#denmark seems like song has great performance

[adlibitur]

time to watch all the eurovision songs

[verbforverb]

Welcome one and all to my Eurovision ranking, something that as many as one person has been waiting for (@docholligay here you go) As ever, feel free to comment, tag, share with people I know, but please don't reblog.

This is a less exhaustive but probably higher precision ranking than last year, due to my decision to say screw it and accept that I have four basic categories of Eurovision entry:

Positive - I enjoy this song, and would go out of my way to listen to it!

Negative (respectful) - I don't necessarily like this song, but I do appreciate what it's doing! Songs in this category are ones which bounced between "do I like this? maybe?" and "I am just straight up not enjoying this" This is a lot closer to positive for me than...

This Sure Is A Eurovision Entry, Huh - ... a broadly forgettable song which, while I don't mind it, I would probably never choose to listen to.

No - I would actively avoid listening to this song

You're not getting rankings within each category except for positive, because all the others bounced around so much there seemed very little point.

Today, the bottom two categories, "no" and "I guess"! With slightly under half the entries.

Cat4: No.

Denmark: Almost impressively twee. I find the synth effects in the chorus of this song physically difficult to listen to.

Armenia: Kind of unsettling to listen to, lyrically sort of like someone shuffled a bunch of dark academia hashtag aesthetic posts. Oooooh drink smoothies in new cafes.

Malta: When we first listened to this my wife went "they brought a saxophone!!" like that made it automatically good, proving that I am right in all things. Unfortunately funk throwback is very win or lose for me and, combined with the line "I feel better in my sweater", here just makes me wish to do violence.

Cat3: Yep, a song.

Netherlands: It's fine? Kind of forgettable? Nice to have a duet that isn't romance-only. I am a little grouchy about the lyrics, which alternate between really quite striking and The Blandest.

Lithuania: A great singer - though wow, a demanding song also, it gets away from her a bit a couple times. The song itself is kind of repetitive, the performance has a sort of haunted gospel cult feel to it that I don't hate, it's just not that compelling to me.

Italy: A little forgettable for me, but a great performance from a clearly really charismatic singer. He has the energy! Italy seem to exclusively enter songs that are lyrically quite interesting but in Italian, and we have that here yet again.

Switzerland: Obvious points first, this guy is a great singer. The song faintly reminds me of something by Sia, which is mostly distracting but not unpleasant. Do the country-specific associations put me off? A bit? I mostly find it kind of funny.

Azerbaijan: Another truly fine and generic song. I would have this on in the background! Sorry to anyone still reading, this is definitely the less fun half of the ranking.

Greece: My only note for this song is "almost impressively forgettable", which is still in evidence as I remember literally nothing about it, except, like, a guy in the rain?

San Marino: My love of fun, riffy rock is fighting very hard with my confusion over what the hell is going on here lyrically.

Albania: First: Wow, you can sing. What a voice! Second: What is going on with your family situation, anyway? This may be the first Eurovision entry to ever make me seriously ponder that, so congrats.

Iceland: The song is fine! Very 90s, which I don't hate. I love that she has a comfy outfit and seems to be having a good time. I do sort of want to give her a blanket or perhaps a friend, alone in the fog. The high notes are definitely getting away from her.

Ireland: Beyond my vague musings over whether Ireland singing "We are one" in a UK-hosted Eurovision is an extremely ballsy republican promo move, the song itself sure does take place. I don't mind it! It's fine! We see a pattern emerging here.

Estonia: A ballad with apparently no staying power in my brain.

Latvia: A pleasant enough indie rock type piece with a really unsettling music video. Does some fun proggy things with the time signature, but just a little too low-key to really stick with me.

Georgia: Before Doc made me look up the lyrics, I wasn't one hundred percent sure they were in English. Having looked up the lyrics, I am still not sure the lyrics are in English, although they are certainly English words. Somehow the song does still kind of work as sounds layered together, but it's not, how would you say, good.

[elfinblaze]

Eurovision 23: my thoughts

Thoughts on this year's Eurovision so far (pre-final):

Getting up at 5am for Eurovision isn't nearly as bad as watching the football (soccer) at 2am.

I don't like the Netherlands or Romania's songs, but the artists do not deserve the crap they get on social media.

According to rumour, Romania's artist, Theodor Andrei, has had no support from his delegation, so he's been doing everything on his own. I wasn't expecting much from his live performance, but he made it work okay, and at least he can sing, so props to him for that. I hope he doesn't get trashed for this, and instead gains experience and more opportunities to grow in future.

Only Poland deserves hate. Whoever is behind the music clearly covered up how much Blanka misses her notes by drowning her out with the backing vocals. I'm so sorry, Polish people, you deserve better than this.

Iceland should have got through instead of Poland. Sigh.

I'm actually liking the hosts this year: Alesha Dixon, Julia Sanina, and Hannah Waddingham. Nothing too cringy to watch, Julia is all elegance, and Hannah just emanates charisma. Well done, Ukraine and UK.

Sad about Malta not qualifying for the finals. That performance was so fun.

I love how warm and friendly Lord of the Lost (Germany) are coming across. Metal band, sure, but they just seem like sweet guys.

Also Germany's song is just kickarse this year. This is good quality metal music while still being accessible to a broader audience.

Denmark's song isn't bad on its own. Unfortunately Reiley's falsetto just isn't strong enough live, which is a shame. I always want to see performers do well live. My family will be sad to see him go.

I don't like pop ballads in general, so I can't comment on any of those.

I've talked about my favourites before, and not much has really changed, except Belgium growing on me and Gustaph seems adorable. Still loving Cyprus, Germany, Australia, Finland, Austria, and France. So I won't re-hash those any further.

Cyprus, I'm not surprised qualified, since he has Australia behind him. I mean, he can also sing, so that helps.

On that note, I know Danny from Australia has been doing interviews in German (since he spent the first 11 years of his life there), so we're trying to charm our way into that vote too.

Most artists used the stage, and then Australia blew the damn thing up! What a way to end the semi-final.

This is such a great year I actually bought the CD. There are only a handful of songs I would skip.

It's going to be a hell of a final. So many great songs and performances.

[Edit: Now I'm home, I can fix my spelling.]

[sparkleapple]

Eurovision 2023 Review

Albania - Albania's back to what they usually do, but I'm not mad at this. Considering we are lacking ethnic songs this year, we need something I like and I'm digging the electric guitar.

Armenia - After a few listens, I really like this song. Her voice reminds of Zoey Deschanel in the beginning though.

Australia - It's just there

Austria - I want to like this song, but acapella does not appeal to me whatsoever

Azerbaijan - It's to nice see that it's a locally written and produced song and not some manufactured song by Swedes, but it's not a very memorable song. I hope that doesn't discourage more actual Azerbaijani songs in the future.

Belgium - What tf were they smoking when they chose this?! It sounds like something that would play in the background when I used to work at Express.

Croatia - Hot mess

Cyprus - He has a great voice, but it sounds too much like an Imagine Dragons song... Not the first time in recent year they sent a song that sounds like another...

Czech Republic - Fun fact: This is the only country whose NF I keep up with for whatever reason and for the first time, they chose the song that was my top choice! I love it and I actually like the rap part.

Denmark - Sure it's basic, but it's grown on me. It's catchy and I think it's cool that he's from the Faroe Islands

Estonia - One of the better ballads this year and she has a nice voice.

Finland - Ooh this one's an earworm and he's one hell of a performer. I'm also a sucker for some techno and something outside the box.

France - Why did they select someone that's not French? Anyway I think it's. nice, but it's missing something to feel like a complete song.

Georgia - They didn't play around this time. They have a former ESC Junior singer and she delivered even if the song song isn't about anything.

Germany - The actual authentic German song we needed that won't end up in the bottom 5. The song title, "Blood and Glitter” feels gimmicky and made for ESC though.

Greece - After years of a tacofest, we got a male singer for once! The song is a let down though. It's pretty basic and I don't like cursive singing.

Iceland - She's got a great voice, but this is giving Christian pop

Ireland - It's just there as always

Israel - Really try hard and feels like a 4 different songs. I like the beginning of the song, but it gets annoying towards the end.

Italy - It's pretty and classy, but it pretty much sounds like your typical Italian ballad. Marco is cute though.

Latvia - Not much to say here, but I appreciate it for what it is and I've realized Latvia usually sends some degree of electronic songs.

Lithuania - It's just there

Malta - Another nation that is lo longer a tacofest. The song is not very competitive, but I like it. it's a fun with a nice saxophone.

Moldova - I usually don't care for their songs, but I love this! I'm a sucker for a great ethnic sound and Moldova accomplish this and takes me to a mysterious and enchanted forest.

The Netherlands - Basic and it sounds too much like a Zedd song.

Norway - I like a good techno beat, but y'all are overhyping this song. It isn't that special and I do not like her voice.

Poland - Oh my christ on a bike, this song does not deserve to be here and Blanka seems like a very unlikable person, yet I'm here liking the song. It's the type of music I would bop too, even if it's trash...

Portugal - I was expecting a nice ballad, but I'm not complaining about this upbeat song. It's been a while Portugal sent something fun.

Romania - Sooo underrated. If you overlook that mess of a national performance, it's a really song and he has a great voice.

San Marino - I keep forgetting about it

Serbia - I've realized it's been a while they sent a male performer, but I can imagine him killing it on stage and the industrial sound will stand out. I love the parts where he throws in some Serbian.

Slovenia - A pleasant surprise. It's one of my favorites! I hope they give Slovenia their highest result yet!

Spain - A pleasant surprise. It feels like I'm at a cultural theatre. I wouldn't be mad if this was in the top 3 (unlike the trash last year).

Sweden - Sure the song is good with a great performance and Loreen is singing her heart out, but I really do not need her here and I certaintainly do not want her to win again.

Switzerland - Another slow song? It's one of the better ballads this year and the piano is so pretty.

Ukraine - So underrated by fans. I love this song.

UK - It's a cute bop. I like it.

Overall, another bland year in a row. i couldn't even write interesting comments, but here we are.

[paranoicdatenshiintokyo]

My opinion in all Eurovision 2023 entries, but it's all positive (1st part)

I'm obsessed with many things, and one of them is Eurovision. That means I'm currently enjoying my favorite time of the year. Today, I want to do something specific - express my personal opinions on all the entries for Eurovision 2023. However, I'll only be highlighting what I like from each song, and I hope to spread some positivity.

Don't get me wrong - I don't like all the songs. I have my own top 37, but for the purposes of this exercise, I'll be listing them alphabetically. There are many of them so let's go with the first half of them! Would you be able to say any positive thing about the song that you dislike the most this year? Tell me!

