegian smoked salmon, German potato salad, Estonian pirukas, sweet French crêpes, Portuguese tortas de Viana, and a dish of English toffee): "You have fifteen minutes to be seated in the Family Room if you intend to eat in this house today."

Bruce (freshly showered, already on the couch for some reason, wearing a long-sleeved Brunello Cuccinelli henley, grey slacks, and Loro Piana cotton loafers, looking vaguely discontent): "You’re making far too much fuss over a televised contest."

Dick (lying on the rug in a sequined shirt that reads “I <3 Sweden”): "You almost cried the year Chanel performed."

Bruce (looking away): "It’s no secret I admire dedication. I wouldn’t be able to do what she did."

Steph: "Do you mean serving cun—"

(Tim, entering with her, immediately claps a hand over her mouth.)

Tim (still muffling her, exhausted, laptop under one arm): "I won’t be able to stay long. I have some missi—"

Alfred (calmly): "You won’t be leaving this room once that door closes."

(Everyone goes completely terrified silent)

(Alfred finishes placing the pitchers of water and and sparkling water and lemon slices. Tim slumps onto the couch next to Bruce, and Steph kicks Dick until he makes space on the rug.)

Jason (standing barefoot in the doorway, in board shorts): "I’m here for the tortilla de patatas and to make sure you all vote for Germany."

(Bruce doesn’t move. He’s trying not to scare Jason off.)

Steph: "There is absolutely no way I’m not voting Spain this year. She sings like a goddess, the choreo is perfect, the song slaps, she’s got phenomenal hair, and she spent the whole pre-Eurovision tour serving cun—"

(Tim drops his heel onto her back. She wheezes.)

Cass (appearing silently behind Jason, wearing a flower crown and texting furiously): *gesture with his free hand*

Alfred: "Miss Cassandra, as every year, I trust you to monitor Twitter and keep us updated on the frontrunners."

(Cass grins brightly and takes her seat next to Tim. Jason hovers, then drops to the floor at Alfred’s feet instead of Bruce’s.)

(The iconic Eurovision theme starts playing. The British commentators begin their intro, quickly translated by the Swiss hosts.)

(Damian enters.)

Damian (with all the disdain an 11-year-old can muster): "This circus of lights and screaming has no artistic value. I refuse to participate."

Alfred (not looking away from the screen): "I’ve reserved your potato salad in a separate bowl should you wish not to sit on the floor, Master Damian."

Damian (halting): "...With dill?"

Alfred: "Naturally."

Damian (sighing, walking in slowly): "I will only observe. For documentation. To witness the cultural decline of Europe firsthand. And for the salad."

Dick (whispering to Steph): "Twenty minutes tops before he votes for Lithuania again. Like last year."

Jason (already munching on tortilla de patatas, judgmental): "Honestly, I saw him going for Austria. But I see no one’s taking Germany seriously. Cyberpunk dream sequence realness. Who brings us something better?"

Bruce (answering before thinking and immediately regretting it): "France."

Cass (glances up from her phone, makes a heart with her hands): ❤️

Dick (glancing at Bruce for tempting fate with Jason): "I like San Marino. Even if they’re weirdly singing for Italy this time."

Damian (narrowing his eyes after swallowing his potato salad): "Your shirt supports another country, Grayson."

Dick (shrugs): "I will always respect them for ABBA."

Damian: "That explains your taste in clothing."

Tim (still glued to his laptop): "You’re all sleeping on Finland’s visual potential."

Jason (after a pause): "Imposter, Is that a green-themed joke or yo…?"

Steph (cutting him off): "Alfred! Alfred, who’s your favorite this year?"

Alfred (gently closing the door, settling into his armchair): "Switzerland will begin with a lovely visual of their natural landscapes, followed by Norway's song. I ask for silence and a moment to enjoy dinner. As for favorites, Miss Stephanie, I enjoy the convergence of different musical expressions and the friendship among nations born from sharing songs, meanings and languages. I have no favorite."

(Everyone turns to the screen. A Union Jack waves no-discreetly in the background.)

[sayitaliano]

ESC 2024 + Boycott ESC

As you know this year is a very complicated one for what concerns ESC and its enthusiasts. I decided to leave you infos and notes as every year, but I won't be live-blogging about the ESC as usual.

I personally don't feel like obliging anyone to act in a certain way, I let you be free to decide according on your feelings and beliefs (anything you will decide to do, is valid -especially if you decide to watch simply to distract yourself from your own personal problems and listen to some music). I ended up reading some time ago that people wanted to try to boycott the #esc hashtags by using other hashtags but I don't have any news on it. If you do and want to share, please let me know so I can add it all here.

[ one # should be: "#boycott esc" ]

____________

Eurovision Song Contest 2024 is coming!

The event will take place in Sweden (Malmo Arena) from May 7th to May 11th, since last year's winner has been the Sweden contestant (Loreen with the song "Tattoo").

As usual, we will have two semifinals on May 7th and May 9th, and the final on May 11th. The hosts for the 3 evenings will be Petra Mede (she already hosted past ESCs in Sweden) and the international actress Malin Åkerman.

From Italy, we’ll very likely have our last year's team: Mara Maionchi and Gabriele Corsi with Carolina Di Domenico (she may be the one sharing the votes on last night as usual). To watch their comments, you’ll have to go on Raiplay (not sure if you’ll need an Italian vpn but very likely yes). The two semifinals will be broadcasted on RAI2, while the final will be on RAI1.

Angelina Mango will represent our country with the song “La noia” that won Sanremo. Reminder that Italia, Germania, Francia, Spagna and Gran Bretagna will perform their songs only on the last night, as they have direct access to the final every year.

Here you have the Raiplay section dedicated to the event | EurovisionRai X account

You can listen to the final on Rai Radio2 (here’s the Raiplay channel as well)

[rabbitcruiser]

Buffet Day

Everybody loves a buffet, so imagine having a whole day dedicated to one! Buffet Day is about hosting or attending a buffet of epic proportions—enjoy a table spread with enough food to keep you full for a whole day, and interesting enough to make eating all day fun and exciting!

