#Retro Serbia

[profesors]

◾Portrait of a young Serbian woman with ducats, Stapar, 1912.

[jupiterovprsten]

lepota

[emirgegicphotoblog]

Beautiful small mosque in village of Baćica, Sandzak, Serbia. This scenes evokes pictures from childhood when all mosques looks similar to this one.

Taken by Emir Gegić

Huawei p30 pro

[old-timey-radio]

[victorianchap]

🔸 Studio portrait of actress Olga Ilić by Milan Jovanović, 1900. . Olga Ilić, later Ilić-Hristilić (1880, Thessaloniki – 1945, Belgrade), was a famous Serbian actress. She was born the illegitimate daughter of Marija Gašparović and a Frenchman. Mother and daughter moved to Niš after Olga's father had died. In Niš Olga started her acting career at the age of fourteen and pursued it as a travelling actress and playing at different theaters throughout the Balkans (e.g., Belgrade, Novi Sad, Leskovac, Niš, Skopje). from Visual Archive Southeastern Europe. #victorianchaps #oldphoto #retro #1900s #vintage #portrait #serbia #actress #beauty #goodolddays #victorian #pastlives #nostalgia https://www.instagram.com/p/CiM_KQpAB-v/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[elarea]

Retro Fútbol (56)

Hoy viajamos al Belgrado de la década de 1930 para ver como un aficionado se cuela en el estadio del actual OFK.

"Vivos" hubieron, hay y habrán...

[designerpropo]

Serbia Vintage style retro souvenir

[the-cosmic-rupture]

yugo.logo

After the break-up of Yugoslavia most of the archives and industrial heritage was lost, left in despair, destroyed or forgotten… yugo.logo aims to collect and save as many symbols and other design work “made in Yugoslavia”.

[johannesviii]

Have you been following the Eurovision entries this year? Do you have a favourite?

I like Australia & you can probably guess why

I like the speedy electropop vibes Austria has

Belgium, I see your retro eurodance, I see you and I love you

Thank you for your services Croatia this is exactly what we want to see

Czech Republic. That's it. Send tweet

Denmark is basically the Lidl version of The 1975 but I'm a huge sucker for anything that sounds like one of my favorite bands oops

Finland also knows exactly what we want to see

thank you Germany for sending that shit instead of yet another boring song

I like Ireland, it's very "big pop Eurovisionesque pseudo-Fun.", but it's nice

Malta I don't know what you're doing but I support you nonetheless

Moldova's flute drop is incredible

Norway simultaneously tickles the part of my brain that loves shitty eurodance and the part that likes shitty symphonic metal, by being neither of these things, so, yeah, what the fuck

But yeah uuuuuuh my absolute fave this year is Serbia aka that dark electro shit with a guy saying he never wants to wake up, so basically what I'm saying is that I'm extremely predictable

[itscrazy-itsparty]

ESC2023 Reaction Post

Just like the title said, I'm writing this post as I listen to most of the 2023 entries for the first time. So far, I have only heard Italy (of course), Spain, Finland, Serbia, Portugal (I just couldn't miss their national finals), and Norway (heard it in the wild).

My top 6 of these entries would look like this:

1. Finland: Käärijä - "Cha Cha Cha"

I've definitely caught the Cha Cha Cha fever! At this point, I've streamed it 240 times in less than a month. It's an instant dopamine boost, it hits several spots of my taste in music, the transition between the two halves of the song is seamless and reflects the lyrics perfectly (I recommend Eurovision Histories' analysis of the song, he explains it really well), Käärijä is such a charismatic performer and an absolute sweetheart, but most of all...

2. Spain: Blanca Paloma - "Eaea"

I rarely cry over a song, so when one does manage to get my eyes wet, it must be special. The fusion between flamenco and a contemporary production, together with Blanca Paloma's flawless and intense vocals, make "Eaea" a contender not only in my ears, but also in my eyes, as the staging completes the package effectively. Hopefully she doesn't change it much for Liverpool!

