Eurovision 2017 – My Top 20 Songs, Part One
My favourite time of the year is upon us! Eurovision 2017 is in three weeks’ *screams*. As a huge music lover, and a massive enthusiast of European music and Eurovision due to my Greek background, the song contest is very serious for me. The Eurovision Song Contest is being hosted by Ukraine in Kyiv this year after Jamala’s win with ‘1944’. All 42 participating countries have released their songs, and I have gathered my top 20 songs from this year’s contest. This week, we are looking at my 20-11, with my top 10-1 songs being revealed before the week of the contest.
20. Australia: Isaiah Firebrace – Don’t Come Easy
From the moment Isaiah was announced as Australia’s representative, I wasn’t happy and I was certainly not feeling this selection of artist. The 17-year-old was the winner of 2016’s disastrous X-Factor Australia. At the SBS artist selection broadcast, I did not connect with Isaiah’s song, and I felt his vocals were very weak. However, the song has grown on me in the past few weeks thanks to DNA’s production. The song is one of the stronger male ballads in the contest this year, but I do see the song being a borderline qualifier for the Grand Final. Following Dami Im’s powerhouse performance from last year, Firebrace has a lot to live up to!
19. Norway: JOWST – Grab The Moment
Producer JOWST along with vocalist Aleksander Walmann are flying the flag for Norway in what is a very modern, and motivational song. With the lyrics “I’m gonna kill that voice in my head… I wanna grab the moment”, the song title speaks for itself. The song bring an electro feel to the contest with no other song’s instrumentation like Norway’s. Walmann’s vocals very smooth being sung in a talk-singing style. The use of distorted vocals in the breakdown is very powerful to me and makes the song. However, all vocals must be sung live at Eurovision, so it will be very interesting to see what Norway do with those parts of the song. The bridge is the stand out in the song.
18. Albania: Lindita – World
Lindita is one of the most powerful and strongest vocalist in the song contest this year. Despite the song being a ballad, I enjoy it thoroughly. The song grabs my attention as the instrumentation continuously builds as the song progresses, along with Lindita’s vocals. The second chorus is when the song reaches the strong point. It is very hard to go past this song without acknowledging Lindita’s vocals. Her vocals in the last chorus are on point. I mean, that long run Lindita does at the end is a total killer. Lindita sings the run for 20 seconds with no breath. That made me very tired. However, Albania does not have a great track record of qualifying for the Grand Final. The song is placed in Semi-Final 1, which has been called the blood-bath semi. Her vocals can send he to the final alone if the jury gets behind her.
17. Sweden: Robin Bengtsson – I Can’t Go On
Sweden has been arguably the strongest country in Eurovision over the recent years. Bengtsson’s song has Sweden written all over it. It is a well-produced slick pop track, fusing disco, pop, soul and funk in one. I really enjoy listening to the song, but to me, the song is very overrated because it is Sweden. The reason the song has attracted so many people is due to the thought out and polished staging performance. With already a great staging performance, the song is bound for the Top 5 in the Grand-Final.
16. Serbia: Tijana Bogicevic – In Too Deep
This song reminds me of the current UK sound on the radio. Using a drum n’ bass beat throughout the song, it follows the current modern song trend. However, ‘In Too Deep’ stands out due to its mix of ethnic sounds on the track. Particularly in the instrumental bridge, the ethnic beat and instrumentation is very strong and I am a sucker for ethnic sounding beats. Bogicevic’s vocals are great with her rich tone, but Serbia has played it very safe this year. Nonetheless, a great dance tune.
15. Armenia: Artsvik – Fly With Me
Each year, Armenia always brings an ethnic feel song that always does well. This year is no different! ‘Fly With Me’ is a very experimental song. The song mixes traditional beats, along with current pop and synth beats to make a captivating tune. It takes at least two minutes for the song to get somewhere, not following the typical structure progression of a pop song which can throw many people off. But, the song keeps you hooked all the way through, especially in the instrumental break of the song. The last chorus after the break brings out Artsvik’s powerful vocals along with the strong beat production.
14. Estonia: Koit Toome & Laura – Verona Koit Toome & Laura are no new faces at the Eurovision Song Contest. Toome represented Estonia in 1998 in the U.K, and Laura represented Estonia as part of the group Suntribe in 2005 in Kyiv. ‘Verona’ has a throwback, 80’s feel to the song while also being a current sounding song. The duet takes a while for the song to progress, but it is a very catchy song with many infectious hooks. Toome’s and Laura’s vocals are very smooth and blend well together. This song could lead Estonia to a top 5 finish, and could be a dark horse to win the contest.
13. United Kingdom: Lucie Jones – Never Give Up On You
This was a revamp done right! The previous version of the song was very boring, with a very thin texture. However, the revamp was released, and was in my top 10 for several weeks. The song is a very powerfully produced ballad bringing in a fuller texture and a contemporary sound. With Jones’ powerful and emotional live vocals, the song will elevate on stage and can be UK’s highest finish in recent years, which isn’t hard to beat.
12. Greece: Demy – This Is Love
After last years atrocious entry and not even qualifying for the first year, I was worried for Greece’s future. Being Greek, when I heard Demy was selected I was stoked.I had high expectations for Greece this year. Being Greek, when I heard Demy was selected I was stoked. The hype for Greece became even bigger when star Eurovision song producer Dimitris Kontopoulos was announced as working with Demy on her song for the contest. However, I was really underwhelmed in my first listen of the song. The song sounded cheap and dated. The level of Greek music is amazing and we were left with what could’ve been so much more for Demy. But, the more I’ve listened to the song, the more it has grown on me and I’ve become to like it. Demy’s live vocals and stage presence will lift the song much higher. The mix between electro-EDM parts and ballad parts gives the track a more fuller effect and is a catchy song bound for the Grand Final.
11. Belgium: Blanche – City Lights
Belgium is a favourite in the odds to win the Eurovision Song Contest. When the song was first released, I never got the hype surrounding the song. These past few weeks, the song has continued to grow on me and climb up my list of top songs. Now I am addicted to the song, but it did take a month for me to like the song. The song is somewhat experimental, with a full synth pop beat. ‘City Lights’ is very moving, as the instrumentation takes you on a journey along with the lyrics being sung by Blanche. The track doesn’t need strong vocals to make it stand out as it is unique to any of the songs represented this year.
Make sure to stay tuned for part two of my Eurovision article where I will be discussing my top ten entries in the contest this year.
