Italy fulfills favorite role in Eurovision Song Contest, Ho …

Hooverphonic only finished nineteenth in the Eurovision Song Contest. In the final of the 65th Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam, our country only got 74 points. Top favorite Italy lived up to its favorite role and won thanks to the votes of the public.

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Rarely has a Eurovision song contest been so looked forward to as this year. There were several reasons for this. First, there was none last year, due to the damned corona virus. But what also played a role was that finally an audience was allowed to enter a concert hall again and artists could therefore perform again in front of a real audience.

It resulted in a very good show, in which very spectacular songs and acts – such as those from Lithuania, Italy and Malta – were alternated with slower and more restrained songs, such as those from Switzerland, Belgium and France.

Hooverphonic nineteenth

Hooverphonic participated for Belgium and did very well. Geike Arnaert’s vocals were once again not faulty. She sang flawlessly, but was not rewarded for it by the televoters. The audience barely gave Hooverphonic three points. Only four countries fared worse. The professional jury had nevertheless placed Belgium in thirteenth place with 71 points. Belgium received the highest score from the Lithuanian jury (7 points). The judges from France, the Netherlands and Israel gave the Belgian entry six points.

After a particularly exciting scoring, in which it was not certain who would win until the very last moment, it was Italy that won the day with a whopper of a rock song. The Måneskin group was awarded a total of 524 points Shut up and good. She finished ahead of France (499 points) and the surprising Switzerland (432 points).

“We are going to party,” they said at the press conference after their win. And Damiano (the singer, ed.) must jump into the river. We have made a bet on that. ” Asked what their favorite country was, they replied in unison Ukraine, which ended fifth with a Slavic folk and techno song.

Måneskin was fourth after the jury vote, and thanks to a glorious victory in the televoting, was catapulted to first place by the viewers. What does that say about the Eurovision song contest? Bassist Victoria De Angelis: “For us, the audience is the most important. Juries may have their own taste, but that does not represent the tastes of the entire population. So that so many people voted for us is significant. ”

Måneskin frontman Damiano was clearly moved after the victory, a journalist noted during the press conference. What went through his mind? “I can’t explain that, but it was an indescribable feeling. We started as street musicians (in Rome, ed.). And that’s fucking funny. We are having lots of fun. It means everything to us that we are now recognized at such a high level. But take everything away, we are four friends and we play music together. That means everything to us. ”

The band was asked which Italian city they would prefer to see the Eurovision Song Contest in next year. Bassist Victoria De Angelis did not answer that. “The most important thing is that it comes to Italy. This is a message of hope after such a difficult year (because of the corona crisis, ed.).”

Måneskin breaks gender stereotypes, thanks in part to frontman Damiano who uses his androgynous personality. What advice do they have for the young generation who are looking up to them? “Be yourself. Don’t care about other people’s stupid comments. And whoever is so stupid as to say that: ‘open your mind’, be open-minded, and stop judging people. ”

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