------------------ ・Albania (Albina & Familja Kelmendi - "Duje") Deliciously dramatic. Albina's parents seem so nice I wanna have lunch with them! ・ Australia (Voyager - "Promise") Powerful! Have you watched them in Madrid's PreParty?? Looking forward to their performance in Liverpool! It's gonna be alright, I promise! ・Armenia (Brunette - "Future lover") Full of emotion. This is one of the 2 songs of this year that have made my tear up. I don't have to say anything else. If my future lover sings to me this song, I'll fall in love. ・Austria (Teya & Salena - "Who The Hell Is Edgar?") Genius. Catchy. Absolute perfection. Inteligent lyrics with a message. Catchy and well produced music. A fun female duo. A dance not so complicated so I can reproduce it... I can not ask for anything more! This is one of my absolute favorites of this year :D ・Azerbaijan (TuralTuranX - "Tell Me More") Ya'll, I genuinely enjoy the song! I think it's bold. There's an evolution throughout the song that makes it interesting. I like the rap part. ・Belgium (Gustaph - "Because of You") This song makes me happy and I love music that makes me happy. Gustaph has a lot of charisma and a really great voice! I also enjoy the 90's sound of the song! ・Croatia (Let 3 - "Mama ŠČ!") Okay. I FUKIN LOVE THIS, I GENUINELY LOVE IT!!!! This is bold, punk, genius, irreverent in a good way, original, out of the box, smart, fun, chaotic... I only can say good things about it. "Joke" entries always have a soft spot in my hear, and I don't even think this is a joke entry. This is high quality music, guys! This is what I love about Eurovision! I just need to stop screaming Mama kupila traktora 24/7 to stop annoying my neighbours lol ・Cyprus (Andrew Lambrou - "Break a Broken Heart") Very well produced song! And Andrew seems a really talented singer. I love the UUUUUUUHHHHUUHHUUUUUUUUUHHHUHHHHHHHH part. ・Czechia (Vesna - "My Sister's Crown") I love to hear so many different languages in one song. The chorus? OMG, the chorus is absolutely powerful. I always get goosebumps when I listen to the song. Love it! This is an anthem. ・Denmark (Reiley - "Breaking My Heart") Tbh, I like the voice effect in the studio version lol The song is stuck in my head and it's well done. ・Estonia (Alika - "Bridges") What a beautiful melody and what a powerful and talented voice for such a young artist! ・Finland (Käärijä - "Cha Cha Cha") I don't know if I'll be able to put into words what I feel about this song... I fall short if I say that I love the song with all my soul from the first second I hear it. Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference, put it in a blender, shit on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it... ・France (La Zarra - ""Évidemment") I love the mix of musical genres. This son is so elegant and exquisite... I love what France is bringing to the table this year! (Not gonna lie, I usually love France entries every year!) ------ And that's all for now! What is your less favorite song of Eurovision 2023 and what do you like the most about it??

[because-its-eurovision]

hello friend I have decided on my top 5 ESC entries this year and I need your psychic witchcraft skills to tell me which ones are gonna do well and which ones will break my heart because they'll be slept on </3 :') my top picks being Finland (obviously), Slovenia, Switzerland, Moldova and Romania 😌✨

hello friend very nice yes yes <3

Ok, this is based on the songs themselves, the charisma and live singing skills of the performers, their spot in the semi, the current betting odds and my gut feeling that's usually wrong :') Most of the stagings are still a mystery as the rehearsals only start in a week. Here we go 👇

Romania: Dead on arrival, unfortunately :< I see no way of this qualifying. Early in the running order on one of the worst spots, their bestie Moldova is in the other semi, the national final performance is messy, trashy and confusing and it's mostly sung in a language nobody understands. Theodor seems lovely but even "cute boy" votes aren't going to help as he is against Denmark, Cyprus, Greece and Slovenia.

Moldova: I believe in Moldova! They are often overlooked by the fans and betting odds and then blow up the televote on Esc stage seemingly out of the blue, last year being the most prominent example. Pasha is charismatic, a great singer and has Esc experience beforehand. Moldova is more often than not great with staging and I see them qualifying with ease as they only have to beat five other countries. Outside top-15 in the final though, maybe like 18th or 19th place? Just a guess.

Switzerland: I've been told people will be taken back because the lyrics seem hypocritical coming from a neutral country, but lyrics have never had that much meaning as most of the viewers hear the song for the first time on the night, and half of Europeans don't speak English at all, not to mention fluently enough to understand sung language on the first try. The first semi has only 15 songs and only two of them are pure ballads, this and the Netherlands. To put it lightly, the latter has not been great at the pre-parties 😶 Remo on the other hand may be the best male vocalist this year. I see Switzerland qualifying with flying colours and getting a high jury score like Austria 2018, Netherlands 2019 and Switzerland 2021. Could even win juries, but not the whole contest.

Slovenia: Cute, funny and charismatic guys that the fandom has fallen in love with <3 Great vocals, great energy on stage. Their spot in the running order is not ideal and the other ex-Yugos Croatia and Serbia are in the other semi, but they do perform after Poland which counts for something. There are many worse perfomances in their semi so I believe they'll qualify. No idea about their placement in the final though. Maybe around 20th, but could surprise us with a great result.

Finland: Most likely wins televote in the semi, getting 12 points from at least Norway, Sweden, Netherlands and Germany. Depending on the spot in the running order and how much, if at all, Sweden's new staging is going to affect their chances, I see this going two ways. Either the juries go their usual route of hating a silly Eurovision-y uptempo and destroy the chances by placing Finland outside top-ten like they did with Moldova 2022 and Norway 2019. OR they could appreciate the performance, melody and originality of Cha Cha Cha just enough to place it in third or fourth place like they did with Israel 2018 and Italy 2021, and that combined with a landslide-ish televote win would mean Finland winning. I still think Sweden is going to win, but Finland hasn't ever even qualified three times in a row and just getting in the top-5 would be incredible. Even top-3 is still in the realm of realism, but of course Käärijä would deserve to win it all 💚

[lageografiademicamino]

Who will qualify from ESC SF2 in 2023?

Eurovision is on! Rehearsals are on! We’ve seen most of them performing at the multiple preparties and the first clips on Tiktok and Youtube are in!

It’s time to predict who will qualify on May 11th from Semifinal 2! These are my predictions based on the reactions, comments, listens and clicks in social media, Youtube and Spotify.

Some I will get right, others I may not probably a lot because this is Semifinal 2 with less big fan favourites - However, that’s the risk you will take by continuing reading this.

1. Denmark - Reiley - Breaking my Heart

Reiley is a major Tik Tok star which might be perhaps one of the reasons why he is opening this semi. In Denmark we heard him performing with heavy autotune and the studio cut wasn’t any better but in the rehearsals clips his singing wasn’t that bad actually. They do have a clever staging prop, house like and Reiley is walking through each room - he’s wearing a pink outfit (ESC23 trend). Reminds me a bit of Snap last year. However, in the longer snippet the stage feels a bit empty and his performance in my opinion is not filling it enough.

I kind expected this to become viral or to have some sort of buzz but he’s quite low with views and listens online, there wasn’t much talk (no good or bad) at the preparties either. The song sounds like it starts in the middle and continues like that for the next 3min. So obviously not my personal fave this one. Is Tik Tok generation gonna vote for him? I have doubts. I say OUT. 

2. Armenia - Brunette - Future Lover

Brunette’s music video was already high quality and therefore quite promising. The song has fairly good views and listens in different platforms which indicates that it does have a growing fandome and interest. 

Visually this reminds me of Bulgaria 21 (Victoria) and I see it being memorable and strong enough to break the cursed spot number 2 position. Vocally she seems also on point in the rehearsal clips. I say IN. 

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

There aren’t many entries that we can say that are surely out but Romania unfortunately is. The guy is 18 years old and rumour has it the song was his school project. He can sing allright and he clearly has a passion. Personally I’m not connecting with this song and I know not many are. The song itself seems messy, his performance to be honest a bit cheap with the dancers and now with his changed pink outfit (we have a lot this year) he will not stand OUT. 

4. Estonia - Alika - Bridges

This is perhaps the best or at least one of the best ballads of ESC23. Dramatic, theatrical but also a little cold. She sings amazingly no doubt. 

The staging seems to be loyal to EestiLaul, she has her piano, similar outfit and structure how she performs on stage - but alone. I wonder if the stage is too empty even though I enjoy the visuals that LED screens are providing. This can fail but I want to believe so IN. 

5. Belgium -  Gustaph - Because of You 

Gustaph has been one of the raising stars of this season, selected quite early on last winter. This is catchy, super 90′s - and it works in my opinion, LED screens are showing the lyrics, Gustaph and his backing vocals / dancers are having fun on stage which will sure come across to the audiences at home. IN.  

6. Cyprus -  Andrew Lambrou -  Break a Broken Heart

This is a decent pop song with a beautiful man singing well - it offers nothing new but what it does it does it well This reminds me of Estonia 2021, it didn’t go through though so bad example but as a song type and a bit visually. 

He sings well. On the stage he’s alone but his presence does fill it. I usually don’t lean on too much whose neighbours are in which semi but Greece is in semi II so... I’m pretty confident this will go to the final. IN. 

7. Iceland -  Diljá - Power

This girl is so full of enery and POWER. There’s a lot of love for this I know even though personally I’m not connecting with this. She’s in a such great physical form obviously but I find her movements and dancing a bit weird even though they might show off her power indeed. The visuals are better on the LED screen what they were in Iceland but I do wonder does the stage look empty? The vocals she nails every time though. 

Iceland does struggle usually to get through - they don’t have loyal neighbours who would back up them and even other Nordics tend to find them weird. I have too many doubts - OUT. 

8. Greece -  Victor Vernicos -  What They Say

Victor’s indie pop song starts a bit slowly. The energy is great at its best but you need to wait for it. Visually I like the colour choices here (anything but red please!) and the lightning effects do work well. I’m not super on board about the wardrobe choice and his jumping - even though it’s age appropriate as he’s 16 years only. But maybe this will appeal more to the younger generation. On the LED wall they also use his own face being reflected - which seems to be somewhat a trend also in ESC 2023. His pronounciation has improved though.

However, Greeks tend to receive votes annyally from their neighbours (Cyprus especially) which might save them even with a weaker song. I see enough potential here so IN. 

9. Poland - Blanka - Solo

This is the hit for summer 2023! Not my personal favourite but this has been elevated a lot by the staging. The colours, visuals (especially on the floor) highlight the summer theme and as a song this is instantly catchy. 

They’ve also added a dance break + wardrobe change which I think work better than in Israel’s performance this year from Semi I. This is IN. 

