Australia’s love affair with the Eurovision Song Contest has continued to grow in recent history and we are set for another exciting edition of the popular contest this week.
The first semi-final of the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest will happen tomorrow and throughout the coming days we will learn which nation will be crowned winners and subsequently host the festival in 2018.
Almost anything goes at Eurovision and this year’s list of songs is no exception. From the big hitters, to the whacky and wonderful and the complete rubbish, there really is something for everyone in the 2017 line up!
The Favourites
Italy – Occidentali’s Karma (Francesco Gabbani) $1.73
It has been a decade since a song performed in a language other than English has been crowned the Eurovision Song Contest winner, but ‘Occidentali’s Karma’ by Francesco Gabbani is poised to break that trend in 2017.
The song is rich with a toe-tapping harmony and regardless of how difficult it is for most of us non Italian-speaking Aussies to sing along, there’s just something about the chorus of this song that is undeniably fun and enjoyable and most importantly, memorable.
A quick Google translate suggests that the lyrics of Occidentali’s Karma, or ‘Westerner’s Karma in English, are simply a collection of clichés relating to peace and harmony, but that sort of thing is the bread and butter of Eurovision and is probably another reason it is widely considered the competition favourite.
Frankly, I was already sold on this song before I saw its official film clip and Francesco’s warm-ups, but the addition of a bloke dancing in a cheap monkey suit means that my money can’t go anywhere else. Do yourself a favour and watch this video before heading to the market.
Portugal – Amar Pelos Dois (Salvador Sobral), $7
If Occidentali’s Karma covers everything that is fun and energetic about Eurovision, then ‘Amar Pelos Dois’ is certainly the deeper and more depressing, ‘take pity on me’ style of entry.
From the moment that Salvador Sobral steps onto the stage, it’s pretty clear that Portugal’s intention this year is to tug at the heart strings and draw in the Eurovision fans who like a little more substance.
The ill-fitting suit aside, Salvador’s shy-to-the-point-of-awkward movements on stage, which include an early air piano solo, are worthy of your emotional consideration or perhaps a straightjacket, depending on your mood.
When it all boils down, I am not a fan of this type of music, particularly when I’ve not understood a single word of it, but it has still done enough to captivate me. It’s worthy of its place towards the top of Eurovision betting.
Bulgaria – Beautiful Mess (Kristian Kostov) $10
Bulgaria don’t often make much of an impact on the Eurovision stage, but they look set for a bold showing at the 2017 competition.
‘Beautiful Mess’ has been one of the big movers in betting through recent months and was as long as $67 when markets first went up. In the last 24 hours alone, the song has firmed onto the third line at $10, having leapfrogged the Swedish entry.
It’s tough to describe what’s going on in the Bulgarian video and when they get onto the stage, but Kristian Kostov himself would not look out of place in the Eurovision Kids competition and has a tooth gap rivalling that of Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Who knows, could that be the secret to successful music?
The song does include plenty of drum machine and something of a similar tempo to Dami Im’s ‘Sound Of Silence’, which ran second last year and therefore clearly appealed to the voting European public.
Sweden – I Can’t Go On (Robin Bengtsson) $13
If 80s electric drums are your thing, look no further than Sweden’s entry in the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest.
Robin Bengtsson is a great looking gent and his performance is perhaps best described as the love child of Robbie Williams and Volchok from The O.C. acting out OK Go’s Steady As She Goes film clip.
Sweden remained firm on the third line of betting at $10 odds until yesterday, at which time the nation drifted slightly out to $13; essentially trading positions with Bulgaria after the completion of final rehearsals.
Sweden’s form at Eurovision has been outstanding in recent years and they cannot ever be counted out of calculations, particularly with something as poppy as this.
The Big 5
United Kingdom – Never Give Up On You (Lucie Jones) $26
The United Kingdom have been perennial underperformers at Eurovision since the turn of the century, but Lucie Jones’ performance of the song ‘Never Give Up On You’ appears as though it’s something of a live chance.
