#eurovision song contest 19

[grunge-mermaid]

I know- I KNOW- she said "my heart is on fire" but all I heard was "my panties on fire" girl you gotta get that checked

[fandom]

TV Shows

Another big year for that show that hasn't aired since 2020.

Good Omens +20

The Owl House

Stranger Things -2

The Last of Us

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles +15

Our Flag Means Death -3

Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir -1

Succession +2

Adventure Time +72

Supernatural -2

Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake

Ted Lasso +48

Shadow and Bone +35

The Mandalorian +15

Doctor Who

The Eurovision Song Contest +16

Interview with the Vampire +11

Danny Phantom +12

House of the Dragon -14

Heartstopper -7

The Witcher -12

Wednesday

What We Do in the Shadows -16

Warrior Nun

9-1-1 -7

Hannibal -1

Yellowjackets

Merlin +18

The Sandman -17

Ahsoka

Young Royals +33

Avatar: The Last Airbender -1

Sonic Prime

One Piece

Loki -2

South Park +11

Teen Wolf +20

Lego Monkie Kid +31

The Dragon Prince

Percy Jackson and the Olympians -16

Steven Universe +3

Andor +28

Don't Hug Me I'm Scared

The Bad Batch

Bridgerton -18

Abbott Elementary +50

Ninjago +8

Arcane -44

Obi-Wan Kenobi -33

Breaking Bad -7

My Adventures with Superman

Riverdale +4

The Legend of Vox Machina -2

9-1-1: Lone Star +8

Star Wars: The Clone Wars -14

KinnPorsche -39

Gravity Falls -31

The Untamed -19

The Winchesters

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine +4

The Rookie

House MD

Castlevania

Golden Globes

Game of Thrones -21

Criminal Minds +5

The Academy Awards -14

The Muppets

Outer Banks

Ghosts +18

Daisy Jones & The Six

Star Wars Rebels

The Simpsons +13

Amphibia -61

The Bear

Lockwood & Co.

Willow

Star Trek: The Original Series +1

Love in the Air +11

Inside Job

Community +3

Velma

Better Call Saul -34

Only Friends

Columbo +12

The Grammy Awards

Buffy the Vampire Slayer -17

Gotham -16

The Screen Actors Guild Awards

Phineas and Ferb

My School President

Clone High

Supergirl -56

Moon Knight -84

The Walking Dead

The Sanremo Music Festival

Moonlight Chicken

Black Sails -22

Invader Zim -14

The number in italics indicates how many spots a title moved up or down from the previous year. Bolded titles weren’t on the list last year.

[doyoulikethissong-poll]

Antique - Opa Opa 1999

"Opa Opa" is a song originally by Greek singer Notis Sfakianakis, released as a single from his second album Ise Ena Pistoli in 1992. It is a laïko dance song and was written and produced by singer Giorgos Alkaios.

The song has been covered by a number of artists, taking it to further success abroad. In 1999, Swedish-Greek duo Antique covered it as their debut single with Eurodance elements, reaching the top ten across Scandinavia. Despina Vandi recorded an English-language cover, which reached the top 20 of several markets in Europe and North America.

Antique is a Greek singing duo consisting of Helena Paparizou and Nikos Panagiotidis, originating from Sweden and combining Greek popular music and lyrics with a Nordic dance-pop beat. Both Paparizou and Panagiotidis were born and raised in Sweden by Greek parents. In 2001, Antique represented Greece at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "(I Would) Die For You", ending with a third place, and in 2005 Paparizou went solo and won the contest for Greece with "My Number One". After 19 years of hiatus the group reunited in March 2022 and released a cover hit song from 90's meant to be their comeback in music industry.

"Opa Opa" received a total of 66,6% yes votes!

