#eurovision 2018 stuff

[deep-hearts-core]

The Competitive Barbershop Music Explainer, and Why More of Tumblr Should Be Obsessed With It.

I've been threatening this for now almost a year, so here it is. You probably have an idea in your head of what a barbershop quartet is: maybe you’ve seen The Music Man, or possibly the Louie Zong Hatsune Miku song. But barbershop exists as a hobby these days, too, and there are parts of it that are deeply cool and nerdy. Some of you--gasp--might actually enjoy it. 

What the hell is barbershop music?

Barbershop music got its name from the Black barbershop social space out of which it evolved. In the early 20th century, groups of guys would get together and harmonize as a way to pass the time. The style later got appropriated into white culture (I’m going to come back to this, keep reading) and evolved into what most people think of when they hear the phrase “barbershop quartet”. 

Barbershop got a lot less popular after the 1960s or so, but it’s not gone! Today, it’s overseen primarily by the Barbershop Harmony Society (formerly the Society and Preservation for Barbershop Quartet Singing in America, but… that’s long…), which organizes contests and codifies the “rules” of what barbershop is and how it’s different from other a cappella. Those rules are mostly music theory stuff, which I won’t go into here for fear of boring people, but if anyone is curious my askbox is open :D 

It’s not just quartets, either. There are also choruses that sing in the same four-part style, following the same music rules as the quartets, and they compete too. This is how I got involved.

Why is Tumblr supposed to enjoy this?

Reason #1: The competition. I’ve been on Tumblr for several years, and do you know what we love? Ranking things, picking favorites, and watching talented people do their thing. It’s actually kind of similar to Eurovision--there’s a jury and a points system, and people get mad about it every year; there’s a qualifying round and a nerve-wracking calloff; it’s even international! BHS operates in the US and Canada, and most competing groups are from here, but there are sizable scenes in the UK, Sweden, Australia, and Aotearoa, as well as smaller organizations across Western Europe and beyond. The Japanese organization held its first ever competition this year! Regional contests happen all over once or twice a year, culminating in the international competition the first week of July, where quartets and choruses battle it out to be the best of the best. People have favorite groups and try to guess where people are going to place each year. If you’re me, you can even do the Eurovision fan thing and overanalyze the running order. 

Reason #2: The talent. Listen, many of these people are incredibly talented singers. Take The Clementones from Denmark, for example, who delivered amazing Addams Family character work this year. Or Smoke Ring, the New York City-based quartet trying to singlehandedly make barbershop sexy again. I could give you so many examples of singers who can hold long notes forever and ever, but I’ll show restraint and only link two: Vocal Spectrum and Midtown. And of course I have to link this fucking amazing Hunchback of Notre Dame medley. Many singers also arrange songs specifically for their own groups. If you’re a music nerd in any way, this is for you.

Also, if you enjoy niche subcultures or #hobbydrama, there’s so much to rotate in your brain. This is part of what hooked me initially. 

But it's racist/culturally appropriated!

Well, you’re not wrong… but so are a lot of things. Bear with me for a second. I'm not going to come out and blindly defend the history and say oh there's nothing wrong with the organization we can't blame them. The organization was segregated for a long time. Women were only allowed to join as full members in 2018. The Black origins of barbershop singing were actively obscured by SPEBSQSA for decades and have only recently become well-known to most members. Hell, when the BHS went co-ed a splinter organization formed to try and keep the hobby all-male. There is bad history.

BUT. People are trying. There's a sizable contingent of young queer people who do well and become well-connected within BHS--including Smoke Ring, who I linked above. They’re causing a nonzero amount of controversy and are visibly queer and something new and unapologetic about that. More and more nonwhite people are joining and finding success competitively. Academics on the subject actively spread the history that barbershop is a Black genre, and this is increasingly common knowledge especially among young barbershoppers. The most successful barbershoppers in Aotearoa (BHNZ) are predominantly Māori and Pasifika. The BHS board, while they do not have any real understanding about how to execute this at all, does at least want to reckon with the history and is, in theory, trying. For all its many, many faults, there are good people here who are making change.

Ok fine, you've got me. Now what?

Go click on all the links in this post and then let the YouTube algorithm do its work. Also, send me asks! I can go on about this shit forever and ever.

Here are some more suggestions for you:

the chorus performance that first got me interested

Panic! at the Disco but it’s barbershop

these guys also do Spiderman! 

girls who will step on you and you will like it

the air raid warden song from that one tumblr post

air raid warden guys sing about ducks

totally not never gonna give you up. what? what are you talking about?

the first ssaa group to medal in bhs have since changed their lineup but this performance reigns eternal

And if you like to sing, see if there's a chorus (click here for SSAA only) or chapter nearby. I won't get preachy and say you'll have a great experience no matter what. Sometimes people suck; I have the luck to live in a major city on the East Coast and I can say with reasonable confidence that not everyone is going to be as chill as my people are. However, this is such a small space that everyone will be excited about a new person coming in and will likely give you a little leeway. 

I've only been doing this for a year and a half, but I can easily say that I love it and it's changed me. So, even if you scrolled to the bottom of this post rolling your eyes because I should just shut up about this already, thanks for listening. <3

[weirdthoughtsandideas]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[moyokeansimblr]

hii👋

🌟 Inbox Challenge! 🌟

Let’s get to know each other better and discover some new music together! 🎶

share 3 songs or music artists that you think are underrated or no one else knows about!💌 Let’s exchange some hidden gems and find our next favorite artist!

Send this to 5 blogs you love❤️

Thanks for thinking of me!

Hmm, I never know whether artists are underrated or not because 99% of the music I've listened to since 2018 is European (thanks Eurovision) so it's always stuff that my immediate IRL circle in the US doesn't know 🤔

My current 🥇fav artist is still Ultra Sunn, I know I've mentioned them before. Their song Can You Believe It just does it for me. It just scratches my brain all the right ways. I'm obsessed with it and have listened to it more times in 2024 than any other song by far. Can also strongly recommend Set Yourself On Fire. And just about everything else of theirs.

The next one I wouldn't call underrated, even some of my US friends know who he is, but someone showed me Beaux Rêves by Loïc Nottet ages ago and I just re-discovered it recently. It's definitely been on repeat. I like to sing along even though my French is absolute trash but shh 😜

Third song I'll suggest is Han by Regnvær. This one much like the above two I could easily listen to 20-30 times in a row before wanting to hear something else. I do have Norwegian as one of my languages on Duolingo but I don't do it very often, but I've grasped enough to understand a good chunk of the song's lyrics. But of course songs in languages other than English has never bothered me anyways.

And fourth bonus because I couldn't leave him out, George Ergem. Stolen Skies and If You Hear Me are my favorites. But also have both been on repeat for a long time now. I really love his voice. He's also got a cover of Depeche Mode's Enjoy The Silence which is pretty similar to the original but still pretty cool.

Okay 5th bonus, and they're actually from the US! Twin Tribes, particularly their songs Heart & Feather and Shadows. I like them, sorry I've run out of steam because I'm posting this on my phone and omg has it taken so long. Dunno if it would be faster if I used spotify like a normal person instead of youtube...

I have a kind of music I like for sure though 😛

[columba1234]

Hello!

You can call me Margaret/Châu (I like Margaret better so please call me that) I'm from Vietnam 🇻🇳 and a minor (NSFW denied and please be nice to me) I use she/her pronouns I love drawing in various media (especially watercolour and digital), baking, and listening to music. I'm also interested in astronomy, environmental sciences, psychology and the humanities (history and geography) I'm a fan of Alexander Rybak (Winner for ESC 2009 and entrant for ESC 2018, both for Norway), Joost Klein (Netherlands 2024), ansd Baby Lasagna (Croatia 2024) .Their music are *chef's kiss* The stuff I love (or kinda like): - Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom - Eurovision - Harry Potter - Miraculous Ladybug (is rewatching it!!!) - Okkupert - The Adventures of Dunno and his Friends (a Soviet children's book- my childhood).

My socials (plus art and fanfiction sites) are on Carrd. I'm also on Discord too (same as Tumblr not that active but you can DM me for link.)

Asks and inbox are always open!

Fuck the EBU!

[no-gays-in-russia]

I just think it’s genuinely mindblowing that every single year everyone always finds a way to make such a fuss about the winner. In 2017 Salvador Sobral only won because people pitied him for his heart problem. In 2018 Cyprus deserved to win instead of Israel. In 2021 Maneskin were drug addicts. In 2022 Ukraine only won because of the war. And now Loreen didn’t deserve to win because her song is unoriginal. And people can’t even be consistent with their complaints- this year originality is the issue while last year no one cared about how original the winner was, last year the televote was political and the jury winner was the real winner while this year the televote is the one who’s right...

I’m not saying you HAVE to like the winner or agree with it. I’m not saying you aren’t allowed to be upset your favourite didn’t win. I’m not saying you can’t have a different opinion and you just have to smile and nod and take it in- everyone is different, and freedom of speech is fundamental. But I don’t understand why people cannot express their opinion peacefully, while also accepting that hey, this song won, I don’t agree with it but eh I’ll live. 

While Loreen was my winner and I am, I won’t hide it, overjoyed she won, I actually agree with all the critiques she’s getting, I have since the beginning. The song is unoriginal, that’s true. Other people deserve to win, that’s true. It’s getting boring with the same countries winning over and over again (even though it’s always happened, just think of Ireland in the 90s, it’s nothing new) and it would be great for a country who’s never won or hasn’t in a while to win, that’s true. It’s fair to bring these points up because they are true (and even if I didn’t consider them to be, it would still be fair- because all opinions are valid). But everything can be done respectfully and calmly without having to turn it into a war. This is not a war. This is not Kaarija stans vs. Loreen stans. We are all Eurovision fans who just want a great and fair contest, and we all have the same passion and the same wish. 

Learn to be happy for the winner while also mantaining and supporting your opinion. And most importantly- the winner is not the most important thing. Every year that’s everything everyone talks about. There is other stuff to talk about. Talk about the show. Talk about Greece only giving 4 points to Cyprus (THAT was the real shock of this year lol). The winner is not the most important thing. I think we will be so much happier as a fanbase if we just learn to go “Eh, I’m not happy, whatever” and go on lol. 

That said, I want to say something nice about every single top 5 country: Sweden: stunning performance and vocals. Finland: extremely original, something we’d never seen before. Israel: incredibly solid performance with great coreography, camera angles, just flawless. Italy: beautiful vocals, pretty instrumental and nice structure.  Norway: really fierce performance, great vocals, good structure, vivid lyrics.

[420pogpills]

top 10 eurovision entries - the legendary list as decided by me

i've been watching eurovision since i was a baby, i grew up with this stuff and i freaking love it so i thought lemme share the songs that just absolutely topped it for me 😌 very hard to narrow it down but i did my best so LET'S GO~

disclaimer: this is purely my opinion so plz don't get pissed at me because i decided these based on most memorable FOR ME, rather than best song/best voice etc

10. ruslana - wild dances (ukraine, 2004)

this was such a memorable one for me, it was around these years when i really started looking forward to eurovision and this one is just epic in my eyes.

9. måneskin - zitti e buoni (italy, 2021)

i don't think i need to explain why this one was legendary. it just was - everything about it, everything about them. 10/10 deserved win.

8. we are the winners - lt united (lithuania, 2006)

YES i am biased because i am lithuanian but i'm sorry this performance cracks me up every time i remember it - not to mention this was our highest performing entry ever 😂 just good vibes all around

7. sunstroke project & olia tira - run away (moldova, 2010)

sorry but this one was SO fun, and the saxophone guy will always be legendary

6. soldi - mahmood (italy, 2019)

oh this one was a cultural reset for me, i still have this song in my spotify and will always do the clap - epic song!

5. manizha - russian woman (russia, 2021)

i'm a biiiiig big fan of this one. especially for the message. in russia, only 10 percent of women who suffer domestic abuse report it to the police - because the laws there state that your abuser cannot be arrested unless the abuse is bad enough to warrant hospitalisation. just one of many many examples of how women are dehumanised in countries like russia - and i love and admire all the women who stand up and try to put the message out there.

4. only teardrops - emmelie de forest (denmark, 2013)

this one was a game changer to me - the voice, the staging, the fairy core... everything about this song and performance was 10 out of 10 and deserved that win

3. loreen - euphoria (sweden, 2012)

loreen is definitely the queen of eurovision for me.. this song, this performance - everything about it was incredible and totally deserved the win.

2. alexander rybak - fairytale (norway, 2009)

this song had everyone going feral - me included. easily one of the biggest and bestest bops to come out of eurovision. alexander but his whole rybussy into this one

1. verka serduchka - dancing lasha tumbai (ukraine, 2007)

nothing needs to be said. if you disagree - you are wrong ❤️

+ PLUS: some honorary shoutouts to some of my other faves -

lordi - hard rock hallelujah (finland, 2006)

netta - toy (isreal, 2018)

eleni foureira - fuego (cyprus, 2018)

conchita wurst - rise like a phoenix (austria, 2014)

go_a - shum (ukraine, 2021)

[xprojectrpg]

This Day in X-Project - May 14

Johnny Storm & Doreen Green's birthdays.

