My Finland NF 2012 - Quarter Finals and Semi Finals!

Ok, so Finland is in the midst of a massive overhaul of their National Final selection process. YLE will select their song for Baku sometime in February. Preceding the Final, there will be a series of Concerts, Auditions, Club Gigs and live shows.

The first step YLE took was to put out a call for songs. A total of 550 Songs were submitted, which is a new record. Then, an "Expert" Jury chose 40 Songs from the 550 to compete in an online vote, from which the 12 competing songs will be selected. So let's get started!

Songs -

My Contest -

I started by dividing the 40 Songs into 4 Quarter Finals. In each QF, I awarded "Televotes" to select the 5 Advancing Songs and 2 Second Chance Songs. Then, I awarded 2 "Wild Cards.

01 - Quarter Finals -

Quarter Final 01 -

01 - Laululeija - 13 492 - 7th

02 - Habits Of Human Beings - 29 571 - 1st

03 - Aarmuyön Ikuisuus - 08 954 - 10th

04 - Pack Up - 27 039 - 2nd

05 - Burning - 09 287 - 9th

06 - Different Coloured Socks - 22 499 - 3rd

07 - Home - 19 038 - 4th

08 - We Are The Night - 17 935 -5th

09 - Janis Joplin - 11 714 - 8th

10 - Kunpa Vois - 15 683 - 6th

Comments -
In the Quarter Final, I think there were a lot of strong songs and I am supremely happy with my 5 Advancing Songs. "Habits Of Human Beings" is a nice uptempo song with a strong melody and fantastic in that Finnish way. "Pack Up" is such a cute, simple song. I love the ukelalie and the lyrics to this whole song. It's very cute and sincere and wonderful. "Different Coloured Socks" starts out as a nice ballad but then builds to be a super jazzy and swinging song...I really love it. "Home" is another fantasticly folksy song which is growing on me with each and every listen. Although it only got 4th in this QF, i feel like it will grow in my heart as i listen to it. "We Are The Night" is a strong dance song...but i feel like the singer's voice tarnishes it a bit...he comes off kinda whiney. I gave "Lauleleija" a second chance because I can't quite decide if I actually like it or simply don't hate it. "Kuna Vois" also gets a second chance because I fell like it's a strong ballad and I know from experience that they sometimes take a couple listens for me to "Get Them".  "Aarmuyön Ikulsuus" is currently leading the internet voting (by like 1500 votes) and i can't for the life of me figure out why...it just seems like another silly ballad with no real redeeming qualities. The only thing i can think is that Jari (Who represented Finland at ESC 2004) is an EXTREMELY popular Finnish singer and that people are voting for him as opposed to the song.


Quarter Final 02 -

01 - Mun Taivas - 18 751 - 5th

02 - Johnny - 26 028 - 3rd

03 - Usko Rakkauteen - 23 249 - 4th

04 - International Love Song - 08 452 - 10th

05 - Huominen Ei Ole Koskaan Nyt - 14 815 - 7th

06 - Meikin Alta - 17 994 - 6th

07 - Antaa Mennä - 12 571 - 8th

08 - Rytmit Rikkoutuu - 31 538 - 2nd

09 - Erase You - 34 097 - 1st

10 - Anna Aikaa - 10 893 - 9th

Comments -
This Quarter Final wasn't as strong as the previous QF, but there were still some pretty good songs. For sure, the best song is "Erase You", it's a huge dance song with a great hook and just a fantastic strength in it. "Rytmit Rikkoutuu"is Finnish without a doubt. It's dancy but has this really interesting darkness about it. I feel like it tells a story and i thoroughly enjoy that. I enjoy the constant beat that carries the song in a super strong way. "Johnny" is quite a cool, catchy, modern rock song and is a nice "different" song...i enjoy it! "Usko Rakkauteen" is a beautiful, soulful Finnish ballad. Simple and heartfelt...it's a great song to sway to. Raita's voice is suited perfectly for this song and she hits every note flawlessly. There's is something that is so hauntingly interesting about "Mun Taivas". It has definatly grown on me...at first it sounds like just another ballad...but there is something so sweet and genuine and mournful about it...it's like she just has this emptiness inside her...and she just expresses it perfectly in this great song. "Meikin Alta" gets a Second Chance because I have a sneaking suspicious it's one of those ballads that take a few listens for me to appreciate. The same goes for "Huominen Ei Ole Koskaan Nyt", although i intialy found it the more interesting of the two. I decided to give "Anna Aikaa" a wild card because I just can't seem to get it out of my head. I don't really think that Europeans can rap and it tends to annoy me but they actually do a pretty fair job.