10. Slovenia - Joker Out - Carpe Diem

Right after the release of the Carpe Diem this grew quickly to become a fan favourite. There’s a lot of positive, free, catchy energy here which will come across despite of not being sung in English. The rehearsals and preparties have proved how the band has charisma and confidence to carry this through. During the clips we don’t see any big props or tricks on the stage except the Carpe Diem reflected in the background - simplicity works here the best. 

I’m slightly put off by the pink outfits as we have some this year. However, potential Top 10 in the Final. IN! 

11. Georgia - Iru - Echo

Georgia often joins the party but their efforts are often not memorable in Eurovision. Not this year. Iru’s vocals are amazing, lyrics not so much but this song is hell of a stormy ballad. The staging supports this with lots of wind I like the so called waterfall LED screens behind her. The white outfit with red lips is divine. 

The idea of the song and performance is not complicated but this is a fine example how simplicity sometimes works the best when performed by a true professional. She slays this easily to the final and will bring Georgia its best ESC result to date for sure. IN. 

12. San Marino -  Piqued Jacks - Like an Animal

We have a few rock entries in this semi. San Marino however offers perhaps the weakest of them unfortunately. Another red theme here, they seem to lean on the rockers charisma but as a song it’s not memorable and catchy in the same way as Slovenia and Australia are. He sings well, they sound good, the lights effects work what we saw from the rehearsal clips. 

However, this doesn’t enjoy much of the ESC hype, love, interest based on the clicks and San Marino has struggled in the past to qualify. I don’t see this year being different unfortunately. OUT. 

13. Austria -  Teya & Salena -  Who the Hell Is Edgar?

These girls don’t take themselves seriously. Their song reflects the same attitude. Instantly catchy, memorable - no one can stop themselves to “poe, poe, poe..” after hearing this. They have a good use of the stage here. It is red theme again but it’s detailed and well executed, we have Edgar Allan Poe face in the background, the girls’ styling is on point, the movements that they do make sense. Clearly a lot of planning and thought has gone into this staging. 

I can’t say nothing bad about this. Probably a winner of Semi II. IN. 

14. Albania -  Albina & Familja Kelmendi - Duje

Albania is every year the first official entry for a new ESC season. Very often I end up supporting them because their songs are high quality, ethnic and tell  a story. Not this year. I’m not connecting with this. And based on the clicks and views, listens not many do.

When Albania hasn’t had a red staging in Eurovision? It’s their national colour but after San Marino and Austria’s red performances... this might not stand out. Albina performs her emotional, dramatic song with her family. I struggle to recognize Albina from the rehearsal clip to be honest but on the other hand she is the only one properly styled compared to the family. We have lots of split ends here and I’m deeply concerned for Albania. I say OUT. 

15. Lithuania -  Monika Linkytė - Stay

My ESC guilty pleasure for 2023 season. I like this one a lot. The gospel kind song and Monika is easy to approach. They’ve transferred the same staging from Lithuania to Liverpool but everything is bigger and brighter. I love how Monika and the background singers have been styled - visually this is beautiful.

Vocally she nails it - no concern. As a song, this tends to start a bit slowly. This is the entry which I’m most doubtful about if it will go through or not. It might. It might not. I say OUT. 

16. Australia - Voyager - Promise

Voyager tried to get their feet wet at ESC already last year but instead became a runner-up in Australia Decides. Their current song Promise is constantly being compared to last year’s Dreamer which perhaps was a bit more impactful.

However, their live staging is full of rock’n roll and high energy. They know what they’re doing and the lead singer is very charismatic. This is load enough which I believe will not be unnoticed by the voters. IN. 

Did you agree with my choices? Or disagree with my opinions? Who do you think will qualify from Semifinal 2? Talk to me in the comments below!

[opiniontrashcan]

Eurovision 2023

I had some trouble with this because I can find redeeming qualities in so many of the songs, but I had incredibly strong opinions on a lot of them that people didn’t seem to be addressing.

This got long, but I did start running out of steam by the end.

37. “Solo”-Blanka (Poland)

When I first heard this one, I thought, “Wow! This sounds like it would be a massive hit and even more massively overplayed! I hate it already!” My opinion hasn’t improved with subsequent listens, and finding out about the likely nepotism with the song getting selected in the first place didn’t help.

36. “D.G.T.”-Theodor Andrei (Romania)

This guys got great energy, but the song and staging are a mess. As he gets more experience/practice writing songs and performing he’ll probably be fantastic at it, but this song needed more work before getting sent to something like Eurovision.

35. “What They Say”-Victor Vernicos (Greece)

One that I found boring and unmemorable. Might’ve been able to find mild success on the radio, but not for this context. I appreciate having that voice when he’s sixteen, though.

34. “Due Vite”-Marcos Mengoni (Italy)

Basically the same as Greece. I remember noticing his voice was really nice, but the song wasn’t for me.

33. “Breaking My Heart”-Reiley (Denmark)

This is such an internet song. I can see how it could appeal to people, but all the vocal effects also make it difficult to translate to a live show and are something that I’m not a fan of.

32. “Like an Animal”-Piqued Jacks (San Marino)

I didn’t mind this when I first heard it. The group has a good energy and it felt a little goofy, but I ultimately didn’t remember it as much as I thought I would.

31. “Duje”-Albina & Familja Kelmendi (Albania)

I can’t decide if I like this one, so that probably means it isn’t for me, but the depiction of family struggle while still remaining a unit is relatable and not a concept very many songs address.

30. “Burning Daylight”-Mia Nicolai and Dion Cooper (Netherlands)

I like it. It tugs at my emotions every time I hear it. I just keep forgetting it exists.

29. “Watergun”-Remo Forrer (Switzerland)

Nice voice. Nice message that feels super weird coming from a country famous for being neutral... just rubbed me wrong halfway through my first listen when I realised which country sent this.

28. “I Wrote a Song”-Mae Muller (UK)

It’s super catchy, but it’s not for me and the vocals in the live performance I saw really brought down my opinion of the song in general.

27. “Unicorn”-Noa Kirel (Israel)

Eh. It’s a pop song. Not the worst I’ve heard, but not interesting enough to hold my attention. I loved unicorns as a kid, though, and Noa is SUPER flexible.

26. “We Are One”-Wild Youth (Ireland)

Yes, it sounds like a 2000s song, but that’s the time period I have the most musical nostalgia for, so good luck trying to make me dislike it for that reason. The effect at the end of the music video where the singer pulls up his mask as the black screen rolls up was cool.

25. “Stay”-Monika Linkytė (Lithuania)

This one has only just begun to grow on me, so I’m not sure I’m ready to put it much higher, but it has a good feel to it.

24. “Tell Me More”-TuralTuranX (Azerbaijan)

This is the calmest entry of the year, which immediately makes it stand out. I definitely need the break when I’m listening to all the entries at once, but it doesn’t pull me in and hold me as much as a lot of others. I don’t necessarily think it’s the best song for Eurovision, but I still enjoyed it.

23. “Bridges”-Alika (Estonia)

She’s got a powerful voice and I thought I would like the song more, but it doesn’t build to anything like it sounds like it will. I hoped it would grow on me, but it didn’t.

22. “Promise”-Voyager (Australia)

This feels like one that would be much better live than in a video, which is probably why it won the first semi-final. Several other songs ended up grabbing my attention more, though.

21. “Tattoo”-Loreen (Sweden)

This is another powerful voice paired with a song that just doesn’t appeal to me. I remember getting bored with it fairly quickly the first time I listened to it. The staging was cool at first, but it started to feel very static as it went on. I’ve since been able to understand what people like about it, but it still leaves me a little lukewarm.

20. “Future Lover”-Brunette (Armenia)

There was some interesting camera work in the beginning of this one’s video and the second half slaps. I would’ve preferred if the first and second halves didn’t sound/feel so different, though.

19. “Break a Broken Heart”-Andrew Lambou (Cyprus)

He’s got a solid voice and it’s kinda catchy, even if it wouldn’t normally be my type of song.

18. “Power”-Diljá (Iceland)

Another solid voice with some catchy parts, and I like the message. This one has grown on me a lot. She’s also got a lot of energy while performing.

17. “Aijā”-Sudden Lights (Latvia)

This initially drew me in with the unique percussion at the beginning, and then I start getting Franz Ferdinand vibes, which I’m totally down for.

16. “Carpe Diem”-Joker Out (Slovenia)

Fun with lots of energy and one I might enjoy more seeing it in person, but middle of the pack with what I’ve seen.

15. “Samo Mi Se Spava”-Luke Black (Serbia)

I really like the video game concept this has going. That squat walk in the middle always makes me laugh.

14. “Eaea”-Blanca Paloma (Spain)

I go back and forth on whether this song is annoying or not but it does have it’s impressive parts and the staging is intriguing.

13. “Heart of Steel”-TVORCHI (Ukraine)

This one’s a jam and a different route than the other dance songs went this year. The screen effects were cool to watch.

12. “Because of You”-Gustaph (Belgium)

I love the 80s sound of this one. Everyone on stage looks like their having a good time, and that makes me have a good time with it.

11. “Dance (Our Own Party)”-The Busker (Malta)

I liked the saxophone and how relatable the song was. I would much rather be cuddled up at home with a blanket and a book than surrounded by a bunch of people I barely know.

10. “Blood and Glitter”-Lord of the Lost (Germany)

As a metal fan, this might be the funnest metal song I’ve heard and I’m here for it. The deadpan yelling “We’re so happy we could die” gets me every time.

9. "Echo”-Iru (Georgia)

I don’t care if the lyrics make no sense. Her voice makes it sound amazing and the music is there to back it up. I do not understand how “Solo” qualified for finals but not this.

8. “Mama ŠČ!”-Let3 (Croatia)

A fun song that also means something? Sign me up!

7. “Ai Coração”-Mimicat (Portugal)

Her energy and stage presence make me want to smile no matter what mood I’m in (and I’ll try to sing along even though I know exactly 0 Portuguese).

6. “Queen of Kings”-Alessandra (Norway)

I’ll preface this by saying that one of my absolute favourite bands is Within Temptation. Alessandra’s voice sounds like it would fit right in with that kind of band, and she pulls off those tough vocals well. The high energy of her performance is also great for a live performance.

5. “Soarele si Luna”-Pasha Parfeni (Moldova)

I’m not sure I’ve ever had this much fun with a song that was so folky. Going barefoot was such a nice detail (though come to think of if, all of the costumes were really on point for this song).