2015: Wade leaves Dori a $200.00 Visa gift card and two packages of every kind of nut available for purchase in various stores around New York City for her birthday. Operation: Big Trouble in Little Lowtown: Kevin posts to X-Force about a pair of mysterious robberies of very specific artifacts that they’re asked to look into by Christian Kane. Clint stops in at Hooligan's on the off chance that Billy might show up, and he does. Wade and Megan meet in the garage. Angel and Rachel catch up with each other in the Danger Room.

2016: At the local drive in theater Molly and Rogue eat a lot of food. Bad pickup lines, public lewdness, and shoes make for a perfect Saturday for Clarice. Meggan makes a journal entry saying goodbye to everyone on behalf of Korvus. Jean-Phillipe makes a journal entry about the American coverage of Eurovision. Endangered Species: Miles and Bobby show Rahne, Nica, and Amara around Manhattan, but their trip is stopped short; mecha-suited Rhino, Beetle, and Vulture arrive, and Spider-Man and Generation X come to the rescue; Spider-Man takes the Rhino one on one; Nica and Bobby battle the Vulture; Rahne and Amara stop the Beetle; The battle is won, but Generation X is not happy to learn who their secret ally actually is; Miles apologises to Nica and Bobby for keeping his superhero life a secret. Logan makes a journal entry about being glad he doesn’t travel often with the new TSA stuff.

2017: Kurt finds Topaz coming back from a run, and the two chat. Kitty posts about Mother’s Day. Case File: Cat Scratch Fever: Sue and Lorna go to visit Randy Bush in jail, trying to find out more about his son, then visit his mother; Quentin, Alex, and Hope A. track down Collin’s friends; Alex posts about searching Central Park for Collin. Reed and Kurt meet outside and have an illuminating conversation.

2018: Jubilee ponders nail polish colours. Topaz and Clint experiment on the ways magic interacts with technology. Natasha texts Clint about keeping an eye out for small comforts for the chapel. Johnny asks Sue about surfing possibilities. Generation X: Demon Bear: After studying the dagger from the bear incident at the school, Amanda consults with Sharon F., Topaz and Maya and the decision is made to take it to Maya’s grandfather for safekeeping.

2019:

2020:

2021:

2022: Emma is recommended to a new cosmetologist and asks that the mansion residents not speak of it again. Jean-Phillipe posts that he and his cousin will be hosting a viewing party for the Eurovision grand final. Marie-Ange announces that France scoring higher than Germany is a win for her.

2023: Darcy mentions falling into a research hole and coming out wanting to learn how to use a set of whips. Haller asks for a new mutant pickup in Boston; Quentin responds and drafts Darcy to come with him and Madin; Darcy texts Doug from the car, deeply unimpressed with her traveling companions; in Boston, the group meets Ben Russell/Shatterstar who is reluctant to come with them but ultimately agrees; Madin and Shatterstar talk powers and swords while waiting for Quentin to finish his X-Factor Investigations work in Boston. Alani texts Kyle about chicken garden plans.

[duskodair]

one of my favourite eurovision things is when eurovision artists make songs about being at eurovision or do special renditions of their songs for national finals. here are some special ones:

Ieva's song is so soft and lovely and the video really makes it. I loved the class of 2018 so much to watch and this song is a lovely tribute to them, and a perfect companion to 'when we're old'. It carries such joy of people from all over Europe coming together and having fun and I love it

summer of my life makes me cry so bad. it's so happy, so sad. I was clearing out my old pictures the other week and it was just full of Eurovision 2019 memes and KEiiNO pics and Hatari stuff and oh I miss that summer. I'm so happy KEiiNO came together as a band (even if I was rooting so hard for Alexandra and Stella Mwangi in the previous MGP, sorry Alexander Rybak). Every song of theirs is so fantastic but this is a love song to the best days, and I watched them and every day I miss them - from excitedly showing spirit in the sky to a friend on a bus when it came out, to requesting they cover only teardrops when they needed a second song - I watched every step of that Eurovision, the wiwiblogs livestream, the rehearsal clips, the preparties, and I loved it. My uni exams were over and it was the summer of my life

Tix's winner's reprise at MGP 2022 is so special to me. His glasses are off, the show is gone and we are left with a man and his song that means so much to him. And then we hit the last chorus and every single one of my Norwegian lessons paid off. This is fallen angel, one year later, solid and confident, saying 'du er ingen fallen engel. Vi vil aldri la deg gå'. I had to write an essay at uni about the power of switching pronouns and Tix really shows the power of turning 'I' to 'you'

Dadi has such a talent for making beauty out of the most clear cut language. It's the poetry of simplicity - 'this is the beginning, this is not the end' - has me weeping, every time.

This genre of music is so special. It's about eurovision being a journey, a shining glorious moment in a musical story. Each of these artists put so much in and as a result, they get so much out. It is not the end, but a beginning, a place to grow with and from. Just seeing them turn around and address Eurovision (my beloved, much memed upon and mocked Eurovision) with such sincerity is so lovely and I will always love songs like it

[bookgeekgrrl]

My media this week (14-20 May 2023)

📚 STUFF I READ 📚

🥰Masters in This Hall (Lilywhite Boys #3) (KJ Charles) - Barnaby's in deep trouble, John wants vengeance and they both have to contend with a certain Lilywhite Boy who is extremely displeased that his name's been taken in vain…

🥰(Lily)White Wedding (Lilywhite Boys #3.5) (KJ Charles) - free short story - "Susan is getting married; Alec and Barnaby are bonding or at least drinking."

🥰A Rose by Any Name (KJ Charles) - free short story reuniting the long-lost brothers Robin from Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting and Toby from A Thief In The Night

💖💖 +489K of shorter fic so shout out to these I really loved 💖💖

The Curse of the Deserted Heart: A Tantalising Tale of Love and Adventure Amidst the Dunes of the Lost City That Will Thrill, Chill and Delight You! (kyaticlikestea) - The Mummy: Ardeth/Jonathan, 34K - Jonathan accidentally becomes a best-selling author thru writing a version of their adventures. Very fun, great character voices.

PRE-ORDER NOW (spqr) - Ted Lasso: Ted/Trent, 9K - Trent's book is about to be published. My love for a hot mess Trent Crimm is boundless.

📺 STUFF I WATCHED 📺

Um, Actually - s2, e10, e17-21; s3, e1

The Brokenwood Mysteries - s9, e6

Ted Lasso - s3, e10 [x2]

🎧 PODCASTS 🎧

You Are Good - School of Rock w. Jamie Loftus

⭐You're Dead To Me - Leonardo da Vinci (Live)

Hit Parade Plus - Champagne Supernova Edition

Re: Dracula - May 15: Lizard Fashion

Welcome to Night Vale #228 - Diplomacy

The Allusionist - 174. Eurovision part 1

The Allusionist - 175. Eurovision part 2

Re: Dracula - May 16: This Man Belongs to Me

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Voynich Manuscript

⭐Switched on Pop - Listening 2 Daft Punk: Homework

Shedunnit - The Evolution of Margery Allingham

⭐Vibe Check - The Summer of “Could”

ICYMI Plus - Quiet Luxury is TikTok’s Latest Nonsensical Fashion Trend

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Theatricum Botanicum

⭐99% Invisible #537 - Paved Paradise

Song Exploder - Madison McFerrin "Run" (feat. Bobby McFerrin)

Pop Culture Happy Hour - Primo

Re: Dracula - May 18: It was No Dream

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Fugitive Train Wreck

⭐Re: Dracula - May 19: Surely in the Toils

Into It - Are We Into 'Fast X,' Martha Stewart, and the Vitriol Toward Che Diaz?

Pop Culture Happy Hour - Fast X And What's Making Us Happy

Dear Prudence Plus - I Think My Dad Is Cheating On My Mom. Help!

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Chile Pepper Institute

Endless Thread - Come to the Orchestra

You're Dead To Me - Agatha Christie

ICYMI Plus - The Internet’s Biggest Secret

🎶 MUSIC 🎶

Eurovision 2023 (but just the good songs)

Käärijä

Lord of the Lost

Presenting Daft Punk

Presenting BLACKPINK (블랙핑크)

Feel Good! K-Pop Dance Music

The ArchAndroid [Janelle Monáe] {2010}

The Electric Lady [Janelle Monáe] {2013}

Dirty Computer [Janelle Monáe] {2018}

Janelle Monáe

Heavenly '80s

[aijamisespava]

One Final ESC 2023 Thought: Favorite Songs From Each Country (participating AND non-participating)!

AAAAA I'M SO SORRY FOR DISAPPEARING OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH FOR A WHILE! I just...never got around to my finale before we get to some fun Junior Eurovision 2023/Eurovision 2024 stuff! So here is my finale: Where I share my favorite songs from each country in Eurovision from 2009 to the present.

So, how is this going to work? I'm going alphabetically because it's easier to do it like that. I'm giving you my top 2 from each country, but not the placements. If you want those, they're on the Eurovision website (I will put the year down though). Now, let's get to it!

Albania: "World" by Lindita (2017)/"Ktheju Tokës" by Jonida Maliqi (2019)

Andorra: "La Teva Decisió (Get A Life)" by Susanne Georgi (2009)

Armenia: "Future Lover" by Brunette (2023)/"Not Alone" by Aram MP3 (2014)

Australia: "Promise" by Voyager (2023)/"Sound Of Silence" by Dami Im (2016)

Austria: "Who The Hell Is Edgar?" by Teya & Salena (2023)/"I Am Yours" by The MakeMakes (2015)

Azerbaijan: "Hold Me" by Farid Mammadov (2013)/"Fade To Black" by Nadir Rustalmi (2022)

Belarus: "Forever" by Alekseev (2018)/"Eyes That Never Lie" by Petr Elfimov (2009)

Belgium: "Rhythm Inside" by Loïc Nottet (2015)/"The Wrong Place" by Hooverphonic (2021)

Bosnia & Herzegovina: "Korake Ti Znam" by Maya Sar (2012)/"Ljubav Je" by Jalal & Deen/Ana Rucner/Jala (2016)

Bulgaria: "If Love Was A Crime"/"Na Inat" both by Poli Genova (2016 & 2011 respectively)

Croatia: "Guilty Pleasure" by Mia Dimsic (2022)/"Tick Tock" by Albina (2021)

Cyprus: "Alter Ego" by Minus-One (2016)/"El Diablo" by Elena Tsagrinou (2021)

Czechia: "Lights Off" by Domi (2022)/"My Sister's Crown" by Vesna (2023)

Denmark: Øve Os På Hinanden" by Fyr og Flamme (2021)/"Only Teardrops" by Emmelie de Forest (2013)

Estonia: "Goodbye To Yesterday" by Elina Born & Stig Rastä (2015)/"Rändajad" by Urban Symphony (2009)

Finland: "Something Better" by Softengine (2014)/"Jezebel" by The Rasmus (2022)

France: "L'enfer et moi" by Amandine Bourgeois (2013)/"Évidemment" by La Zarra (2023)

Georgia: "Warrior" by Nina Sublatti (2015)/"Echo" by Iru (2023)

Germany: "Taken By A Stranger" by Lena (2011)/"Ghost" by Jamie-Lee (2016)

Greece: "Die Together" by Amanda Tenfjord (2022)/"Aphrodisiac" by Eleftheria Eleftheriou (2012)

Hungary: "What About My Dreams?" by Kati Wolf (2011)/"Running" by Andra Kallay-Saunders (2014)

Iceland: "Hear Them Calling" by Greta Salome (2016)/"10 Years" by Daði Freyr (2021)

Ireland: "Playing With Numbers" by Molly Sterling (2015)/"That's Rich" by Brooke (2022)

Israel: "Same Heart" by Mei Finegold (2014)/"Rak Bishvilo" by Moran Mazor (2013)

Italy: "La Mia Città" by Emma (2014)/"ZITTI E BUONI" by Måneskin (2021)

Latvia: "Aijā" by Sudden Lights (2023)/"Love Injected" by Aminata (2015)

Lithuania: "Stay" by Monika Linkyte (2023)/"Discoteque" by The Roop (2021)

*can't wait to see Luxembourg next year!!!*

Malta: "This Is The Night" by Kurt Calleja (2012)/"Je Me Casse" by Destiny (2021)

Moldova: "O Mie" by Aliona Moon (2013)/"Run Away" by Sunstroke Project & Olia Tira (2010)

Montenegro: "Adio" by Knez (2015)/"Breathe" by Vladana (2022)

Netherlands: "Arcade" by Duncan Laurence (2019) *CONGRATS ON 1B SPOTIFY STREAMS!*/"De Diepte" by S10 (2022)