The History of Buffet Day

The buffet table has its origins in brännvinsbord—a type of schnapps made in 16th century Sweden. The smörgåsbord was a type of “meal” during which guests gathered for a pre-dinner drink and small talk. The smörgåsbord buffet was often held in separate rooms for men and women before the dinner was served. The Smörgåsbord became internationally known as “smorgasbord” at the 1939 New York World’s Fair exhibition when the Swedes taking part in the exhibition had to invent a new way of showcasing the best dishes of the Swedish cuisine to large numbers of visitors. The term “buffet” itself originally referred to a type of French sideboard furniture where the food was served but became popular in the English-speaking world in the second half of the 20th century after the Swedes had popularized the smorgasbord in New York, probably because it was considerably easier to pronounce and remember.

How to Celebrate Buffet Day

The way you celebrate Buffet Day depends on where you are and what your preferences are. If you happen to be anywhere near Nevada, it would be an unforgettable experience to visit one of Las Vegas’ famous all-you-can-eat buffets. The Carnival World Buffet offers more than 300 dishes (!) and more than 70 varieties of homemade pies, cakes, and pastries all made from scratch. For $24, you can get into Carnival World and stay all day, tasting the extremely wide variety of foods on offer all throughout it. If you’re a fan of seafood, you could visit The Village Seafood Buffet, that features all of your seafood favorites such as lobster, snow crab legs, shrimp, freshly shucked oysters, sushi and many other mouthwatering seafood dishes. Lago Buffet at Caesars Palace is another absolute must for anyone who truly loves food, especially in such enormous quantities. Featuring fresh ingredients and many made-to-order specialties, the Lago Buffet offers a world-class selection of Asian fare, herb-roasted poultry and sauteed pasta.

If you’re not anywhere near Nevada, or crowded places are just not your thing, consider preparing your own buffet at home to celebrate Buffet Day. You can make anything you want, of course, but seeing as how the buffet has Swedish origins, why not try some Swedish or Scandinavian specialties? Start buy seeking out a high-quality schnapps. Many different kinds of flavored schnapps are available today, and they range from exotic, summery flavors such as watermelon or coconut to root beer or others like it. The world over, cinnamon schnapps is perhaps the most popular kind of schnapps. However, if you’re wanting to keep your smorgasbord/buffet as traditional as possible, buy some Akvavit, a flavored spirit that has been produced in Scandinavia since the 15th century. Akvavit, like vodka, is distilled from either grain or potatoes. After distillation, it is flavored with herbs, spices, or fruit oil, with caraway, cardamom, cumin, anise, fennel, and lemon or orange peel being the most popular choices. Traditionally, different types of pickled herring are served with the drink.

Whatever you decide to do, don’t forget to celebrate Buffet Day!

Source

[wopsa]

Explore Shared Vs. Dedicated Web Hosting Services in Sweden

Explore the benefits of web hosting services in Sweden. Find the perfect web hosting solution for your requirements to enhance the online presence of your business. Visit our website and explore our blog to know which is the best solution for you and other crucial information.

[weirdthoughtsandideas]

How do you imagine the Violetta characters careers after the studio?

I imagine, for most of them, they do some tours and stuff right after graduation, but they don't wanna just go around singing and touring forever. Eventually people want to settle down and start families (not every single one, but a lot).

When the people who settle down have kids, they take a little break the first years just to spend time with them, but I think they might do another tour eventually after their kids are a little older.

But, especially when writing and composing music, I think a lot of them will be able to work from home (thus can also be home with their kids a lot for the ones that get them), so they have their little studios to compose and write.

I think none of them really are like "big superstars" the way they were when they were teenagers. Rather, I think it's like with a lot of singers that were famous when they were younger, they appear at galas and events, and occasionally release some new music, but they live pretty humble lives. And they might do some "anniversary tours" sometimes, too. But to be honest, I think a lot of them might be a bit burned out after doing so much touring and performing in their teenage years, and most likely early 20s, that by the time they reach their late 20s/early 30s, they both have some breaks to settle down and start families (or, those that don't wanna do that, maybe just travel the world, find themselves, do other stuff), and start instead doing some smaller singing events as mentioned above - singing on galas and televised events, maybe appearing as a guest performer somewhere...

Camila seemed to be into acting too by the end of the show, and for her I think she may try some more acting, but she's also one of those people who jumps around with what she wants to do in life. So she might do a bunch of stuff. Act a bit, sing a bit, maybe she suddenly decided to become a teacher in... something.

Yeah! I do think some of them eventually could be either singing or dancing teachers, OR possibly theatre coaches (Napo is canonically an drama teacher in my next gen fic). I can imagine some of them eventually collabing to make a musical, or just a show together.

I get reminded of a swedish celeb, who had one (1) hit single in the 80s, she still does some gigs where she sings like the same 5 songs, and she's also done a bunch of random stuff like... her and her brother hosted a kids show together in the early 00s where they sang a bunch of songs (the songs from that kids show were bops btw), she's been a host or a guest star on a bunch of random shows, she has also her own reality show about her life and now her kids are more famous than her (her son represented Sweden in Eurovision 2018). ANYWAY, where I am getting with this, is that she also does theatre. And she's done some self-written shows where she every time has the same people she picks for the cast and productions. This is because she feels comfortable with them and knows the shows can be good with them.

And I definitely think that, when anyone in Violetta is gonna put on a show, they call in all their old friends from On Beat Studio and is like "hey, I'm doing a show, can you come help me composing songs, maybe help me with the scenery and maybe even perform in it" and they are like "absolutely let's go!!" And they will always have at least one little dedicated audience that shows up every time because of course they go support their favorite former youmix on beat stars!!

[andiatas]

H.M. Queen Silvia's opening speech @ ISPCAN Congress

Your excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

First, allow me to express my gratitude for the privilege of opening the ISPCAN Sweden 2024 congress here today. It is an honour for Sweden to host this meeting.