3. Serbia: Luke Black - "Samo Mi Se Spava"

It seems like Konstrakta might have paved the way for a more experimental side of the Serbian music scene! I first heard "Samo Mi Se Spava" at Pesma za Evroviziju's final and, while I loved the dark electro-pop style, I was also left a little confused - maybe it was the vocals that I couldn't fully get? But with more listens, I've now warmed up to it. Its only flaw is that it's too short. Give me a 7-minute long extended mix with a drop going absolutely bonkers, please.

4. Italy: Marco Mengoni - "Due Vite"

Yes, it's a classic Sanremo-style ballad. But the artist can make or break this kind of songs with their way of singing, and Marco definitely makes it with his distinctive vocals and artistry. While he has a bunch of upbeat bangers and I would have loved him to show this different side of his music this time around, I really can't complain as "Due Vite" makes yet another entry we can be proud of. Forza Marco!

5. Portugal: Mimicat - "Ai Coração"

This keeps growing on me! Such a cute and classy song, retro sounding in the best way. Portugal is one of my favourite country in the ESC, and "Ai coração" is faithful to their brand. Mimicat is such an endearing performer and definitely sells the song!

6. Norway: Alessandra - "Queen of Kings"

It's 'last' as for now, but I'm sure it won't be last in my overall ranking! In fact, I can't see it dropping outside of my top 20 once I've heard all of the entries. Epic feel, pumping bass, powerful vocals - I wouldn't be surprised if "Queen of Kings" landed the second top 10 placement in a row for Norway. Bonus points for Alessandra being half Italian!

Needless to say, I really enjoy all of these songs. It feels so hard for me to imagine a personal winner other than "Cha Cha Cha", but maybe I'll be surprised...

Now to my live reaction to the remaining 31 entries: what I'm going to do is play ESCBEAT's Spotify playlist on shuffle without looking at the title, so I'll make it even more interesting for myself and try to guess which country's song is playing - with the exceptions of Armenia and San Marino, as they're not available on Spotify yet so I'll check them out individually on YouTube.

Armenia: Brunette - "Future Lover"

Ok, before the song starts, let me say that basing her song on Tumblr quotes is honestly iconic behaviour. Truly one of us. However I fear I won't be able to take it 100% seriously after reading this fact.

Alright.

After listening: you know what... it makes a lot more sense to me now. The first verse can be interpreted as her scrolling her dashboard, reading such posts and fantasizing over this ideal partner to do all of these cute and mundane things with. The second verse is when she gets hit by reality and acknowledges that she's spent so much time obsessing over someone who doesn't even exist, and that realization hits her hard. The music seems to explode together with the racing thoughts in her mind. Solid, r&b-tinted track, has potential to be a memorable moment on the Liverpool stage. Oh, and once again Armenia shows that they're capable to make a music video.

San Marino: Piqued Jacks - "Like an Animal"

I have already read the lyrics to that, and they are definitely Something™. Let's see if the music and the performance can make up for it...

I was expecting so much worse from what I've read around the eurofandom spaces? It's a pleasant, very well sung rock song. The lyrics didn't even bother me that much while listening, although they're kinda awkward indeed. Maybe they'll change them up in the upcoming revamp?

Now to shuffling the Spotify playlist.

Sweden: Loreen - "Tattoo"

Oh, this has to be Tattoo. The start is indeed a bit reminiscing of The Winner Takes It All! It's what Sweden can do best - a strong pop song with slick production, in which Loreen's personality and artistry is the added value. I wish she had presented something more experimental, but seeing how it went with "Statements", can we really blame her? "Tattoo" does sound like a jury winner, and it would surely be deserved. I'm sure it's even better live - I'll make sure to check her Melfest performance out!

Australia: Voyager - "Promise"

Have no idea of what this could be, but the sound is interesting. Hope the build-up does not disappoint.

Okay, it has to be Australia! I was expecting it to evolve into a full-on dance-pop song, lmao.

I'm digging this! "Dreamer" was a national final favourite of mine last year, and while I'm not sure I like "Promise" more, I still did like it a lot, and I can hear some common patterns between the two songs - poppier verses, the chorus suddenly getting heavier, and then the peak in the breakdown and the final chorus. Oh, and there's a short but sweet guitar solo in here! I wonder how it will be received on the ESC stage, as it might come across as confusing to some.

