Still so deaf to ask me why

Before I discuss my top 5 songs in Eurovision this year, I feel I should revisit the previous songs, especially the ones in the bottom half of my ranking. After listening to all the songs repeatedly, my opinions on a few of the songs have changed.

Estonia's song still remains at the bottom of my list, as it’s the least funny of the joke entries this year, which is to say that it is unfunny. While comparing my lists from the past years I noticed a startling trend: In 2006 I put Lithuania second last, and in 2007 I put Latvia last. An observant critic could use this to claim that I have a bias against the Baltic countries, and in fact my opinion of their songs has worsened over the two years I have written this blog - in 2006 my highest ranked Baltic song was Estonia at 21, in 2007 it was Estonia again at 26, and this year it was Lithuania at 30. I assure you that I have no bias against Baltic countries nor their musicians, and that these particular songs and performers just haven’t captured my heart.

But given my bias for and against performers (see #37 2006), it only came to my attention after I had written about it that Latvia’s Pirates of the Sea includes one member of Buonaparti.lv, those purveyors of popera pap. I guess he has changed his target demographic from bored housewives with Italian fetishes (who get something from more appropriate countries this year) to children up past their bedtime. I’ll still give this one a pass because it’s catchier. Also, I finally remembered what it reminded me of:


Moldova has been sounding better and better to me, relaxing rather than boring as I initially felt (also when I first heard it I only heard the live version, and the studio version made improvements), and it even manages to get its way stuck into my head. It’s still nowhere near the top of my list but if I could redo my list I’d even put it towards the middle.

Spain has become a lot funnier to me, and somehow I’ve managed to memorize the first verse. However, I’m still keeping it at the bottom of my list because while it starts off funny, it fades fast, and after only two minutes I start getting bored. As much as I hated Ukraine’s song in 2007, it really grew on me and by the final I understood why it did well. Like Ukraine 2007, Spain this year seems to be the joke entry most likely to do well. However, even though ‘Dancing Lasha Tumbai” had fewer lyrics than “Baila el Chikichiki,” it managed to be musically catchier, due to infectious instrumental motifs and key changes.

When I first heard the Sanmarinese song, I instantly thought it was dull. Though I still don’t think that highly of it, after hearing a better quality version I realize it’s not as bad as I thought. Also, the lead singer is kind of cute.