4. “Who the Hell Is Edgar?”-Teya and Salena (Austria)

I may never get this out of my head. The satire with a pop beat reminds me of Marina and the Diamonds and has made me realise that I do enjoy pop music if the lyrics actually have some substance to them. I can forgive the quirks in the live performance on this one because I just had that much fun with it (and they were first, which is always nerve wracking).

3. “My Sister’s Crown”-Vesna (Czechia)

Even though it’s sung in four languages and I only understand one of them, the message came through clearly and the whole song felt very empowering.

2. “Évidemment”-La Zarra (France)

This one grew on me a LOT. I’m a total sucker for dramatic lighting though, and she sounds good.

1. ”Cha Cha Cha”-Käärijä (Finland)

Käärijä‘s an amazing showman. It was performed well, and the decision to include a repetitive “Cha cha cha” that anyone can sing along with in a song in a language most people are unfamiliar with was a great choice. Lots of energy, lots of colour, lots of fun.

[popblank]

Eurovision Semifinal 2 viewing notes: 

Haha, the pre-show screen is displaying “GOOD TO GO!” I am both amused and annoyed that the new guy’s catchphrase might be growing on me.

Denmark, Reiley, “Breaking My Heart” – For a song where so much of it is in his upper register, his voice is not particularly strong there.  

Oh look it’s Daði Freyr in the green room.

Armenia, Brunette, “Future Lover” – Very cool staging, really good use of lights and projections. Sounded good as well.

Romania, Theodor Andrei, “D.G.T (Off and On)” – Theodor Andrei looks like quite the theater kid. Glad they went in a different direction than the national final performance though I am not sure if it presents the song to its best advantage.

Estonia, Alika, “Bridges” – Very good singing. Another uncomplicated staging that relies heavily on the performer and she is carrying it well.

Belgium, Gustaph, “Because of You” – I like that the backing singers are prominently featured onstage and in the performance. Very solid though I can’t remember the song when it’s done.

Scooch! I have much warmer feelings toward them than I do for Dustin the Turkey.

Cyprus, Andrew Lambrou, “Broken Heart” – I see we’re steadily moving along on the spectrum of masculine presentation in this semifinal. Seems like vocals are much stronger overall tonight so far, though I do hear a noticeable backing singer in parts.

Iceland, Diljá, “Power” – Hmm, started well, but she started at 99% and kept turning things up. It’s a very physical performance which feels just a little bit out of control.

Greece, Victor Vernicos, “What They Say” – Greece feels rather similar to Iceland in terms of performance, except with a little more anxiety.  The outfit makes him look his age.

Poland, Blanka, “Solo” – It was better than expected, I guess.

Slovenia, Joker Out, “Carpe Diem” – I had a lingering headache before this show and the wobbly side-to-side camera work here is not helping. Singing was good, but it was hard to watch.

Georgia, Iru, “Echo” – Her costuming and styling looks good. It was very dramatic (as expected) but the song has a odd lack of momentum. The chorus gets old quickly.

San Marino, Piqued Jacks, “Like An Animal” – The performance seems to be leaning a bit into the sleaziness which is probably not a bad approach, especially since the lead singer sings well and manages to pull off "sleazy” without straying into “creepy.”

Austria, Teya & Salena, “Who the Hell is Edgar?” – I like the color scheme.  They sound very good singing together and I usually like it when the LED displays are used to create the effect of having lots of backing dancers.

Albania, Albina & Familja Kelmendi, “Duje” – As songs performed by vocal groups at Eurovision go, this is pretty decent, is refreshingly straightforward in its concept, and seems extremely Albanian.

Lithuania, Monika Linkyté, “Stay” – The chorus has a nice swing, and I just like the sound of a group of women singing (see also: Portugal 2022). Improves upon the official video performance.

Australia, Voyager, “Promise” – The songs may or may not be better tonight, but the average vocal performance in this semi with only a few exceptions seems to be far and away better than in the first semifinal (and Australia is one of the better ones).  Not sure about the car but it does seem to fit with the cheesy neon ‘80s vibe.

Interval act: I think this may be the first time in years of watching Eurovision when I would have liked a commentator to provide background details.  It was enjoyable but I would like to put some names to the historical faces.

Hannah Waddingham seems to be having a great time as a host.

That was a fun performance, yet I can’t help but be reminded that fearful and narrow-minded people in many US states would like to make that illegal.

I can hardly believe they even thought about doing the finalist announcements on stage, and am very glad they reconsidered. I do not want to see the cameras wringing pathos from images of disappointed non-qualifiers, and I absolutely do want to see the joy of a contestant being engulfed in hugs and flags by their delegation.

[king-a-queen]

Eurovision 2023 pt. 2

pt. 1 | pt. 3

It’s this time of the year again! To honor beginning of Eurovision week here’s my opinion on this year’s songs and my ideal qualifiers at the end. No hate, just positive vibes here, feel free to disagree.

Semi-Final 2

Armenia (Brunette – Future Lover) – I’m not a huge fan of it, but it is well-produced and I think seeing it live in Liverpool will completely change my mind about it.

Belgium (Gustaph – Because Of You) – I don’t know how this song manage to be unique and absolutely nondistinctive at the same time. It’s more of a radio song to me, I think it’ll disappear on Eurovision stage and blend with other performances.

Cyprus (Andrew Lambrou – Break A Broken Heart) – Again, it’s a song that I don’t have any strong feelings about. I neither like it or dislike it. I think I’ll have stronger opinion after semi-final.

Denmark (Reiley – Breaking My Heart) – Being popular among teens will definitely be advantage to him, especially during semi-finals. I’m not sure whether this much voice modulation is allowed on Eurovision stage though, and getting rid of it, may destroy the performance. Tbh, I don’t have a strong opinion about this song.

Estonia (Alika – Bridges) – I’m not a fan of ballads, but out of all this year’s ballads, this one is my favourite. It has mysterious vibe and Alika’s voice is strong. And I love the usage of classical instruments.

Greece (Victor Vernicos – What They Say) – Pretty forgettable song, in my opinion. I’m not a huge fan, but I still hope Victor will have a great time in Liverpool.

Iceland (Diljá – Power) – One of the most underrated songs this year. The song is so positive and Diljá has a really strong voice and brings a lot of energy and power onto the stage.

Romania (Theodor Andrei – D.G.T. (Off And On))  – The song itself is ok, I kinda like it, but the live performance is kinda off. I think my biggest problem with this is that Theodor is using too much of grace notes, that should be treated as ornaments and not dominate the performance, otherwise it becomes chaotic and messy.

Albania (Albina & Familja Kelmendi – Duje) – I feel like I haven’t heard anything unique form Albania in the last few years and that they’re constantly sending a woman with s strong voice and a song that includes folklore elements/vibe. Normally, I would enjoy it, but I’m waiting for something totally unpredictable from Albania.

Australia (Voyager – Promise) – I love rock songs on Eurovision. This is something I didn’t expect from Australia, but I’m certainly not disappointed. We’ll see how will they do live.

Austria (Teya & Salena – Who The Hell Is Edgar?) – What a BOP, I can’t stop listening to it. I love that under this pop and funky sound, there’s also an important message. The only problem I have is that in some live performances they lacked energy and seemed more like awkward highschoolers. But I’m sure, they’ll bring it all in Liverpool.

Georgia (Iru – Echo) – Another underrated entry. Unique, with some ethnic vibes and strong vocal performance.  

Lithuania (Monika Linkytė – Stay) – Now, this is the type of ballad, I don’t like. Monika has great vocals, but the song is rather boring and repetitive. It has a positive vibe though and the overall performance isn’t lacking anything.

Poland (Blanka – Solo) – Apart from the fact how she was chosen, the song itself is a positive, summer vibe, but nothing I haven’t heard before. Typical radio-friendly, mass-produced hit. The live vocals are questionable, but I’m sure it’ll still be better in Liverpool than in Polish NF.

San Marino (Piqued Jacks – Like An Animal) – It was pretty low on my scoreboard, but after hearing it live, my opinion improved a lot. They’re great live performers and bring great energy on stage. It’s not my favorite, but I definitely warmed up to it.

Slovenia – (Joker Out – Carpe Diem) – It’s such a positive, rock song. I love it. Definitely, the live performance is better than the audio version. Singing in Slovenian is an added value.

My ideal qualifiers (in no particular order): Armenia, Estonia, Iceland, Albania, Australia, Austria, Georgia, Lithuania, San Marino, Slovenia

[thylacinetears]

I've taken forever to post this, but here's my full ESC2023 ranking!

With comments and scores out of 10! Long post obvs:

#37 Romania: DGT - Theodor Andrei: (0.5) Gross, boring, just all-around terrible. The staging is awful. The singing is bad ("aLL oF YouR DEmoNs coMe SCREEEMIMANNEHHH" haunts my dreams). The lyrics are gross, and the attempt at wordplay doesn't even make sense? All of it is trying so, so hard to be sexy and failing miserably. Half a point for having some Romanian, but that's it.

#36 San Marino: Like An Animal - Piqued Jacks: (1.0) Worst singer this year and it's not even close. The lyrics are also terrible and kinda give me creepy vibes. 100 songs in the national final and this is the best they can get? But it does get one point for having a pretty good instrumental, and the drummer is killing it.

#35 Albania: Duje - Albina & Familja Kelmendi: (2.0) Really overdramatic. I don't like the instrumental, it's way too sparse and random. The message is meant to be pro-family but it just comes off as anti-divorce? But the intention is nice, and Albania having a song in their own language for once is nice.

#34 Greece: What They Say - Victor Vernicos: (2.5) Just generic. There's not much I can say about this song because I forget it every time I stop listening. It's not intolerable to listen to, I guess?

#33 Germany: Blood & Glitter - Lord of the Lost: (2.5) It's unique, but somehow really boring. I don’t really like this genre so I'm biased, but this is just noise to me.

#32 Switzerland: Watergun - Remo Forrer: (3.0) Nice voice and piano, but wtf is Switzerland doing singing about war? I don't like the lyrical execution of the concept at all. Definitely not a fan.

#31 Malta: Dance (our own party) - The Busker: (3.5) It's a nice sax riff, but they run it into the goddamn ground. The rest of the song just isn't very good. It's cool, but kinda annoying.

#30 Ireland: We Are One - Wild Youth: (3.5) Also very generic, but it has a nice arena-pop sound to it. The message is well-intentioned, though so incredibly overdone.

#29 Lithuania: Stay - Monika Linkyte: (4.0) Nice concept, but it just sounds really bland to me. I don't really know what I don't like about this song, but it just doesn't click with me.

#28 Denmark: Breaking My Heart - Reiley: (4.0) It is very much corporate TikTok bait. But there is a good song underneath all that, and I actually like the vocoder.