Quarter Final 03 -

01 - Noitanainen - 27 581 - 3rd

02 - Want My Life Back - 19 157 - 6th

03 - Kisscollector - 24 038 - 4th

04 - Melt - 18 994 - 7th

05 - Perfect - 22 802 - 5th

06 - Checkmate - 36 917 - 1st

07 - Teleport My Heart - 15 725 - 9th
08 - Sinisulkien Viimeinen- 12 258 - 10th

09 - När Jag Blundar - 17 695 - 8th

10 - Hook On Wii - 32 418 - 2nd

Comments -
This was also a pretty strong Quarter Final, but I think that has more to do with having a few truely brilliant songs as opposed to a strong overall standard. "Noitanainen" is quite a cool, albeit, typically Finnish dance song. It's a little bit too chaotic for me to actual love it and dance along to it, but it's still pretty nice to listen to.  "Perfect" is a nice, simply uptempo pop song...not really amazing but a solid, nice song. I am completly obsessed with "Checkmate"! I think it's just perfect and amazing and i just can't stop dancing and singing along! It's so just fantastic and i can't help but think that this song would have the strongest chance of doing well at ESC, but it's Finland and they tend to pass over amazing songs in favor for something that tends to be odd...still, I think Martina does just a perfect job and i love love love love this high energy dance/pop song. There is something fantastically unique about "Hooked On Wii". It's has a great beat that just kinda drills it's way into your soul and makes you want to sway along before you even know you want to. I also really enjoy the somewhat "childish" nature about it. It makes it seem really fun and fresh. It's so simple and fun and catchy and cool, i can't help but adore it. I'm not gonna lie, I spent like 3 hours yesterday just listening to this song on repeat because it's just that sort of song. I gave "Want My Life Back" and "Melt" a second chance because i haven't really figured them out yet. I also gave "När Jag Blundar" a Wild Card because it's for sure growing on me from a "boring" ballad to a "Holy crap! How did i not realize how goregous this song it?!". I love it's soft, subtle emotionalness and i think that Pernilla has a wonderfully beautiful and expressive voice.

Quarter Final 04 -

01 - Roudassa - 34 735 - 2nd

02 - Better - 37 918 - 1st
03 - Miracle - 12 022 - 9th
04 - November's Touch - 29 839 - 3rd
05 - Joenvarren Tyttö - 09 127 - 10th

06 - Yksin Yhdessä - 18 304 - 6th

07 - Only 7 Days - 25 748 - 4th
08 - Every Day In The Sunshine -  13 573 - 8th
09 - Lasikaupunki - 22 459 - 5th

10 - Like Soldiers Go - 15 935 - 7th

Comments -
This was a pretty weak Quarter Final, but there were a couple impressive songs. "Roudassa" is another big, powerful Finnish dance song. I don't know what's changed this year, but Finland is finally producing just awesome dance songs...fun and dancey without being mechanical. This song is a perfect example. Great beat, fantastic chorus and the melody of the lyrics works just ever so perfectly with the general feel of the song. "Better" has a nice strong start to yet another simply phenomenal Finnish dance song. I love the slight vocal echo...it kinda sounds like a modern yodel. It's just so dancey and fun! It has a nice build and a great beat and the chorus is just awesome! It begs to be sung into a broom handle while drunk. Great. Just fantastic. At first listen, i was pretty taken with "November's Touch". It just struck me as a cool, unique ballad...but if a Ballad makes a good first impression on me, there's a 50/50 chance that over time, it'll fade on me completly...so we'll just have to wait and see. "Only 7 Days" has something about it that just touches me...it's kinda slow and melodic and well...i bit old fashioned but in a way that's absolutely charming and loveable. "Lasikaupunki" is a very cool, modernish uptempo Finnish pop song that I also enjoy. It's just sort of cool and honest and nice. I gave second chances to "Yksin Yhdessä" and "Like Soldiers Go" even though i didn't really find either of them super impressive. They were simply a little bit better than the other 3 songs. 

Quarter Final 05 -
01 - Like Soldiers Go - 22 815 Votes - 6th
02 - Huominen Ei Ole Koskaan Nyt - 16 029 Votes - 9th

03 - När Jag Blundar - 28 766 Votes - 3rd

04 - Kunpa Vois - 36 824 Votes - 1st

05 - Melt - 10 792 Votes - 10th
06 - Yksin Yhdessä - 23 254 Votes - 5th
07 - Want My Life Back - 18 002 Votes - 7th

08 - Anna Aikaa - 32 245 Votes - 2nd

09 - Meikin Alta - 25 776 Votes - 4th

10 - Laululeija - 16 303 Votes - 8th

Comments -
Although i really didn't think there were a bunch of songs worth of a "Second Chance", I'm glad i included this round. I was more than a little surprised that my 2 "Wild Cards" nabbed the top 2 Songs but that just goes to show that sometimes it takes me a while to understand and appreciate some songs.

02 - Semi Finals -

I then divided the 24 Songs into 3 Semi Finals. In each SF, I voted in 2 Rounds. In the First Round, I awarded "Televotes" to select my top 5 Songs. In the Second Round, I awarded "Televotes" to chose the 3 Advancing Songs and 2 Second Chance Songs. Then, I awarded 2 "Wild Cards". In the Second Chance Round, I chose the last 3 Finalists in 2 Rounds. In the First Round, I divided the songs into 4 "Matches" and awarded "Televotes" to select the advancing song from each Match. In the Second Round, I divided the songs into 2 "Matches" and awarded "Televotes" to chose the advancing song from each Match. Then, I selected 1 "Wild Card".