North Macedonia: "Crno I Belo" by Kaliopi (2012)/"Jas Ja Imam Silata" by Gjoko Taneski (2010)

Norway: "Fairytale" by Alexander Rybak (2009)/"Queen Of Kings" by Alessandra (2023)

Poland: "Flashlight" by Kasia Moś (2017)/"River" by Ochman (2022)

Portugal: "Amar Pelos Dois" by Salvador Sobral (2017)/"Vida Minha" by Filipa Sousa (2012)

Romania: "Playing With Fire" by Paula Seling & Ovi (2010)/"Amnesia" by Roxen (2021)

*I would like to look into which artists do NOT support the war before sharing my favorites for Russia*

San Marino: "Adrenalina" by Senhit & Flo Rida (2021)/"Stand By" by Senhit (2011) *yes...same artist 10 years apart*

Serbia: "Samo Mi Se Spava" by Luke Black (2023)/"Goodbye (Shelter)" by Sanja Vučić ZAA (2016)

Slovakia: "Horehronie" by Kristina Pelakova (2010)/"Don't Close Your Eyes" by Max Jason Mai (2012)

Slovenia: "Carpe Diem" by Joker Out (2023)/"No One" by Maja Keuc (2011)

Spain: "Quedate Conmigo" by Pastora Soler (2012)/"Dancing In The Rain" by Ruth Lorenzo (2014)

Sweden: "Heroes" by Måns Zelmerlöw (2015)/"Popular" by Eric Saade (2011)

Switzerland: "Tout l'univers"/"Répondez-moi" both by Gjon's Tears (2021 & 2020 respectively)

Turkey: "We Could Be The Same" by maNga (2010)/"Dum Tek Tek" by Hadise (2009)

Ukraine: "Under The Ladder" by Mélovin (2018)/"Time" by O. Torvald (2017)

United Kingdom: "I Wrote A Song" by Mae Muller (2023)/"Never Give Up On You" by Lucie Jones (2017)

Thank you so much for joining me this year! Looking forward to the new year of Eurovision stuff!

[maester-of-spreadsheets]

someone give that yuletide fic a reflection post!

I've never really done one of these Yuletide reflection posts before, but this year I have SO MUCH TO SAY OMG that I'm making one of these to get it out of my system.

So I wrote this fic with Subwoolfer fans basically trying to bend time and space to win Eurovision. Because whomst among us has not wanted to do that for a Eurovision fave at some point? (Eurovision juries turn on your location I just want to chat about the scores you gave Keiino) Except longterm subcubs are also space wolves (probably?) so they don't quite get it right.

I will ramble about the music aspects about this fic, but I also do want to talk about the writing parts! Basically I'm actually... a relative newcomer to Eurovision. I'm an American who started tuning in in 2018, but I really got on board last year when 2021 was so freaking fun and culminated in one of my actual faves that year winning! This somehow translated in me keeping up with the 2022 contest from early on... I think I started following along when Lithuania's song was announced and never quite let up. There's a lot of downtime in between Eurovision events, though, so I also became obsessed with Eurovision data vids. The ones like "biggest flop between semifinals and the final" or "songs with biggest differences between jury and public vote" (again, justice for Keiino.) This had me backtracking into Eurovision history a LOT over the spring and retroactively falling in love with a lot of different songs/moments.

Then, of course, 2022 Eurovision itself also had a lot of meme worth moments. Like the broken kinetic sun fiasco absolutely killed me. But there's a whole Eurovision 2022 iceberg meme that nailed the chaotic vibes of that contest in general.

So basically the writing of the fic was an attempt at a loving/joking synthesis of my times in music related fandoms in general, but also everything I'd absorbed in Eurovision fandom in particular. (And yes the author note about needing a VPN was a joke about how I have to use one to watch any of the performances on youtube.)

As for the music aspects of the fic... So, I've wanted to get into music editing/remixing/production etc for years now but kept getting cold feet about it. Eurovision this year was actually the thing that pushed me to finally go ahead and just do it. And I'm so glad it did! It also meant it felt appropriate to actually work on some music for this assignment.

I mostly only have things to say about the two full remixes.

First the bardcore cover. So, this one most involved just finding piano sheet music and then painstakingly programming the notes into midi files on my DAW. I quickly found out that just recreating those exact notes wasn't going to cut it, though. First the chorus... In the vocals, it's pretty much just a repetition of the same note over and over. That's fine in the original song because the point of the chorus is the intense beat drop. You don't really have that going for you in bardcore, though, so I spent a lot of time yeeting the vocal notes around... across octaves, across different stringed instruments, etc. I also put in a lot of movement in the instruments functioning as the bassline to create more interest.

Although, regarding the beat drop... I also spent an embarassing amount of time trying to reverse engineer what was going on with the drum beats in the song and reflect hem in the drums I had in this. There definitely came a point one night where I was giggling to myself over looping the second chorus over and over and over to try and figure out whether the drumming was different from the first chorus and if so how? and how do I reflect that?

And of course the final chorus does stuff with instruments that's really... not bardcore at all. The string instruments there sound more like orchestras from centuries and centuries later.

But, hey, these remixes were made by space wolves. They can't get everything right!

The lofi beats mix was almost the opposite experience. Instead of meticulously recreating the song, here I was basically... scrapping it (and several others) for parts and seeing how many times I could use the same small melody in different ways. This was because all of Subwoolfer's songs get incredibly bombastic early on and never let up. I'm not yet skilled enough at getting stems to, say, pull out of just a synth from one of the loud parts and slow it down. Limitations can be fun, though, and I definitely had a great time exploring these snippets of the songs from different angles.

It did make me a bit sad I really couldn't find a way to incorporate Grace Kelly or especially Turin. I say especially Turin because of the line "we're here to win that Eurovision/but with a broken kinetic sun it might tough." But then I was able to use audioclips from those in the mix, so that was something, haha!

Probably the most bonkers thing I did was isolate audio of Subwoolfer dropping those plastic balls with questions in them, and then using them as audio texturing for the lofi remix haha.

Okay, that's probably enough rambling from me! So, yes, tl;dr I got a fantastic assignment this year and had a lot of fun working on it.

[totaldramafan-lauri]

Eurovision 2023 Opinions, Predictions, and Rankings

Here it iiiiiiiiiiis~!

This flew by a bit smoother than I expected. When I first heard, I had to start this earlier than I thought, I panicked, like....worried that I wasn’t ready yet. But I was. Listening to each song for this post, I realized that my opinions on each one were already set in stone, so there was nothing to adjust. I just needed to get in the headspace to write it all down. XD Oh my god, I’m such a bad writer....

But with THIS bunch of songs, how could I lose motivation!? While it’s true that this is the year I had to regretfully bring back the “dislike” tier, last used for one song in 2018, for two songs now....I can’t lie and say I’m not totally hyped for this. I still like the vast majority, and the good stuff is REALLY REALLY REEEEEAAAAALLY good! While there’s no runaway favorite like last year, my favorites this year are a really solid group, probably one of my best top sevens in a while! My number seven was even fought over for a while, which shows how strong the competition was!

The word of the year is: energy! While there are still some downbeat songs, even those have life to them, and I count the ballads on literally one hand. This year seems to be a rebuttal to the “Eurofans complaining about ballads every single year even in years where there are barely any ballads”....How they gonna do that now, huh? Not to mention, the amount of songs I can describe with the word “intense” is a lot higher than usual, too, which gives 2023 its own identity! For now...We’ll see if next year is the same way. XD

One of the other things I’m hyped for is the juries now being final-only (something I’d been wanting for YEARS) means the semifinals are now a free-for-all with no more worries about a “jury bait” song no one else wanted through making it to the finals. Europe has ALL the power to choose who lives and who dies- I mean, who stays and who goes!

Now, before I get to the reviews, I have a note about my rankings: I’ve noticed that, most years, my “like” tier is....overly-crowded. Which doesn’t seem like a problem, but.....because of how many songs there tend to be in that one tier, the difference between the top and bottom of it started getting....really stark. At the top will be songs I really enjoy at any time, right below my borderlines, and at the bottom will be songs I like in the moment, but never have any desire to listen to again after the contest. Those are.......two vastly different kinds of like, sooooo....I’ve split the tier in half to make it easier! The “Really Like” tier are the songs I....well, really like and enjoy even if they don’t blow me away, and the plain “Like” tier are songs that I like for now, but can’t see myself revisiting often after the contest. OK? Make sense?

Please keep in mind that these are JUST my opinions. I don’t always agree with what’s the most popular, and I have a few underdog favorites. I’m not a critic, I’m just a fan who really really likes talking about Eurovision. If you disagree with me, I don’t care. I don’t wanna act like everyone has to.

Also, as always, I have no idea how any of these songs will be staged, cuz I like going in blind on that, so visuals have no influence on my ranking. This is JUST about the songs.

Nooooooow, without further ado....

(In alphabetical order by country) (Also, I'm naming the artists now, wooooo, took me long enough)

Song: "Duje" by Albina & Familja Kelmendi Country: Albania Thoughts: A lotta countries are being off-the-wall and/or taking risks this year....Albania are not one of them. I might sound a bit harsh here, but...I KNOW that Albania can send different stuff, and GOOD stuff, so....when they keep doing this kinda thing, constantly, year after year, songs that are good, but are all practically the same, it gets tiring! That's part of why I kinda liked them last year- last year was, uh....it was definitely unique! XD But this year, they're right back to the norm. Song in Albanian by female singer with soaring chorus and ethnic-sounding instrumental. Again. All these songs are good, don't get me wrong, but after each contest, they all run together. When Albania DO send songs that stand out, it's usually in a good way, so I wish they'd do that more often! Or send Mr. Bushpepa again, please! XD Prediction: Looks like this is one case where I'm not alone. This song's been getting overlooked a lot, toward the bottom of the betting odds. I don't think I can completely discount them, since the second semi is FULL of overlooked songs, but....I....I still don't think they'll qualify. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if I was wrong, however.

Song: "Dear Future Lover" by Brunette Country: Armenia Thoughts: IT'S LIKE A DAYDREAM BUT I GOT SOME OTHER BETTER PLANS / I WANNA SCREAM AND SHOUT, MY HEART CAUGHT IN CHAINS! / CRUEL HEART, CRUEL HANDS, FIRE IN MY VEINS, FIRE IN MY VEINS, HEART IN CHAINS- *cough* Uh, s-sorry, about that.....Um, yeah, this song's a grower, but it's mainly that frantic breakdown that sticks with me. The rest of the song is....fine. But THAT part? I feel it SO BADLY, UGH! "I've been hypnotized by someone that I've never ever met" and the mention of panic attacks especially....When I first heard this song, I interpreted it as her simply being in love with love - not having someone yet, but just wanting the feeling of being in love itself SO BADLY....but I actually think I was wrong. I think she DOES have a person in mind here, but it's someone she's never met, and admires from afar...something like that? Maybe it could be either or. But either way, this song overall isn't one of the best to me, but it happens to contain a sequence of some of my favorite lyrics of the year, which elevated it up a few spots on the ranking by itself. Prediction: I....I think this song might be a biiiiit....overrated? Or maybe it's me not being overall crazy about it, combined with how it's tipped to do well when being performed second in its semifinal, but the same can't be said for the OTHER song that’s performed second a couple days before, huh? Huh? >__> *grumble* ....can't even be too pissed, 'm used to it....B-but, uh, Armenia are gonna qualify, and probably finish in the top half in the final.

Song: "Promise" by Voyager Country: Australia Thoughts: DANG IT, AUSTRALIA!!! DANG YOOOOUUUU!! How'm I supposed to oppose your continued participation in this contest when you flipping BLOW MY MIND with your entry like this!?!? AAAAAAAAAAAAA, I would be frustrated if I wasn't too busy freaking out! I will never forget how blindsided I was the first time I heard this song's chorus, being so taken by the sheer intensity of...well, EVERYTHING after that point...from every burst of energy, to the desperately optimistic-sounding lyrics that fit the tone so well, to the buildup to that flipping AMAZING instrumental, and how the whole thing engulfs you with its intensity until the very last second, leaving you almost breathless....and I'm happy to say that this song's impact has NOT lessened with repeated listens. And before you start thinking it, NO, this doesn't have to do with any metal bias, OK? Metal is NOT my favorite genre of music! It's actually one I'm usually pretty picky with! But for some reason, Eurovision keeps doing metal right for me. The screaming isn't overdone, which helps, but it's not just that, it's just the MOOD that really gets me. ......Yyyyyeah, if I didn't make it obvious enough, this is my favorite song of the year. Not by a LOT - I love my second-favorite almost just as much - but it's still an honor I have to....reluctantly....bestow Australia. Good work. Now I have to root for you. I cannot lie to myself. ....But it's gonna be alright. Prediction: Ending the second semifinal with a bang! Yeah, combined with their popularity, that's gonna pretty much end with a guaranteed qualification to the final....and thank GOD, cuz the rest of my favorite songs in that semi are screwed. At least my number one isn't. XD As long as nothing goes terribly wrong, I'll be able to be happy with the results. This one song is all I need. And in the final, ummmmm....I-I don't think this'll be a front-runner, but....maybe left side of the board at least? Is that reasonable? I-I'm trying not to get my hopes too high....