#27 Croatia: Mama SC - Let 3: (5.0) Yeah, it's very weird. I don't like the repetition, but I do unironically like the instrumental in the "Onaj mali psihopat" part. Not the best novelty/political song, but not the worst - solid 5/10.

#26 Azerbaijan: Tell Me More - TuralTuranX: (5.5) I like it, it's quite nice and feel-good. But it seems like a complete rip-off of Something Good by Bic Runga?

#25 Poland: Solo - Blanka: (5.5) Ignoring the context and that live performance… It's a bop! It's not super original but it's really catchy and fun.

#24 Israel: Unicorn - Noa Kirel: (6.0) Kinda disappointing, after all the hype. (Why couldn't she have saved Thought About That for ESC instead!) But it has a nice chorus, and some good hooks.

#23 United Kingdom: I Wrote A Song - Mae Muller: (6.0) Very British, and very pop! But that chorus just doesn't really hit for me, and I'm not a fan of the spoken word part.

#22 Cyprus: Break a Broken Heart - Andrew Lambrou: (6.0) This is actually a banger though! I'm biased because Australia, but still. Simple concept but good execution.

#21 Georgia: Echo - Iru: (6.0) No, I don't know what on earth is going on in the lyrics either - guess that's just Georgia though. I love the drama of the instrumental, and Iru has a really powerful voice!

#20 Portugal: Ai Coracao - Mimicat: (6.5) It's cool! I love the culture, and Mimicat has a great voice. But for some reason it doesn't really click with me.

#19 Moldova: Soarele si luna - Pasha Parfeni: (6.5) I'm usually a big fan of the folktronica entries, but this doesn't quite hook me as much as Fulenn or SHUM. But it's still pretty good, and I love the concept of the lyrics!

#18 Serbia: Samo mi se spava - Luke Black: (7.0) Super unique! It's good, it's just that there's so many good entries this year, so it doesn't stand out so much. Gives me Grimes vibes, like a hybrid of Violence and My Name Is Dark.

#17 Belgium: Because Of You - Gustaph: (7.0) So incredibly unapologetically queer, and I love it for that. Such a fun song, makes me want to get up and dance!

#16 Iceland: Power - Dilja: (7.0) Uplifting, upbeat, poppy - this season needed a song like this. She absolutely kills those vocals, too!

#15 Italy: Due Vite - Marco Mengoni: (7.5) Really gorgeous and emotional, with incredibly beautiful lyrics. I get chills when that second chorus comes in, honestly. But it's just not quite as good as Italy's other entries.

#14 Armenia: Future Lover - Brunette: (7.5) Has a real 2000s pop/RnB diva vibe, and I love the lyrics. The instrumental is amazing, and I love the blend of genres.

#13 Ukraine: Heart Of Steel - TVORCHI: (7.5) I love the RnB groove mixing with the dramatic violins! It's really grown on me since it was first released, it's just super slick.

#12 Austria: Who the Hell is Edgar? - Teya & Salena: (7.5) So wacky, and yet such a bop. It manages to successfully balance a hilarious concept, catchy beat, and somehow a serious and relevant message? I actually can't believe they managed it. Well done, enjoy your gas station champagne from me streaming it, lmao.

#11 Latvia: Aija - Sudden Lights: (8.0) There's no other song like it this year (or maybe any year!), and I love its post-rock sound. However I admit that at least 50% of why I love this song is that outro.

#10 Norway: Queen of Kings - Alessandra: (8.0) THE pop banger we needed! I love the electronic bassline and Alessandra's incredible vocals.

#9 Australia: Promise - Voyager: (8.0) Not at all my genre, but I love it! That electronic intro and his vocals are everything. I don't like the scream after the second chorus, but the rest is amazing.

#8 Czechia: My Sister's Crown - Vesna: (8.5) Unique, cultural, powerful, and arguably the best chorus of the year. Those harmonies, man. Czechia is absolutely killing it at the moment.

#7 Estonia: Bridges - ALIKA: (8.5) This makes me really emotional, as I definitely relate to the lyrics. But even without considering that, this is just everything good about ballads - gorgeous piano, excellent vocals, and beautifully convincing delivery.

#6 Spain: Eaea - Blanca Paloma: (9.0) I'm so glad Spain went traditional this year. Hypnotising, gentle and yet powerful. The imagery of the lyrics is so beautiful, and of course Blanca's incredible voice carries the whole thing.

#5 Netherlands: Burning Daylight - Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper: (9.0) The Netherlands continues its sad era with this gorgeous song. I love the two voices, the lyrics, the slightly detuned piano... But most of all I love the outro - I relate to it so much.

#4 Finland: Cha Cha Cha - Kaarija: (9.0) THE icon of the season. This really is worth the hype - fun, dancey, crazy, party! It really hits its stride in the second half, but honestly I just love the whole thing.

#3 France: Evidemment - La Zarra: (9.5) I'm a France stan, what can I say! But they just keep sending quality - from the dramatic intro to that incredible disco-pop beat drop to the amazing bridge.

#2 Slovenia: Carpe Diem - Joker Out: (9.5) Basically my favourite from the beginning! It puts you in a good mood from the first line, and just keeps the energy all the way through to the end. My favourite part is the guitar solo after the first chorus leading into the second verse. It's so cool...

#1 Sweden: Tattoo - Loreen: (10.0) Right in my dance-pop loving heart. Loreen is truly like no other - a once-in-a-generation performer. When that second chorus hits... It's almost too perfect. But I love how there's that unusual chord progression to keep you interested, too. There's just nothing to fault about it, I love every single second!

[deep-hearts-core]

2008 - final

originally posted 7/15/20

United Kingdom

Sigh. This is just a bad song with bad staging, and there's not much saving it. I don't think Andy Abraham deserved to be stuck with this song, though. He's a great singer and he definitely brings a lot of life to the song live. Watching the clip in the semifinals SUCKED and this is definitely much better live. But I really think it didn't deserve much better than last because of how crappy the song is. 

Germany

Disappear has the exact opposite problem from Even If. At the core level, it's actually a pretty good song. The issue lies in the performance. Those live vocals... for the most part, the No Angels girls sound decent enough individually, but their harmonies never lock in - someone is always sharp or flat. The staging, too, is cool in theory, but the performers are so out of sync while doing it that it just looks bad. 

France

This is such a weird song that has no business working... but it's pulled off. Definitely better in studio with regards to the vocals, but all the weird stuff about the performance - the inflatable globe, the golf cart, the beards on the backing singers - comes together in such a glorious way that I do manage to really like this entry. 

Spain

The aftermath of Verka Serduchka, huh. This song isn't as bad as some of the other joke entries this year [sideeyes Ireland...], but it's, like... it's a trainwreck on PURPOSE. Not that I'd have wanted them to play the song completely straight, but I felt it a little unnecessary to have the female dancers showing their underwear and acting like they were messing up the dance. 

Serbia

This is a beautiful, graceful song, one of my favorite host entries. Staging was lovely and Jelena has a voice that I love and that fits with this song so well. I think my only complaint here is that this song takes quite a while to really pick up steam. 

My top 43

Sweden

Iceland

Ukraine

Norway

Serbia

Romania

Switzerland

Turkey

Georgia

Albania

Greece

Netherlands

Israel

Russia

San Marino

Malta

Armenia

Slovenia

Poland

Finland

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Latvia

France

Montenegro

North Macedonia

Belarus

Cyprus

Portugal

Andorra 

United Kingdom

Lithuania

Bulgaria

Germany

Hungary

Azerbaijan

Spain

Belgium

Croatia

Estonia

Czechia

Denmark

Moldova

Ireland

Huh. Okay. I didn't expect Sweden to end up all the way up there, but whatever. Sometimes it takes a second listen for a song to click with me - and honestly, sometimes songs just perform better on one night over the other.

Voting/intervals

That Molitva performance is so fucking iconic. I can't believe it was heralded as, like, proof of bloc voting screwing with the contest - it's such a beloved song today. And this intro performance, I love everything about it. Marija is having the time of her life performing, and the backing performers are so fucking queer with their outfits and screwing with gender perception. Genius. Warms my little gay heart. There is so much booing coming from the crowd this year?? Why?? Some of these spokespeople... what was up with the Swedish guy, why did he seem so confused? And of course I can't forget the Czech spokeswoman moving on with her votes and Svante Stockselius having to interrupt her... I love that the rest of the Believe performers got a chance to talk lol! So rare that that happens. 

Thoughts after watching Zeljko and Jovana were so flirty with each other onstage. It's not hard to believe that they dated after. I'm not hugely sold on Dima Bilan as a winner... I said this earlier, but while I understand the mechanics of how Believe won (late in the running order + Ukraine/Armenia/Greece cancelling each other out), I'm not, like, fond of it. This is another year like 2011 where few, if any, of the songs were winner material. I did like these postcards - the concept of them being literal postcards, at least. The backgrounds made the text hard to read. 

[lovenaturelovepurpleblog]

Bob Dylan speech after he accepted the Nobel peace prize, Nobel Prize

Bob Dylan:

Good evening, everyone. I extend my warmest greetings

to the members of the Swedish Academy and to all of

the other distinguished guests in attendance tonight.

I'm sorry I can't be with you in person, but please know

that I am most definitely with you in spirit and honored

to be receiving such a prestigious prize. Being awarded

the Nobel Prize for Literature is something I never could

have imagined or seen coming. From an early age, I've

been familiar with and reading and absorbing the works

of those who were deemed worthy of such a distinction:

Kipling, Shaw, Thomas Mann, Pearl Buck, Albert Camus,

Hemingway. These giants of literature whose works are

taught in the schoolroom, housed in libraries around the

world and spoken of in reverent tones have always

made a deep impression. That I now join the names on

such a list is truly beyond words.

I don't know if these men and women ever thought of

the Nobel honor for themselves, but I suppose that

anyone writing a book, or a poem, or a play anywhere in

the world might harbor that secret dream deep down

inside. It's probably buried so deep that they don't even

know it's there.

If someone had ever told me that I had the slightest

chance of winning the Nobel Prize, I would have to think

that I'd have about the same odds as standing on the

moon. In fact, during the year I was born and for a few

years after, there wasn't anyone in the world who was

considered good enough to win this Nobel Prize. So, I

recognize that I am in very rare company, to say the

least.

I was out on the road when I received this surprising

news, and it took me more than a few minutes to

properly process it. I began to think about William

Shakespeare, the great literary figure. I would reckon he

thought of himself as a dramatist. The thought that he

was writing literature couldn't have entered his head.