[gothhabiba]

going back to my point comparing Eurovision to food writing in its capacity to help Israel whitewash atrocities and present itself as lively, peaceful, pluralistic, and cultured, check out this 1979 article that makes my point for me:

Israel has witnessed a number of "firsts" lately. The first peace treaty was signed with an Arab country, Israel hosted the Eurovision song contest for the first time for 19 European contestants and, for the second year in a row, won first place. One month ago, the first native-born (Sabra) Israeli was appointed by Hilton International as chef of a Hilton hotel. [...] As part of the Eurovision festivities, the Hilton Hotel hosted what was to be a reception after the telecast [...]. After Israel won first place, it became a victory party [...]. Chef Brueh and his staff worked three days preparing all kosher dishes for the 19 countries participating.

The author of the article (Sybil Zimmerman) appends six recipes: hummus, falafel, pita, eggplant salad, tchina [sic], and Turkish coffee. What's odd is that Chef Brueh doesn't serve any of these dishes at the Hotel... the author seems to have felt compelled to add "Israeli recipes" that glommed more with their idea of what "Israeli cuisine" was than Brueh's "avocado soup" did

[andiatas]

Petra Mede may be called "the queen of Eurovision", but now she has to watch out because the competition in Malmö can count on real royal stardom.

According to information given to Aftonbladet, Crown Princess Victoria will visit the competition. The whole family, including Prince Daniel and the couple's children, Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar, is said to be coming along.

- Yes, that is the plan, says an informant, who simultaneously emphasizes that it may change based on the current security situation.

The Eurovision Song Contest, other events, and the security situation in Sweden generally have meant that the police have stepped up into a "national special event" until the end of May. During the competition, the police in Malmö will receive reinforcements from the rest of Sweden, Denmark, and Norway.

According to information given to Aftonbladet, the Royal Court is therefore currently holding discussions with both SVT and the police to ensure that the Crown Princess Family will be able to attend the competition, even though the visit has been planned for several months.

One of Aftonbladet's sources says it is intended as a surprise, but then security probably comes into play a lot.

The Royal Court's Director of the Information Department, Margareta Thorngren, partially confirms Aftonbladet's information but does not want to go into any details:

"There is planning around the royal presence at Eurovision. We will get back to you later on these plans," she writes in a text message.

Translation done by yours truly of an article from Aftonbladet, published April 17, 2024, at 19:01. The text has also been edited by me for clarity.

Note: If this happens, I want the cameramen to occasionally pan over to the Crown Princess Family only to show Prince Oscar sitting there with the most unimpressed expression ever. Piano on fire? Unimpressed Oscar. Man in a giant hamster wheel? Unimpressed Oscar. Someone riding a confetti canon? Unimpressed Oscar.

[arabela25]

Eurovision Song Contest 2023 countdown: 19 days left!

Due Vite - Marco Mengoni, Italy 🇮🇹

[hiwataris-bitch]

My ESC 2024 ranking

Although I'm not as into ESC this year as I was the year before, I still wanted to do the ranking. It's kinda rushed since I have only listened to some of the songs for the first time yesterday, but my top 10 was established long before that so who cares. Anyways, here goes:

1-10 Best songs ever:

1. Finland - I LOVE THEM I LOVE THIS SONG THIS IS THE BEST SONG EVERYONE ELSE GO HOME. Finland sending banger again this year. My absolute favourite.

2. Austria - another huge banger, brings me back to early 2000s and I really love the lyrics

3. Poland - okay, look, I KNOW she doesn't sing all that well live. But I really like the song itself so let me have this one. It's gonna be a miracle if we qualify, but still I just like the song.

4. Switzerland - opera and rap in one song? I didn't expect myself to like it as much as I do, but it's just so catchy!

5. United Kingdom - another catchy song for me I can listen to on repeat (maybe slightly less than I can listen to Poland, but still good)

6. San Marino - great rock tune, another song that brings me back to the 2000s, although in a different way than Austria does.

7. Croatia - although they're only 7th on my list, I won't be mad if this wins, because just like San Marino, it is another solid, good rock entry.