I want to thank the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) and Barnafrid – the Swedish National Center for Knowledge on Violence against Children at Linköping University for organising this important congress.

I am deeply grateful for the hard work and dedication of all participants in protecting children around the world. Your tireless efforts are greatly appreciated.

The congress’ theme Working Together in Times of Crisis emphasises the tough realities and challenges that children face because of armed conflicts, climate change and other related difficulties. The congress also addresses issues of racism, colonialism, bias, and their differential impacts on indigenous communities within child protection and justice systems. It focuses on collaborative approaches to protecting children, especially during challenging times.

Additionally, you will cover a wide range of topics relevant to child protection professionals and researchers from around the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one billion children experience violence every year. In Sweden, nearly 60 percent of school-aged children reported exposure to violence in the latest national survey conducted in 2022. In many cases, the violence is perpetrated by an adult, including parents. The prevalence of violence is even higher among children with disabilities, such as neuropsychiatric disorders. Alarmingly, the analysis from this study indicates that exposure to violence has remained high over the last years or even increased, particularly in cases of sexual violence.

These facts urge novel solutions that are evidence-based and can be implemented efficiently, regardless of the level of resources in any given country. Child protection professionals and front-line workers are more challenged than ever to support children and families with fewer resources. In this work, multidisciplinary and multi-agency models, such as children’s advocacy centers and Barnahus, offer promise and potential.

One of the important themes of this congress is quality improvement. It emphasises the critical need for data-driven evaluation and quality improvement, particularly in children's advocacy centres and Barnahus. It is not sufficient to establish multidisciplinary collaborations across disciplines and agencies in these settings. We must recognise that continuous data-driven evaluation and quality improvement are essential for sustaining the global effort to prevent child maltreatment.

Twenty-five years ago, I established World Childhood Foundation with the vision to ensure that all children have a safe and loving childhood, free from violence, exploitation and sexual abuse. Our mission is to inspire, promote, and develop solutions to end the sexual violence and exploitation of children.

So far, we have supported more than 1,000 projects worldwide – initiatives and ideas that have developed and grown. Often, the ideas come from passionate individuals who have a deep understanding of children’s vulnerabilities and needs.

The work focuses on putting child sexual abuse on the global agenda. For example, several projects in Brazil, Cambodia, South Africa and Thailand aim to prevent sexual violence and enhance public and professional commitment to protecting children.

In Europe, the World Childhood Foundation has, among other things, helped establish Barnahus in Germany, Moldova, and Ukraine. But how does it work? The Barnahus collaborative model has proven to provide reliable, child-friendly, trauma-informed, and legally secure methods of avoiding the trauma for children who have been sexually abused. We actively work to spread knowledge and expertise about Barnahus and to facilitate the opening of more centres. I was delighted to learn that the Barnahus pre-conference, with the generous support of the Jerring Foundation, was held yesterday for the first time in the history of the ISPCAN world conferences.

Since the outbreak of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the World Childhood Foundation has supported Ukrainian children sheltering in neighbouring countries. The work has included providing psychosocial and humanitarian support to vulnerable groups, such as minority communities and children in institutions.

This experience has taught us the importance of strong, long-term commitment and the value of working together. Children and adults with lived experience possess invaluable knowledge that we should pay attention to by involving them in the work of finding new, tangible solutions.

We have an incredible gathering of brainpower, accumulated knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm here today. Let us harness this collective strength to discover new solutions for preventing violence and supporting children who have been exposed to trauma and other adversities.

Thank you.

Speech held by H.M. Queen Silvia on Aug. 19, 2024.

[lgcmanager]

VERSUS MISSION 005

SCHEDULE TYPE: TRIMESTER ( PART 1 OUT OF 1 ) SCHEDULE RESTRICTIONS: cannot be paired with another trimester schedule, unless stated otherwise. for reference as to whether your muse is eligible for this event, please click over HERE.

as VERSUS’ schedules slow down, KYUHWAN calls all of the VERSUS members in the living room of their dorms for a meeting.

“i know our schedules have shifted quite a bit lately. there’s less schedules and more time dedicated to practice, but with the loss of another VERSUS member, the company has advised that we work on other matters in the meantime while AGITO is in the middle of their comeback promotions. this also meant revising the company’s plans for a comeback too.” there was a hint of sadness in KYUHWAN’s voice, which was a rarity given that the manager was known to be spirited and jovial. KYUHWAN adds as an attempt to find the positive amidst the unexpected changes, “as you will see, your schedules will be a lot lighter but there are a few things to look forward to.”

CREATIVE SONG CAMP

“LEGACY has plans of releasing a special kind of show for V&A — one that showcases more of everyone’s creative sides. since your counterpart unit, AGITO, will be busy with their promotions, we’ve decided that in preparation of this project, all of the VERSUS members will instead be going to STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN to attend a CREATIVE SONG CAMP. in the past years they would host the song camp in different countries and focus solely on songwriting, but this year they wanted to expand to other skill sets such as choreography and mv filming. we know a few of you have attended something similar to it years ago when LEGACY had their songwriting workshops, but this will be an even more concentrated one since you will be meeting many famous producers.” KYUHWAN explains while giving them the details about the event.

starting from APRIL 22 to MAY 5, all of the VERSUS members will be packing up their belongings and travel to STOCKHOLM. when they arrive at their apartment ( where all of the members will be sharing one floor ) they will be given the schedule for the camp, which is scheduled from APRIL 25 to MAY 5. the VERSUS members have the option to take intensive workshops related to SONGWRITING ( LYRIC COMPOSITION ), PRODUCING ( MUSIC COMPOSITION, LYRIC COMPOSITION, INSTRUMENT ), and CHOREOGRAPHY ( POP/HIP HOP/STREET, CLASSICAL ).

