Eurovision Song Contest 2015 - Tumblr Posts
COUNTDOWN TO EUROVISION 2015 IN VIENNA, AUSTRIA : DAY 01
EUROVISION 2015 IN VIENNA IS ONE MONTH AWAY!!!
Every year, I'm always looking forward to this crazy fun and totally bonkers music event held in Europe, even though I'm from the Philippines and nobody else in my social circles knows what Eurovision even is. I'll be featuring one Eurovision song that I like every day in the days leading up to the ESC Grand Final, so let's start with an absolute classic―and perhaps what is known as the most definitive Eurovision song given that the track is performed by one of the most iconic music groups of all time.
"Waterloo" by ABBA : Sweden's winning entry for Eurovision 1974, and the country's first-ever victory in ESC with 24 points.
COUNTDOWN TO EUROVISION 2015 IN VIENNA, AUSTRIA : DAY 02
It wasn't until a few years ago that Eurovision really came into my radar, mainly because I discovered it through Tumblr in GIFs and then saw the live performances of the songs on YouTube. Needless to say, I was hooked. The ESC showcases a really wide variety of awesome songs and talented artists from across Europe, and sometimes, the crazy fun side of Eurovision emerges and there are no words that can describe what you just saw―like this AMAZEBALLS entry from Ukraine that you need to SEE TO BELIEVE!!!
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"Dancing Lasha Tumbai" by Verka Serduchka: Ukraine's completely bonkers entry for Eurovision 2007, finishing in second place with 235 points.
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P.S. To this very day, I still think Ukraine was TOTALLY ROBBED in ESC 2007, like seriously. No offense, but Serbia's song that year was NOTHING compared to Ukraine's obviously superior. fabulously demented, fully committed, glitter-disco-balls-to-the-wall Eurotrash insanity. I don't care if you will hate me on this, I will fight anyone who thinks "Molitva" is better than "Dancing Lasha Tumbai".
COUNTDOWN TO EUROVISION 2015 IN VIENNA, AUSTRIA : DAY 03
What I love about this song is that it combines pop and folk elements and highlighting that ridiculously catchy violin hook. From a lyrical perspective, it actually tells a very sad love story which contrasts with the uptempo nature of the song, and I find the combination to be effective. It's an earworm, to be sure, because of the confident vocal and string performance, and this one is surely one of my all-time Eurovision favorites.
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"Fairytale" by Alexander Rybak: Norway's winning entry for Eurovision 2009, and currently still holds the Eurovision record for most points earned, finishing in first place with 387 points.
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P.S. Watching the Grand Final performance of this song, it always bothered me that Rybak was playing the violin with a bow that had loose strings visibly hanging from it, even though it seemed that the defect did not affect the sound quality.
COUNTDOWN TO EUROVISION 2015 IN VIENNA, AUSTRIA : DAY 04
While I certainly do not begrudge Loreen for her well-deserved win at Eurovision 2012, I have to say that this charming and upbeat entry from Russia was quite the unexpected surprise. Who'd have thought that a bunch of sprightly Udmurtian grandmothers singing about preparing a simple gathering at home could become an instantly iconic ESC song and would even go on to become a runner-up? And while it's unfortunate that Russia has a very antiquated view on LGBT issues, that has not lessened my admiration for this super catchy dance track.
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"Party For Everybody" by Buranovskiye Babushki: Russia's delightfully oddball entry for Eurovision 2012, finishing in second place with 259 points.
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P.S. Despite the simple and minimal staging of their Grand Final slot, I love the fact that the Buranovo Grannies really showcased a lot of energy during their performance, and you can tell from their joyful expressions that they responded well to the audience's rousing cheers, not to mention working the hell out of those fabulous traditional Udmurtian costumes!
COUNTDOWN TO EUROVISION 2015 IN VIENNA, AUSTRIA : DAY 05
It is a testament to Sweden that they really do take Eurovision seriously, and Loreen's winning entry in the 2012 edition certainly did not disappoint. I think that part of what propelled the song to ultimate victory is because 2012 was a time when EDM was quickly penetrating the global music landscape and establishing itself within the mainstream market, and the track became a fitting and powerful anthem of what electronic dance music represents for millions of fans who love the genre. The song not only truly captured the spirit of great EDM, but also embodied the very essence of a fantastic Eurovision song.
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"Euphoria" by Loreen: Sweden's victorious entry for Eurovision 2012, finishing in first place with 372 points.