8. Netherlands - you can clearly see my taste for crazy performances in this top 10, so it would be an offence if I didn't put the Netherlands here as well. It isn't my favourite, but still a song I like and enjoy very much.

9. Spain - okay, maybe the performance I saw on youtube made me put it higher than I would, I'm not really sure. But I have listened to this song quite a lot since it released.

10. Estonia - to complete my ultimate crazy tunes group for this year, they also closes my top 10. They make a perfect team with Finland, Croatia and the Netherlands. My top 10 would be just top 4 if it wasn't for some other songs that also turned out to be good..

11-20 Songs I like very much:

11. Albania - she was SO CLOSE to making it to my top 10, but I liked the other songs slightly more. Still, 11th place is the lowest I will ever put this song, because for whatever reason it really speaks to me.

12. Iceland - originally it was lower on my list, but after some time I decided it was way too catchy so it had to be moved up. It's really pleasant to listen to.

13. Czechia - I've read comments complaining she can't sing live. Maybe. But just like with Poland, I just like the song and you're not going to change my mind. Nobody listens to live versions after the contest ends anyway, unless they're rewatching the performances.

14. Luxembourg - tbh my places 12-14 kept being rearranged since I like all three of these songs almost equally as much. I am really happy to see Luxembourg return to Eurovision and I think they chose a great song for their return. It's one of the earworms for me.

15. Italy - just like above, places 15-17 kept switching for me. And although I listen to this song a lot, to the point I often skip it now when it comes on my spotify, I cannot in good conscience put it any lower. Even though I listened to it too much I still have to appreciate how good of a song this is.

16. Sweden - I've only listened to it today, but Sweden brings a high production quality this year as well (honestly, what'd you expect from them?). It is a good song, although it doesn't really do anything special for me. Still, It's just pleasant to listen to.

17. Moldova - similar to Sweden, but production value is slightly lower. But I just like fast songs.

18. Lithuania - honestly, I am slightly surprised I put it above Cyprus, because unlike Cyprus, I can barely recall this song. But I like it when I listen to it. Also, good for Lithuania for not singing in English, that is always refreshing to hear.

19. Cyprus - could be switched with Lithuania, but when I actually listen to both these songs one after another, I actually like Cyprus slightly less. They used to be higher on my list, but sadly, their song is a bit too average for me.

20-29 Song I don't care about all that much:

20. Latvia - okay, I lied, I care about this song. I don't usually listen to slower tunes, they have to actually make me feel something, and this one does. I wish I could put it higher, but I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with it.

21. Australia - I mean, it is fine, but too generic. Still, a faster tune will always be slightly higher on my list.

22. Georgia - similar to Australia, except I care about this one even less.

23. Slovenia - another love-hate for me. I appreciate this song and how different it is, I really do. But I can only listen to it once in a while, otherwise I get overwhelmed. Anyway, I like them a bit more because my name's also Veronika (except spelled with W and not V)

24. Denmark - they're... just fine I guess.

25. Germany - an okay song I can listen to and forget immediately. Just like with Denmark, except I forget this one even faster.

26. Belgium - I remember this one, it's just really not my cup of tea. Like, it is a good song, just not really something I listen to.

27. Malta - okay, now this is a bit annoying of a song. I will listen to it if it's on the radio or something, but I wouldn't choose to listen to it on my own free will.

28. Ukraine - look, it isn't a bad song, definitely better than Malta. But it sounds just like many other songs we've heard from Ukraine and honestly, I'm just bored of them.

29. Norway - another not a bad song, but has some parts that annoy me. Would be much higher without them. It's simply too heavy for me at some parts.

30-37 I literally couldn't care less:

30. Azerbaijan - what ever this is, sorry, I barely remember this song, I don't even know why I put it as high as I did, I guess it was less annoying than the others.

31. Portugal - I kinda like the instrumental, but it is a slow song and not a type of a slow song I would ever listen to.