Semi Final 01 -
Number - Title - Round 01 - Round 02 - Place
01 - Kisscollector - 23 764 Votes - X - 7th

02 - Different Coloured Socks - 35 481 Votes - 53 824 Votes - 4th

03 - Hooked On Wii - 46 998 Votes - 73 135 Votes - 1st

04 - November's Touch - 20 245 Votes - X - 8th

05 - När Jag Blundar - 27 925 Votes - 52 439 Votes - 5th

06 - Johnny - 25 417 Votes - X - 6th

07 - Erase You - 52 943 Votes - 68 751 Votes - 2nd

08 - Home - 36 391 Votes - 61 185 Votes - 3rd

Comments -
No Suprise that "Hooked On Wii" won, i'm loving it more and more with each listen. Same thing with "Erase You". "Home" has grown on me too and might actually be a dark horse when it comes to voting in my final. "Different Coloured Socks" is still just fantastic. I am falling more and more in love with "När Jag Blundar" and i like that.  Also, I am officially out of love with "November's Touch".

Semi Final 02 -
01 - Only 7 Days - 31 857 Votes - 51 250 Votes - 3rd
02 - Usko Rakkauteen - 29 389 Votes - 43 776 Votes - 5th
03 - Kunpa Vois - 23 304 Votes - X - 7th
04 - Better - 49 259 Votes - 76 384 Votes - 1st
05 - Noitanainen - 35 517 Votes - 44 852 Votes - 4th
06 - We Are The Night - 22 176 Votes - X - 8th
07 - Perfect - 24 425 Votes - X - 6th

08 - Habits Of Human Beings - 44 584 Votes - 73 279 Votes - 2nd

Comments -
Again, nothing really surprising about my advancing songs. "We Are The Night" has completly faded from my "love" list...now i think it's just a bit whiney and noisey.

Semi Final 03 -
01 - Lasikaupunki - 31 571 Votes - X - 8th
02 - Rytmit Rikkoutuu - 41 258 Votes - 51 852 Votes - 5th
03 - Meikin Alta - 33 520 Votes - X - 7th
04 - Pack Up - 46 183 Votes - 78 388 Votes - 2nd
05 - Mun Taivas - 38 954 Votes - 56 772 Votes - 4th
06 - Anna Aikaa - Anna Aikaa - 34 349 Votes - X - 6th

07 - Roudassa - 43 524 Votes - 65 542 Votes - 3rd

08 - Checkmate - 54 938 Votes - 80 245 Votes - 1st

Comments -
This was probably the strongest SF...however, i was pretty sure of my top 3 going into it. "Anna Aikaa" once again gets a "Wild Card" and i know i have to make a decision about this song pretty soon. "Meikin Alta" also gets a "Wild Card" just in case i only need a couple more listens to love it .

Semi Final 04 -

Round 01 -
Match 01 -
Number - Title - Televote - Place

01 - Different Coloured Socks - 54 799 Votes - 1st

02 - Rytmit Rikkoutuu - 47 135 Votes - 2nd

Match 02 -
01 - Noitanainen - 51 482 Votes - 2nd

02 - Anna Aikaa - 54 948 Votes - 1st

Match 03 -
01 - Meikin Alta - 41 977 Votes - 2nd

02 - När Jag Blundar - 48 238 Votes - 1st

Match 04 -

01 - Mun Taivas - 49 174 Votes - 1st

02 - Usko Rakkauteen - 45 813 Votes - 2nd

Round 02 -
Match 01 -

01 - Different Coloured Sock - 69 844 Votes - 1st

02 - Anna Aikaa - 57 143 Votes - 2nd

Match 02 -

01 - När Jag Blundar - 65 791 Votes - 1st

02 - Mun Taivas - 62 472 Votes - 2nd

Comments -
Haha life is so funny. When I first heard all 40 songs, I didn't really care for "När Jag Blundar" or "Anna Aikaa" but here we are a few dozen listens later and they are both getting spots in my final.

Anywho, So here we go! I have selected my 12 Finalsits!

Here's a reminder of the Songs who are competing to be my favorite -
Anna Aikaa (Allow) - Kakskaks And Alisa

Better - Jessica Wolff

Checkmate - Martina

Different Coloured Sock -  Fatima Koroma

Erase You - DCX

Habits Of Human Beings - Kaisa Vala

Home - Malin Kojola

Hooked On Wii - Captor

När Jag Blundar (When I Close My Eyes) - Pernilla Karlsson

Only 7 Days - Hans On The Bass

Pack Up - Selja Sini

Roudassa (Frozen) - ARTo

I will post my Final in a seperate, upcoming post :) But i'll talk about it a little bit. For sure, going into my final, I'm pretty sure it's gonna end up being a three way race between "Checkmate", "Better" and "Hooked On Wii"...if i had to chose right now, i'd pick "Checkmate" as it just stands out in my mind as a winner...but "Better" is close on it's heels and might overtake it. Also, i'm growing dangerously infatuated with "Hooked On Wii" and who knows what may happen! I am also expecting "habits Of Human Beings", "Erase You" and "Pack Up" to do quite well. "Home" could be a dark horse because it's growing on me more and more. I also would watch out for "När Jag Blundar" and "Anna Aikaa" to climb the ranks...but honestly anything could happen over the next few days of listening!

