ESC--Eurovision Song Contest

We are watching it as I type. Some very Strange and bizarre acts. And then some catchy tunes.
Rooting for Croatia but I like Italy and France.

That was a let Down. Oh Well, there is akways next year.

Basically Germany won because I read on Tagesspiegel the Swiss winner lives in Berlin.

And to me it sounds that he stole his sequence of tones from Shania Twain (compare to video).

I think the Swiss singer had some serious pipes, and juries rewarded that. I wasn't sold on the song. I liked Croatia's song--catchy and not too generic. I liked that the French singer went a cappella, a risk that paid off with good singing. I felt the song was meh.

Finland was just weird, but it kind of got me in the end--a bit fun.

Ukraine was underrated IMO--but there were moments that I felt the key was just a bit off, and I think that bit them. The voice combo and the arrangement were fantastic.

Estonia was also weird, and while I liked it, I also didn't. If that makes sense. I think juries and audience felt the same way.

Lots of generic. Good quality of singing, which is always great, but not necessarily memorable. Austria was a good example of that.

Ireland was not what I expected. It isn't my style, but I found myself surprisingly drawn in, and it definitely took risks.

No England fans?

No I don’t think there are any fans of the U.K. entry. It got zero points in the public vote!

public vote on the Forum too

And was dead last in the juried vote by the countries, if I remember correctly.

Mark K, that is funny about the Shania Twain link. I hadn’t caught that. Now it’s all I will be able to hear.

My boss attended, and his prediction at the beginning of the evening was that the Swiss would win. So I guess I should get him to play some lottery numbers for me.

I really really loved the French singer. I hadn’t read or seen any of the pre-show stuff, so when he sang Thursday night, I was totally surprised by what he did and got goosebumps. And from everything I’ve ever read or seen about him, he seems like a really sweet guy. So I have a new favorite !!!

Some of that was basically unwatchable/unlistenable. And the Ireland one gave me the creeps. Ick. My husband liked the zany Estonians. I don’t think he cared anything about their music, but just their “act.”

Well on the plus side, the producers don't have to worry about a politically or morally worrisome venue next year. Switzerland is as boring as it gets. The Swiss song is okay but I think the official video sold me on it.

Unfortunately, the UK is going to be on the bottom of the list most times unless there's a banger of a song. This entry wasn't it.

Congratulations to Switzerland for their first win since 1988! The song wasn't my favourite though, personally I was hoping for Croatia or France.

And regaring Finland's entry, that's just Finland being Finland. Remember that their only win so far was Lordi.

I was introduced to Eurovision when I first lived in England as a mildly pimpled youth in the seventies. I think Abba won that year. I've never heard what I'd consider a very good song to ever come out of the whole thing. The odd catchy entry, maybe.

Nowadays there appears to be a forced requirement to glitz-up, shock or be different. Songwriting takes a back seat.

Badger, my dad was a Finn. He'd be bemused that Orcs could form a band and win a 'talent' contest with that effort of theirs.

There have been several great winning songs, many of which get plenty of air time here in Europe, some far beyond. Examples of ones that might be familiar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buzBlyCe_Pk (okay, the original won, while this is the English version)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj_9CiNkkn4 (you should know this one!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcnWysA9gxo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1CwpCNThO4