during this time, the VERSUS members will concurrently work on their first project for their new and upcoming YOUTUBE show called ‘V&A’s SONG STEALER’, where V&A will use their musical and creative prowess to ‘steal’ some of the most popular songs and make their own rendition of the song. for the first set of episodes ( EPISODES 1-5 ), VERSUS will be ‘stealing’ TYPE ZERO’S ‘ONE ( MONSTER & INFINITY )’ and making their own version of it ( the genre of the new arrangement will be ROCK ). coincidentally, the producing team behind ‘ONE ( MONSTER & INFINITY )’ will be present during the camp and will visit the VERSUS members on MAY 2 to see and hear the group’s version of the song. they will give brief feedback on how to improve the song for the final performance, which will be filmed on MAY 5 as the last song for the camp’s talent show. the VERSUS members will be performing the same song live on JULY 27 for KCON LA plus the other song that they ( V&A ) will be working on, which is CRYSTALLIS’ ‘FIESTA’.

since the VERSUS members will be overseas for a few weeks, they will be given TWO free days ( SATURDAY, MAY 27 and FRIDAY, MAY 3 ) where they can use that time to explore around what STOCKHOLM has to offer. as always, if the members are planning on going anywhere, they must let KYUHWAN ( the manager ) know about their whereabouts and where they are planning to go beforehand. as for the rest of the days, if any of the VERSUS members are not attending workshops, they will be staying in the apartment and help work on the song project.

all of the content that goes on during that time ( including their free days ) will be filmed. In the case of the free days, the content will be posted as “vlogs” for the V&A’s youtube channel while the preparation process will be part of the first four episodes of ‘V&A’s SONG STEALER’.

V&A’S SONG STEALER ( FIESTA )

for ‘FIESTA’, V&A will be teaming up together to film the first part of this set of episodes with the leaders ( YEONWOO & JIHO ) randomly choosing some important rules for their new song arrangement. JIHO will be choosing the genre of the song ( FOLK, specifically KOREAN FOLK MUSIC ) while YEONWOO will be choosing one of the requirements for the song ( there MUST be a 30 seconds dance break in the song ). they will be told later after finding out the genre and arrangement that due to fans’ votes on LGC’s youtube channel, the song selected for this round was CRYSTALLIS’ ‘FIESTA’.

to help V&A gain some additional insight on traditional korean music, they will be visiting the NATIONAL GUGAK CENTER, which is the headquarters of korean traditional performing arts on MAY 22. during their visit, they will be attending a tour, learning some historical information, and partaking in music/instrument lessons from some of the masters of traditional korean music.

V&A will be working on this project from MAY 20-JUNE 11 and will be filming their live performance of ‘FIESTA’ on JUNE 11. for this song, V&A will be split into two teams to help work on different aspects of the song; DANCE TEAM ( to help with the choreography for the song / LEADER: JIHO ) and PRODUCE TEAM ( to help with the song arrangement / LEADER: YEONWOO ). in the case of JIHO, he will serve as the person connecting the two teams with his knowledge in music production and choreography.

for ic purposes, the team arrangements are as follows:

DANCE TEAM

KUROSAWA AKIO

LEE JIHO ( LEADER )

PONGSAK TEE

PRODUCE TEAM

JEON HARU

KANG MAXIMILIAN

LEE YUSHIN

PARK SEOJIN

WON YEONWOO ( LEADER )

the airing dates for the first season of V&A’s ‘SONG STEALER’ are listed below:

EPISODE 1 ( MAY 31 ): premise of the show, VERSUS’s initial reactions to finding out that they will be traveling to sweden

EPISODE 2 ( JUNE 1 ): VERSUS attending the creative song camp and working on ‘one ( monster & infinity )’

EPISODE 3 ( JUNE 8 ): VERSUS attending the creative song camp and working on ‘one ( monster & infinity )’

EPISODE 4 ( JUNE 15 ): VERSUS attending the creative song camp and working on ‘one ( monster & infinity )’

EPISODE 5 ( JUNE 22 ): VERSUS performing ‘one ( monster & infinity )’ for the people at the creative song camp

EPISODE 6 ( JULY 29 ): V&A deciding the details for their new song & finding out the song that they will be stealing

EPISODE 7 ( JULY 6 ): V&A visiting the national gugak center

EPISODE 8 ( JULY 13 ): V&A visiting the national gugak center and working on ‘fiesta’

EPISODE 9 ( JULY 20 ): V&A working on ‘fiesta’

EPISODE 10 ( JULY 27 ): V&A performing ‘fiesta’ ( aired after KCON LA day 2 is done )

( important note: for AKIO and SEOJIN, they will be announced publicly as the newest members of VERSUS sometime around early MAY so they will be eligible for OPEN EVENTS 006 ( FANSITES ) and OPEN EVENT 007 ( BIRTHDAYS ) by then and be included in the V&A instagram. )

Q2 SCHEDULES

APRIL 26: ‘infj’ song and music video release featuring WON [ YEONWOO ]

JULY 6: waterbomb festival ( will be performing CREAM SODA, TRAUMA, PADO, DIVE )

JULY 27: KCON LA

in addition to the schedules above, VERSUS will be doing a group photoshoot for a spread in ESQUIRE KOREA MAGAZINE ( something vaguely similar to THIS ) for the JULY 2024 issue. after the photos have been taken, all of the VERSUS members will be playing some games, specifically the BALANCING GAME ( aka this or that ). in the balancing game segment, all of the members will be lining up in a straight line and will each be asked two choices to choose from ( eg. ‘which season would you prefer; winter or summer?’ ‘if you have to take one item when you go on a trip, which would you pick; camera or headphones?’ 'which is more nerve-wracking for you; forgetting all of the lyrics on stage or forgetting all of the choreo on stage?’ ‘if you could only eat one type of meal for the rest of your life, which would you prefer; spicy food or sweet food?’ etc ).

WRITING REQUIREMENTS

VERSUS IN STOCKHOLM: write a 300+ word solo or a 4 replies thread ( 2 posts per mun; minimum 8 lines each ) with another VERSUS member about what they did during their free time in stockholm for +7 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE ANYWHERE and +4 NOTORIETY !