So what are your thoughts/favorites?!


Anywho, here are the current rankings in the Online Voting - Remember! Only the top 12 Songs will advance to the Televised Rounds! So if you like a song...VOTE FOR IT! You can vote for as many songs as you want one time every day! It's super easy! Just follow these directions!

To vote for your favorites go to –

http://satumaa.yle.fi/umk

A little further down from the top, you will see a section on the right called "Fanitusbarometri".

Click on “Katso Koko Lista” and it will bring up a list of all the songs and their current rankings. Click on the song(s) you wish to vote for and it will open up that songs page. On that page click the button marked “Tykkään!” and you have voted for that song! You can vote for as many songs as you wish but only once for each song.

Don't forget to leave your voting preference in the comments section!

1^st – 7 571 Votes – Aamuyön Ikulsuus

2nd – 5 933 Votes - Better
3rd - 5 558Votes - Usko Rakkauteen

4^th – 5 521 Votes – Teleport My Heart
5th - 5 359 Votes - Erase You
6th – 5 063 Votes - We Are The Night
7th - 4 974 Votes - Pack Up

8^th – 4 901 Votes – Burning

9^th – 4 799 Votes – Yksin Yhdessä

10^th – 4 742 Votes – International Love Song

11^th – 4 736 Votes – Anna Aikaa
12th - 4 624 Votes – Roudassa

13^th – 3 956 Votes – Want My Life Back

14^th – 3 302 Votes – Huominen Oi Ole Koskaan Nyt

15^th – 3 128 Votes – När Jag Blundar
16^th – 3 069 Votes – Checkmate

17^th – 2 863 Votes - Laululejia
18th - 2 740 Votes - Home
19th - 2 631 Votes – Rytmit Rikkoutuu

20^th – 2 628 Votes – Sinisulkien Viimeinen

21^st – 2 450 Votes – Lasikaupunki

22^nd – 2 350 Votes - Miracle
23rd - 2 146 Votes – Johnny

24^th – 2 000 Votes – Antaa Mennä
25^th – 1 886 Votes - Only 7 Days
26th - 1 723 Votes - Different Coloured Socks
27th - 1 646 Votes – Noitanainen

28^th – 1 359 Votes – Kisscollector

29^th – 1 206 Votes – Like Soldiers Go

30^th – 1 190 Votes – Kunpa Vois

31^st – 1 186 Votes – Janis Joplin

32^nd – 1 036 Votes – Every Day In The Sunshine

33^rd – 895 Votes – Joenvarren Tyttö
34th - 812 Votes - Mun Taivas

35^th – 756 Votes – Meikin Alta
36th - 728 Votes - Hooked On Wii
37th - 636 Votes - Habits Of Human

38^th – 591 Votes - Melt
39th - 564 Votes - Perfect
40th - 549 Votes - November's Touch

15 Songs

I'm currently completly obsessed with the following 15 Songs from the Eurovision NF Season of 2012 So Far - 

Belarus - Message To The World - Thriller

Finland - Home - Malin Kojola

Finland - Erase You - DCX

Finland - Checkmate - Martina

Finland - Hooked On Wii - Captor

Finland - Better - Jessica Wolff

Latvia - Celebration - Paula Dukure

Latvia - Stars Are My Family - Trianas Parks

Malta - Dance Romance - Jessica Muscat

Malta - You Make Me Go Uh Uh - Deborah C Featuring Leila James

Malta - DNA - Romina Mamo

Sweden - Jag Kommer Ut - San Francisco

Sweden - Higher - Patrick Egemo

Switzerland - It's Your Love - Vittoria Hyde

Switzerland - Black Symphony  - Atomic Angels

Comments?

My Switzerland National Final 2012

Switzerland decided to continue it's successful (by Swiss Eurovision standards that is) format from last year of having an early televised national final. The only difference was that this year, the Italian Swiss broadcaster decided to put their song choices in the hands of the Public. They held a Semi Final of Seven songs and a Televote chose the Two advancing songs.

In the Final, 14 Songs will compete for the Swiss Ticket to Baku. The Final will take place on December 10th. The 14 Artists will sing abridged 2 Minute versions of their songs and a Televote will decide the Winner.