Slovenia: Joker Out - "Carpe Diem"

Is this Joker Out? I've been SO curious to hear their song, as I heard some of their back catalogue and it sounds really cool.

OMG I LOVE THIS SO MUCH. Such a strong indie-rock banger, reminiscent of what I used to hear on the alternative radio stations in the mid 00s, but still sounding fresh in 2023. Also Slovene sounds adorable together with rock music. It's been absolutely worth the wait! I NEED THIS TO QUALIFY OKAY.

Austria: Teya & Salena - "Who the Hell Is Edgar"

OH MY GOD YOU'RE SUCH A GOOD WRITER. Yeah, recognized it instantly. MASSIVE BOP ALREADY. Was... not expecting this opera bit.

POE POE POE POE POE POE POE POE POE POE POE POE POE POE POE EDGAR ALLAN EDGAR ALLAN

Everyone stand up for the new Austrian anthem. Honestly iconic. Loving it unironically, great production, love me some satire, and I trust them to deliver live. Hope they go bonkers with the staging. I feel like ranking these entries is going to be hell...

Switzerland: Remo Forrer - "Watergun"

Oh, piano intro.

Army mention. Switzerland, isn't it?

Not bad, just sounds kinda cliché so far... very nice voice though. Can't see myself replaying it. Probably going to end up in my bottom 10.

Georgia: Iru - "Echo"

This is a banging intro, I'm listening respectfully.

...Georgia?

There's going to be a drop, I hope so...

I'm... disappointed so far? Not really hearing the build-up I was hoping for. It seems to be a fan favourite, but I'm not getting it. Maybe it will grow on me, who knows?

Moldova: Pasha Parfeni - "Soarele si Luna"

ROMANIAN. Has to be Pasha. Another song I was eager to hear!

THE DROP. THANKS FOR MY DAILY DOSE OF DOPAMINE. THIS IS SO GOOD HELP. The bass, the flute, the backing vocals, everything. This might be my favourite Moldovan entry ever. Pasha Parfeni came on this bitch mad as hell. Welcome back!

Azerbaijan: TuralTuranX - "Tell Me More"

Automatic voice message? This sounds kinda unserious idk why.

Oh, it has to be Azerbaijan.

I'm glad they left the artists more creative control this time around, but this is really not doing it for me. It sounds like the demo to some 90s song. My last so far. I fear this won't do well and the delegation will go back to Melfest rejects...

Ireland: Wild Youth - "We Are One"

We take our first breath and then we exhale. King of teaching us how to breathe. Can't figure out which entry this is, but it sounds cliché so far.

Oh, Ireland. Wild Youth, what have you done? I already knew their song "Can't Say No" and it's so good, are we sure it's the same band? It's like they came together and decided to deliberately write the most stereotypical ESC song. It's a no from me.

Latvia: Sudden Lights - "Aijā"

Interesting beat, wonder where it's going to go from here. Oh, guitars.

5/4 to 6/8 tempo transition? A bit confusing but in a good way, I'm enjoying it a lot! Definitely original. Could it be Latvia? I've been VERY curious to hear it.

Well, he's saying Aijā now so no doubt. First impression is really good already, but I feel like I'll end up being obsessed!

Malta: The Busker - Dance (Our Own Party)

Funky pop, nice. Enjoying it more and more as it progresses, and that sax? *chef's kiss*. It's sensual, retro but there's also something a bit futuristic about it at the same time? Still not sure about what it is, even now that the song is coming to an end. Kinda want to say Malta? I'll figure this out by exclusion. What's sure is that it slaps.

(Spoiler: it was indeed Malta)

Romania: Theodor Andrei - "D.G.T. (Off and On)"

Is it Romanian again? Thought Romania's entry was in English, so this is surprising. And it's pretty good? This was one of the entries I just couldn't figure out the vibe of from the eurofans' comments, and I'm positively surprised honestly! Was expecting it to be maybe more upbeat, definitely was not picturing this jazz-rock fusion. Oh, turns out it's bilingual. I don't know how memorable it will be in the mix, but it's solid. Such a diverse lineup so far, it's shaping up to be a stronger year than I thought!