Song: "Who The Hell Is Edgar?" by Teya & Salena Country: Austria Thoughts: OK, so....I underestimated this song WAAAAAYYYYYY too much at first. In terms of growers, this is an EASY second place to Iceland’s entry, but in a much different way then that one. Altho, give me a break, I'm FAR from the only one. This is a song that NEEDS multiple listens to understand, cuz on your first listen, you absolutely WILL NOT take it seriously. I was SO ready to brush this off as the new "Eat Your Salad", just a catchy song with an absolutely insane subject that I can't wrap my head around. WHY would you send a jazz pop song about being green of all things to Eurovision? Why would you send a song about being possessed by Edgar Allen Poe to Eurovision? But no, that's not what this is. This song has a lot to say, and it's very clever about it. Sure, it's still fun and super catchy, but there's more to it. I....I honestly can't sum it all up in words, cuz there's so much there, and there's probably been a lot of people dissecting this song's lyrics who did a much better job than me. In particular, if you can, search for the comment of someone named JXO in the comment section of the music video. They do a great job explaining it. It took many a listen for me to GET this song fully, but once I got it, I started appreciating it a loooooooot more. Seriously, that moment when it finally hit me that it disguising itself as a joke song was THE POINT ("At least it pays to be funny"), I just about lost my mind! BIG BRAIN MOMENT! Literally one of my favorite single lyrics of the year. This may not be one of my favorites, but it's without a doubt one of the most unique and clever songs I've ever heard. It's smart, while also being genuinely fun at the same time. Prediction: At this point, I think they're a safe bet to qualify. They're getting a lot of attention, and most of it that I've seen has been unironic, so that's a really good sign! I'm glad people are taking this song as seriously as it deserves! It's WAY too unique to be overlooked, AND it doesn't have a lot of strong competition in the second semifinal. This is making it to the final, no doubt at all. I wouldn't be surprised if it places high in the final, too, so to be safe I'll predict left side of the board, maybe even bottom half of the top ten.

Song: "Tell Me More" by TuralTuranX Country: Azerbaijan Thoughts: This is a song I think I was a bit too mean to when I first heard it. I'd interpreted the lyrics as being gross and pushy, kinda like "omaga", when I doubt that was the intention at all. While he does continually ask about "us", and there's that "I know what you looking for, it's love" part, I moreso just wanna think of this as playful flirting, nothing more. But that isn't the main reason I warmed up to this song....nah, most of that comes from that flipping bridge that does NOT deserve the right to go as hard for me as it does (which is everything from "I wanna buy a land a thousand miles away" all the way to "That is looooove, loooooooove, loooooOOOOOOVE"). In fact, the rest of the song is just OK. That bridge carries this song! The way it steadily builds and builds with every line as it goes is soooooo good! That bridge deserves a better song, pfffff....but yeah, overall, this song's kinda just there for the most part outside of the one part I really like (kinda similar to the Armenian entry), but that part does last long enough for me to say I like the song. Prediction: Will most likely qualify due to being Azerbaijan, but probably won't do too well in the final. I can see this getting overshadowed easily. Maybe....the last quarter of the board? Now that we know they can do that badly, cuz that's what happened to poor "Mata Hari"....this is the kinda song that actually deserves that placing, if you ask me.    

Song: "Because Of You" by Gustaph Country: Belgium Thoughts: This is a fun one! Definitely one of the happiest songs we have, and definitely one that I enjoy a lot even if it isn't one of my favorites. Just a good time to be had whenever I hear it! What more is there to say? It's a feel-good song about finding happiness through your love for someone! Learning to love yourself because they love you....That's the dream, honestly.....Someone to give me hope to believe in myself and be optimistic.....Right now, I do have someone like that, who helped me carry on when I was at a low point, but that's....d-different....it's a different kinda relationship. B-but....eh, if it still makes me think of that, then I'm not complaining. It's something to relate this song to, and thus, make me like it more. I mean, there's no explicit references to romance in this song, so it could be about what I have, or, heck, it could even just be about friendship! Just...anyone who's close to you and brightens up your day, you can sing this to them! It's a very versatile song, huh? XD Not only that, but that beat is so good! Not one of the best, but it's a happy song that sounds happy, about being happy! It's even a bit triumphant in tone too..."Remember when they tried to break us? Well look at us now!" It's like a song for the end credits, a victory lap following a dark time in one's life finally being over. If you don't like this song, who hurt you? Prediction: Betting odds be darned in this case, I'm predicting this'll make it to the final. It HAS to. It's one of the standouts in the second semifinal, if you ask me! And it's sure to make an impact and put people in a good mood, so why not? Buuuut in the final it might not do so well. I'm gonna say it might even be towards the bottom. Once mixed in with the better energetic songs from the first semi plus the auto-qualifiers, this song might fall a bit flat. >__<;

Song: "Mama ŠČ!" by Let 3 Country: Croatia Thoughts: Ahahaha....hahahahaha what the heck. XD I still have a hard time wrapping my head around this song, to be honest. It's probably THE hardest song to rank this year. I do get its meaning now, and yeah it's kinda similar to the Austrian entry in being a silly song with a message to tell you, but this one isn't as clever and the message is a lot more obvious. Also it's a worse song. I'M SORRY- i-it's just so weird! My favorite part of the song, when it actually gets a good beat, starts at two minutes in when there's barely any time left, and the rest of it is just kinda....I wouldn't say disjointed, but it's VERY silly. I'm glad that this song went in the silly direction, allowing us to have fun, rather than be like....the OTHER anti-war song this year, ugh....so, props to Croatia. If you HAVE to say something like this, hide it well rather than play it depressingly straight. .....That being said, I LIKE this song, but would I listen to it on my own time? No. Prediction: With that being said, of COURSE it's qualifying for the final, c'mon, I'm not stupid! Why wouldn't it? It's so memorable, and seems very loved already. I can imagine some cool staging to go with it, too! So, yeah, absolutely a no-brainer. That's right, Croatia are coming for revenge for 2021 and riding their tractor STRAIGHT to the final this time! And given how poor Croatia's results have been this past decade, this thing will pretty easily give them their best result in a loooooooooong while...While I'm not sure if I'd AGREE with it, we'll see. Maybe I'll be surprised. This song is the definition of "wildcard". XD

Song: "Break A Broken Heart" by Andrew Lambrou Country: Cyprus Thoughts: There's always gotta be at least one of these, huh....a song that reminds me of a character I like? And have a hard time looking at with an....unbiased perspective? Always at least one...but thankfully, I was able to remove my bias a bit quicker this time, cuz it's really only a few lines and not the WHOLE song. This song is about a breakup, but that line in the chorus about being left in "the garden" immediately brought to mind one of my character crushes that I was previously obsessed with, and lines like "I'm torn apart, but now I'm a survivor" didn't help matters. I know that it's not overly-specific, but that ONE line had my brain interpreting every lyric and picking them apart to see how fitting each one was. And thankfully, the kiss line reminded me "Hey, it's not about that, it's about romance, dummy", so yeah, it's not the whole song. But the lyrics are still what make this song. Even little stuff like "You did your best to do your worst" are good. And his voice is good. Overall a pretty solid song that I probably wouldn't rank so high if it weren't for the lyrics and that memorable first impression, but I still do like a lot. I hope my broken heart never gets broken again....a survivor indeed... Prediction: I don't think this is qualifying. It's not getting a lotta attention, and is ranked low for most people. I'll admit that music-wise, it's not catchy enough, or emotional enough, or punchy enough. It's just....there. And I say that as someone who likes it. I gotta be truthful. The lyrics are why I like it, and most people prolly aren't gonna care too much. So, nah, not qualifying. Cyprus can definitely do better.

Song: "My Sister's Crown" by Vesna Country: Czech Republic (Czechia) Thoughts: And the award for "Unexpectedly Catchy" goes to.....Yeah, this is one of the bigger growers of the year easily. When I first heard it, I thought it'd settle around mid for me, but nope! Not only is this a powerful song, with a message many can rally behind...but, in terms of sheer catchiness, this isn't that far behind the likes of Poland's, Moldova's, and Austria's songs...although I'll admit that most of the catchiness is contained in the chorus alone. That part will NOT leave my head! Just repeating, over and over, like an incantation almost! XD This is a song I really do like, but I can't think of much to say about it. It's all surface level here. The music is good, the lyrics are good, it's just an overall solid song that doesn't blow me away. Prediction: It seems like this song's getting a lotta attention! Whoa! Just outside the top ten in the betting odds? Interesting...I personally don't think it's THAT good, but not complaining seeing an underrated country get more attention! Yeah, they're qualifying and doing fairly well in the final. My prediction will be "better than last year" (where they came 22nd), but not a front-runner.

Song: "Breaking My Heart" by Reiley Country: Denmark Thoughts: Well, if there was any song this year that combined sad lyrics with an oddly happy, poppy beat, it'd be this, huh? "I'm not scared to love you, but I'm scared of breaking my heart" sounds like a very emotional line on paper, but here he is singing it like it's just another thing....maybe that was the point? Eh, I'm nitpicking and being weird, cuz I actually like that kind of dissonance if it's done right....and also I like this song in general. It's not a favorite, nor is it even a big standout, but it's one that I just...never forget about. The lyrics stuck with me without me making an effort to learn them (kinda like "Space Man"), and I find myself subconsciously singing it sometimes, mainly the "On and oooooooff~ Couldn't meet me in the middle" pre-chorus for some reason. The lyrics are overall good, and make this song better, but the chill vibe of the song overall makes it unique this year too. Overall, solid song, not a favorite, but a reliable one that I don't get super duper into, but I can count on to never get old either. Prediction: I have nooooo idea why this song's not getting more attention, but eh, not the MOST underrated song I like this year by a longshot...It's also in the weaker semifinal, and in my opinion, is one of the better songs in it (that has a chance to qualify). I wouldn't write them off. They could still do it. So....yeah, why not, I predict they'll prove people wrong and be a surprise qualifier. Like I said before, it's unique....If they don't make it, I'll probably blame them having to open the semifinal. Not really what I'd call a good opener....

Song: "Bridges" by Alika Country: Estonia Prediction: I wanna like this song....I wanna like it SO much....when I'm paying attention to it, I feel the lyrics a LOT. I really relate to wanting to bring down my walls and build bridges instead, trying to move on from all the pain I went through before...putting it behind me, and...more than anything...asking for closure. B-but, I hate to say it....the keywords there are "when I'm paying attention". I HATE saying this about an entry from Estonia, after all the slam dunks they've put out recently like "Hope" and "The Lucky One", but in this absolute joy of a year, this song is the only one that actually makes me check out during it. I REALLY don't wanna call it boring, cuz it HAS merits! I just said them! But it's definitely the closest thing TO boring this time. And I really couldn't tell you why, when I like other slower stuff this year more. But...that's just how it is. Great lyrics, good voice, but gets buried under everything else when I'm not making an effort to listen to said lyrics. This is the only song I'd say I'm indifferent to this year, but it's VERY close to being a like. As it is, I still like it more than other songs I've been indifferent to like "Rockstars". Prediction: I...normally wouldn't think they'd qualify, but it's the weaker semifinal, so I wouldn't completely count them out if the staging's good. It's still Estonia, so I wouldn't be surprised if they pull it off. It'd definitely be at the cost of a song I like more, so I hope not, but...eh, I'll get to my two underdog favorites in the second semi later, but short answer: I'm already mentally prepared to lose them. If Estonia get in and it doesn't cost Australia, I won't mind. I don't hate this song. So....sure, I'll say they'll qualify. I gotta predict at least a few surprises, and this one might be one of them.

