Nowadays it is only a matter of time before the first reactions to a newly released ESC song appear online. And so there are already the first reactions on YouTube to the German contribution “I Don’t Feel Hate” by Jendrik, which was published on Thursday. Numerous YouTubers took a closer look at this year’s German contribution and gave their opinion on Jendrik and his song. We picked out some of these videos and watched how the YouTubers comment on the German song.
Reaction 1: wiwibloggs
We are of course looking at the reaction of wiwibloggs with great excitement, after all, Ben Dolic won the annual Wiwi jury last year, i.e. the overall ranking of Wiwis from around the world. William and Deban watched the German contribution and were directly fascinated by the ukulele – even if William initially did not perceive the middle finger as such. William feels like in one of the washing machines. Deban stands out in a positive way because of the musical style, William seems to get the message of the song through the humorous video. Deban praises the playfulness and charisma of Jendrik. First conclusion: “That’s really a lot to take in”. William takes up the comparison with the Latvian “cake to bake”, this in a positive sense, since he praises the homemade character of the song and video. He finds the chorus very catchy and it sticks right in his ear. The message of the song is also universal, so that many people can identify with it. “This is a message that Europe needs to listen to,” sums up Deban. The eccentricity is at the same time the strength of the song, believes William and believes that the song could have a chance of a respectable result in Rotterdam.
Reaction 2: agesthemen
Jendrik’s song was also discussed in the daily topics on Thursday evening (in the video from 30:10 minutes). Caren Mioska not only calls Jendrik’s ukulele “jumping flea”, but also the song. In Claudia Drexel’s report, Jendrik’s message is discussed. That is almost “a little peace – reinterpreted”. The appropriate summary: “In any case, many who hear the song for the first time have to smile whether they like the song or not”. The song seems to be perceived differently by passers-by in Hamburg, there is praise for the message in the current time, but also criticism. And Caren Misoka finally says that he is in good hands with it in Rotterdam.
Reaction 3: ESCXTRA
The colleagues from ESCXTRA also reacted to Jendrik’s song. The reactions are mixed. There is a lot to process in just three minutes and that will find advocates and opponents, Nick thinks. Julian believes that Jendrik will perform the song well live and that he can leave a lasting impression. Maria is overwhelmed by the song, the different parts of the song are rather confusing for her, but she believes that it can work on stage. Dominik praises the positivity of the song and believes that the polarizing effect of “I Don’t Feel Hate” will help Germany in Rotterdam.
Reaction 4: ESCunited
ESCunited has already reacted to the German ESC contribution. Matt has a hard time getting the lyrics to the song and is initially very confused by the song. The catchy melody stays in his ear straight away. Incidentally, he also draws a comparison with the Austrian ESC contribution from 2003 (Alf Poier’s “When the human being counts” – like Nick from ESCXTRA). At first he doesn’t know what to think of the German song. Everything is possible between a good result and a full crash. But Germany’s courageous decision to make a risky contribution is commendable. He is sure that the song will not be well received in the ESC fan community, but ultimately it will depend on the opinion of the TV viewers and the juries. However, he enjoyed the three minutes and felt entertained.
Reaction 5: Noosh101
Noosh101 describes the song as an interplay of different influences and genres. It’s still difficult for her to imagine the song in the live performance in Rotterdam, but she hopes it will be just as positive and happy. She thinks the song is catchy and that shows in the fact that at the end of the video she can sing the refrain – you can build on that.
Reaction 6: Eurovision Feels
Leets alias Eurovision Feels is visibly confused and disappointed by this year’s German contribution, which could not meet their high expectations after “Violent Thing” last year. She positively highlights the message of the song. She doesn’t really like the instrumental in the chorus though. For her it’s a strange song that she doesn’t necessarily want to hear again before the ESC in May. Jendrik tried to process too much in a song, but the different elements of the song are still too repetitive. However, she believes that others might like the song.
Reaction 7: Luke Rose
Luke finds the verses very pleasant, but the transition to the chorus is a bit heavy. He also praises the positive lyrics and the ease that the song brings with it in the verses. He also likes the overall energy and positivity of the song. In addition, he believes that this song will either appeal to the audience directly, or they will not know what to do with the song. He doesn’t necessarily see a winning song in “I Don’t Feel Hate”, but he likes the song’s happy and playful message. With the performance, however, a lot can turn for the better and help the song up, which could find itself in the middle of the tableau.
Of course, we spoke in detail about the German contribution in our ESC Kompakt LIVE on YouTube on Thursday. You can access the video at any time on YouTube.
What do you think of the reactions presented? Do you think that the YouTubers reflect the mood of the German song with their assessments? And: Have you discovered any other reaction videos? Then like to post in the comments.
