TV: On Tuesday night, it was ready for the first semifinal of this year’s «Eurovision». The Netherlands is the host nation and 16 countries were on fire in Rotterdam, Norway included. TIX is our great final hope. We reviewed the songs continuously:
Lithuania opened tonight’s semi-final. Photo: Peter Dejong / AP
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1. Litauen: «Discoteque» – The Roop
Lithuania believes angular electro-pop is the way to the “Eurovision” sky in 2021. We’ll see if the people agree? There are relatively anemic items The Roop serves from the stage edge of the Ahoy Arena, for the occasion filled with 3,500 spectators. Just in itself is something to smile about. It’s not terribly bad. It’s just not very exciting either – the melody is flat and the chorus the same. Yellow suits and constant dance steps notwithstanding.
2. Slovenia: “Amen” – Ana Soklič
Hallelujah, Slovenia gives in to the gospel in violence with all that entails of pathos, dramatic hand gestures and intense gaze in the camera. Ana probably believes in what she sings, but is it enough to make Europe believe in her? Technically, it’s inside, but the song itself is very dozen items. It probably also has too little character to create the biggest rings in the “Eurovision” water.
3. Russland: «Russian Woman» – Manizha
Manizha at least has plenty of attitude where she sings through Russian woman, or attempts at rapping as it can also be called. Here it is probably more energy than finesse that counts. In addition, the song has suitable doses with character and a not so bad drive. Can quickly become a “dark horse” in the competition.
4. Sweden: «Voices» – Tusse
Sweden is usually steady in this competition and focuses more on musical bravura than circus. In that sense, Tusse fits in well with the Swedish “Eurovision” tradition. The song on the other hand is a bit lackluster measured against the previous high point and the modulation on the butt is somewhat cheap for Sweden to be. But well performed from Sweden’s great 2021 hope.
5. Australia: «Technicolour» – Montaigne
Like Sweden, Australia has a habit of sending musically capable elements to the competition. Montaigne delivers rough and hard electro-pop with a clear nod to the 80’s. She struggles a bit with the song, the Australian singer cuts out the notes here and there, which makes the colorful “Technicolour” notch less powerful than it could have been. If Montaigne moves on, maybe she can embellish that aspect?
6. Nord-Makedonia: «Here I Stand» – Vasil
Is it just me, or does Northern Macedonia always send ballad singers with trembling Adam apples and Freddy Mercury level on the ambition of “Eurovision”? The comparison stops there, that is. Mirror armor and bell-ready vocal cords can not save anything here. Vasil sings with touching empathy and fervor in his eyes, but when you have such a pale and unimaginative case like this in your luggage, there is not much to put money on.
7. Irland: «Maps» – Lesley Roy
What’s going on here then? Lesley Roy wanders around in something reminiscent of children’s TV sets from a bygone era. Now, the strange choreography is not what overturns the load here. Roy does it very well himself. She sings like a breathless crow, misses the notes and fails to convey text or melody in all the hoarse viraken. It does not help to step on your feet and point at the camera when you are not able to perform your song in an adequate and understandable way.
8. Cyprus: «El Diablo» – Elena Tsagrinou
Cyprus comes to Rotterdam with stampede and exotic rhythms. Elena appears as a cross between Missy Elliot, Lady Gaga and, well – a local karaoke singer? She is not a great vocalist, but she has a kind of communication ability and usable temperature in her performance. The song is not a crisis either. It has a catchy chorus, a cool production and a scenography that can bite off and be remembered.
9. Norway: “Fallen Angel” – TIX
Much has been said and written about TIX and his “Eurovision” contribution. “Fallen Angel” is not a great song, but in this context it actually works surprisingly well. It has a natural momentum and melodic it is easy to get hooked on. Should TIX’s ear for catchy and easy-to-understand melodies take us to the final? At least he lives a singing performance and a show that fits properly. Chopped more lavishly than is typical of sober Norway, but it can quickly tease the countries with higher average temperatures than the one we have in the Nordic countries.
10. Kroatia: «Tick-Tock» – Albina
Fresh semi-contemporary electropop is not the usual diet from these latitudes. At least not in this context. Albina delivers like just that. She has a nice sound and a voice that sits as glued to the creeping rhythms and the abounding melody. An ever so small favorite so far? The danger is that it can quickly become too modern.
11. Belgia: «The Wrong Place» – Hooverphonic
Belgium is trying a dark and tough rocker, if we can dare to drag the characteristic so far? It could have been interesting enough, but the song is not entirely in the ear. It gets easily messy and flat and somewhat poor on musical contrasts, something that is often needed if you want to capture immediately.
12. Israel: «Set Me Free» – Eden Alene
Here, Israel has done most of the work. From choreography to hairstyles and everything in between. It also helps that the song is danceable and is full of melodic pegs that hook you on the journey from the first chord. Should Eden Alone be called Contemporary Ethno-Electropop? What she delivers has at least both distinctiveness and identity. Where should this end?
13. Romania: «Amnesia» – Roxen
Maybe Roxen has a role model in Billie Eilish? At least she swears by minimalist and slightly obscure pop. If you want to succeed with this type of grip, you must have a voice that carries the entire load. Unfortunately, she falls short in terms of singing. There is too little melody and many sour tones here. A little too many.
14. Aserbajdsjan: «Mata Hari» – Efendi
A noteworthy case, this. The verse is quite gruesome and elusive, so Efendi wakes up in the chorus, which with its high tongues and temperamental choreography comes well through the TV channel. Another example that the show is perhaps more important than the song? At least sometimes it works perfectly OK.
15. Ukraina: «Shum» – Go_A
Here you are at the level where things get so weird and silly that it almost becomes sensational. The music is a strange amalgam of folk music, techno and industrial rock. The choreography is completely koko, the song sour and out of sync. The tempo picks up as if it all ends in a halling throw. So psychedelic that you do not know whether to roll a high dice or go for a bottom note. Art or disaster? We probably land on that side with the fewest eyes.
16. Malta: “I’m Breaking” – Destiny
The first semifinal ends in a voluminous way with a singer in Destiny who really has the lung capacity on his side. She is high and low tonally, and obviously has better control of this aspect than most of her competitors in this round. “Je Me Casse” is an easy-to-understand pop banger, stuffed with Mediterranean-calibrated rhythms and clever soul touches. In itself not terribly original or exciting, but good workmanship and impeccably performed.
The case is being updated.
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