Semi Final -
Songs -
Number - Title (Translation) - Artist
01 - It's Your Love - Vittoria Hyde
02 - Giro Intorno (Turn Around) - Gianluca Solci
03 - Here I Am - Rossella
04 - The Big Picture - Laetitia
05 - Unbreakable - Sinplus
06 - Anima Nuova (New Soul) - Chiara Dubey
07 - Masquerade - Scilla

Final -
01 - Real Love - Patric Scott Feat. Fabienne Louves
02 - She - Emel
03 - Anima Nuova - Chiara Dubey
04 - Baby Baby Baby - Guillermo Sorya
05 - Shining - Macy
06 - Quand Je Ferme Les Yeux (When I Close My Eyes) - Sosofluo
07 - Black Symphony - Atomic Angels
08 - Peace And Freedom - Ivo
09 - L'Autre (The Other) - Ze Flying Zézettes Orchestra
10 - The Song In My Head - Raphael Jeger
11 - Fragile - I Quattro
12 - Unbreakable - Sinplus
13 - C'Était Ma Vie (It Was My Life) - Lys Assia
14 - Wrong To Let You Go - Katherine St - Laurent

The biggest name in the Final is by leaps and bounds fan favorite, multiple Swiss representive in the 1950's and winner of the very first ESC ever, Lys Assia.

My Contest -

For my contest, I decided to stick to the general format of the actual National Final, with a few tweaks.
First, I had the Seven Italian songs compete in a Quarter Final, where I awarded "Televote" to select the 3 Advancing Songs.

01 - Quarter Final -
Number - Title - Televote - Place - Q
01 - It's Your Love - 25 846 Votes - 1st - Q
02 - Giro Intorno - 4 928 Votes - 7th - NQ
03 - Here I Am - 8 763 Votes - 6th - NQ
04 - The Big Picture - 11 257 Votes - 5th - NQ
05 - Unbreakable - 19 099 Votes - 3rd - Q
06 - Anima Nuova - 15 634 Votes - 4th - NQ
07 - Masquerade - 23 371 Votes - 2nd - Q

Comments -
01 - It's Your Love - Amazing, RnBish, dancey song! I became obsessed with it from it's first beat. I was up and dancing by the first verse. I adore the steady beat and catchy hook. This song is one of those songs that just gets stuck in your head and you couldn't be happier about it! 10 Stars out of 10!
02 - Giro Intorno - Eh boring Italian ballad...not special in any way. 2 Stars out of 10.
03 - Here I Am - A big song. Lots of sound and noise and "Music". It's not a terrible song and a pretty decent effort but there's just no soul or heart in it. 5 Stars out of 10.
04 - The Big Picture - A simple but powerful start (I love the bells!). A pretty nice mid tempo song that stays sincere and subtle (which is super unique in a Swiss song). The singers voice could be a little stronger on the bridge but overall works quite well with the song. Quite a pretty little ditty. 7 Stars out of 10.
05 - Unbreakable - A slow start with loads of potential. It has a pretty nice build and grows into a crazy, powerful and dancey bridge and a repetitive chorus. A song that I'm sure I will either grow to love or despise....i'm not sure yet....but it's pretty fun and i like it for right now. 8 Stars out of 10. 
06 - Anima Nuova -  A nice, simple, sweet song. It's very charismatic and adorable...not a bad effort at all. It might actually be a dark horse to win the final...i wouldn't count it out. 7 Stars out of 10.
07 - Masquerade - Another Big, Loud Song....but it has a ton of heart and soul. The singers voice was built for this song...it expression passion and emotion super well. As for the song itself, it's got a great heavy beat and comes out of the gate like a storm! Great bridge and pretty decent chorus. 9 Stars out of 10!

Second, I had the 15 Songs compete in a Semi Final. In the Semi Final, I award points a total of 5 Times. The First Three votes were given after my First, Second and Third listens to all the Songs. The Fourth vote (worth Double) was given after just listening to my favorites. The Fifth Vote (worth Triple) was given after a couple more listens of all the songs. The top 6 scoring songs advanced to the Final.

Songs To Download

Semi Final -
Number - Title - Vote 01 - Vote 02 - Vote 03 - Vote 04 - Vote 05 - Total - Place - Q?
01 - Real Love - 08 - 08 - 16 - 28 - 42 = 102 Points - 5th
02 - She - 02 - 05 - 09 - 08 - 21 = 45 Points - 9th
03 - Masquerade - 16 - 14 - 07 - 24 - 48 = 109 Points - 4th
04 - Baby Baby Baby - 10 - 01 - 01 - 06 - 12 = 30 Points - 13th
05 - Shining - 06 - 09 - 10 - 20 - 30 = 75 Points - 7th
06 - Quand Je Ferme Les Yeux - 14 - 16 - 04 - 16 - 24 = 74 Points - 8th
07 - Black Symphony- 20 - 18 - 12 - 36 - 54 = 140 Points - 2nd
08 - Peace And Freedom - 01 - 03 - 06 - 14 - 18 = 42 Point - 11th
09 - L'Autre - 04 - 04 - 02 - 04 - 06 = 20 Points - 14th
10 - The Song In My Head - 05 - 06 - 05 - 10 - 15 = 41 Points - 12th
11 - Fragile - 03 - 02 - 03 - 02 - 03 = 13 Points - 15th
12 - Unbreakable - 09 - 12 - 14 - 40 - 36 = 111 - 3rd
13 - C'Était Ma Vie - 07 - 10 - 08 - 12 - 09 = 46 Points - 10th

14 - Wrong To Let You Go - 12 - 07 - 20 - 18 - 27 = 84 Points - 6th

15 - It's Your Love - 18 - 20 - 18 - 32 - 60 = 148 Points - 1st

Third, I had the 6 Songs compete in a Final. In the Final, I selected my winner in Two Rounds of Voting. In the First Round, I listened to all 6 Songs Six times. I awarded points after the 3rd and 6th listen. The top 3 Songs advanced to the Second Round, where I awarded "Televotes" to select my winner.