32. Serbia - I don't like ballads.

33. Greece - I'm sorry, it's just too annoying to listen to...

34. Armenia - okay, it's better than Greece in that it's not annoying, but I just don't listen to this kind of music.

35. Ireland - girl, I appreciate your style, but your song is too much for me.

36. France - no. Sorry, just no.

37. Israel - why are you here, y'all know what you did. You know what you're doing.

[diudiudiu]

My AO3 Fanfics

Updates can be slow with what my adhdass brain decides to place focus on but rest assured I aim to complete all my fics. I'll try to keep this post up to date with where I'm at with them.

AO3 link for all of my works: @bogteats

Currently working on:

[2024-03-12] reverse the script ch5 (writing...slowly)

In-progress

[M] reverse the script [4/?] - Actor/Celeb AU

Or, in which, Enid is ecstatic when she manages to bag the coveted lead role for the highly-anticipated reboot TV show of The Abrams Family as dark and broody titular character, Winter Abrams. If only she didn’t butt heads so much with her on-screen roommate, but off-screen, rival-ish, co-star.

Working on ch5 with bits here and there for ch5+. Chapter outline is...ongoing constant review lol.

[M] sink your teeth into me (and i'll do the same) [1/7] - Vampire AU

Or, in which, Wednesday finds herself making a deal and living with a rather unconventional vampire roommate.

Bits of ch2 done. Have ideas where it will go but need to figure out rest of outline. Prolly 7-8 chapters.

[E] our immeasurable ties that bind [8/19] - ABO/Omegaverse AU

Or, in which, Enid’s new life under a hidden identity is disrupted when she’s reunited with her child’s uninformed sire.

Finally completed story outline with chapters and rest of planning. Prolly 19 chaps but who knows 🥴

Upcoming (not posted yet)

[E] TBA (the nature of idiosyncrasies pt. 2) [0/1] - ABO/Omegaverse AU

One-shot set post pt. 1, or two-shot if it grows too long. Half-ish done. It is not half done at all lol.

[E] TBA (the nature of idiosyncrasies ABO swap AU retelling) [0/?] - ABO/Omegaverse AU

Plan is an absolute mess but it's vaguely there with a whole bunch of thoughts and ideas. Ch1 is nowhere near done.

Completed

Since I don't have a beta reader, all mistakes are mine and completed fics will undergo ongoing fixing of typos etc. whenever I spot them or have time.

[T] parce que toi et moi, ça fonctionne (même si ça ne devrait pas) [8/8] - Eurovision/Celeb AU

Or, in which, aspiring singer-songwriter, Enid Sinclair, tries to do more than win the biggest international song contest for the glory of France when she meets other front runner entry, Los Locos Addams, from Spain.

[E] the nature of idiosyncrasies [18/18] - ABO/Omegaverse AU

Or, in which, after Pugsley destroys a decent chunk of the Addams’ residence, they take this opportunity to do some redecorating. Upon recommendation by their mutual friend Eugene, Enid takes the project, not realizing it’s the home of her high school, kind-of, crush.

[E] hello there, it's me, the bull in a china shop [1/1] - 5+1 fic

Or, five times Enid tries to seduce Wednesday and the one time she doesn’t.

[T] what was i made for (and does it even matter) [7/7] - Christmas AU

Or, in which, Christmas elf Enid tries to win the ultimate promotion to Santa’s personal assistant by fulfilling one of the most difficult Christmas wishes: finding love for a human Grinch.