The UK are generally better off in the years they decide not to send an 80s pop icon or some other has-been and Lucie Jones is a breath of fresh air in 2017.
This song does take a bit to get going and in my opinion, $26 is probably about right.
France – Requiem (Alma) $67
Requiem was considered a chance of winning Eurovision for France early in betting, but the song has continued to drift well out of contention as the contest has drawn nearer.
This song is confusing to say the least and if you’re going to blend two languages into one two-and-a-half minute lyric, you really need to be more clinical than what France has managed to do here.
France could do worse than picking Australia’s own Tina Arena in 2018 and a bold move like that is probably what they need to return to winning form.
Spain – Do It For Your Lover (Manel Navarro) $151
Manel Navarro, or Spanish Jason Mraz as I like to think of him, has done the same thing that Alma has done in blending two languages into one song, but in a far more catchy way in ‘Do It For Your Lover’.
There’s actually plenty of like about this song – it’s easy going and annoyingly memorable and in the right circles, it could do really well.
Whether that is the Eurovision Song Contest however, remains to be seen, but $151 does seem to be a touch of overs.
Germany – Perfect Life (Levina) $201
The feeling of déjà vu is through the roof when Perfect Life by Levina begins to play and I’d be confident in saying the song could almost be done on copyright of David Guetta and Sia’s ‘Titanium’.
That is about as exciting as this song gets and I was on the edge of my seat for its entire three minutes, waiting for something to happen.
Germany has been all but abandoned at the voting booths in recent memory and it is tough to see their form turning around at Eurovision this year.
The Local Hopes
Australia – Don’t Come Easy (Isaiah Firebrace) $34
Australia’s third official tilt at the Eurovision Song Contest mirror ball has fallen the way of X-Factor winner Isaiah Firebrace, who’ll be celebrating with a carbonated rosewater if he takes the top prize on Saturday.
The fresh faced seventeen-year-old will perform ‘Don’t Come Easy’ at the contest this week – a slow ballad which slowly builds towards a slow, brooding conclusion.
I am the first to admit that this song is a real snoozer the first few times you listen to it, but after giving it a few spins and comparing it to the bulk of this year’s Eurovision entries, it is plain to see that Don’t Come Easy is a live chance.
Denmark – Where I Am (Anja Nissen) $34
Princess Mary isn’t the only tenuous link that Australia has of claiming Denmark as its own – former winner of The Voice Australia Anja Nissen is representing the Scandinavian nation at Eurovision this year.
Like literally every winner of The Voice Australia so far, Nissen’s winner’s album debuted to virtually no acclaim or recognition, but she has since gone on to enjoy plenty of success in Denmark and won the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2017; the selection competition for the county’s Eurovision song.
Anja’s voice is massive, her range seems like its endless and worse songs than this have won Eurovision amongst easier fields – namely in 2016.
It’s tough to split the two Aussie performances and that is reflected in the betting market, where the pair are locked at $34 quotes.
The Outsiders To Consider
Montenegro – Space (Slavko Kalezic) $251
‘Space’, the Montenegrin entry into this year’s Eurovision can definitely be placed in the ‘the camper, the better’ pile and it is my long-odds tip to win the competition this weekend.
Stars including Enrique Iglesias and One Direction’s Liam Payne have thrown their support behind Slavko Kalezic to win the contest this year and his performance, four-foot plait and all, really does need to be seen to be believed.
The performer and performances have apparently gained plenty of admiration across all of Europe leading up to this week’s finals and if the full-on, questionable lyrics of the song are received, Montenegro could fly into contention from the clouds.
Iceland – Paper (Svala) $101
Lord knows what is going on in the official film clip for Iceland’s entry ‘Paper’, but the song is reminiscent of the Euro pop that usually does extremely well this time every year.
Svala has reportedly been a mainstay in the Icelandic music scene for more than fifteen years and her experience is clear to see through her rehearsal videos and confidence on stage.
Svala’s voice and look are directly comparable to those of successful Swedish artist Robin and that could bode well for voting in the Scandinavian counties and central Europe.