Song: "Cha Cha Cha" by Käärijä Country: Finland Thoughts: After only two years, Finland are already a fan-favorite again! Usually they wait a lot longer for that.....Finland are a country that have been good at appealing to my taste specifically, sending top three songs for five flipping years in a row (not counting 2020), but for Eurovision itself, they usually just cannot catch a break even if their song's good, which makes me EXTRA HYPED when their entries DO get attention. Do I think they deserve the buzz this year....? OH HECK YEAH THEY DO!!! THIS SONG IS EVERYTHING!! THIS IS HOW YOU EUROVISION IN A NEW, EXCITING WAY!! THIS is how you do it! This song is a VERY close second-favorite behind Australia for me, with my decision of liking Australia's entry more coming down to lyrics and nitpicks. I could've easily have made it a tie, but couldn't do that when the ONE THING about this song that I can even remotely call critical is that the lyrics aren't much, while the lyrics of Australia's song enhanced it. But....does that EVEN MATTER!? Do you even CARE what he's talking about when the music is just THAT GOOD!? Fittingly, my top two songs both got similar reactions outta me on first listen - I was blindsided by this. I do NOT expect the directions this song went in, and was flipping out the whole way. The fact that I was THIS invested in a song that I expected not to be taken seriously was embarrassing.....UNTIL I learned how loved it was, and now, I'm not holding anything back! CHA CHA CHACHA CHA CHA CHA!! My favorite thing about this song is that it's intense and hard, but still fun and catchy the same time! It's like....somehow managing to combine what I love about Australia's and Malta's entries, and it's flipping awesome! ESPECIALLY once the second half starts. The rapping isn't bad either, but I'm glad the whole song isn't like that. XD Then I'd have to call it nu metal, pffff.....Uuuuuhhhh, s-sorry this section's so long, I just flipping ADORE this song and I can't express how happy that Finland are getting attention for it. MAN, at this point, if in a future year, Finland send in even so much as a mid song, my disappointment will be immeasurable and my day will be ruined. XD Prediction: I WAS SO HYPED FOR THIS THAT I ACTUALLY SEARCHED "HELSINKI 2024" ON TWITTER TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE MENTIONED THAT, PFFFFFFF!! I am SO rooting for this song to win. Holy crap, Finland have been LONG overdue for another win, and even if this doesn't achieve that, it'll still be the CLOSEST they've gotten to it this decade....FINLAND DESERVE IT!! However, going up against Sweden, who sent Loreen, makes me doubt what'll happen. It could go either way. I love both songs, just this one a lot more. Seeing Finland not only get their second win, but manage to beat SWEDEN as their biggest competition, would be immensely satisfying, but might not happen, so I'll try not to get my hopes too high. All I know is that no matter what, this awesome, intensely fun song will at least finish in the top ten, and that'll be enough for me already....and no doubt the televoters in particular are gonna EAT THIS UP. If Finland vs. Sweden gets really close in the jury vote, Finland will win just due to the televotes. So....uh, yeah, I want it to win, but at the same time I'm not gonna jump on the idea. I just REALLY REALLY want it somehow, it'd be so cool, so unlike any other winning song up till no- *ahem* S-sorry, uhhh.....top five at least.

Song: "Évidemment" by La Zarra Country: France Thoughts: Good to know France didn't let what happened last year slow them down, and they went ahead and sent another banger! God, this is a good one! SO close to borderline tier for me, this song won me over super quickly with its infectious, disco-esque beat. It's very big and grand, while also being something I can just vibe to! AND I can give it uniqueness points! The perfect combination! It's one of those songs that I can't really say so much about, cuz I'd just be talking in circles. Uhhh....her voice is also really good? That's all I got. XD Really, just listen to it. It speaks for itself. Just extremely solid. Prediction: My prediction is JUSTICE WILL BE SERVED! Seriously, last year's robbery still bugs me whenever I think about it cuz there was no reason for it to happen....but I already complained about that enough. Point is, with how much attention this song's getting, that will NOT be happening again, and France will be getting what they deserve for sending a fun, unique song this time! Even though there are songs I enjoy more, I have no problem with this being in the top five fan-favorites as the betting odds show cuz they still deserve it! Now, I don't really see them winning (as of right now, no songs except the ones from Finland and Sweden are screaming "winner material", but that could easily change with the live performances), but top five? Why not, right? Sure, they could not do as well as expected, and fall off a bit, but....well, it's still France....um....y-yeah, I'm gonna be a bit safter and say top ten. They deserve top five, tho.

Song: "Echo" by Iru Country: Georgia Thoughts: So....this is definitely my favorite entry from Georgia for quite a few years, altho that's not really a high bar....but, with that being said, it's still comparatively mid. Good news is that for me, "mid" still means I like it. XD Yeah, this song's pretty good. I have a hard time understanding her without subtitles (I was hearing "My love is my crown" as "My love is like rain" for a while), but her voice is still great, and the whole song feels so....big and grand. But I can't rank it higher cuz for everything I just praised, there's at least one other song this year that I think does it better. This song's got a lot of power, but there are more powerful songs I like more (one even flat NAMED "Power", featuring an even better singer). Cuz of that, I find myself....not really thinking about this song much, sorry.....but when it comes on, I do enjoy it. It's better as a minor pump-up song playing in the background rather than something I give my full attention to. Sorry, Georgia, I know you're trying, it's just very bad luck of who you're up against.... Prediction: This could go either way. It's the second semifinal, where less fan-favorites are, but it's also still Georgia, an unlucky country. It's toward the middle in the betting odds, too, which is no help....Hmmmmm.....Um....I don't think they'll qualify, but they could also be a wildcard. If they surprise me, that'll be fine, too...? There are better songs, but as long as Australia make it, I won't complain about anything else, including this.

Song: "Blood & Glitter" by Lord Of The Lost Country: Germany Thoughts: Hoooooooly CRAP! Germany are certainly trying to put on a spectacle this year, huh? Well, I'd say they might succeed at that! We'll see how the staging goes, cuz this song deserves a SHOW!! I listen to this song, and I'm immediately brought back to "Hard Rock Hallelujah"...just, this BIG metal song that feels like it could fill an entire stadium even with the studio version. This is a song that BEGS to be performed in front of an audience with those booming vocals and screams. It's such a BIG-sounding song, which is what I love about it. It sounds BIG. And it cries out not in anger, but in....happiness? "We're so happy we could die", huh? More like....happiness in a "LET IT ALL GO!!" way, heck yeah! That feels good! Now, would I call this a better song than "Hard Rock Hallelujah"? No, but I can at least say I like the vocals more on this one. That's just an opinion, however. It's true that I don't care for the verses as much as the chorus here, and in terms of hard songs that pump me up, this is kinda in the shadow of Australia's and Finland's entries, but I still really really like this song, and it's a borderline favorite. Can't wait to see it live! Prediction: Honestly surprised that this isn't getting more attention...but it's not doing badly right now in the betting odds, so it might gain momentum in the final. The Eurovision audience has overall been liking the harder stuff recently (besides...."Jezebel", unfortunately...haaaahhhh....) so I can see this doing pretty well! I would NOT call it a front-runner, but maybe top 15? Is that safe enough to assume? This'll definitely give Germany their best result since 2018.

Song: "What They Say" by Victor Vernicos Country: Greece Thoughts: This was one of my picks for least-favorite when I first heard it, cuz I considered it the closest thing to a boring song of the bunch. But, surprisingly, it grew on me a bit, and now I like it! Still on the low end, but hardly worth complaining over. Turns out, Estonia's song was the one I couldn't get into instead....weird how that worked out, but first impressions can be misleading sometimes, and here's the proof. XD Anyway, this song's fine. Perfectly serviceable. Not a standout in any way, but the lyrics are pretty good in places. Fun fact: for days before finally watching with subtitles, I was mishearing one line of the chorus, and I STILL can't unhear it afterwards. I don't hear "Lost souls make sure no one loses their way", I hear "Lassos make sure no one loses their way". Yup...and I was like, "What, so you lasso someone to keep them from wandering off? What? Are you talking about horses now, whaaaaaa-" So....that was a thing. XD Probably the most notable part of this song, and it's just a mistake of mine. Haha....I got nothing left to say. Prediction: This one could easily go either way....Greece have qualified with less popular songs before, but they've failed to qualify twice, so they're not invincible anymore. And this song is just SO....unremarkable, that I can see this not sticking with people. Yet, the semifinal its in doesn't give it TOO much competition, so....I dunno, maybe! But I'm gonna be bold and say they're not qualifying. Hey, I gotta answer what feels right, and cuz there's no more jury to consider, I don't think Greece will have that much chance.

Song: "Power" by Diljá Country: Iceland Thoughts: I....I still can't explain it. I really can't. I just....can't. This lady's voice is just....it's incredible, and she needs more attention, period, end of discussion. ....O-OK, I'll talk a bit more, it's one of my favorite songs after all. But...what else is there? It's the biggest grower of the year! I always have at least one major underdog favorite that I have a hard time explaining the appeal of. Two years ago, that song was "Amen". Last year, it was "Breathe". This year, it's this. That kinda song that scratches my brain in just the right way and makes me FEEL, but I have a hard time conveying that in text. At least this time, I have a BIT more of an explanation, which is just "vocals go brrrrrr". HER VOICE, I SWEAR! This song is SO FUN to sing along to. "Whooooaaaa-oooooaaaa-ooooOOOOAAAAAA~! You have no p-p-p-POwer, ooooover me!" Her runs, her growls, just the overall sound, her voice is perfect, at least in this song! That would be enough for me to love this, but as an added bonus, the lyrics are also great, that voice I love doing an AMAZING job at portraying a cry of freedom from a possibly-toxic person! I think I did a good enough job explaining myself....Yeah, this song won't stand out to most people. I didn't think it would to me, either. Outside of her voice, this song doesn't have anything super special about it, I'll admit it. But gosh dang do I love it. I REALLY wish more people could give it some love. Prediction: Now....uh....I don't think they're a completely lost cause....There's a chance that she could sound just as amazing live, combined with good staging, and it'll save their odds and get them on people's radar! ......But that's wishful thinking. Y-yeah, I'm not completely giving up on them (like I am with my other second semi underdog I'll be talking about later), but I'm not getting my hopes up, either. A lot of people are gonna overlook this song and it'll go down easier for me by accepting that. I don't think they'll qualify....

Song: "We Are One" by Wild Youth Country: Ireland Thoughts: I....I dunno what to say about this one. It's....it's SO generic, but...somehow still good at the same time? Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm just a sucker for songs with this kinda message, no matter how many time it's said. Maybe it's the kinda thing I wanna keep being reminded about now and then. The idea that I'm not alone, even when it feels like it...and that I can keep getting back up again each time I fall. We might be different, but tonight, we are one....That line kinda sums up the Eurovision spirit, doesn't it? But yeah, this song is VERY safe. The name Wild Youth is very fitting, cuz it sounds like a song written by someone very young writing their first song ever. But that's not a bad thing in this case. It's just a very simple, innocent song, and there's a place in the world for that kinda thing. Also I like the ending with the drums. Always a sucker for drums. Mhm. -v- Prediction: Ugh, I feel so BAD for Ireland! I wanna see them do well again! It's been YEARS! From 2013 to now, they've only qualified for the final ONCE! And so many of those years were with good songs, at that! They've just been so unlucky! And I HAVE to keep being unbiased and objective as possible in my predictions, so even I can't throw them any bones....This song won't do it for them. Maybe if this song was in the second semifinal, it could've had a chance to stand out more. But not the first one. There's no chance....They're gonna have to keep waiting for the Luck of the Irish to return, sad to say.

Song: "Unicorn" by Noa Kirel Country: Israel Thoughts: Oof, this one....Um, OK, first off, lemme just say that I don't come to Eurovision looking for good lyrics. Sure, there'll be a few songs with good lyrics every year, but I consider those a bonus. For the most part, I come to Eurovision for the atmosphere, and for songs that sound good. Songs with good music and bad lyrics ("Warrior" in 2015) will be placed far above songs with good lyrics and boring music ("Growing Up Is Getting Old" in 2021). I bring this up, because this song right here puts me in a conundrum. It's definitely in the former category, and I do like it fine...but it's a case where the lyrics are SO bad that it comes CLOSE to being ruined by them. But not quite. Not all the lyrics are bad, but those that are, REALLY are. Just not enough for me to not like the song as a whole. I still cannot take it seriously. It's laughable how much this song fails as an anti-haters song ("diss track", I think they're called?). She wants to say that nothing they tell her will ever break her, and that she'll keep doing her thing. OK, valid, but how does she do this? By comparing herself to a....unicorn. Yyyyyyyeah, excuse me what? A unicorn? Ummmm....yeah, that'll show 'em to mess with you, huh? Yeah...yeah, they'll surely not get back up from that one....They can say all they want, but you'll bite back with the power of a....unicorn. Just like how I dealt with bullies in grade school by telling them Pokemon were cooler than them....Fictional creatures....Only got me laughed at harder....but y'know what? You do you, I guess. Music-wise, this is good, but not the best. I like how it ramps up at the end. But when these kinds of lyrics are the most noteworthy thing about a song, I can't really rank it very high, sorry....But I do know a lot of people love this, so maybe it's just not for me. Prediction: This song being in the top ten in the betting odds is baffling, but eh, I can't be too mad. It's still a fun song that'll bring more fun to the final when it qualifies. I'll TRY not to focus too much on how this is one of my more least-favs in a packed semifinal....and how its qualification could cost me Malta....nope nope nope. I'll focus that on Switzerland. This song doesn't deserve saltiness, cuz I do get enjoyment out of it. XD This could finish in the top ten as predicted, but I'm gonna say it'll fall short of that.