Albania: Albina & Familja Kelmendi - "Duje"

Oh, this lady CAN vocalize! Something in the Albanian water...

I was expecting this to be more ballad-y for some reason but it's making me want to shake my ass. I feel like something in the production/mixing is holding it back a bit, though. Overall it's Albania doing Albania, and I can't complain.

Iceland: Diljá - "Power"

Iceland time, I think? I'm enjoying it a lot so far. EDM hasn't been particularly successful at ESC, but she has a lovely voice and her winning Söngvakeppnin suggests to me that she can deliver live, so this could be a dark horse!

Denmark: Reiley - "Breaking My Heart"

Very modern production for this and vocoder for this next song. Okay, this is probably Denmark. It's most likely not going to be one of my favourites, but it's a personal taste thing. It's a solid pop song, hope he can deliver it live.

Estonia: Alika - "Bridges"

Now a lovely tone of voice being accompanied by just a piano and strings. I've lost count of which songs are left to listen to, and while I'm at the last chorus, I'm still struggling to figure out which country this is. WAIT IT'S ALIKA FKFHFKFHDKDH. Girlie said "bridges" a ton of times and I didn't catch it lmao. Really liked it though! It could stand out in a less balladful year like this one.

Czechia: Vesna - "My Sister's Crown"

FINALLY HEARING VESNA'S SONG!!!! This has been so hard to resist BUT GOD HAS IT BEEN WORTH THE WAIT. I've been listening to their music for some time and I was so excited when they were announced for ESCZ. It's what I was expecting from them and more: a gorgeously sung, very well produced folk-pop tune, and the rap verses are such a great surprise! Up to my top 5 you go.

Belgium: Gustaph - "Because of You"

Gustaph delivers some good old eurodance, and I can tell this is going to be a sort of guilty pleasure for me... except I do not, in fact, feel guilty. It's the good kind of dated. Good job on bringing out the 90s kid in me!

United Kingdom: Mae Muller - "I Wrote a Song"

Sounds like slick pop so far. Oh this is building up nicely.

Yes, the UK delivering a quality, very radio-friendly host entry. They seem to be determined in changing their course, and hopefully we'll see a competent enough staging to bring out the entry's potential!

Greece: Victor Vernicos - "What They Say"

Is it Greece? Cute song, I just think I'm not the audience for it. He's really young and this seems to be his first performance on a big stage, so I'm a bit worried about how he might cope with nerves... But then again, there have been 16-year-olds who did amazing on the ESC stage, so fingers crossed!

Croatia: Let3 - "Mama ŠČ"

CROATIA TIME LET'S SEE

This is as all over the place as I was expecting, it's far from a musical masterpiece but it's clearly not meant to be. They're just vibing, and I support that.

Cyprus: Andrew Lambrou - "Break a Broken Heart"

What in the Imagine Dragons is this? Oh, that's Cyprus. This is pretty good, I just don't see myself coming back to it much. But I feel like it's the kind of song that might be elevated a lot by strong staging.

Poland TVP: Blanka - "Solo"

BEYBAH ITS KAINDA CRAYZAH.

...yeah. It's a song. I get those who say it sounds like a Margaret song, but it's also giving me early 00s vibes. At the same time, while I'm a slut for early 00s pop, this is giving me nothing. And the context around it makes everything worse.

Israel: Noa Kirel - "Unicorn"

I've heard "Unicorn" is a messy song, now I'll get to witness it for myself. So far it's a respectable dance-pop entry, but that "power of the unicorn" sounds so random ngl.

Oh well. This is definitely a song meant FOR a staging. The breakdown after the repeated "do you want to see me dance?" line reminded me of kpop a bit. The ending was... so abrupt?

Netherlands: Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper - "Burning Daylight"

This might be the Netherlands' entry? You can surely hear Duncan Laurence in it. I was afraid it would sound too forced as a song and a duet, but it's flowing well so far. However I'm not a fan of what the drums sound like. They sound... buried? I liked it the most until the second chorus.