Final - Round 01 -
Number - Title - Vote 01 - Vote 02 - Total - Place - Q?
01 - Real Love - 04 - 02 = 06 Points - 6th
02 - Masquerade - 06 - 04 = 10 Points - 4th

03 - Black Symphony - 12 - 10 = 22 Points - 1st =

04 - Unbreakable - 08 - 08 = 16 Points - 3rd
05 - Wrong To Let You Go - 02 - 06 = 08 Points - 5th
06 - It's Your Love - 10 - 12 = 22 Points - 1st =

Final - Round 02 -
Number - Title - Televote - Place
01 - Black Symphony - 69 452 Votes - 2nd
02 - Unbreakable - 62 157 Votes - 3rd
03 - It's Your Love - 72 895 Votes - 1st

The First Latvian Semi Final For ESC 2012

The Latvian entry for ESC 2012 will be selected using the tried and true National Final format (Eirodziesma) that LTV has used in previous years. LTV has selected 20 Songs (from 71 submitted songs) to compete for the ticket to Baku. The 20 Songs are divided into 2 Semi Finals of 10 Songs each. In each Semi Final, an "Expert" Jury and a Televote will each rank the 10 songs and the Top 3 songs chosen by Televoting and the two highest ranked non - qualifying Jury songs will advance to the Final. In the Final, the Winner will be selected through 2 Rounds of Voting. In the First Round, an "Expert" Jury and a Televote will select the top 3 Songs and in the Second Round, a Televote will select the Song that will fly the Latvian flag at ESC 2012.

The First Latvian Semi Final will take place on January 7th at the Juras Varti Theatre House in Ventspils, Latvia.

Semi Final 01 -
Number - Title (Translation) - Artist(s)
01 - Dancer - Atis Ievins
02 - Milestibas Nevar But Par Daudz (Love Cannot Be Too Much) - Nikolajs Puzikovs
03 - No Limits To Dream - Maia
04 - I Want You Back - Samanta Tina And Davids Kalandija
05 - Rollin' Up - Angelina And Alisa May
06 - Freakin' Out - Laura Bicane And Romans Sladzis
07 - Celebration - Paula Dukure
08 - We Can Change The World -  Andris Abelite
09 - My World - Ruta Duduma
10 - Disco Superfly - PeR

Songs To Download

Initial Impressions -
My first favorites were "No Limits To Dream", "Freakin' Out", and "Celebration". I also found "Rollin' Up", "My World" and "Disco Superfly" to be extremely enjoyable. My Least favorites were "We Can" and "Dancer"

The First Latvian Semi Final saw the return of a few former Eirodziesma participants. Paula Dukure took part in the 2008 Latvian Semi Finals as part of the group "Pent-In-Dreams" and came equal 4th in the 2011 Latvian Final as part of the group "D-Family" (who were my personal favorite.  Andris Abelite represented Latvia at ESC 2007 as part of the group "Bonaparti.lv" as well as coming 4th in the 2002 Latvian Final and 5th in the 2003 Latvian Final. Ruta Duduma was a backing singer for Latvia at ESC 2011. The band PeR came equal 9th at the 2009 Latvian Final and 10th at the 2010 Latvian Final.

After Listening to the 10 Songs I am impressed at the number of strong songs that Latvia has put forth this year, especially after the last couple years of mediocre at best Eirodziesmas. I think that the songs with the best chances of getting through to the Final (but not necessarily my personal favorites) are "No Limits To Dream", "I Want You Back", "Freakin' Out", "Celebration" and "Disco Superfly".

My Contest -
To Select my Five Finalists, I followed the same format that will be used for the actual contest. I awarded points twice. First, I awarded each song a number of "Televotes" after I listened to all 10 songs at least 5 Times. Then, I Listened to all the songs another 10 times and then I listened to the 7 Songs that I didn't place in my top 3 in my First vote an additional 5 Times, before assigning rankings to the songs. The Top 3 Songs from my "Televoting" Round and the highest 2 Placing Songs from my "Jury" Round advanced to my final.