[borisbubbles]

Eurovision 2023: #20 - #19

20. AZERBAIJAN TuranTuralX - "Tell me more" 34th place

Decade Ranking: 58/116 [Above Achille, below Anxela]

lmfao, the twins made my top 20?! I mean, yeah 2023. Of course they made my top 20. [AlexaVoice] PLEASE LEAVE A VOICE MESSAGE WITH YOUR COMPLAINT FOR VERTICAL CLASSIFICATION IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. [/AlexaVoice]

Now here's an entry that serves as a physical embodiment of the "Presence That Was Liked". Yeah it was mid, but a pleasant mid. The twins were never leaving the semifinal alive. They were always going to be the sacrificial lambs of the newly invented "No Jurors During Semi's rule" which specifically targeted Azerbaijan (and... props to Azer for accepting their fate? lol) Turan and Tural were never being more than passengers along for a ride, which they took to heart.

"Tell me more" was all it needed to be. An inconspicuous NQ that was still cute and endearing in its own sort of way. The dreamy and drawly vibe

The imitation 70s aesthetic that convincingly sells the 90s softrock.

Add in a rap verse during minute one, a couple of fashionable scarfs, good camera cuts,...

Yeah "Tell me more" had zero televote appeal (this 100% dies even with juries being in), but as an entry it's refreshingly unpretentious and especially from Azerbaijan, wtf? Usually Azer pick some shitty Swedish pop track and force it on a conventionally attractive jazz muppet who then can't be bothered to do preparties or interviews. This year, their rep was a pair of homely deer-in-headlight twinkbeasts operating under a myspace name who were actually happy to be there and actively mingled with the fans. There some delicious irony and melodramatic twang to be found in the knowledge that by effectively throwing their 2023 qualification, Azer have shown more respect to the contest than they'd ever done before.

--------------------------------------------

19. FRANCE La Zarra - "Évidemment" 16th place

Decade ranking: 56/116 [Above Anxela, below El Diablo]

Yes I know what you're here for;

But you'll have to wait because I am here to rate the performance first. Yep, slightly ahead of the MySpace Twinks on my list seems just about right for a La Zarra. "Évidemment" represent the other side of "mid", the one where the promise is large and the delivery not quite as large. As a song "Évidemment" was kind of a blueballer: Sure, it had a lot of poise, flair, drama, a wee bit of camp and yet...barely any substance. It was The French Entry, like that was its entire identity, almost to a point of parody. And well, France competes every year and is usually better than "LES POISSONS LES POISSONS HI HI HI HÔN HÔN HÔN". donc, pleurez-moi une rivière de pute. I'm having a laugh but seriously, not picking a lane between serious attempt and self-deprecating satire that was the difference between a sixth place and a sixteenth place.

Still, I at first thought France were headed towards a disastrous bottom five result, especially after that rehearsal clip implied LaZarra was on the same Vocal Rest Tonics as Mae Muller. I WAS GONNA BE PROVEN RIGHT AND VINDICATED!!! and well, I was but not about her. (ty Blanca Paloma, we'll rank you soon enough)

When it mattered most, La Zarra got it together, and NAILED that epic big note.

No complaints from me about that live. It was a good live and did what it needed to do. I like it when the headliners deliver what they're supposed to (see also: Azer delivering a pleasant NQ) because it makes the show better overall. Obviously that doesn't erase the fact that (1) the song was mid as fuck (2) the staging was daft at best. ("MON DIEUX I WEAR HAUTE COUTURE, ACT LIKE A DIVA, AM THE EIFFEL TOWER, SOUND LIKE PIAF, LOOK THERE'S A TRICOLORE I AM SOOOO FRENCH!!" um no ur not, ur from Montréal stfu).

Okay so now we address this:

Sure, an uproarious voting moment and it was sooooo stank, but was it fun stank? 🤔 idk.

On one hand, LMFAO WHAT AN ENTITLED FUCKING SOW. 😍😍😍😍😍. The Xwitter trolls immediately began spinning their fanfictions all "WELL ACTUALLY what she did was a secret gesture of respect in Maghrebian cultures" like bitch, she's (1) a QUEBECOIS (2) who cosplayed as the Eiffel Tower and a disco ball unironically, how hinged do you think she is? Her gesture definitely was the sort of melodramatic Egomaniac reaction I'd expect from someone who deliberately caused a pre-show stir by posting an Insta Story all "It's getting to me!!! I'm QUITTING 😭😭 // Cigarettes: "Eurovision?! 😨" // La Zarra: ".... non i meant the gluten, mdrrrr!!!!! 😆". So yes, the moment itself was pretty funnay 2 me, esp since she got twice points I thought's she'd get.