Song: "Due Vite" by Marco Mengoni Country: Italy Thoughts: I'm really happy we have a returning artist from 2013 in 2023. A great blast from the past! While 2014 was the first Eurovision I liveblogged, 2013 was the first Eurovision I ever watched live period, and the first year I started taking Eurovision super seriously (altho I'd been a more passive fan for a few years before that). It's a year I look back on fondly. So, even if I didn't like this song, I'd still have a soft spot for it, cuz well...it feels like Mr. Mengoni hasn't changed one bit. This sounds SO MUCH like "L'essenziale". It didn't blow me away, but it's still a VERY pretty song that grew on me like a lot of ballads do. I literally have the exact same thoughts towards this that I did towards "L'essenziale". I think this one is, like....a smidge worse than that one, but the chorus and his voice are still really strong. Pretty good buildup too, which is what I like in my ballads. So, not a top tier Italian entry, but still a very pleasant one nonetheless. I'm using this song as my midpoint between the "really like" and "like" tiers. Everything above it are songs I'd listen to on my own time, and everything below it are songs I won't listen to often after the contest. This song is that perfect point of comparison to me, being a no-skip song I can occasionally get really into, but also isn't something I would search for on my own. Prediction: Italy are still in the top ten in the betting odds right now, but aren't as high as they usually are, so this'll probably be a breather year for them. As in, they might actually stay outta the top five this time. XD I'm still calling the bottom half of the top ten tho, like in 2013. Can't underestimate Italy too much, y'see.

Song: "Aijā" by Sudden Lights Country: Latvia Thoughts: I like this one, but I also feel bad that I don't like it more. I THOUGHT I'd like it more. On first listen, it clicked with me pretty quickly. I really resonated with the lyrics, and thought the song 'd grow on me after I learned them all. But...it stagnated. And, as other songs grew on me, it kept getting pushed down. And I couldn't tell you why. I really dunno why....this is just what happened. But I do still like the song! I still really like the chorus, and I can somewhat relate to wanting nothing more than to stay in a fantasy and not face reality even as it stares me in the face. I can relate to wanting to say the right things even when everything's collapsing. I think, ultimately, it's just the sound of the song. It's not as strong as so many others this year to me. Good, but not as good as it seemed like it'd be. Prediction: Now, as someone who likes this song but doesn't love it, I did NOT expect this to be one of my unpopular opinions. Second-to-last in the betting odds? Whaaaa??? I mean, it is Latvia, but still- Uh....geez, I do think they deserve better than that....but, welp, in terms of underrated songs in the first semifinal, I have OTHERS to worry about...If Latvia don't qualify, I won't mind. But for my prediction....ummmm.....I-I guess I'll say no. I think it might get lost. Staging could save it, but I won't bet on that. At this point, I think Latvia are in the same camp as Ireland- until the next time they send an unironic banger, they're doomed to unluckiness.

Song: "Stay" by Monika Linkytė Country: Lithuania Thoughts: One of the more major examples of the "indifferent ---> like" growers this year. I didn't think much of this song too much at first due to it being downbeat and nothing notable music-wise, only for my opinion to improve once I paid more attention to the lyrics. These are really good lyrics. I really relate to not wanting to be alone anymore, and just...asking for someone to help heal me. Especially recently, when my journey of self-improvement coincided with me discovering the music of my new favorite singer. It really does feel like he was exactly the kind of person I needed at that point in time....It seems unrelated, I know, but...th-this song reminds me of him somewhat. How he always seems so sweet and kindhearted, and makes his fans feel so loved....and how he uses his music to comfort those who need him....a real-life comfort character..."My heart is bleeding, I need your healing" indeed. However, despite this slight bias, unlike with Cyprus' entry, I can't bring myself to rank it above the plain "like" tier. Music-wise, this isn't something I'm gonna be rushing back to. I do like the repeated "Čiūto tūto" and "Finally my heart is beating" part. That's been in my head for the past couple days. And I really really want Lithuania to be more open to sending more songs in Lithuanian cuz they did that last year and I want more, so every little bit counts, pffff. XD But yeah, overall, a song that I can really feel right now, but falls short of me calling it memorable in the long run. It definitely doesn't compare to the last song named "Stay" entered in Eurovision, that's for sure! Prediction: Lithuania are HARD to make predictions for, cuz it feels like EVERY YEAR could be one or the other. XD Ummmm....for this one.....I-I guess I'll say yes...? There are plenty of less-popular songs in their semifinal that could push them forward into qualification territory. This won't be troubling the top half of the scoreboard in the final, but I think it'll be there.

Song: "Dance (Our Own Party)" by The Busker Country: Malta Thoughts: I'm sorry "Discoteque"....but I found a new favorite party song for introverts! And HERE it is, as my third-favorite song of this crazy collection....no small feat! There's a LOTTA songs that I'd call "fun" this year, and this is my favorite of them! (My top two are more "intense" than "fun" even tho Finland's is both- anyway-) And it's not just for the lyrics, altho I do love those...Never before has an introvert wanting to leave a party that's not for him sounded so.....charismatic! And that's part of the charm, definitely, but....I-I'll be honest, it's mainly about that energy for me. SUCH infectious instrumentation and such a fun beat...almost addictive, actually! Yeah, I wanna dance! I know that there've been many sax-heavy, funk-flavored songs like this before, but this is the only one of those we got this time, and DANG it's a good one. I don't even really wanna go into the details, I just wanna LISTEN to this! Nothing but fun! All the fun! I can't listen to this without smiling....even when.... Prediction: I am crushed. I am confused. I am even a bit outraged. I expected my biggest unpopular fav to be Iceland or Poland...not THIS. I expected this song to be a hit. Like, not winner material, but....y'know, something more than this right now! And why? Literally WHY? I-I can't...I just can't wrap my head around this! Malta have sent popular songs before, so why is THIS ONE falling through the cracks? Like I said, it's unique, so it should stand out! Plenty of the Eurovision audience clearly WANTS fun this year! They're giving love to other fun songs like Austria's! What the HECK!? ....I-I can't be mad while listening to this, but I don't GET IT??? ....I can't believe I'm saying this, when I thought they'd be fine....but no....This is the main reason I'm stressed over the first semi: Malta performing second. Not a good omen, and UGH......UGH, I say! I want them in the final so flipping badly...I can imagine fun staging to go with this song, too....I'm gonna be stubborn and say that they could turn it around, qualify, and proove the nonbelievers wrong, but....I-I gotta predict something, so....UGGGGHHH....the thought of flipping Switzerland qualifying over this HURTS, but....I-I'm so so sorry Malta, but second position sucks. I-I don't....I don't think this....is...gonna....happen....Prove me wrong please. Please. Prove me wrong. I DON'T WANNA LOSE YOU! You deserve to dance to the final!!

Song: "Soarele şi Luna" by Pasha Parfeni Country: Moldova Thoughts: If I didn't read his name, and recognize it after a bit, I NEVER would've guessed that this is the same guy from 2012. Never in a million years. This is SUCH a different song than that one, it's like....well, fittingly, night and day. A song this beautiful and hypnotic, coming from Mr. "This trumpet makes you my girl"? Really? What happened? It's insane to think about...but maybe that song was the exception, and most of his music is more like this? That'd be neat! (Disclaimer: I actually liked "Lăutar", it was just really silly, that's all) Cuz man, this song is just SO flipping cool...It has an almost magical atmosphere to it, kinda bringing "Spirit In The Sky" to mind, but with a bit of "SHUM" in there as well. The chorus melody is downright addictive, and the way its constantly repeated makes that worse. I still call this the second-catchiest song of the bunch after the Polish entry. It's a HARD song to shake once it's in my head. Not to mention, the whole atmosphere thing...I think this is the only song this year that I can call "atmospheric", focusing just as much on the mood as the music. It brings images to my mind in the way no other song this year does, on top of just being a beautiful song. Moldova once again prove that their serious songs can be great too, even if they're more underrated. Love this song, definitely one of my favorites. Prediction: I'm SOOOOOOOO WORRIED for Moldova, holy CRAP! While I love Malta's song more, of the two, Moldova have a better chance of qualifying, so....I-I feel like I have to root for them harder than Malta somehow? But still, the chances are not enough in their favor for me to relax here! The first semifinal is stacked, and this song is there just vibing and possibly not being everyone's thing, and the betting odds aren't much help either, showing them in the middle! They're not popular or unpopular, they're just...I dunno WHAT'LL happen to them! I REALLY hope they qualify! This song deserves cool staging, and maybe that'll help? But it'll only help them so much against this competition! I.....gosh, what to predict? The thought of them failing to qualify in favor of Switzerland, ugh....UGH, I say! Gotta be realistic, I....Y'know what...? If I get two favorites in in the form of Finland and Norway, I guess I can afford to lose two other favorites in the form of Malta and Moldova, so....sure....I-I'll be realistic. This song....i-isn't gonna qualify. But, like, it won't lose by a lot, hopefully!....*sigh* One day, a serious song by Moldova will actually get the respect it deserves....    

Song: "Burning Daylight" by Mia Nicolai and Dion Cooper Country: The Netherlands Thoughts: My feelings on this one are....c-complicated. I've decided I like it, but just barely. I'm putting it right at the bottom of the “like” tier. I do think I was a SMIDGE too harsh on it for a while. It's not as depressing as I thought it was at first listen. It's just that it starts that way, but the ending reads as more uplifting ("Goodbye, old life", as in, letting go of what burdened you before). However, some of the lyrics hit....WAY too close to home for me. Specifically, "I can't find any joy anymore" and "Don't know what made me happy before". Without going into major details, I....I went through some emotional trauma during the second half of last year, resulting in me isolating myself from everyone for a few months as I got everything together. During isolation, I did discover a new interest, but before that point, I was pretty m-miserable....it really felt like my world was ending, and that I couldn't feel any joy in the things I liked (besides Splatoon 3) without a guilty conscience. It took me three months until I decided I was ready to talk again, and about a month after that until I felt almost completely normal again. It was....bad. And this song brings me back to that helplessness. I understand why others would like this song, if it speaks to them as well. So, overall, I would compare this song to "Not The Same" from Australia last year - I feel it, and I get it, but I have to be in the right mood to fully enjoy it. This one isn't nearly as good as that one was tho....but it's the closest comparison I can think of. Again, if you like this song for the same reasons I find it too heavy, you're valid. This is just what I get from it. I'd personally rather listen to the Lithuanian song, which is also about being broken and needing to heal, but that one's a lot less depressing. Prediction: In terms of the first semifinal, I will gladly take this over Switzerland, but I have a gut feeling that both will qualify, which will come at the expense of a song I like more (PLEASEnotMalta...butmaybe) I can't criticize the betters this time, cuz this is a perfect example of a song I can see the objective appeal of while not personally being that big a fan of it. I won't get salty if this qualifies. The salt will go towards Switzerland. As for what I think'll happen, uh.....mmmmm,the Netherlands' good history in recent years isn't to be ignored, so I think they'll qualify. It helps that nothing else is like this in the first semifinal, and it's being performed second-to-last. The crowd probably won't be forgetting it.

Song: "Queen Of Kings" by Alessandra Country: Norway Thoughts: Welcome back to my favorites, Norway! Missed you! I KNEW you could send an awesome song again!  And even then, I wouldn’t have predicted something like this! This song may not have conquered all to me, but it came dang close, a solid fourth placer among a really respectable group of songs! Nothing to sneeze at! But yeah, what's to say about this one? Where do I start? XD It's just...really really cool and even a bit...inspiring, but the real best thing here is that CHORUS! While this might not be my favorite song, it probably has my second-favorite chorus of the year after Australia's song's. The way it BURSTS is just amazing! And, as a matter of fact, another one of the best things here is...something I haven't praised any other song for, and that's the pre-chorus of all things! That build-up gives me goosebumps sometimes! "Who will conquer aaaaaaAAAAAAALL? HER NAME IS-" and then I nearly fly outta my seat. Easily some of the best buildup of the year leading to a huge yet catchy chorus. SUCH a cool song. Makes you both fear the queen, yet be in complete awe of her at the same time. Almost leaves me at a loss of words....almost. I still found things to say, heheh.... Prediction: Thank GOD I can say that this song's safe. It's a fan-favorite (not quite as much as Finland's, but still high up there!) and thus I don't need to worry about it. THANK. GOD. Cuz I got other favorites to worry about in the first semifinal. Malta, Moldova....they need my energy. Norway, like Finland, don't. They got enough of it, pfffff.....So, yeah, will qualify, and will also be one powerful opener for the semi too! Nice choice for one, I gotta say. And in the final....probably top ten?