V&A SONG STEALER: write a 300+ word solo  or a 4 replies thread ( 2 posts per mun; minimum 8 lines each ) with another V&A member about anything related to the show ( eg. versus attending the creative song camp, v&a visiting the national gugak center, brainstorming ideas for how the song should sound like/choreography should look like, rehearsals for performing their song arrangement, etc. ) for +6 MUSIC COMPOSITION, LYRIC COMPOSITION, CHOREOGRAPHY ( SPECIFY ), OR INSTRUMENTS ( SPECIFY ) and +7 NOTORIETY ! ** for the versus members, this can be completed twice as long as one of them is a thread **

Q2 SCHEDULES: write a 300+ word solo or continue a thread ( non-event or past event is acceptable ) with a V&A member that started in Q1 ( JANUARY 8-APRIL 6 ) by writing an additional 4 replies for +6 SINGING, DANCING, RAPPING, or PERFORMANCE and +4 NOTORIETY ! ** everyone except YEONWOO can do this **

make sure to use the hashtag lgc:versusmission for the tasks. you have until JULY 6, 2024 at 11:59PM EDT to complete the requirements and validate your points. please submit the following form ONCE on the points blog.

MUSE NAME ∙ VERSUS MISSION 005 - VERSUS IN STOCKHOLM: +7 ( skill points distribution ), +4 notoriety [ LINK ] - V&A SONG STEALER: +6 ( music composition, lyric composition, choreography [specify], OR instrument [specify] ) and +7 notoriety [ LINK ] ** can be done up to two times ** - Q2 SCHEDULES: +6 ( singing, dancing, rapping, OR performance ), +4 notoriety [ LINK ] ** for everyone except YEONWOO **

[whenitsdarkweilluminate]

Lisbon 2018 – Grand Final

Host: Portugal Slogan: “All Aboard!” Participants: 43 Voting method: 12-point system (50/50 system - separated) Format: 2 Semi-Finals / Grand Final = the top 10 of semi 1 & 2 + the Big 5 + host

Winner: Netta - Toy Country: Israel Points: 529 (52.5% of highest score possible) Language: English

General Overview:

I kept putting off reviewing 2018 because I remembered it being a “meh” year. I was dissatisfied with the winner, many of my favourites didn't qualify, and plenty of the songs seemed forgettable. But after doing all this writing, it's a stronger and more competitive year than I remembered. I would actually rank 2018 in the top half of the 2010s now. But it doesn't beat 2012. For reference, my fave contest of each decade is: 1956, 1968, 1977, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2012, and 2021.

The opening sequence is exactly same as the two semi-finals (ie. the montage of local people and culture). But since it's the Grand Final, there is an opening act this time! It begins with someone playing a Portuguese guitar, then Ana Moura and Mariza sing some fado music. Mariza's song includes a soft-sounding marching band across the stage. The flag parade happens next, with two DJ's playing contemporary beats to soundtrack it. There's also sailors holding the flags.

Then it's the host introductions. Like I said in SF1, I enjoyed their comedy this year. The Green Room was cringe at times, but I loved Filomena in there. And lol at the hosts insinuating that the shirtless stagehand was naked underneath the graphic. There was also a dedication to Lys Assia, who passed earlier in 2018, which was nice.

The interval isn't as bloated as other recent contests. It starts with Branko playing some tranquil dance music, featuring 4 different soloists, one at a time. First it's Sara Tavares (from the 1994 contest) holding a long note, then Plutónio raps, followed by Dino D'Santiago singing inside this silhouette visual effect, and finally Mayra Andrade is joined by dancers on the walkway. They have soothing voices. Next, there's a video on why it took Portugal 53 years to win. Then Suzy from 2014 makes a surprise appearance. And lastly, Salvador Sobral performs two songs: a piano ballad called “Mano a mano” (meh to this one), where he pounds the piano casing at one point, and a reprise of his winning song, as a duet with Caetano Veloso.

The postcards involve the artists exiting a door in places where a door shouldn't be. Like on top of a cliff or something. They aren't attached to a building. Which makes them look like portals. It's as if the artists teleported to Portugal from their home country. Upon entering Portugal, they explore the area and do an activity. Then they take a selfie, as “#AllAboard” appears on screen. Then the flag colours are displayed on a sea anemone graphic. And lastly, there's an adjustment sound to start each performance. The portal doors are what I associate with 2018, like the hallway in 2017.

The stage is designed like a gyroscope. The performance platform is the center circle, with 3 gigantic rings overhead, kind of like archways. Each ring is on a different inclination/angle. There's also a circular walkway ramp cutting through the audience that acts as the 4th ring (on a 0° angle). On either side of the stage, there is a bridge that connect to the ramp. And just like 2010, there is no LED screen. Instead, the back of the stage is constructed of wavy vertical bars.

2018 was a battle between Israel and Cyprus… but not according to the juries. They put Austria and Sweden top 2, which the public weren't as fond of. Early on, the jury vote was a tight race between those 4 countries and Germany. Then it became a battle between Israel and Austria. Then Sweden caught up with Austria. In the end, Israel won the televote, putting them way ahead of both. As for the correspondents: Sweden's Felix Sandman wore Benjamin's merch and Latvia's Dagmāra Legante made a Kanye West joke.

Ukraine: Mélovin - Under the Ladder 3rd year in a row where the SF2 closer opens the Grand Final. I did not expect the juries to rank this last.