On the other hand, um take a seat you entitled fucking sow. There is serving cunt and then there is straight up being a cunt. The difference is that you have to earn your glamourcunt label and you, madame, were always in "Good but not Great" territory. Be grateful there were any scraps left for you after Käärijä and Loreen gobbled.

In conclusion, lmfao i kinda dislike her as a person (but better she show the world how rude and misguided she is after losing than after getting a top ten) and I genuinely enjoy thinking about her messiness more than listening to her music. 🙂 (so I guess that makes her Taylor Swift.)

Besides, around 16th is where France usually ends up at anyway, so I think they got precisely what they were aiming for, GJ France. 🙂 Now let's not think about this country until the end of March, when it becomes semi-important for me to remember what their entrant's (who?) song (what?) sounds like again.

THE RANKING

[sunflower--meadows]

Day 3 of Go_A facts until their Edinburgh concert

Solovey, meaning nightingale in Ukrainian, was the band's original Eurovision entry for the 2020 contest which was unfortunately cancelled due to the COVID 19 pandemic. The song is a lament as the singer expresses how they are no longer able to be with the person they long for.

Personally I don't think this would have done better than Shum at Eurovision.

[nearmidnightannex]

Eurovision: still a gift, still giving

Cha cha cha! Eurovision stars dominate UK Top 10 after record-breaking final (theguardian.com) Safi Bugel Fri 19 May 2023 18.05 BST

Winning singer Loreen reaches No 2 and fan favourite Käärijä earns first ever Finnish-language hit in the UK

For the first time in UK chart history, four songs from the Eurovision song contest have entered the Top 10 at once.

Representing Sweden, this year’s winner Loreen has reached the No 2 spot with her entry Tattoo, a bombastic pop-meets-EDM ballad which explores themes of love and acceptance. It’s the second time the singer has won Eurovision and the second time she’s entered the UK chart: her last winning entry, Euphoria, peaked at Number 3 in 2012...

[...] Joining Loreen is Finland’s Käärijä at No 6. The neon-bolero-clad vocalist became a fan favourite at the Liverpool-hosted final on Saturday night with his exhilarating performance of Cha Cha Cha, a romp through sleazy industrial sounds and high-camp Eurodance which landed him second place. The achievement also marks the first time a fully Finnish-language song has made the UK charts in its 71-year history.

Despite coming second to last in the final, the UK’s entry Mae Muller has clocked in at No 9 this week with I Wrote a Song, her Dua Lipa-esque mashup of sugary pop and Ibizan tech house. “It’s been a weird couple of days, but this has just been such an amazing end to my Eurovision journey,” she said. “I’m so, so grateful.”

Norway representative Alessandra follows at No 10 with her epic avant-pop anthem Queen of Kings, which reached fifth place on Saturday....

I am very glad that “Cha cha cha” is finding different audiences and being successful outside Eurovision itself. (’Cause he wuz robbed!) (Also, weirdly impressed that the Guardian ran with the main image being Kaarija rather than Loreen, given everything. They may be as surprised as I was to hear that an entirely Finnish-language song was making it big in British radio and radio-like substances. That said, describing “Tattoo” as “a bombastic pop-meets-EDM ballad” would seem to indicate that maybe it wasn’t their favorite.)

[fandom]

TV Shows

So much sci-fi and fantasy—almost like you’re looking for an escape. Weird!