Song: "Solo" by Blanka Country: Poland Thoughts: Sharing a name with one of my favorite Eurovision entries of all time, huh? Definitely a hard act to follow, and yeah, this one doesn't reach that kinda level...but I love it to pieces for what it is. Yup, this is one of my favorites and I'm not even sorry. I know that this is FAR from a fan-favorite...in fact, it seems rather...hated? I-I don't really think it deserves that kinda reputation, but yeah, if you don't like this song, thinking it's just annoying or mindless, well, I'm not gonna stop you there. I really can't. But dang it, it's just too darn catchy! This melody is SO infectious I can't shake it! With my other obvious underdog favorite, the Icelandic entry, I tried to justify my love for it. But with this one, I'm not even gonna try. I'd just look stupid. When this song comes on, I just turn my brain off and vibe to it, nothing more. It's not deep or anything, it just appeals to the monkey brain part of me that likes catchiness. And while I personally find this the fun catchy and not annoying catchy (like "Lock Me In" kinda was last year), if you see it the other way, go ahead. But just like the last time I loved an unpopular Polish entry in my own corner away from everyone, I'll do so this time too. Prediction: Do I even need to say anything here? OK, to be fair, when a Polish song gets hate, it's usually by other Polish people it seems....so, maybe people who can vote for it will? Fat chance, tho...I'm not counting on this qualifying at all. Of my two second semi underdogs, Iceland have more of a chance. But I'll at least enjoy this live once! Hope it sounds good live! XD

Song: "Ai Coração" by Mimicat Country: Portugal Thoughts: Well, this is certainly more energetic than Portgual's entries usually are! Much appreciated! Nice beat, and it appeals to that "being in love feels good" genre of song I've always said I really like. So....why is it that I'm not super into this? It can't be because of the genre, cuz I have liked songs of this flavor before (I'm scared to say what it is cuz I'm not 100% sure and I don't wanna misname it, just know that my first thought was "flamenco" even tho that's a flipping DANCE so yeah, am stupid) I do like this, but it's not something I'd listen to over and over. I like it in small doses, I guess. I definitely respect it for being unique. I can see this getting old if it wasn't surrounded by songs that bring out its uniqueness. Again, I like the lyrics, I like the beat, but there are a plethora of songs I prefer to listen to. Prediction: I'm gonna actually take a bit of a chance here and predict that they'll qualify despite being on the low end of the betting odds. And I won't mind if they do (as long as they're not the reason for...M-Malta....y'know...) but I won't mind if I'm wrong either. I just feel like I have enough confidence in Portugal at this point to make this prediction. They've qualified a fair number of times with odds worse than this, AND it's a unique song. It could happen. Will definitely not be a contender in the final, tho. It'll be in the right side of the board for sure. XD

Song: "D.G.T (Off And On)" by Theodor Andrei Country: Romania Thoughts: Man, so many good vocals this year....This is a REALLY good one. I could easily see this being a borderline favorite in a weaker year. I always have a good time listening to this, it's just that it falls short compared to the songs I love more. So, here we have a really unique genre blend of a song with a fun rhythm despite being about being in an on-and-off relationship with King Dedede! ....OK, th-that last part was a joke....but it still sounds so good! I love the vocals on this. This dude's rough voice is really good, and adds a lot to make the song stand out even more. I don't really have anything else to say, I just really like the sound of this whole song! There's nothing else like it! But at the same time, if you don't like this song, I understand why. It's not for everyone. Count me on the like side, tho! Prediction: Romania dead last in the betting odds with a good song would confuse me....if the same thing didn't happen literally last year too. XD I dunno what it is with Romania that makes everyone underestimate them, but anyway....Uhhhh, this song isn't quite as good as their last one, but it's still really good, so I wouldn't write it off either. But, they are performing early....in the weaker semifinal, tho....Uhhhh....this could go either way. I wouldn't be surprised at either result. It won't be robbed if it fails, cuz this kinda song is not gonna be everyone's thing, but at the same time...I do think some people are gonna give them a chance...? So, uh....I'm gonna say....they....won't qualify. I'M SORRY, I had to answer something, and Romania have had more poor results than good ones in recent years. That's ALL it comes down to for this. But it the same thing from last year happens again, I won't be complaining!

Song: "Like An Animal" by Piqued Jacks Country: San Marino Thoughts: Yet ANOTHER banger rock song, this one a bit more of traditional rock! MAN, I really can't explain why I like this so much, I just DO....Actually, my opinion of this song has similarities to my opinion of the one from Iceland...completely different songs, but hear me out! This is an otherwise unoutstanding song that is absolutely carried by its vocals, just like that one is. Yeah, there's not really much here. The lyrics are...well, pretty generic outside of the Aphrodite reference. But DANG IT, his voice just sells everything! I can't get enough of it! I don't even care if liking something from San Marino makes me look dumb, especially as a borderline favorite, when "Adrenalina" didn't rank that high...No, this is unironically great and I will not apologize! Eat your heart out, Maroon 5! ....Ah, no pun intended....O-oh, uh, they had a song called "Animal", and it was- s-sorry, I'll shut up, I'm sounding way too American right now, pffff..... Prediction: NOPE. Even if this song's performed well, it has NO chance. While I personally prefer it, most people will prefer Slovenia's rock song which is in the same semifinal, AND they're performed super close together. This song already was getting overshadowed, but that's not gonna help at ALL. Can't help but feel kinda bad, but...l-like I said before, my attention is gonna mostly go towards Australia, so it's whatever I guess....

Song: "Samo Mi Se Spava" by Luke Black Country: Serbia Thoughts: I reiterate from my previous update: What the heck is this and why does it sound so good?? Oh, wait, I know what it is now....it symbolizes insomnia that makes you loopy. Th-that has to be it, right? He's barely singing, and he has this creepy laugh toward the end- it sounds like he's losing his mind! I think I solved the mystery, holy crap! ...I'm joking, BTW, so don't take my interpretation as fact, pffff...but yeah, I still can't get enough of this song. I'm sorry....I know it's weird, but I get SO into it whenever I hear it. That beat is WAY too infectious....My weakness for synth music strikes again. XD It's addictive, dang it! I'd listen to an instrumental version of this song and love it just as much! This hits my brain is just the right way....Ironic that the title means "I just wanna sleep" with a beat that gives me so much energy! Those breaks are EVERYTHING,I swear! I hum them more than the actual vocals. XD Literally the only thing keeping me from naming this a favorite is that I can only call this a major guilty pleasure. It's not the kinda song I'd share with people and tell them I like it....I-I'm kinda embarrassed to say I like it so much. The vocals are just so....I-I dunno what to say....overdramatic? Nah, that's too mean, but...it's not the kinda thing that you can take seriously. But screw it....maybe it's genre bias, but I love this insomnia anthem and welcome it to my top ten. Prediction: Even tho this song won't be everyone's thing, it's WAAAAAAAYYYY too memorable to count out. Even when it's being performed super early, it will NOT be buried in the slightest. XD It also hasn't been as divisive as I expected, sooooo...yeah, Serbia will qualify! And probably won't be a top ten finish in the final, but probably close outside it.

Song: "Carpe Diem" by Joker Out Country: Slovenia Thoughts: You know you've got a group of great rock songs when THIS is the worst one! Geez, to say that makes me feel guilty....cuz I still really like this! Nice energy, nice beat, and I like that it's in Slovene! When this song comes on, I enjoy it a lot! But.....it just....got overshadowed by San Marino's song to me. I was comparing them at first to decide which one I liked more, and poor Slovenia lost pretty quickly as their competition in the rock department stole my heart. Sorry....but, if it's any consolation, I think I'm in the minority. I think for most people, it'll be the other way around. XD Prediction: I....I actually think Slovenia have a chance this year! They seem to be getting more attention than usual, which was a pleasant surprise! I have zero problem with this! ....Trust me, like I said before, I'm prepared to let San Marino, Poland, and Iceland all go in favor of Australia. So having this in instead of one of those is totally fine with me. It's one of the next best things replacement-wise. XD Just as long as nothing goes horribly wrong, I can see this in the final. It's NOT a shoo-in, and if it fails, I just hope it's so that a song I like more qualifies instead...Oh, and in the final, this will be far from the top of the board. Probably down pretty low, not in flop territory, but in the bottom half. About as well as a lot of rock songs usually do.

Song: "EAEA" by Blanca Paloma Country: Spain Thoughts: I don't wanna talk about this ooooooone.....>__< People really like it apparently, and it just makes me feel bad. I KNOW there's technical skill here. I know that kinda vocal isn't easy to maintain. I KNOW I should at least be giving it uniqueness points....but, I'm sorry, I just can't take this. I don't like listening to this at all, especially the chorus. I didn't think it'd grate on me as fast as it did....but welp. And yes, it's because of the vocals. Much like with "Suus" in 2012, just cuz I can respect a singer for doing things with their voicals, doesn't mean I have to find it enjoyable to listen to. And yes, I do respect this song at least a bit, but those ear-piercing wails are wayyyy too much for me and I actively want to skip it whenever it starts (previously, the only song I disliked enough to warrant that kinda response to me had been "Amar Pelos Dois"....and while I don't like this song, let's not get carried away, huh? This one at least has life in it) I feel like I might've angered at least a few people reading, so again, I'm sorry, this is just my take, that's all! Man, I didn't wanna bring back the 'dislike' tier anytime soon, especially not in a year where there are so many hits, but....I-I can't lie to myself. I just flat don't like this song. It's too annoying. Prediction: I'm in the minority, as this song is part of the top five in the betting odds as I type this. Because of that, I can assume that Spain might be faring better than they usually do. Maybe it'll be their second top ten finish in a row, which'll be cool, I guess! I personally don't want them too, obviously, but I hold no ill will towards anyone. Maybe I'm too uncultured or something, and if that's the case, I tried to understand it better, and still didn't like it. Buuuut.....I'll try to tolerate it. I don't wanna piss off anyone who does genuinely like this song.

Song: "Tattoo" by Loreen Country: Sweden Thoughts: Masterpiece. Yeah, getting that out there right away. This song is a whole masterpiece. EVERYTHING about this is perfection. This was definitely exactly what I wanted from the return of Loreen, containing the same atmosphere and unique, borderline-ethereal presence I remember loving before. The lyrics are also really great, showing desperation just to be loved, wanting to throw yourself at the feet of someone so badly...Now, I had to lower my expectations still, cuz "Euphoria" is an all-time favorite song for me and I expected lightning not to strike twice. And....yeah, I was right about that. This song is no doubt amazing, but it fell just short of being a favorite...at least, right now. It's my number eight, so it's first in line when one of my current favs fails to qualify from a semifinal. THEN it'll be up there. But yeah, it was tough to rank this. This is a song that deserves its acclaim, and I don't understand why I'm here ranking stuff like the Icelandic and Moldovan entries above it. My taste is weird.... Prediction: Now, for the big question - will she do it again? Will Sweden FINALLY tie Ireland's record? A lotta people seem to think that way! And Eurovision back in Sweden, a country that knows how to host very well, is certainly a tempting thought...but do I wanna put my eggs in this basket? I....I normally don't like to call a pick for winner before the contest starts, so I won't. But I do call at least a few potential winners, and this is one of them. But the thing is, even tho I love this song.....it's going up against Finland. In terms of fan-favorites, I'm not gonna lie to myself....I would LOVE to see Finland beat Sweden. That would be glorious. But that's only my opinion....I do think both of them have a chance (I personally can't see any of the other top-betted songs challenging either of them either, but that could change too), and I'd be happy with either. But no matter what, Loreen is doing well. She'll be in the top three. The juries will love her too. She's an art-eest, and the song is captivating and lyrical.

Song: "Watergun" by Remo Forrer Country: Switzerland Thoughts: HEY EVERYONE! Did you know that war is bad! Because WAR IS BAD! IT'S NOT A GAME! WAR BAD, PEOPLE DIE! THOSE GUNS ARE REAL! HAHAHA CORPSES IN BODYBAGS, ISN'T THIS FUN!? This song is exhausting. Why is it here? I'm sorry, I know people like it, but....this isn't what I want in my Eurovision. I don't watch Eurovision to be reminded of things like this. Eurovision should be FUN. Croatia made the same theme fun with their entry, so I gave them a pass. The same isn't true here. Whenever this song comes on, the mood dies. It kills the atmosphere, especially when it comes on after one of the fun songs. I'm sorry if I'm coming off as rude to a song with its heart in the right place, but this kinda thing has just never been it for me. This message of "war is bad" should be common knowledge at this point, and the fact that it apparently ISN'T just makes it worse, so we have TWO songs about it this year, just- no, we don't need it. BUT, with that all being said - this is still technically a good song. It does get its desired emotional response, and although I don't like the lyrics, they're still objectively good. I also give it credit for having an...actually pretty good buildup. This song has more life to it than "Wars For Nothing" did in 2015, so I at least like it more than that one (NOT more than "Non mi evete fatto niente" tho, that one's still the only downer song I've actually enjoyed). And even this year, this isn't my least-favorite song cuz it doesn't hurt my ears like the Spanish entry. But I still don't like this song, and would rather never hear it again. I do sympathize with it, and it does its job as a song, but this isn't the kind of thing I wanna associate with Eurovision. Prediction: When I learned about the voting changes, one of my first thoughts was being happy that the semifinals are 100% televotes and that means I won't have to worry about Switzerland qualifying by being jury bait.....but NOPE, turns, out a lot of people like this and are expecting it to do well....Crap....I really don't wanna hear this in the final and have it bring its sour mood along with it, ugh.....Especially when this is the same semifinal I'm gonna likely lose Malta! I might lose Malta, and Moldova too, in favor of THIS! And there are a lot of other good songs, and it'll be stealing a spot from one them! Whyyyyyyyy!? I do not approve!! >.< But, ugh....I will admit that this song is....memorable....so yeah, I can see it qualifying, sadly. I gotta look at this rationally, and yeah, they have a chance....ugh....FINE, I'll predict they'll qualify. And in the final, they're....not gonna flop, cuz the juries will give them points. Maybe...c-close to the top ten...They'll do a lot better than I want them to.