Germany: Lord of the Lost - "Blood & Glitter"

Metal? In MY Eurovision Song Contest? Love to hear it, especially from Germany, since it seemed like they were stuck in their safe approach to the competition. As for the song itself... maybe I'll warm up to it with time, but on a first impression, I like the intro and the verses a lot, the chorus not as much. The ending was great!

Ukraine: Tvorchi - "Heart of Steel"

Oh, what's this? Slightly off-beat chorus, very interesting!

Right, Ukraine! Tvorchi use their host entry privilege to bring something we've never heard at the ESC before, and definitely a change of pace from the folk-driven songs of the past couple of years, proving the richness of this country's music scene.

Lithuania: Monika Linkytė - "Stay"

ČIŪTOOOO TŪTO

Another returnee! Sweet ballad, really pleasant vocals. Turning into more of a midtempo now, with sort of marching drums. I can't remember which country is in which semi, but I wouldn't mind this in the grand final at all!

France: La Zarra - "Évidemment"

So far, so French. And yes, it's a compliment - I'm a French pop slut. It's now surprisingly evolved into pop-funk, and I'm loving it! France is truly on a great streak (STILL MAD ABOUT FULENN OKAY.) - maybe we'll see them win in the next few years?

Overall: what a year! I was planning to make an initial ranking, turns out I'm too overwhelmed right now. As the years go by, the songs seem to be less meant for a contest, and more as a bunch of stand-alone solid and diverse tunes that happen to compete with each other, therefore it feels unfair to choose some over others. I'll take my time to warm up to them, and see which ones I will come back to the most, which ones will grow on or off me.

I think Finland is still my favourite, though.

Most likely to end up in my top 10: Czechia (definitely top 5), Slovenia, Latvia, Moldova, Malta, Austria

[profesors]

◾Full-length shot of a Serbian man dressed in Serbian traditional clothes. 🇷🇸

◾Place: Belgrade, Serbia.

◾Time: 1860.

◾Photographer: Stoyanovitsh/Karastoyanov

[jupiterovprsten]

ponovo

[emirgegicphotoblog]

Huawei p30 pro

Taken by Emir Gegić

Old cottage on Gazivode lake near city of Tutin and Novi pazar.

[old-timey-radio]

[eileentothestars]

A RANDOM AMERICAN’S THOUGHTS ON 2023 EUROVISION SONGS

Albania -- I never know what Albania is doing but they always look so interesting while doing it

Ukraine -- I feel like I’m kicking a puppy for saying this but I couldn’t quite get into it. I think the skips in the music kept throwing me off

Belgium -- Took one look at the person’s costume and could not hit play fast ENOUGH

Norway -- Is it the banana wolf song? No. Do I support it and She Queen of the Kings 1000 percent? You bet.

Slovenia -- I can dig it

Spain -- I like the vibe and the aesthetic more than the song

Czechia -- 1) What 2) This is Toy but grim and gritty 3) What

Latvia -- They just slapped a bunch of sounds together, stole Elena Kagan’s hair, and called it a day

Denmark -- I’m a sucker for retro stuff but that autotune is making me violent

Croatia -- 100/10, completely deranged, will listen again

Romania -- Why is that person wearing Beetlejuice pants at a kinky strip club

Malta -- Epic Sax Guy 2.0

Estonia -- I am now launching the Estonia Don’t Be Boring challenge

France -- Didn’t know I was into the 1930s disco steampunk aesthetic

Lithuania -- C’mon, you gave us the Roop and now this is your entry?

Italy -- So brave of this guy to sing a ballad as aliens are about to abduct him

Australia -- They aren’t bad this year???