Semi Final 01 -
Number - Title - Televotes - Televote Place - Jury Place - Qualified?
01 - Dancer - 14 586 Votes - 9th - 9th - Not Qualified
02 - Milestibas - 18 921 Votes - 8th - 7th - Not Qualified
03 - No Limits - 38 529 Votes - 2nd - 2nd - Televote Qualified
04 - I Want You - 23 753 Votes - 7th - 5th - Not Qualified
05 - Rollin' Up - 29 417 Votes - 5th - 6th - Not Qualified
06 - Freakin' Out - 33 027 Votes - 4th - 3rd - Jury Qualified
07 - Celebration - 41 891 Votes - 1st - 4th - Televote Qualified
08 - We Can Change - 09 349 Votes - 10th - 10th -  Not Qualified
09 - My World - 26 502 Votes - 6th - 1st - Jury Qualified
10 - Disco - 35 218 Votes - 3rd - 8th - Televote Qualified

So my Five Finalists Are -
03 - No Limits To Dream - Maia

06 - Freakin' Out - Laura Bicane And Romans Sladzis

07 - Celebration - Paula Dukure

09 - My World - Ruta Duduma

10 - Disco Superfly - PeR

The Second Latvian Semi Final For ESC 2012

The Second Latvian Semi Final will take place on January 14th at the Juras Varti Theatre Hourse In Ventspils, Latvia. 10 Songs will compete for 5 Spots in the Final. In this Semi Final, an "Expert" Jury and a Televote will each rank the 10 songs and the Top 3 songs chosen by Televoting and the two highest ranked non - qualifying Jury songs will advance to the Final. In the Final, the Winner will be selected through 2 Rounds of Voting. In the First Round, an "Expert" Jury and a Televote will select the top 3 Songs and in the Second Round, a Televote will select the Song that will fly the Latvian flag at ESC 2012.

Songs - 
Number - Title - Artist(s)
01 - Sweet For Me - Miks Dukurs And NBC
02 - Better World - Valters Gleske And Liba Ece
03 - Get It Started - The 4
04 - Beautiful Song - Anmary
05 - Wanna Be With You - Paul Swan
06 - She's A Queen - Roberts Petersons
07 - For Father - Samanta Tina
08 - You Are A Star - Elizabete Zagorska
09 - Music Thief - Mad Show Boys
10 - Stars Are My Family - Trianas Parks

Songs To Download

The Second Semi Final also had a few Eirodziesma Alum competing.  Miks Dukurs took part in the 2008 and 2009 Latvian Semi Finals and came equal 4th in the 2011 Latvian Final in the group "D - Family" (my personal favorites". Liba Ece was a backing singer for Latvia at ESC 2011. Elizabete Zagorska came 10th at the 2008 Latvian Final. One of the memebers of the group "Mad Show Boys" is Aldis Zaluksnis who took part in the 2011 Latvian Semi Finals as a memeber of the group "Crazy Dolls". Trianas Parks came 4th at the 2008 Latvian Final, equal 4th in the 2009 and the 2010 Latvian Finals and took part in the 2011 Latvian Semi Finals.

My inital favorites were "Get It Started', "You Are A Star" and "Stars Are My Family". Once again, i was exteremly impressed by the number of strong songs in this Semi Final. I think the songs with the best chances of advancing (although not necassarily my personal favorites) are "Stars Are My Family", "You Are A Star", "Get It Started", "Sweet For Me" and "Better World".


My Contest -
To Select my Five Finalists, I followed the same format that will be used for the actual contest. I awarded points twice. First, I awarded each song a number of "Televotes" after I listened to all 10 songs at least 5 Times. Then, I Listened to all the songs another 10 times and then I listened to the 7 Songs that I didn't place in my top 3 in my First vote an additional 5 Times, before assigning rankings to the songs. The Top 3 Songs from my "Televoting" Round and the highest 2 Placing Songs from my "Jury" Round advanced to my final.

Semi Final 02 -
Number - Title - Televotes - Televote Place - Jury Place - Qualified
01 -Sweet For Me - 23 185 Votes - 5th - 4th - Jury Qualified
02 - Better World - 05 298 Votes - 10th - 10th - Not Qualified
03 - Get It Started - 31 763 Votes - 3rd - 8th - Televote Qualified
04 - Beautiful Song - 19 013 Votes - 6th - 1st - Jury Qualified
05 - Wanna Be With You - 12 577 Votes - 9th - 7th - Not Qualified
06 - She's A Queen - 14 916 Votes - 8th - 6th - Not Qualified
07 - For Father -16 194 Votes - 7th - 5th - Not Qualified
08 - You Are A Star - 35 761 Votes - 2nd - 3rd - Televote Qualified
09 - Music Thief - 27 934 Votes - 4th - 9th - Not Qualified
10 - Stars Are My Family - 39 571 Votes - 1st - 2nd - Televote Qualified

So my Five Finalists are -
01 - Sweet For Me - Miks Dukurs And NBC

03 - Get It Started - The 4

04 - Beautiful Song - Anmary

08 - You Are A Star - Elizabete Zagorska

10 - Stars Are My Family - Trianas Parks

My First Finland 2012

Ok, so Finland is in the midst of a massive overhaul of their National Final selection process. YLE will select their song for Baku sometime in February. Preceding the Final, there will be a series of Concerts, Auditions, Club Gigs and live shows.

The first step YLE took was to put out a call for songs. A total of 550 Songs were submitted, which is a new record. Then, an "Expert" Jury chose 40 Songs from the 550 to compete in an online vote, from which the 12 competing songs will be selected.