Song: "Heart Of Steel" by TVORCHI Country: Ukraine Thoughts: After being denied the right to host, at least Ukraine didn't lose auto-finalist privileges! Good for them, cuz otherwise.....I, uh....probably wouldn't think much of this. I-I'm sorry, I know this is yet another unpopular opinion, but....this song's just...not a standout for me. I do definitely like it, and I enjoy it when it comes on. I especially like the orchestral breakdown at the bridge. That part's cool. But...listening to the lyrics, I can tell that this is trying to be yet another pump-up song, but it just falls so flat when it's competing with the rock and metal songs this year. That's STEEP competition. Don't get me wrong, the lyrics are still good, and I'd say this song does its job. There's just a lot better this year, and I feel bad for saying that. Prediction: Oh, this one's easy! Definitely somewhere in the top ten. Won't win, but will still get a fair amount of televotes dogpiled on them. They're already a fan-favorite, it seems, so, it's inevitable. XD MAYBE top five, but I'll be less specific this time and say, yeah, top ten, guaranteed.

Song: "I Wrote A Song" by Mae Muller Country: United Kingdom Thoughts: Man, what a good one to finish off the list, huh? This song's so fun! I hope it's not a bad take to say that this has some of the best lyrics of the whole bunch....cuz it does. Well, at least to me. I don't even wanna explain them, cuz they kinda speak for themselves! This is one of the most passive-aggressive revenge songs I've heard in recent memory and it is GLORIOUS. Yeah, she could've broken down, but instead, she's gonna break HIM and let everyone know about it. And she's TOTALLY NOT BITTER ABOUT IT at all! WOO! That's the spirit! Go get him! I especially love when she says she's done such a good job at keeping her composure. "My mother would be so proud", she says. XD This song just reeks of "death blow with a smile" and I flipping love it. I'm all for songs about getting over heartbreak, but stuff like this is such a fun change of pace. Music-wise, it's not a favorite of mine and there's plenty of songs I'd rather listen to, but the lyrics alone raise this song to greatness. (And honestly, writing is a good coping mechanism. I would know...) Prediction: While they're currently doing well in the betting odds, I really hesitate to say that I think lightning will strike twice in a row for the UK....but this song is really good, so maybe? I-I can't see it flopping, at least...? But I wouldn't call it a front-runner, so...top 15 or so? Maybe I'm underselling them....? I wouldn't mind them in the top ten, so....OK, fine, I'll say 10-15....I-I just don't wanna oversell them, either....at least, it won't soar as highly as the Space Man did....

Aaaaaaand, there we go, that's all of them! If you read all that, I'm sorry, but thank you for being patient with my word vomit! I had a LOT to say about most of these! But if you also scrolled ahead for my rankings, you're valid too, so I'll give you what you want already. XD Here's my rankings!

Favorites:

1. Australia 2. Finland 3. Malta 4. Norway 5. Poland 6. Iceland 7. Moldova

Borderline Favorites:

8. Sweden 9. Germany 10. Serbia 11. San Marino

Really Like:

12. France 13. Romania 14. Austria 15. Cyprus 16. Belgium 17. Czechia 18. Slovenia 19. UK 20. Denmark 21. Latvia 22. Italy

Like:

23. Lithuania 24. Armenia 25. Ukraine 26. Azerbaijan 27. Georgia 28. Israel 29. Croatia 30. Ireland 31. Portugal 32. Albania 33. Greece 34. Netherlands

Indifferent:

35. Estonia

Dislike:

36. Switzerland 37. Spain

[deep-hearts-core]

2010 - final

originally posted 6/20/20

Spain Daniel Diges really held it together through the stage invasion, good for him! The staging is really weird though, with the dolls and stuff, it feels a little like a Nutcracker ripoff to me tbh. Daniel has a good voice but I'm really not sold on the song - like yeah he sounds good but the SONG doesn't. Norway My Heart Is Yours is such a good song... it was killed by being a host entry and by Didrik's obvious vocal fatigue though. I liked the simple staging but I feel like it could also have been done well with more activity onstage... this is very good and it remains very good but it's not, like, GREAT, the vocals were obviously not as good as they could have been and compared to the showbiz of 1. Fairytale and 2. the songs coming on either side it does look kinda boring in comparison. United Kingdom The live vocals here are so laughably terrible. Obviously the entire production is subpar - the only thing even mildly good was the setpiece - but those vocals... the backing vocalists were so out of tune and it's not like Josh was any better. And the song was just pathetic. Like maybe it might have been good in the 1980s but I doubt even that, and in 2010 it really was just dated. France I have mixed feelings about this one. The song is fun and so is the performance! Jessy Matador is really fun to watch, he's putting so much into his stage performance and it truly pays off. However, I don't like that the song was almost entirely sung by the backing singers. Like, at least give them feature billing on the song or something? They're good singers idk it just feels weird to me that Jessy was the one given full billing on this one and he didn't actually sing for like half the song. Germany Lena is so cute onstage and Satellite is so fun! Staging was nice and simple and allowed Lena to really show off her personality, the same way the song showed off her unique voice. This is absolutely a deserved winner! My top 39

Ukraine

Germany

Romania

Cyprus

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Denmark

Turkey

Russia

Croatia

Belgium

Georgia

Slovenia

Norway

Albania

Azerbaijan

North Macedonia

Sweden

Moldova

Ireland

Serbia

Portugal

Iceland

Slovakia

France

Finland

Poland

Lithuania

Netherlands

Estonia

Bulgaria

Malta

Armenia

Greece

Switzerland

Latvia

Israel

Spain

Belarus

United Kingdom

Voting/intervals I so love Graham Norton - he's funny, but he's also very respectful of the contest, and I think that's why he's become such an icon among the commentators in recent years. Every time they feature him on the broadcasts I really enjoy it. That whole "all of Europe dances along" interval was really cool! I do wonder how they managed to get that many people together in the places like Vilnius, Ljubljana, and a few others to just dance in the streets like that... not surprised by Germany though because they really like Eurovision over there and the Reeperbahn is like a Big Thing. The song went off too. The Polish spokesperson really said "These are the results of the Polish people, from Poland", like??? Watching this with German commentary is so funny because Peter Urban is just slowly losing his mind throughout the whole thing... he's been their commentator since 1997 I believe and so this was the best result Germany had seen since 2000 if I remember correctly... he's just "I can't believe it" and "wow they're coming in from all over Europe" it's kind of sweet actually. He was the same in 2018 with Michael Schulte too. Lena is so fucking adorable!!! Kissing Rybak, hiding behind the German flag, asking if she has to sing again... shes so baby I love her.

Thoughts after watching 2010 was a really strong year and I love watching it! Nadia, Erik, and Haddy all did a good job as hosts, the stage wasn't too big which is a fucking miracle at this point, I love the winner, I really enjoy most of the songs. Postcards were eh but Norway did a good job programming the intervals and I thought Share The Moment was a nice slogan.

[nqynhhh]

The Entangled Relationship: Reality TV Shows and Social Media

This week, I will discuss the impact of reality television shows on social media. Reality TV and social media are like the ultimate BFFs taking over entertainment. They feed off each other in this crazy way that keeps us all hooked. Reality shows give us drama, juicy characters, and something to obsess over, and then social media lets us explode about it all with our friends (or the whole world). It's like a never-ending cycle of entertainment that we just can't seem to get enough of!!

Reality TV shows are like the water cooler chats of today, but way more dramatic and happening live! Studies show that when a hot reality show is on, people jump on social media like Twitter and Facebook to chat about it with everyone – literally, tweets about the show can go up by over 300% (Highfield et al., 2013)! It's like everyone's watching and freaking out (or maybe swooning) together online. Viewers use social media to share their immediate reactions to the drama unfolding on screen, make predictions about what might happen next, and engage with other fans of the show by commenting, sharing memes, or live-tweeting their thoughts (Wohn & Na, 2011). for example, People use social media to share their wild reactions to what just happened ("Did you SEE what A did?!"), guess what might go down next ("Do you think B will pick C?"), and connect with other fans who are just as obsessed ("OMG I can't believe that twist!"). Shows are even starting to use this social media buzz to their advantage. Some have live polls where viewers vote on what happens next, or they share exclusive behind-the-scenes stuff online to keep us even more hooked (Buschow et al., 2014).

But it's not all fun and games. Research also suggests that reality TV can actually influence how we think and talk about things on social media. For instance, one study showed that exposure to reality dating shows led participants to hold more stereotypical beliefs about gender roles and romantic relationships (Tukachinsky & Eyal, 2018). So, the drama we see on screen might be shaping how we see things in real life!

So, reality TV has become this wild social media beast. It sparks conversations, fuels online friendships (or arguments!), and even changes how we think about the world. It's a wild ride, but it's important to be aware of how it might be influencing our thoughts and interactions online and maybe even beyond.

References:

Buschow, C., Schneider, B., & Ueberheide, S. (2014). Tweeting television: Exploring communication activities on Twitter while watching TV. Communications, 39(2), 129–149.

Highfield, T., Harrington, S., & Bruns, A. (2013). TWITTER AS A TECHNOLOGY FOR AUDIENCING AND FANDOM: The #Eurovision phenomenon. Information, Communication & Society, 16(3), 315–339.

Tukachinsky, R., & Eyal, K. (2018). The Psychology of Marathon Television Viewing: Antecedents and Viewer Involvement. Mass Communication & Society, 21(3), 275–295.

Wohn, D. Y., & Na, E. K. (2011). Tweeting about TV: Sharing television viewing experiences via social media message streams. First Monday, 16(3).

[dearyallfrommatt]

“The Winner“

Bobby Bare’s an interesting figure in country music. During the ‘60s, he was one of mainstream country’s biggest stars with not only his own compositions becoming country music standard but he was also very active in bringer more younger, more daring songwriters. He was an early champion of Kris Kristofferson and had a fair number of hits written by folkies like Tom Paxton. He was always solid Nashville, though, and would cut an album that had a Dylan cover on one side and a song making fun of, well, earnest, poetry-minded songwriters like His Bobness.

When the Outlaw thing came along in the ‘70s, he was one of the old guard (like Johnny Cash) who got thrown in with them without really changing his sound. He grew his hair out a bit and started wearing interesting cowboy hats but was still playing the same thinking man’s country music. This song comes from an album of songs written by poet/songwriter/jester Shel Silverstein called Bobby Bare Sings Lullabys, Legends, & Lies. It was released in 1973 and reached Number Five, his highest-charting album. It was recorded live in front of a few dozen friends, family, and general honky-tonk heroes and is one of the best things in existence.

It was re-released on 1976′s The Winner And The Losers. Country music used to do that all the time, and this was the same recording but cast in a different light with a collection of loosely related songs concerning, well, winners and losers. It’s also the album that “Drop Kick Me, Jesus” is on if you need to hear that.

Bare stayed a reliable chart presence through his last major-label album, Drinkin’ From The Bottle, Singin’ From The Heart in 1983, leaning heavily into the whole “thinkin’ man’s beer joint country singer who occasionally does songs like ‘Drop Kick Me, Jesus’ as well” thing. He more or less retired after that, releasing the occasional Christmas album before teaming up with Jerry Reed, Mel Tillis, and Waylon Jennings for the Old Dogs records. His son Bobby Jr. started making a name for himself on the indie rock scene with the same sort of smart, heart-on-the-sleave wiseass sort of stuff his dad championed. He also got the old man back into recording, starting with 2005′s The Moon Was Blue.

He’s still out there playing music for the smart guy on the crew when he’s three beers into a six-pack and hasn’t yet talked himself into an ass-whipping. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016, was re-inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2018, and came in third (duet with Peter Øien) in the 2012 Eurovision Contest. All of that is true.

[isaacathom]

..... i hope the reason i didnt understand ukraines song is because im stupid and not because of like..... weird shit involving audio quality, accent and mumbling