99 Luftballoons - Nena https://open.spotify.com/track/2IJftBfq7pJ43tfnOR0RB3?si=Tj9rOKguQkOmpb3jJM27uw
“99 Red Balloons”'es Nena officially outs herself as QAnon, “Reichsbürger”
Reading through these comments make it look like most people here are teenagers.
I’m a Eurovision Song Contest fan, though I only came to it in the last few years, so I have a ton of good songs for this question!
ESC 2021
- SHUM by GO_A (Ukraine) was my winner for that year.
- Zitti E Buoni by Maneskin (Italy) was the actual winner and launched them to international success. They are on the US radio now too.
- Voy a Quedarme by Blas Canto (Spain) is very pretty. I DO speak Spanish, but y’all might dig it.
ESC 2022
- Brividi by Mahmood & Blanco (Italy)
- Trenulețul by Zdob şi Zdub & Frații Advahov (Moldova) is some of the most fun music I’ve ever heard.
- Saudade Saudade by MARO (Portugal) is partly in English but entirely beautiful.
- In Corpore Sano by Konstrakta (Serbia) was one of my top songs this year. Her odd stage/video performance really makes it.
- Stefania by Kalush Orchestra (Ukraine) was the winner this year, only partly because of the invasion. It was probably in most people’s top 3 anyway, and it got such a huge percentage of the votes that it really skewed the rest of the results. (Fun fact, the flautist/lead in this song is the same flautist from SHUM in 2021)
ESC 2023
- Cha Cha Cha by Käärijä (Finland) is a TREMENDOUS bop. It’s so catchy. As he was touring around before the actual semi-finals he lost his trademark lime green jacket, and fans made and brought replacements to shows for him until it was found.
- Mama ŠČ! by Let 3 (Croatia) is beyond weird but really catchy. They’re the most charismatic artists ever to fake pooping themselves during an interview.
- Ai Coração by Mimicat (Portugal) is fun and has a kind of old school vibe.
ESC 2024 is in National Finals season now, where each country chooses their entry, usually with a reality show contest. The semi-finals are 7 and 9 May and the Finals will be on 11 May. You can stream on Peacock, or hop on a VPN and watch the live feed from Sweden or Denmark or somewhere.
Not a huge ESC fan usually, but I did love the 2021 edition for the proprtion of native language songs, both in total and among the top spots
It makes me happy to see songs in their natives languages, but since the rules changed to allow more English songs, we see countries sending them with the assumption that they’ll get more attention from countries other than their own.
The most important rules change to me would be to revert the 2020(?) loosening of recorded vocals restrictions. In the last two or three years we’ve noticed lots of countries where the recorded “background vocals” include the lead part to cover up bad live performances. Heck, I’d even support live instruments too.
I think that would describe half my catalog :-/
- Finnish Iskelmä
- Stig - Puumaa mä metsästä
- Arttu Wiskari - Sirpa
- Lemon - Nainen Tummissa (cover of Lady in Black)
- Thai
- จ๊อบ บรรจบ - ดูเธอทำ (Job 2 Do - Doo doo doo)
- Soreng Santi (สรวง สันติ) - Kuen Kuen Lueng Lueng (cover of Iron Man … sort of)
- most versions of Bella Ciao (except La Casa de Papel for some reason)
- Bella ciao cantata dal coro R’Esistente del Pratello
- the “fun” stuff coming out of Ukraine
- О.Пономарьов М.Хома Т.Тополя Є.Кошовий Ю.Ткач П.Чорний - УКРАЇНА ПЕРЕМОЖЕ
- Andriy Khlyvnyuk x The Kiffness - Ukrainian Folk Song ARMY REMIX
- Cвітоглядець - Bayraktar
Numa Numa Yay, Numa Numa Yay, Numa Numa Numa Yay!