Stranger Things +51

The Owl House +1

Our Flag Means Death

Arcane

House of the Dragon

Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir -1

What We Do In The Shadows +39

Supernatural -7

The Witcher +9

Succession

Moon Knight

The Sandman

Heartstopper

Amphibia +6

Doctor Who +2

Obi-Wan Kenobi

KinnPorsche

9-1-1 +7

Hawkeye +52

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles +58

Good Omens -6

Euphoria +45

The Umbrella Academy +3

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Hannibal -13

Gravity Falls +5

Bridgerton -8

Interview with the Vampire

The Mandalorian -25

Danny Phantom -3

Avatar: The Last Airbender -22

Eurovision Song Contest -16

Loki -31

The Book of Boba Fett

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

Bad Buddy

Don't Hug Me I'm Scared

Supergirl -17

The Untamed -25

Killing Eve +48

Star Wars: The Clone Wars -9

Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Breaking Bad

Steven Universe -20

Game Of Thrones +23

Merlin -13

South Park +37

Shadow and Bone -40

Baymax!

Better Call Saul

The Legend of Vox Machina

First Kill

The Boys

The Academy Awards

Ninjago

Riverdale -12

Teen Wolf -10

Derry Girls

Young Justice

Ted Lasso -21

Chucky

9-1-1: Lone Star -13

Druck -53

Young Royals -14

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine +9

Squid Game -44

Ms. Marvel

A League of Their Own

Lego Monkie Kid

Andor

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Criminal Minds -38

Gotham

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power -37

The Wheel Of Time

Cobra Kai -19

Black Sails +17

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series +1

Wandavision -73

Star Trek: The Original Series

Adventure Time -52

Extraordinary Attorney Woo

The Emmy Awards

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier -77

Community -13

Invader Zim -35

The Simpsons -14

Lucifer -48

Ghosts -23

Not Me

Love In The Air

Over The Garden Wall

Bee and PuppyCat

Legacies -13

Infinity Train -60

Abbott Elementary

The Flash

Columbo

Animaniacs -88

Peaky Blinders -18

The number in italics indicates how many spots a title moved up or down from the previous year. Bolded titles weren’t on the list last year.

[eurovision-revisited]

Eurovision 2004 - Number 19 - Toše Proeski - "Далеку од мене"

It's time for Macedonia's tragic hero. Toše Proeski was a very big deal. Across the whole of the Balkans, his name and his voice were household names. A child star, since the beginning of the 21st century his reputation had been growing to major proportions and his performances were huge. He even had a superhero comic book character named for him. Super Toše fought evil to the delight of Balkan comic fans.

He should have been at the 2003 Eurovision Song Contest. He won Beovision to represent Serbia and Montenegro, however owing to the massive number of entries that forced the EBU to finally start holding semi-finals, Serbia and Toše had to wait another year.

In 2004, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia were also back (having been relegated in 2003), so fate allowed Toše to represent his native country. Given his status, Skopjefest made way for a song selection final in which he would sing all eight songs. It's a strong final - many of the songs are worthy.

Далеку од мене (Daleku od mene/Far Away from Me) is by Ognen Nedelkovski and Sanel Suljanović. Of these two, Ognen has the biggest history with both Macedonian Eurovision potentials as well as Toše himself. He wrote Солзи прават златен прстен (Solzi pravat zlaten prsten/Tears are Making a Golden Ring) which finished 3rd for Toše at Skopjefest in 2000. He'd go on to write many songs for Macedonian selection finals over the next ten years.

The song itself is a driving EDM power-ballad that's all about Toše's voice showing just what it can do. It starts off with big drum hits, and squelchy synth bass races off daring him to keep up. This is full-on, high power singing with barely room to breathe. He's missing his love so much that the mountain tops will know by the end of the song. There's even room for a big held note that carries on through the key change in the bridge. That's just showing off. Listen to that crowd at the end.

It nearly became Macedonia's song for the year - just missing out and ending up the runner up. The winner was far and away the favourite, but this was clear in second place too. In the end of course, Toše did get to Eurovision with the winning song.