His words were written for the stage. Meant to be

spoken not read. When he was writing Hamlet, I'm sure

he was thinking about a lot of different things: "Who're

the right actors for these roles?" "How should this be

staged?" "Do I really want to set this in Denmark?" His

creative vision and ambitions were no doubt at the

forefront of his mind, but there were also more

mundane matters to consider and deal with. "Is the

financing in place?" "Are there enough good seats for

my patrons?"

' "Where am I going to get a human skull?" I

would bet that the farthest thing from Shakespeare's

mind was the question "Is this literature?"

When I started writing songs as a teenager, and even as

I started to achieve some renown for my abilities, my

aspirations for these songs only went so far. I thought

they could be heard in coffee houses or bars, maybe

later in places like Carnegie Hall, the London Palladium.

If I was really dreaming big, maybe I could imagine

getting to make a record and then hearing my songs on

the radio. That was really the big prize in my mind.

Making records and hearing your songs on the radio

meant that you were reaching a big audience and that

you might get to keep doing what you had set out to do.

Well, I've been doing what I set out to do for a long time,

now. I've made dozens of records and played thousands

of concerts all around the world. But it's my songs that

are at the vital center of almost everything I do. They

seemed to have found a place in the lives of many

people throughout many different cultures and I'm

grateful for that.

But there's one thing I must say. As a performer I've

played for 50,000 people and I've played for 50 people

and I can tell you that it is harder to play for 50 people.

50,000 people have a singular persona, not so with 50.

Each person has an individual, separate identity, a world

unto themselves. They can perceive things more clearly.

Your honesty and how it relates to the depth of your

talent is tried. The fact that the Nobel committee is so

small is not lost on me.

But, like Shakespeare, I too am often occupied with the

pursuit of my creative endeavors and dealing with all

aspects of life's mundane matters. "Who are the best

musicians for these songs?"

" "Am I recording in the right

studio?" "Is this song in the right key?" Some things

never change, even in 400 years.

Not once have I ever had the time to ask myself, "Are my

songs literature?"

So, I do thank the Swedish Academy, both for taking the

time to consider that very question, and, ultimately, for

Providing such a wonderful answer,

Yours Truly

Bob Dylan,

[salted-caramel-tea]

okay prior to Turin here's how I feel about the songs,, reasons under the cut

(link to tier maker, I added in an extra column)

S TIER

ITALY- BRIVIDI, MAHMOOD & BLANCO

- im not usually a ballad fan but this made me cry the first time I listened to it, its just so passionate !! they both have such beautiful voices and they go together so beautifully!!! I watched their Sanremo performance and it was just beautiful honest to god its in my Spotify on repeat already

UKRAINE- STEFANIA, KALUSH ORCHESTRA

- I love the way Ukraine has been combing cultural elements with modern music in Eurovision I mean we had it last year with SHUM and it just works so well!!!! that's what eurovision is about baby !!! its so catchy !!!

LATVIA- EAT YOUR DALAD, CITI ZĒNI

- im not even apologising for this its an unironic banger its at the top of my Spotify on repeat I listen to it all the time I will not stand for criticism!!! its fun and danceable and catchy and literally just iconic. I will kill myself if they don't qualify for the finals

A TIER

DENMARK- THE SHOW, REDDI

- girlboss moment !! I wasn't sure what to expect n then I thought it was a rock ballad but its just a rock song with a build up and honestly. it slapped. I love a good punk rock drummer the high energy the guitar solo yaaaas I loved it. that drummer hot too

UNITED KINGDOM- SPACE MAN, SAM RYDER

- man has a powerful voice!! im surprised at the uk this year I think we have a chance or scoring decently this year !! I haven't seen any live performance so I really hope hes able to hold up those high notes live !!!! kind of emotional, although not my favourite style of music. vaunt wait to see how they stage it !!!!

SPAIN- SLO-MO, CHANEL

- very catchy song and great performance !! its got that kind of glamorous energetic sex appeal that a lot of people expect to see in eurovision !!!! its got great potential to go viral especially on tiktok as a dance challenge or anything really

AUSTRALIA- NOT THE SAME, SHELDON RILEY

- such an amazing live performance !! such a gorgeous voice !!! its a beautiful song but you still have the sense of camp portrayed through the costuming and drama of the performance and its done so well you can see the story in the performance its just so beautiful I want to move this one up to S tier now pretend its in S tier

FRANCE- FULENN, ALVON & AHEZ

- witchy vibes, loved it, great harmonies all four of them have such gorgeous voices . the only thing I didn't like was that lone dancer she seemed a little out of place, but im willing to bet it'll look good in Turin.

SLOVENIA- DISKO, LDS

- when I first heard it I was like omg I love the vintage vibe then realised it was called disco bc its based on 70s disco bc I have no working braincells. its funky its catchy its upbeat I love it. my main man seemed a little awkward on stage Id love to see him get into it a little more but I bet they'll do great !!! love the bass line

FINLAND- JEZEBEL, THE RASMUS

- I love a good punk song no surprise its coming from Finland lmao I vibe with it it'll probably end up in a Spotify playlist

ISREAL- I.M., MICHAEL BEN DAVID

- he really did it for the girls and the gays !!!!!!! it was camp it was fun it was glamorous what's not to enjoy!! at times feels like a verse on a ru Paul song but I don't know if that subtracts from or adds to the vibe

POLAND- RIVER, OCHMAN

- lowkey didn't think id enjoy this one but I did !! its been growing on me !!!! he has a gorgeous voice and the chorus gets stuck in my head

CYPRUS- ELA, ANDROMACHE

- its not my favourite of this years entries but it gets stuck in my head from time to time and she has such great control over his voice its gorgeous

B TIER

The Netherlands- DE DIEPTE, S10

- its catchy, but its just generally not the kind of music I vive to , great ballad though

BELGIUM- MIS YOU, JÉRÉMIE MAKIESE

- extremely talented guy wow cant wait toes it live I bet if its staged right and this high notes come across well it'll be such an emotional performance, a little too slow paced for me and although he sung it beautifully I wonder what it would have been like if he optioned up after the bridge instead of staying low

AUSTRIA- HALO- LUM!X

- don't get me wrong great vocals honestly, the song itself just didn't stand out much to me . a kind of mid tier song for me.

ROMANIA, LLÁMAME, WRS

- cultural banger girls and gays edition !!!! not my favourite entry but still pretty decent nonetheless

MALTA- I AM WHAT I AM, EMMA MUSCAT

- love the theme Malta's been going with lately with the whole self love and worth stuff, but this years vaguely remind me of Disney channel or like that phase in 2015 where people would release songs about being confident or how strong they and that snot necessarily a bad thing its just. a thing.

SWEDEN- HOLD ME CLOSER, CORNELIA JAKOBS

- again didn't stand out for me much, but she has a lovely voice

C TIER

ALBANIA- SEKRET, RONELA HAJATI

-loved the instrumentals but it felt to me a little too broken up like I love a good bit of chreography but it felt more important than the vocals at times

ICELAND- MEÐ HÆKKANDI, SYSTUR

- I expected to pick up a little more than it did, and folk isn't really my favourite thing but all and all its not a bad song I get why people enjoy it

MONTENEGRO- BREATHE, VLADANA

- powerful voice its great, just too slow paced for me, the instrumentals vaguely remind me of Karma from last year, I vibe with that

GREECE- DIE TOGETHER, AMANDA GEORGIADI TENFJORD

- makings of a viral song if im honest I can see it in a few peoples Spotify playlists, just not mine really. the last chorus was beautiful that was the highlight of the song to me

CZECH REPUBLIC- LIGHTS OFF, WE ARE DOMI

- lots of potential if im honest, its just not my favourite song. nothing wrong with it, just not my style, cant wait to see how they stage it though if its staged well it'll do really well I think

AZERBAIJAN- FADE TO BLACK, NADIR RUSTAMLI

- almost reminds me of tout l'univers ?? like just a specific part I feel like it could go straight into tout l'univers. overall a good song just not for me, bound to be beautiful with staging

NORTH MACEDONIA- CIRCLES, ANDREA

- I don't really have any criticisms on this song, its just not my taste really,

GERMANY- ROCKSTARS, MALIK HARRIS

- I enjoyed it but the rap felt a little out of place, almost like a twenty one pilots song . its not bad though

CROATIA- GUILTY PLEASURES, MIA DIMSIC

- yeah decent song, just wasn't a big fan of the staging I hope they up it a bit more at Turin. what was the point of making it look like she was playing the guitar if she was just gonna stop halfway through. the slight moment she had was good, use it let her interact with the dancer more

GEORGIA- LOCK ME IN, CIRCUS MIRCUS

- I keep going back and forth over this song I don't know, It was a bit lack lustre for me but the chorus goes hard. mid tier

D TIER

SERBIA- IN COPORE SANES, KONSTRAKTA

- I had no clue what was going on this entire song why was she singing about Megan Markle's hair. is there an issue with lack of healthcare in Serbia. I didn't really get the message

ARMENIA- SNAP, ROSA LINN

- this one felt like that 2014 phase with songs like riptide and like the vamps and everything , not exactly my favourite thing . talented don't get me wrong just not my cup of tea

LITHUANIA- SENTIMENTAI, MONIKA LIU

- really just didn't catch my attention, too slow paced for me

BULGARIA- INTENTIONS- INTELLIGENT MUSIC PROJECT

- I appreciate the classic rock vibes the guitar solo went hard but at times it felt like an anime intro more than an ESC song

SAN MARINO- STRIPPER, ACHILLE LAURO

- I know everyones thinking like ohh youre a die hard måneskin fan you think hes a second rate damiano and I will say that I think there was an odd coincidence with timing but no, I recognise that Achille Lauro has been around a lot longer than Må and is a big celeb in Italy and San Marino it just feels a bit odd that he was only selected now given his status and I hope it wasn't influenced by må bc they have completely different sounds, every Italian celeb is a slut even world class chef Gino d'acampo. Was I confused at first, yes bc im not Italian and I didn't know him but I do now. anyway its d tier just bc I didn't vibe w the song that much I just didn't have any strong feelings on it

SWITZERLAND- BOYS DO CRY, MARIUS BEAR

- im sure it'll look amazing on stage but just didn't relay have any strong feelings on it

ESTONIA- HOPE- STEFAN

- lowkey avicci vibes?? just wasn't a huge fan of the western vibe it had going on but I appreciate the song

PORTUGAL- SAUDADE SAUDADE, MARO

- just wasn't enthused by it, I hope they do something with the staging in Turin it didn't really make me feel anything with them just sitting in chairs , I just didn't get a string stage presence from them

F TIER

IRELAND- THATS RICH, BROOKE

I don't have anything to say it just did not do it for me. I just didnt enjoy the live performance. if they use the staging to their advantage they could probably qualify but its just not doing it for me

NORWAY- GIVE THAT WOLF A BANANA, SUBWOOFER

- at first I thought it was funny but its starting to annoy me now lmaoo, but not a fan of the bridge and the whole banana breakdown . choreography slaps though

MOLDOVA- TRENULETUL, ZDOB SI ZDUB &FRATII ADVAHOV

- I appreciate the cultural aspect of it, just wasn't really inspired by it , cant wait to see how it'll translate onto the stage though

this took me like 2 hours its so late but im posting it anyway

[berlinini]

Honestly this one foot in one foot out is maddening. We’re supposed to believe that someone who has the drive and ambition to put on what appeared to be a successful, well run festival just doesn’t want any positive press. I just feel like hacking off somebodies’ b****.