Spain: Amaia & Alfred - Tu canción This is like the sweetest love song ever. Yeah, the couple broke up a few months later, but most relationships don't last anyways. Feelings change over time. You live in the moment, and this was how they felt in May 2018. On stage, they look smitten with their cute smiles and eye contact. The opening shot shows them standing far apart in dark lighting, while the audience's phone lights shine behind them. Then the camera spins around Alfred and zooms in on Amaia, as they trade lead vocals. Afterwards, the pair slowly walks towards each other. They hold hands, they embrace. And the camera continues spin around them at certain points. The song itself is a classy, old-fashioned, stuffy ballad. But it also has a tender, romantic texture and a very nice melody. Plus Amaia & Alfred's voices are sweet. “Tu canción” starts with slow, sparse piano notes. Said piano increases in the first chorus, where the strings sneak in. Then the second verse/chorus adds in low-key percussion and makes the strings more noticeable. While the bridge sees the instrumental quiet, then intensify, then stop upon the final chorus. Then the song finally “bursts open”. That “OHHH OHHH” build-up is very effective. I also like the “Siento que bailo…” hook. The lyrics involve Amaia & Alfred expressing their love to each other. Alfred says flying to the moon now feels real; Amaia says his voice shelters her. It's very lovey dovey.

Slovenia: Lea Sirk - Hvala, ne! “STOP THE MUSIC!”

Lithuania: Ieva Zasimauskaitė - When We're Old

Austria: Cesár Sampson - Nobody but You

Estonia: Elina Nechayeva - La forza

Norway: Alexander Rybak - That's How You Write a Song A semi-final winner placing 15th in the grand final is unexpected.

Portugal: Cláudia Pascoal - O jardim Better than the song they won with. This did not deserve last place, although 39 points is pretty high for that. I can see how “O jardim” was overlooked though – not much happens in the song. There's no big melody, no epic climax. Instead, the song's purpose is to maintain a specific mood. That mood is peaceful grieving. Isaura wrote “O jardim” about her late grandmother. The lyrics repeat the phrase “Now that you're not here, I'll water your garden”, as if this thought keeps circling in her mind. She literally takes care of her grandmother's garden to keep her memory alive. The verses don't translate to English very well, however. The music starts with slow, sad piano notes. Then this subtle anxious sound is added underneath, followed by tiny acoustic tings. Then, from 1:36-2:07, the beat switches to a series of metal spring sounds and inconsistent jittery taps. It's a cool sound and it's my favourite part. It doesn't change the mood either. This is also when Isaura comes on stage and turns “O jardim” into a duet. The ending is minimalist and like a light howl. “O jardim” is all about simplicity. Doing anything extra wouldn't work. Cláudia gives a sensitive vocal too. She seems tearful at the end. On stage, she starts in a dark silhouette. She closes her eyes. She sways a bit. There's spotlights behind her. The stage doesn't feel like it's missing anything though. I also like how Cláudia's voice jumps out at certain points.

United Kingdom: SuRie - Storm The UK is back to flopping. “Storm” is infamous for the stage invader, but the Grand Final video on YouTube replaced her performance with a rehearsal. SuRie sings this with genuine compassion for her family, but the song is bland. The chorus is 'whatever' to me, both melodically and lyrically. The “Toge-e-ether” and “sto-o-orm” hooks are weak. And the lyrics are basic. The “spread your love...” bridge is climactic though. In the verses, SuRie addresses her brother, sister, mother and father one at a time. She reminds her siblings of their childhood worldview (their fearless hopes and dreams), and says she still believes in this stuff. Then she asks her mom if she did good enough. The chorus is her reassuring they'll overcome the storm together. It's an uplifting song with a straightforward message. But it lacks depth I guess? The instrumental only grabs my attention in a few spots too. The song starts with the piano, but quickly adds foot taps, squeals, submerged quivers and finger snaps. The chorus then diminishes back to the piano, before it accelerates via heavy claps; leading the second half bulldozing through with drums and whirls. The second chorus also starts dramatically, with stomps and sawing strings instead. The bridge uses dramatic boom-claps as well. Later, the song returns to the piano before the last chorus. And the outro repeats the bridge lyric. On stage, SuRie stands at the front of a tunnel made of lit-up squares. There's also pyro upon the last chorus.

Serbia: Sanja Ilić & Balkanika - Nova deca Actually her voice is kind of annoying.

Germany: Michael Schulte - You Let Me Walk Alone The only time Germany wasn't bottom 2 during 2015-2023. All it took was a personal, sincere, down-to-Earth ballad to reach top 5. That's how Ireland kept winning! But it sounds like an Ed Sheeran ballad, and I don't like Ed Sheeran (I also hear Adele's “Someone Like You”). The “1-2-3” hook (“1 love / 2 hearts / 3 kids”) is kinda annoying too. And the lyrics are messy. In the song, Michael reflects on growing up without his father, who passed away when Michael was young. However, the wording of “one love”, “loving mum” and “You let me walk this road alone” makes it sound like his father chose to abandon him. There's no mention of a “loving dad”. Still, if this were written in another language, would I even notice? Lines like “I was told that you were too” and “My childhood hero will always be you” still get to me. He sees his father in himself. He misses his father when he needs guidance. His dad provided protection and wisdom. Musically, the verses follow a quick back-and-forth piano. Then the piano is more pronounced in the chorus. The strings come in later. There's an “oh oh oh” bridge. Plus some crashes towards the end. And the drums enter to carry the final chorus. I'm not crazy about this arrangement, but I don't mind the “every now and then” hook. The stage starts darkly lit. Then, a semi-circle LED screen acts as a lyric video behind Michael. It also shows family photos, which really pulls at the heartstrings. And there's hypnotic images during the bridge.

Albania: Eugent Bushpepa - Mall

France: Madame Monsieur - Mercy France is my #2 again! “Mercy” tells the harrowing, but fortunate, story of Nigerian refugee Taiwo Yussif giving birth on a rescue ship. She named the baby “Mercy”. The title is play on words, since “merci” means “thank you” in French. The lyrics are from the POV of the baby. She recounts how her mother fled the war at home. They had nothing to lose. The sea (or “blue immensity”) became the enemy. She was lucky to even be born (“They offered me a hand / And I'm alive”). The song addresses how not every refugee has a happy ending like this. Many of them don't make it. The title implies they deserve mercy. The instrumental and Émilie's voice capture the mood of this situation well. It's a bleak and distressed vibe, but with a message of perseverance. The song starts with minuscule guitar plucks and finger snaps, followed by some cowbell(?). Then a snap-shut transition starts the chorus, which has a fuller sound, and includes distorted cry responses and some “pippity pips” appearing midway. The chorus has a great melody too. The song later quiets for the bridge. And the outro repeats a chant of “merci, merci”, as the duo pushes their hands forward, and the audience joins in. Maybe they could've done something more with the stage though. They're dressed in funeral black. They walk forward in unison. The camera follows her across the stage bridge. And they're on the audience ramp for the “merci, merci” chant. But it needed something more.