Finland -- Didn’t need you to tell me this was Finland’s entry, we could all tell

San Marino -- I see they’ve decided to be subtle this year

The Netherlands -- Kind of a mood actually

Poland -- Low-energy Ariana knockoff, no thanks

Germany -- “Blood and Glitter” should be Eurovision’s new motto, I can’t believe Germany did something right this year

Serbia -- Did I say the Netherlands was a mood? I meant THIS is a mood

Austria -- This is the greatest thing I’ve ever witnessed. Just give them the prize now, please. “What the heck is this about” indeed

Ireland -- Getting heavy ‘80s soundtrack vibes, which is to say I like it more than it probably deserves

Israel -- I’m curious to see how she turns into a centaur onstage. Also, ma’am, with all due respect, who dressed you this morning

Switzerland -- This is the same person from last time but with a deeper voice

United Kingdom -- Oh that ‘dai dai dai’ got old real fast

Moldova -- Perfect as always 10/10 no notes

Latvia -- Thanks I hate it

Iceland -- Never quite came together for me, but I do like her energy and the ‘80s chorus

Cyprus -- Thanks for the Imagine Dragons impersonation

Sweden -- Dang Sweden brought out the big guns

Portugal -- So glad Harley Quinn made it to Eurovision this year

Greece -- “Sad boy angsting in leaking basement” is not really my thing

Azerbaijan -- Now that is how you ascot

Armenia -- Did absolutely nothing for me

Georgia -- She looks like she’s wearing milk. I don’t know how to explain it other than that.

[residentraccoon]

Eurovision 2023 Top 37 (updated)

1. Latvia - robbed, underrated, slept on and other similar adjectives, I love this song so much and you know this already, moving on

2. Moldova - I cannot not sing the chorus without doing the T pose dance, thanks Pasha 💖

3. Slovenia - like I said before their performance makes me smile like an idiot every single time, their joy is infectious

4. Serbia - bro is a whole mood the whole performance, I love his stage presence a lot

5. Portugal - retro upbeat folk song my beloved how can I not love this

6. Czechia - yes my girls sing it bring the girl and slavic power

7. Australia - dad electro rock let's go

8. Finland - me yelling cha cha cha eyyyyy everyday had become part of my routine ever since the ESC season

9. Estonia - so proud of the top 10 result idc if it's a bAlLaD this was a gorgeous moment

10. France - a chanter la grande franceeEEEEEEEE-

11. Malta - I'm in this song and I don't like it

12. Georgia - It's just so powerful. Thing is known

13. Austria - someone please get poepoepoe and zero dot zero zero out of my brain thanks

14. Iceland - girl is a huge ray of sunshine man how I wish I was this energetic 🥲

15. Spain - 10/10 vocals and such a moment

16. Lithuania - prosciutto tuto yea I know it's such a stupid joke but I can't not make it

17. Armenia - how does she know what I want in a future lover? Bc SAME

18. Norway - she really is the queen of kings

19. Germany - last place?? smh

20. Azerbaijan - this was so sweet and underrated, and I'm so happy that Azerbaijan chose something that's not artificial and safe for once

21. Belgium - yooo the bop, I especially love how at the beginning he got so much shade but in the end he got top 10, yes dude prove the haters wrong

22. Netherlands - preferred the old version, the new one sounded so...dead

23. Cyprus - sounds very Imagine Dragons-ish but I like it, yeah

24. Sweden - I really have no strong emotions about this but I acknowledge Loreen's amazing showmanship and voice. It just doesn't stick with me for some reason sorry :(

25. Romania - he was done so dirty #justicefortheodor

26. United Kingdom - a very competent girl bop that I could enjoy a lil, to my surprise. But those vocals just weren't it...

27. Ukraine - yo that stage show was actually sooo good!!

28. Albania - Turkish soap opera intro let's go

29. Switzerland - okay bro I got it you don't want to be a soldier

30. Italy - lovely voice but does it fall flat for me after a while...

31. Israel - yeah no I don't want to see you dance sorry

32. San Marino - ngl I do find myself humming this at times I have to admit it ain't THAT bad

33. Denmark - Dude was really struggling with those notes, it was a pleasant moment and that's about it

34. Greece - it was just good

35. Croatia - grew on me JUST a bit. Still won't listen willingly to this but I don't feel like I dislike it as much as I did a few months back

36. Ireland - the performance was so...empty

37. Poland - now you're better so low lol