I feel you anon...

We've been saying everyday since AFHF was announced that the promo was... well, non-existent. A few, minor media outlets who copy/pasted the press release, a lack of engagement to build up the excitement, a dedicated Twitter account activated mere days (day?) before the event... Seems like nothing had changed.

Then the day of the festival came and we all forgot about this, with the simply extraordinary experience of Louis giving out an outstanding performance to an audience full of loving, dedicated fans. Baby, we were still high...hopeful, for sure.

Today we're still basking in the experience, but the f*ck ups of his career handlings are back...

(serious and depressing yet also somewhat hopeful discourse under the cut)

Not only was there minimal press coverage of the event, but we learn that (apparently), the festival simply did not provide press accreditation.

As you say, Louis would not put on a free, special event "curated entirely" by him and not wish for proper coverage of the Festival. It makes no sense. Not when we know he's been in this industry for years and how perfectionist he is. So there is a big question mark about what the fuck happened. As Shakespeare would say, something rotten lies in the Kingdom of Denmark (lol don't mind me).

Louis has talked about having a vision for 5 albums - and I know he's so grateful for his current fanbase - but I also know he knows that his career cannot be sustained on the fanbase as it is, made of a lot of 1D fans and larries. What happens when he's got enough of his own songs for a 1.5 hour performance and he ditches the 1D covers? What happens when his songs no longer appeal to fans who are already more inclined towards Harry's pop sound?

I feel crazy repeating this, but Louis needs to extend his fanbase and that is done by promoting his music to the general public and that just isn't being done.

I mean really, nothing is being done in term of promotion. Fandom literally had to make a fan project to get #inthemoodforAFHF (shameless self-plug, sue me); we got a rehearsal pic the day before along with lukewarm tweets from Louis.

Ok this is where I stop repeating myself and have New Thoughts (or maybe just another way of saying stuff that's been said before): Louis has been put in a box - that is obvious to anyone who looks at his career trajectory. With the BMG deal announcement and the 369 merch, we had some hope that he was getting out of it. What AFHF shows, for me, is that he's finding every way he can to expand the box, but he's still stuck inside ("can't get through the glass" :/). He created his own opportunity to perform, to support smaller bands, to thank his fans. His idea was allowed to take form and be realized, but the old patterns - lack of promo, let's even use the words blacklisting - are still in place. Maybe I'm reaching, but the AFHF Twitter account is telling - it was "well" run for the event and I'd bet 100$ he was able to have someone work on it that is not from LTHQ (because that team probably forgets the password to their socials every 2 days). I think where ever there are "exits" or "loopholes", he grabs them with both hands - the deal with BMG being one, in a way.

But it's clear that his public image, his press relations are still very much controlled. And this is where the blow hits, because for every great song that Louis writes, for every masterpiece he records, for every festival he organizes and for every worldwide tour he sells out, if there is no opportunity to connect beyond the existing fanbase and, from Louis' POV, to be recognized by his industry and his peers, then his career plan is threading on a ~ fine line ~ (SORRY), because, as I said, it's a gamble to think the actual fanbase can be sustained. (at the same time, louies are indestructible, so who knows...) There needs to be casual fans, there needs to be male fans, there needs to be fans who are here for his music and his music only - not for a ship, not for his previous band, for him.

Again, I refuse to believe that Louis has chosen anything when it comes to the current state of his promo/PR. He loves his fans and put the festival on mainly for us, but there is no way he worked so hard not get the recognition he deserves. And he must know he deserves it, because he shatters records with anything he does. He hasn't given up and he's still pushing the lid of the box to get it open, and he's such a stubborn little shit that I hope he never stops pushing, faith in the future yady yady yada, but fuck if it isn't frustrating for us, and so it must be x 1000 for him!!!

The next "test" will be LT2 - seeing what BMG can do for him, because if they have two braincells (unlike Mr. Stringer), they see the potential ($$$$) of Louis Tomlinson and will work for him. But again, there's so much they can do if LTHQ, Simon Jones and co. are still in the picture.

I know this is all frustrating. We all want Louis to get the recognition he deserves... the lack of press is a hard reminder that he does not get it. But if it's any consolation, the fact that everyone, from fans to his bandmates to the people he works with, is always supporting him and praising his work shows us that he's a beautiful person inside and out. And the joy that he emanated performing, and the quality of his new songs, and the unbelievable BTS footage we'll get on Saturday... I think AFHF has rekindled the fandom's fire, and now we wait and see, and hope for news about LT2 and for the tour to happen as planned. We can focus on Louis and make the best out of this. <3

[bechloeislegit]

My Spy - Chapter 8

A/N: I know I said I was going to jump ahead about 6 months but decided to put the events that occurred during that time here for context later. I hope you enjoy what I've done.

One month later, in Copenhagen, Denmark, the Barden Bellas had become the first U.S. team to win the World Acapella Championships.

"I can't believe we won," Stacie said as the Bellas gathered in Beca's room.

"I can't believe DSM was a no-show," Flo said. "I wonder what happened to cause them to drop out."

"Who cares?" Jessica said. "We won and the Bellas live to sing another day!"

The Bellas started yelling and cheering.

"Um, guys!" Beca yelled over the noise. "I love that we won, but look at this."

Beca turned her laptop toward the girls and they all quieted when they saw the news article on the screen.

"Members of the award-winning German singing group, DSM, were arrested during a drug raid in New York," CR read aloud. "Beloved leaders Kommissar and Pieter were killed during a shootout with the FBI. Wow!"

"Oh, my stars," Emily said, reading further in the article. "They were drug smugglers."

"Do you think Chloe was involved in killing them?" Fat Amy asked.

"Why is that the first thing you'd think of?" Beca asked, glaring at Amy. "Chloe isn't the only FBI agent out there."

"It just seems fishy to me," Fat Amy said. "Although, if she was, we might just have to send her a nice gift for eliminating our only real competition."

"You don't think we could have beaten DSM if they had been here?" Ashley asked, looking at Fat Amy.

Before Amy could respond, Beca spoke up.

"I think we would have won no matter what. We had a great set, precision choreography, plus an original song and some of the old Bellas performing with us. There is no way we could have lost."

"Beca's right," Aubrey said. "And I for one think we should celebrate the fact that the Bellas are the World Champions."

"Woo hoo!" Stacie yelled out, causing the Bellas to start cheering and yelling again.

Beca stood off to the side, watching the celebration unfold. While in the back of her mind, she couldn't help but wonder if maybe Chloe had been involved in taking down the leaders of DSM.

~~ My Spy ~~

The Bellas had been back home in the U.S. for two months. The pomp and accolades from the win had died down after a few weeks, and the Bellas had moved on to other things.

CR had gotten married in Maine and all the Bellas managed to attend.

Jessica and Ashley were living and working together in Atlanta.

Emily was preparing to be the Captain of a new crop of Bellas.

Flo had found a job working on a juice truck in the hopes of someday owning and operating one of her own.

Stacie was a fitness instructor in an up-and-coming gym near Barden University.

Aubrey had returned to run the Lodge of Fallen Leaves, even though she still hated it.

Nobody is sure what Lily was doing, and none of them had the guts to ask.

Beca and Amy had moved to New York together and were sharing a one-room apartment in Brooklyn.

Beca was walking home from her job at the recording studio when her phone rang. She was shocked to see Chloe's name on her caller ID.

"Chloe?" Beca questioned as she answered the call.

"Yeah, Beca, it's me," Chloe said. "It's so good to finally hear your voice."

"You, too," Beca said, stopping at the entrance to her apartment building.

Beca sat down on the step but didn't say anything; Chloe could hear her breathing.

"So, I understand congratulations are in order," Chloe finally said.

"Congratulations?" Beca asked.

"Yeah," Chloe said. "I heard the Bellas won the World Acapella Championship."

"Oh, right," Beca said, looking around. "We did."

Beca's heart was pounding in her chest. She couldn't believe she was actually talking to Chloe after so many near misses and almost conversations; she was hearing Chloe's voice for the first time in a little over three years.

"So, um, what are you up to these days?" Beca asked, mentally face-palming herself.

"I'm actually on another assignment," Chloe said.

"Oh, um," Beca said. "Were you involved in that whole DSM thing? Never mind, you don't have to answer that."

"I kind of was," Chloe said. "But, I can't really talk about it. The AG still has to prosecute those arrested."

"AG?" Beca asked.

"Attorney General," Chloe responded.

"Oh, um, I see," Beca said and went silent

Chloe could hear the sounds of traffic and the hustle and bustle of people on the streets.

"Beca?" Chloe asked after a few minutes of Beca not saying anything. "Are you okay?"

"What?" Beca asked, running a hand through her hair. "Yeah, yeah. I'm, uh, I'm good."

"Is it always going to be this awkward between us?" Chloe asked with a sigh; she wasn't sure if she really wanted to know the answer.

Beca sighed, too. "God, I hope not," she said, laughing at herself. "I've really missed hearing your voice, seeing your face. Hell, who am I kidding? I miss everything about you."

Chloe chuckled softly. "I feel the same way about you."

Beca smiled and relaxed back against the door.

"So, I was wondering what you might be doing two weeks from Saturday?" Chloe asked.

"Nothing that I can think of," Beca said. "Why?"

"I'm coming back to the U.S. in two weeks for some meetings in New York," Chloe said.

"You're coming to New York?!" Beca asked, sitting upright.

"Yeah," Chloe said. "I was, um, wondering if you'd let me take you out. On a date. We can talk and maybe start fresh on a relationship."

"Hell yeah!" Beca responded, her smile stretching from ear to ear. "I'm in. Just tell me where and when and I'll be there."

Chloe chuckled. "I'll figure out a place and let you know."

"Looking forward to it," Beca said sincerely.

"Me, too," Chloe said.

Beca heard a muffled voice call for Chloe in the background.

