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Sunday, April 24, 2011

I love Belarus...and 4 others

Another Eurovision sunday, this time it's the top 15! As always, I hope the winner comes from this group or one of the two following ones.

15. Finland
Paradise Oskar - “Da da dam”
Reaction: This is a good song to rank just following Earth Day, as it has a nice environmentalist message. It’s not too heavy-handed and is actually kind of sweet. It’s better than the similar singer-with-guitar songs from last year.
Best Part: Choruses
Rating: 4/5

14. Belarus
Anastasiya Vinnikova - “I Love Belarus”
Reaction: So do I, if they keep making songs like this! Belarus lately has excelled with over the top ridiculous entries, and this is no exception. The romantic nationalism helps, too. The love object seems to switch between country and lover. The ethnic instrumental touches pull the song together and add energy.
Best Part: Bridge and last chorus
Rating: 4/5

13. Netherlands
3JS - “Never alone”
Reaction: This one just kind of snuck up here. It’s a middle-of-the-road pop-rock ballad, but it’s much better than it sounds on paper. It has good lyrics and a catchy chorus. It could have gotten boring but it stays consistent throughout.
Best Part: Chorus
Rating: 4/5

12. Serbia
Nina - “Caroban”
Reaction: The inclusion of this retro-styled song makes up for the lack of Ukrainian “Smile,” and it’s probably the better song. It has wonderful sweet and romantic lyrics (at least what I can tell from the English translation). It’s full of energy and emotion.
Best Part: Last chorus
Rating: 4/5

11. Slovenia
Maja Keuc - “No one”
Reaction: This is like Mr. Nobody Part 2, hopefully for lyrical content and not because it could be good but forgotten when it comes time for voting. This is a dramatic power ballad with some really biting lyrics (“no one will ever ever love you/ no one will ever ever touch you” wow!) Like the Cypriot and French songs this year, the structure of the song departs from the typical verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus, but I think this one works the best.
Best Part: “You came to me one night/like a morning light” Where have I heard that before?
Rating: 4/5

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