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P.S. I love the fact that Loreen's dramatic, minimalist, and fabulous stage performance of the song looks like it was inspired by elemental bending movements from "Avatar: The Last Airbender", with the martial arts choreography and use of wind machines to make her hair and floaty costume billow around while she was dancing. That, and the fact that she's just absolutely gorgeous!
COUNTDOWN TO EUROVISION 2015 IN VIENNA, AUSTRIA : DAY 06
Eurovision is no stranger to crazy contenders that seems as if the cuckoo country competing in the contest was taking the piss from everyone else. Well, Finland definitely took trolling (literally and figuratively) to a whole new level when hard rock band Lordi reigned supreme above all others during the 2006 edition. Explosive and electrifying, the song clearly stands out from past and present Eurovision songs that are often defined by pop and schlager styles. Major kudos to this outrageously amazing Scandinavian entry and for proving that Eurovision doesn't always take itself too seriously.
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"Hard Rock Hallelujah" by Lordi: Finland's supercharged and monster-sized entry for Eurovision 2006, finishing in first place with 292 points.
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P.S. Lordi looks as if they were a famous rock band from Muspelheim, the mythical realm of fire in Norse mythology. It's certainly fitting, given that their awesomely grotesque prosthetics and costumes make them look like the eldjötnar (or "Fire Giants"), not to mention the fact that their eye-popping Grand Final performance utilized a lot of bright pyrotechnics that wowed the crowd. I have no doubt that Surtur, the ruler of Muspelheim, would certainly approve.
COUNTDOWN TO EUROVISION 2015 IN VIENNA, AUSTRIA : DAY 07
With Greece's economy suffering in recent years, it's no wonder that the nation sent a song to Eurovision about free alcohol in the 2013 contest. Obviously, the track is definitely on the bonkers side of Eurovision, but the good kind of bonkers, of course! Lively and energetic, and a judicious use of the Greek language for the verses, Koza Mostra and Agathon Iakovidis proved that singing about their nation's financial crisis can be cheeky and fun as opposed to being negative and depressing. And note to Eurovision: please send more ridiculously good looking European men dressed in kilts for obvious male objectification reasons.
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"Alcohol Is Free" by Koza Mostra and Agathon Iakovidis: Greece's bouncy folk-punk entry for Eurovision 2013, finishing in sixth place with 152 points.
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P.S. I mean, really: you can never go wrong with handsome men singing and dancing in kilts, even if they're not technically Scottish. And let's not forget how lead singer Elias Kozas was basically eye-fucking the camera the entire time during their fantastic performance. Yes, sir, I definitely want some of that free alcohol you're offering! And did I mention they were wearing kilts?
THE ARTISTS IN COMPETITION FOR EUROVISION 2015
Elhaida Dani (Albania) // Guy Sebastian (Australia) // The Makemakes (Austria)
Genealogy (Armenia) // Elnur Hüseynov (Azerbaijan) // Uzari + Maimuna (Belarus)
Molly Sterling (Ireland) // Loïc Nottet (Belgium) // John Karayiannis (Cyprus)
Marta Jandová + Václav Noid Bárta (Czech Republic) // Anti Social Media (Denmark) // Daniel Kajmakoski (Macedonia) // Amber (Malta)
Elina Born + Stig Rästa (Estonia) // Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät (Finland) // Lisa Angell (France) // Nina Sublatti (Georgia)
Eduard Romanyuta (Moldova) // Voltaj (Romania) // Ann Sophie (Germany) // María Ólafs (Iceland)
Boggie (Hungary) // Maria Elena Kyriakou (Greece) // Knez (Montenegro) // Mørland + Debrah Scarlett (Norway) // Michele Perniola + Anita Simoncini (San Marino)
Nadav Guedj (Israel) // Il Volo (Italy) // Aminata (Latvia) // Monika Kuszyńska (Poland)
Leonor Andrade (Portugal) // Maraaya (Slovenia) // Monika Linkytė + Vaidas Baumila (Lithuania) // Bojana Stamenov (Serbia) // Electro Velvet (United Kingdom)
Polina Gagarina (Russia) // Trijntje Oosterhuis (The Netherlands) // Mélanie René (Switzerland) // Måns Zelmerlöw (Sweden)
OMFG YAAAAAAASSSSS!!! ALL MY FAVES IN THE EUROVISION SECOND SEMI-FINAL ADVANCED TO THE GRAND FINAL!!! THANK YOU ESC!!!
CONGRATULATIONS ISRAEL, LATVIA, AND SWEDEN!!! NADAV GUEDJ, AMINATA SAVADOGO, AND MANS ZELMERLOW TOTALLY SLAYED!!!