Just three short years after this competition, he was dead. His fame had only increased, with massive concerts in Skopje at one of which the huge crowd refused to leave. He gave the profits from his last concert to USAID. He died in a road accident just eleven days after that last concert. Macedonia held a national day of mourning, gave him a state funeral and named Skopje's major stadium after him. Toše was huge and only ever shining more brightly when he tragically taken from the country and people who loved him.

[eurovision-facts]

Eurovision Fact #432:

The youngest presenter of the Eurovision Song Contest was 1984's Desirée Nosbusch, who was 19 at the time.

[Source]

Luxembourg 1984, Eurovision.tv.

[because-its-eurovision]

I'm working on a small ESC project atm for which I'm looking at some national finals from this season and the 2021 season. And I noticed that there used to be a lot more internal selections two years ago compared to nowadays. Do you have any idea why that was the case/ why it changed? (I know it's a really random question but I thought you'd be the best person to ask :))

There are many countries that have their established national selections that are organised every year. UMK, Melodifestivalen, MGP, DMGP, Söngvakeppnin, Eesti Laul, Supernova, Festivali i Këngës, Festival da Canção just to name a few.

Then there are those countries that try different selection methods every few years, depending on the participating broadcaster, their financial situation and if there are any established artists showing interest to be selected internally. Some examples of those are Netherlands, Belgium (with two broadcasters), Moldova, Spain, San Marino, France, Malta, Georgia, Australia and Israel. Sometimes they organise a full national final, sometimes they choose just the artist via a talent show (Malta's X Factor 2019 & 2022, Georgian Idol 2019 & 2020), and sometimes they make an internal selection.

In 2022 TRM was planning to hold a full national selection but cancelled it after the preliminary round when it became clear there was no competition for Trenulețul. San Marino's 1in360 was scrapped after only one year letting Senhit & Flo Rida to represent the country and then Una voce per San Marino was founded in 2022. Israel, Slovenia and France also got big names with Noa, Joker Out and La Zarra so organising a NF would have been a waste of everyone's time and money, and so forth. This leads to the number of national selections changing from year to year, and I must admit that I haven't been invested in the subject enough to notice any strong trends.

2021 national final season is very exceptional since it was strongly effected by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the 2020 contest got cancelled, a total of 24 countries decided to send their representative again the next year, and that lead to one-year hiatus for many established national selections. Most of those then returned again in 2022 👇

Czechia: Benny Cristo won Eurovision Song CZ 2020, was internally selected in 2021, in 2022 they had national selection ESCZ 2022 Iceland: Daði & Gagnamagnið won Söngvakeppnin 2020, were internally selected for 2021, Söngvakeppnin returned in 2022

Serbia: Hurricane won Beovizija 2020, were internally selected for 2021, in 2022 they had national selection Pesma za Evroviziju '22

Latvia: Samanta Tina won Supernova 2020, was internally selected for 2021, Supernova returned in 2022

Slovenia: Ana Soklič won EMA 2020, was internally selected for 2021, EMA returned in 2022

Australia: Montaigne won Eurovision - Australia Decides 2020, was internally selected for 2021, Australia Decides returned in 2022

Israel: Eden Alene won Rising Star 2020, was internally selected for 2021, in 2022 The X Factor Israel was used as the national selection

Romania: Roxen's entry was selected via Selecția Națională 2020, she was internally selected for 2021 as was her song, and Selecția Națională returned in 2022

Ukraine: Go_A won Vidbir 2020, was internally selected for 2021, Vidbir returned in 2022

Malta: Destiny was chosen via The X Factor 2020, internally selected for 2021, and in 2022 Malta Eurovision Song Contest was used as the national selection

[yourdailyqueer]

Marko Reikop

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Gay

DOB: 19 June 1969  

Ethnicity: White - Estonian

Occupation: Presenter, journalist 

Note: Has presented the Estonian national finals for Eurovision Song Contest and made a live commentary for the event.