"I'm sorry, Beca," Chloe said. "I have to go. But, I'll call you again once I figure out where to take you on our date."

"Okay," Beca said. "I still, um, lo-." Beca quickly swallowed what she was going to say and cleared her throat. "I, uh, am looking forward to seeing you. Um, for our date."

"I still love you, too, Beca," Chloe said, smiling as she ended the call.

~~ My Spy ~~

Amy came home to find Beca sitting on the fold-out bed, staring at her phone with a goofy grin on her face.

"What's going on over there?" Fat Amy asked, looking over at Beca.

"What do you mean?"

"You have a goofy grin on your face," Fat Amy said. "What's that all about?"

"Chloe called me," Beca said.

"For real?" Fat Amy asked. "What did she have to say?"

"She's coming to New York and asked me out to dinner," Beca said.

"She asked you out on a date?"

"Yep."

"That's amazing, Beca," Fat Amy said. "How does she sound? What else did she say?"

"She sounds good," Beca said. "She said she was on an assignment out of the country and was coming back in 2 weeks. That's when she asked me out. I was going to tell her I still loved her, but I chickened out at the last second. But she did say she still loved me before the call ended."

"She did?"

"Yeah," Beca said. "I'm really excited to finally get to see her in person. I wonder if she's changed?"

"Will you actually get to see her is the real question," Fat Amy said "She always seems to be canceling on you because of her job."

"Not this time," Beca said, with more confidence than she felt. "This time we're really going to be together."

"Then I really am happy for you, Beca," Fat Amy said. "And I'll be here for you if she cancels again."

Beca sighed and shook her head. "I'm hungry. Want to order something for delivery? My treat."

"I'm hungry, too," Fat Amy said. "Can we get pizza?"

~~ My Spy ~~

Chloe called Beca a week later to confirm their date.

"I hope you still like Italian food," Chloe said. "I made a reservation at a place called Terre on Fifth Avenue. One of the guys from work recommended it. I checked them out online and the food looks and sounds amazing."

"I do still love Italian food," Beca said. "And I've heard good things about Terre. What time is the reservation?"

"I made them for six," Chloe said. "Is that okay?"

"That's perfect," Beca said. "I'm really looking forward to seeing you."

"I'm looking forward to seeing you, too," Chloe said. "Do you want me to pick you up?"

"That's okay," Beca said. "It's not that far from my apartment. I'll walk."

"Okay," Chloe said. "So, how's work? Did you have a good day?"

Beca chuckled and proceeded to tell Chloe about her job, and her day. They spent close to an hour catching up. When the call was over, Beca realized she had done most of the talking; she didn't learn anything about what Chloe had been up to.

"I guess I'll find out more when we have our date," Beca thought.

~~ My Spy ~~

It was finally date night and Chloe was really nervous as she got to the restaurant early. She was sitting alone at her table, watching the door, hoping each time someone new came in, it would be Beca. She started looking at the menu and was startled when someone plopped down in the seat across from her.

"Jason," Chloe said when she saw him sitting in Beca's seat. "What the Hell are you doing here?"

"Director Collins asked me to join you so I can speak to Beca," Jason said.

"What the actual fuck?" Chloe whisper-yelled, slamming down her menu. She looked around to make sure no one could overhear. "I told the Director I did not want Beca involved in the investigation at all."

"He thinks she's our only option to get to Patricia Hobart," Jason whispered across the table. "Which in turn will get us to Fergus Hobart."

"There has to be a better way," Chloe said, running a hand through her hair. "Why don't you take Amy in and question her? You don't need Beca for that."

"Because we don't have an evidentiary reason to," Jason said, sighing and running a hand through his hair. "I get you don't want to involve Beca, but I've been ordered to explain everything to her and find out if Patricia Hobart has mentioned anything about her father's dealings."

"That's unacceptable-"

"Hey, Chloe."

Chloe jerked her head up to see Beca standing at the table. Her heart started beating faster and she quickly jumped up to pull Beca into a hug.

"I'm so glad you're here," Chloe whispered in Beca's ear. "I've missed you so much."

Beca pulled out of the hug and looked at Jason. "So, um, who's your friend?"

Chloe couldn't stop the warm feeling that went through her when she noticed a hint of jealousy in Beca's eyes.

"He's nobody," Chloe said, turning to glare at Jason. "And he was just leaving."

Jason stood and held out this hand. "Miss Mitchell, I'm Agent Jason Parker, Chloe's partner. I have a few questions I need to ask you."

"No!" Chloe said, looking at Jason. "Not here and definitely not now."

Jason looked around and saw a few people looking over at them. He sighed and looked back at Chloe.

"Then where and when?" Jason asked.

"How about never and nowhere?" Chloe retorted.

"Um, what's this all about?" Beca asked.

"It's nothing," Chloe told Beca. She turned to Jason, saying, "You can go now. You're in Beca's seat."

"Miss Mitchell," Jason said, ignoring Chloe. He lowered his voice as he spoke directly to Beca. "What do you know about Patricia Hobart's father?"

"You mean, Fat Amy?" Beca asked.

"Yes."

"She said both her parents were killed before she came to the U.S. to attend Barden. What's this all about? And why are you asking me about Amy's father?"

"We are helping Australian authorities investigate Mr. Hobart," Jason said, keeping his voice low. "And we believe his daughter may know something about his illegal enterprises."

Beca stared at Jason for a moment before turning her eyes to Chloe. Chloe's heart broke when she saw Beca's eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

"That's why you wanted to see me?" Beca said. "To use me to get information from Amy on her father?"

"No, Beca," Chloe said. "I wanted to see you because I've missed you. I wanted nothing to do with dragging you or Amy into any part of the investigation. You have to believe me."

Chloe reached out for Beca and Beca moved away from her.

"I. . .can't," Beca said, holding up her hands. "I'm don't with whatever this is. I have to go."

Beca turned and started walking away. She wiped a tear from her cheek as she went.

"Beca, wait!" Chloe cried out.

Beca kept walking and Chloe started after her. Jason grabbed Chloe's arm to stop her.

"Let her go," Jason said. "I'll try again later when she's had a chance to calm down."

"No!" Chloe pulled her arm away from Jason. "You've done enough. Now, get the fuck away from me!"

Jason sighed and let Chloe go. Chloe ran out to try and catch up to Beca.

Chloe got outside the restaurant and looked up and down the street, hoping to spot Beca. She didn't see her anywhere.

"Fuck!" Chloe screamed up to the sky.

Jason walked out of the restaurant and heard Chloe. He walked over to her.

"Chloe?" Jason said, getting Chloe's attention. "I'm sorry."

"Fuck you," Chloe said.

"Okay, I deserve that," Jason said. "If you're done cussing me out, we should really go back to the office and give the Director a report."

"You and the Director can kiss my ass," Chloe said.

"Come on, Chloe," Jason said. "I was just following orders. Come with me and help me explain what happened. I've been your partner for over five years, that should account for something."

"Fine," Chloe spit out. "I'll go with you, but don't expect to be on your side in this."

~~ My Spy ~~

Beca stormed into her apartment and slammed the door behind her. She threw her bag on the sofa and toed off her shoes, leaving them by the door.

"You're home early," Fat Amy said. "What happened?"

"She, he, they, ugh!" Beca sputtered. "I'm so mad I can't even talk."

Fat Amy got up and led Beca over to sit at their dining room table. "I'll get you some water."

Fat Amy reached over to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water, handing it to Beca.

Beca removed the top and took a large drink from the bottle.

"Thanks," she said. "I needed that."

"Can you tell me what happened with Chloe?"

"When I got there, there was some guy sitting with her. I greeted Chloe and asked who the guy was. She said he was nobody, but the guy stood and introduced himself as her partner Jason."

"I thought Chloe was gay," Fat Amy said.

Beca looked at her with furrowed brows. "No, not that kind of partner. Her work partner."

"Oh," Fat Amy said. "So, why was he there?"

"He said they had some questions to ask me about-." Bec stopped herself, unsure of whether she should tell Amy that the FBI was working with Australian police to investigate her father.

"Ask you questions about what?"

Beca remained silent and played with the label on her water bottle. Beca let out a sigh and looked at Amy.

"About, um, you."

"Me? What about me?"

"Actually, they wanted to know more about your father and what you might know of his illegal activities."

"What?" Fat Amy said and looked down at the floor. "Why are you mad about that? I told you my father was dead."

"I know," Beca said. "And that's what I told them. But, they seem to think he's alive and that you know something."

Fat Amy didn't say anything as she continued to look down at the floor, unable to meet Beca's eyes.

"Oh, my God," Beca said, staring at Amy. "You do know something. I told Chloe I was done with whatever was happening because I thought she only wanted to see me so she could use me to get to you." A tear made its way down Beca's cheek. "I accused her of lying about why she wanted to see me. I thought I was protecting you from her, but instead, I may have just lost the love of my life for good."

"I'm sorry about all that, Beca," Fat Amy said. "For what it's worth, I don't really know anything about what my dad might be accused of doing. I just know he's a bad man who does bad things. And as far as I'm concerned he is dead to me."

"Would you be willing to talk to the FBI and tell them that?" Beca asked, sniffling and wiping away more tears.

"If it will help make things right between you and Chloe, I'll do it."

~~ My Spy ~~

Jason and Chloe arrived at the office. The Director was standing in the middle of the room, talking to another agent. As soon as Chloe saw the Director, she marched up to him and got in his face.

"How dare you!" Chloe yelled. "You sent Jason to interrogate Beca while we were on a date. I told you I didn't want her to have anything to do with the investigation. If you wanted Amy to answer questions, you should have had Jason get her and bring her in, not blindside me by going after Beca while we were on our date."

"Chloe, calm down," the Director said, looking around at the other agents in the room.

"No, I will not calm down," Chloe said. "You knew what this date meant to me. How important it was. I've given up so much for this job. Why couldn't I just have this one thing, Uncle Matt? Why couldn't you leave Beca out of this?"

"Because we firmly believe Beca Mitchell is our best option at getting Patricia Hobart to tell us everything she knows about her father," the Director said.

"That's fucking bullshit and you know it!" Chloe yelled.

"Chloe," the Director said through gritted teeth. "I am the Director and will not allow you to talk to me like that."

"You don't like the way I talk to you, Director?" Chloe said, her voice rising. "Well, you're going to really hate this. Go fuck yourself because I quit!"

With that, Chloe turned and started walking away, leaving a shocked Director standing stone-faced as he watched her walk out the door and disappear into the hallway.

Jason called after Chloe but didn't make a move to follow her.

Chloe heard Jason but did not stop or turn around.

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A/N: Don't hate me.