Czech Republic: Mikolas Josef - Lie to Me HE DID THE FLIP!!

Denmark: Rasmussen - Higher Ground It's just missing something to make my top 10.

Australia: Jessica Mauboy - We Got Love This could've been an anthem.

Finland: Saara Aalto - Monsters A borderline qualifier that flopped in the final.

Bulgaria: Equinox - Bones

Moldova: DoReDoS - My Lucky Day

Sweden: Benjamin Ingrosso - Dance You Off “With 21 points... Sweden”

Hungary: AWS - Viszlát nyár I think he screams even more in the final.

Israel: Netta - Toy (winner review below)

Netherlands: Waylon - Outlaw in 'Em

Ireland: Ryan O'Shaughnessy - Together

Cyprus: Eleni Foureira - Fuego

Italy: Ermal Meta & Fabrizio Moro - Non mi avete fatto niente I was puzzled by the 249 televote points... until I realized “Non mi” references several, then-recent, terrorist attacks (Cairo churches, La Rambla Street, 2015 Paris attacks, London Bridge, the truck in Nice). Plus 9/11 “skyscrapers” and 7/7 “subways”. Most of these happened in Eurovision countries. It must've struck a chord. The lyrics are also displayed in various languages so viewers can understand them, along with faces in the fonts. The chorus is an emphatic “You did nothing to me”, saying the terrorists didn't win. Life continues. It's just “pointless wars”. The song doesn't hide the horrific reality either: “blood in the sewer”; “arms without hands”; “mothers without children”. It also finds commonality in religions, dismisses racism, and says mass murder isn't a valid belief. And that “the smile of a child” shows resilience. This is a wordy, lyrically dense song. The duo sings SO quickly to cram everything in that it makes the melody ineffective, despite the up-and-down pattern. I also dislike Fabrizio's hoarse screams at the end, even if it expresses fury. Ermal wails after the bridge too. The instrumental is restless though. It starts with a twinkly guitar and light stomps, then light jingles. There's some slam-downs in the first chorus. Then the second verse increases the tempo into a folksy scared running drum beat. There's some guitar wails later. And the bridge quiets down when they walk to separate bridges. “Non mi” has a strong message and it isn't a cheesy peace song; but it's just not something I seek out much.

The Winner:

Israel achieves their 4th win, exactly 20 years after their 3rd... which was exactly 20 years after their 1st. I guess they'll win again in 2038? Between “Diva” and “Toy”, Israel's results were all over the place: 4 top 10s, 6 NQs, and several times in the bottom half of the scoreboard. The juries ranked “Toy” 3rd, but Netta's 317 televote points were more than enough. Weirdly, the semi-final was the opposite, where the juries were more favourable than the public.

This is an annoying song, but the chicken noises make it worse. “Toy” starts a cappella, with Netta making a bunch of strange mouth sounds (“*bird trill*, ouch, hey!, hm, la!”). Then the backing comes in and she starts clucking like a chicken. This irritating intro lasts for 20+ seconds. It's such a “WTF” moment. It makes for a memorable first impression, but it turns “Toy” into a borderline joke entry. Once the instrumental starts, there's some “Ethnic pop” elements. Verse 1 contains casual hand drums, bass stomps that stop every few seconds, and a couple short jerks. Then the pre-chorus diminishes to a soft synth, before building up with beeps and a squeaky sound, as Netta clucks again. Then the chorus roars and bulldozes through (with more beeps), followed by a string-y post-chorus that rolls around, where the backing shouts “CULULUU”. Those “CULULUU”s are almost as irritating as the chicken noises. This is a weird criticism, but the chorus sounds too much like a Eurovision song. I get bored of it. The second verse starts with video game pew-pews. Then the bridge interrupts the second chorus, leading to a big vocal note on “BOYYYYY”, which transitions to the next string-y bit. The song pulls back again partway through the last chorus. And Netta finishes on another big note (“TOYYYYY”). The song is vengeful and in-your-face and Netta brings attitude and personality. The backing responses of “not your toy/stupid boy” are catchy too.

But the message is hard to take seriously when it's communicated in such a silly way. The lyrics were inspired by the #MeToo movement (“I'll take you down now!”), where Netta rejects being a man's toy, calling him a “stupid boy”. Her vocal has a bratty, ridiculing, and immature tone. She says the boys are too loud and forgot how to play the game. She doesn't care about their money or the “modern-time preachers”. And she makes chicken noises to insinuate he's a coward (like when someone goes “bawk bawk bawk”). The lyrics also mention childhood interests – teddy bear, Barbie, Simon Says, Pikachu, dolls, Wonder Woman – which adds a darker layer to this. The narrator sounds like a little girl. “You're stupid just like your smart.. PHONE!” is a funny line though. There's even a smartphone ding during it. “My Simon Says 'leave me alone'” is clever too, with respecting consent. And “Barbie got something to say” challenges the Barbie stereotypes. There's also a couple Hebrew phrases (“ani lo buba” and “stefa”) and the Japanese word “Baka” (stupid person). But I also think “On the MadaBaka beat” is a censored version of “MF-ing beat”. Apparently “Trump-pam-pau” is a Trump reference too. The lyrics say a lot... in the verses anyways. “Stupid boy” is a childish insult.

On stage, Netta is dressed in a kimono, with two bookcases full of golden cat figurines wagging their tails behind her. She also uses this touch pad thing, which spells the word “H-E-Y”. Meanwhile, the camera will cut to the 3 backing dancers making funny poses and dance moves. They start on the stage bridge, but join Netta later on. And everyone is on the audience ramp at the end. They also flap their arms like a chicken during the clucking. And there's some pyro for the first chorus. The dancers are funny at least.

