The Eurovision semi-finals do not seem to be clear between the general disinterest – that broadcast on La 2 – and the commotion they generate on social networks. This Tuesday’s was one of the best. If at any time some Spanish media was tempted to title its report on the event “Chanel steals the show again at Eurovision,” it surely had to rethink it later when countries like Ireland, Croatia or Finland performed.
Three examples of how fun Saturday’s final can be, just this year when we least wanted to have fun with the great EBU show. Let us remember that demonstrations have been called in Malmö on Thursday at the same time that Israel will compete in the second semi-final, while continuing to besiege Gaza.
This Tuesday’s semifinal began with a medley of songs that did NOT win Eurovision, as a metaphor that sometimes it is not necessary to be number 1 to succeed. Mocedades did not appear, but Eleni Foureira did with her legendary ‘Fuego’, which ended up overshadowing Neta; Eric Saade with ‘Popular’… why stop once Sweden wins?; and finally Chanel, at the time third, but first in our hearts. And since she can no longer reproduce the same choreography from ‘Slomo’ because “there are many things we don’t know”, she tried something else… and she got it right.
Flying through the air and landing on the ground like an airplane without breaking her head, Chanel demonstrated – because women always have to prove the same thing many times – that she has a lot to say in the industry if she can find the right productions. Of course, the ballad ‘Agua’ was not one of them.
Croatia It started as a great favorite country and Baby Lasagna did not disappoint. With connections with the Queen-sized audience, the rock possibilities of some Måneskin and a song as successful as last year’s ‘Cha Cha Cha’, classification was assured. The audience was with them, and that is valued at home and among the jury.
But be careful, because there are two serious competitors. No one knows where the reach of the comedy duo of Finland, yes Ojete Calor have ended up filling stadiums. One of the members of Windows95man spends half the performance hiding his member behind a camera, behind a tiny slip, behind nothing, and the nonsense catches us as if we were still in the days of Benny Hill – may he rest in peace – and Austin Powers. The most direct reference seems to be Will Ferrell’s Eurovision movie.
And the big surprise of the night came from Ireland. Behind that label nonsense called “ouija pop”, Bambie Thug had a plan: to leave the audience speechless with a terrifying performance of ‘Doomsday Blue’ that he never ceased to surprise. After a succession of ideas taken from Lady Gaga -circa ‘Paparazzi’ and ‘Judas’- and Marilyn Manson -circa when he could be cited as an influence-, came a cry that made Edvard Munch tremble in his grave and a defeat for the beast than even Álex de la Iglesia. The set designer is the Spanish Sergio Jaén.
With this panorama and adding the imaginative proposal of United Kingdom, which features Olly Alexander and his court of boxing dancers defying the laws of gravity; It is understandable that Spain does not raise its head in the bets. Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt because there isn’t much Depeche Mode synth-pop, nor such sexualized competitors (Finland is pure humor), but there are things that a jury will always have to prioritize. And this year there are many countries that have done it.
Some so much so that they have over-braked. It has been the case of Poland, eliminated in the face of poor Luna’s trembling, who couldn’t believe it. Us neither. ‘The Tower’ was one of the most current productions, but its presentation was an old excess of costume and set changes – some lackluster out of shot or in long shot -, also harmed by a poor vocal take.
Saved the furniture a little better Lithuania. Silvester Belt came with one of the most elegant songs in his electronic proposal, but his staging was somewhat diluted between such fierce competition or the exhibition of Olly Alexander’s, with a much larger budget.
With the classification of Ukraine everyone counted, but certainly not with that of Portugal. Iolanda has performed at Sonar Lisboa, perhaps because Maria Arnal has performed at Sonar Barcelona, and for a moment we feared that she would end up getting the same televote as Blanca Paloma (a 0 or almost). She perhaps saved her acting in the second half. Like Luxembourgwhich will return to the festival after three decades.
The classified list is completed with Serbiawhich comes with a simple presentation that appeals to the country’s rebirth after the World War with a giant projected flower; Cyprus, perhaps thanks to a very crazy execution of the final minute not suitable for sensitive people; and Sloveniathanks to that scream that the Irish representative had to curse from some corner of dark Malmö.
With the exception of Poland, few injustices among those eliminated: this year there were only 5, and the presentations of Iceland and Azerbaijan seemed stuck in some remote place between 1989 and 2001. Among the surprises that we will see on Saturday, the German presentation: its Rock ballad works best with good fire.