Ultimately, this, “I Wanna” and “Hard Rock Hallelujah” are the closest to a novelty song winning. I don't think this is what Salvador had in mind during his winning speech... it must've been awkward to hand Netta the trophy. Also, Jack White was later added as a songwriter for similarities to “Seven Nation Army”... I don't hear it.

Winner rank: “D” Tier. Catchy but everything about this is annoying.

My Ranking:

Grand Final: 01. Cyprus: Eleni Foureira - Fuego 02. France: Madame Monsieur - Mercy 03. Estonia: Elina Nechayeva - La forza 04. Slovenia: Lea Sirk - Hvala, ne! 05. Austria: Cesár Sampson - Nobody but You 06. Portugal: Cláudia Pascoal - O jardim 07. Moldova: DoReDoS - My Lucky Day 08. Lithuania: Ieva Zasimauskaitė - When We're Old 09. Denmark: Rasmussen - Higher Ground 10. Czech Republic: Mikolas Josef - Lie to Me

11. Ukraine: Mélovin - Under the Ladder 12. Finland: Saara Aalto - Monsters 13. Germany: Michael Schulte - You Let Me Walk Alone 14. Australia: Jessica Mauboy - We Got Love 15. Sweden: Benjamin Ingrosso - Dance You Off 16. Serbia: Sanja Ilić & Balkanika - Nova deca 17. Spain: Amaia & Alfred - Tu canción 18. Bulgaria: Equinox - Bones 19. Italy: Ermal Meta & Fabrizio Moro - Non mi avete fatto niente 20. Israel: Netta - Toy 21. United Kingdom: SuRie - Storm 22. Ireland: Ryan O'Shaughnessy - Together 23. Netherlands: Waylon - Outlaw in 'Em 24. Albania: Eugent Bushpepa - Mall 25. Hungary: AWS - Viszlát nyár 26. Norway: Alexander Rybak - That's How You Write a Song

Full Ranking: 01. Cyprus: Eleni Foureira - Fuego 02. France: Madame Monsieur - Mercy 03. Estonia: Elina Nechayeva - La forza 04. Switzerland: Zibbz - Stones 05. Slovenia: Lea Sirk - Hvala, ne! 06. Austria: Cesár Sampson - Nobody but You 07. Belgium: Sennek - A Matter of Time 08. Armenia: Sevak Khanagyan - Qami 09. Latvia: Laura Rizzotto - Funny Girl 10. Portugal: Cláudia Pascoal - O jardim 11. Moldova: DoReDoS - My Lucky Day 12. Lithuania: Ieva Zasimauskaitė - When We're Old 13. Denmark: Rasmussen - Higher Ground 14. Malta: Christabelle - Taboo 15. Czech Republic: Mikolas Josef - Lie to Me 16. Ukraine: Mélovin - Under the Ladder 17. F.Y.R. Macedonia: Eye Cue - Lost and Found 18. Greece: Yianna Terzi - Oniro mou 19. Poland: Gromee feat. Lukas Meijer - Light Me Up 20. Finland: Saara Aalto - Monsters 21. Germany: Michael Schulte - You Let Me Walk Alone 22. Australia: Jessica Mauboy - We Got Love 23. Croatia: Franka - Crazy 24. Sweden: Benjamin Ingrosso - Dance You Off 25. Serbia: Sanja Ilić & Balkanika - Nova deca 26. Spain: Amaia & Alfred - Tu canción 27. Bulgaria: Equinox - Bones 28. Belarus: Alekseev - Forever 29. Italy: Ermal Meta & Fabrizio Moro - Non mi avete fatto niente 30. Israel: Netta - Toy 31. San Marino: Jessika feat. Jenifer Brening - Who We Are 32. Azerbaijan: Aisel - X My Heart 33. United Kingdom: SuRie - Storm 34. Ireland: Ryan O'Shaughnessy - Together 35. Montenegro: Vanja Radovanović - Inje 36. Netherlands: Waylon - Outlaw in 'Em 37. Romania: The Humans - Goodbye 38. Albania: Eugent Bushpepa - Mall 39. Russia: Julia Samoylova - I Won't Break 40. Hungary: AWS - Viszlát nyár 41. Norway: Alexander Rybak - That's How You Write a Song 42. Iceland: Ari Ólafsson - Our Choice 43. Georgia: Ethno-Jazz Band Iriao - For You

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Pylyp Orlyk (1672-1742) was a prominent figure in Ukrainian history, a statesman, military leader, poet, and publicist. He is primarily known for:

Hetman in Exile

Orlyk served as the Hetman of the Zaporozhian Host in exile from 1710 to 1742. After the defeat at the Battle of Poltava (1709) and the death of Ivan Mazepa, Pylyp Orlyk was elected Hetman in Bendery. He led the Ukrainian political emigration and dedicated his life to fighting for Ukraine's independence from the Tsardom of Muscovy.

Author of the First Ukrainian Constitution

In 1710, upon his election as Hetman, Pylyp Orlyk concluded an agreement with the старшина (officers) and Cossacks known as the "Pacts and Constitutions of Rights and Freedoms of the Zaporozhian Host," often referred to as the Constitution of Pylyp Orlyk. This document is considered one of the first European constitutions in the modern sense. It proclaimed principles of separation of powers, limited the Hetman's authority, and guaranteed the rights and freedoms of the Cossacks. It predated many other constitutions and demonstrated a high level of political thought for its time.

Diplomat and Freedom Fighter

Throughout his time as Hetman in exile, Orlyk was actively involved in diplomatic efforts, seeking support for Ukraine from various European states, including Sweden, the Ottoman Empire, and France. He consistently attempted to organize military campaigns to liberate Ukraine.

Pylyp Orlyk's life was marked by his unwavering attempts to restore Ukrainian statehood and free it from foreign domination. His activities significantly influenced the Ukrainian national idea.