I won't bore you with all the details of the 40 Songs...instead i'll do my own little contest.

First, I selected my top 18 Songs from the 40 Songs. I then divided the 18 songs into 3 Semi Finals. In each Semi Final, I awarded "Televotes" to select my 2 Finalists and 2 Second Chance Songs.

Songs -
01 - Better - Jessica Wolff
02 - Checkmate - Martina
03 - Different Coloured Socks - Fatima Koroma
04 - Erase You - DCX
05 - Habits Of Human Beings - Kaisa Vala
06 - Home - Malin Kojola
07 - Hooked On Wii - Captor
08 - Johnny - MOOBS
09 - Mun Taivas (My Heaven) - Alli
10 - Noitanainen (Witch Woman) - Freeman And Uusi Fantasia
11 - November's Touch - Rita Lovely And The Soultwisters
12 - Only 7 Days - Hans On The Bass
13 - Pack Up - Selja Sini
14 - Perfect - Eveliina Määttä
15 - Roudassa (Frozen) - ARTo
16 - Rytmit Rikkoutuu (Rhythm Is Broken) - Leola
17 - Usko Rakkauteen (Faith In Love) - Raita Ilomäki
18 - We Are The Night - Iconcrash

Songs To Download

Semi Final 01 -
Number - Title - Televote - Place
01 - Noitanainen - 34 185 Votes - 4th
02 - November's Touch - 26 428 Votes - 6th
03 - Home - 36 549 Votes - 3rd
04 - Checkmate - 43 976 Votes - 1st
05 - Johnny - 32 574 Votes - 5th

06 - Habits Of Human Beings - 38 715 Votes - 2nd

Comments -
I am completly obsessed with "Checkmate"! I think it's just perfect and amazing and i just can't stop dancing and singing along! SOOO GREAT!
"Habits Of Human Beings" is also pretty great....it's a bit tame for a dance song, but it has a great beat and a great build...it's super catchy.
"Home" is just such a nice, sweet and sincere song i can't help but love it! It's a bit campy and sentimental but in the best sort of way.
"Noitanainen" is a fine example of good old Finnish dance music...i'm sure it'll lose it's luster over time but for right now, I enjoy it.
"Johnny" is a pretty great example of how to do Rock at ESC....it's a nice song.
"November's Touch" has faded on me greatly.

Semi Final 02 -
Number - Title - Televote - Place
01 - Erase You - 41 381 Votes - 1st
02 - Rytmit Rikkoutuu - 32 522 Votes - 5th
03 - Only 7 Days - 29 934 Votes - 6th
04 - Pack Up - 38 045 Votes - 2nd

05 - Roudassa - 34 876 Votes - 4th

06 - Different Coloured Socks - 35 007 Votes - 3rd

Comments -
"Erase You" is a super awesome and amazing dance song. It has a great beat and just a fantastic hook and chorus. I love how the song just explodes when it gets to the chorus.
"Rytmit Rikkoutuu" is Finnish without a doubt. It's dancy but has this really interesting darkness about it. I feel like it tells a story and i thoroughly enjoy that. I enjoy the constant beat that carries the song in a super strong way.
"Only 7 Days" has somehting about it that just touches me...it's kinda slow and melodic and well...i bit old fashioned but in a way that's absolutely charming and loveable.
"Pack Up" is just a fantastically folksy song that just makes me think of like traveling the country on a train in summer...it's soft and catchy and it's digging a special place in my heart for it. I love the "You are my everything" part....like i can't even describe why i adore it so much.
"Roudassa" is yet another big, powerful Finnish dance song. I don't know what's changed this year, but Finland is finally producing just awesome dance songs...fun and dancey without being mechanical. This song is a perfect example. Great beat, fantastic chorus and the melody of the lyrics works just ever so perfectly with the general feel of the song.
"Different Coloured Socks" UGH!!! I am falling more and more in love with this song every time i listen to it. It's just such a great, jazzy ballad and the singers voice is just perfect. I love how it grows into a nice swingy full band sound. It has a great message and just so much sincere emotion...ugh it's just so great!

Semi Final 03 -
Number - Title - Televote - Place
01 - Mun Taivas - 28 129 Votes - 3rd
02 - Better - 39 871 Votes - 1st
03 - We Are The Night - 18 953 Votes - 6th
04 - Usko Rakkauteen - 24 364 Votes - 4th
05 - Hooked On Wii - 32 719 Votes - 2nd
06 - Perfect - 21 475 Votes - 5th

Comments -
"Mun Taivas" has definatly grown on me...at first it sounds like just another ballad...but there is something so sweet and genuine and mournful about it...it's like she just has this emptiness inside her...and she just expresses it perfectly in this great song.
"Better" - A nice strong start to yet another simply phenomenal Finnish dance song. I love the slight vocal echo...it kinda sounds like a modern yodel. It's just so dancey and fun! It has a nice build and a great beat and the chorus is just awesome! It begs to be sung into a broom handle while drunk. Great. Just fantastic.
"We Are The Night" a nice dancey song...if not a bit whiney. I don't care much for the singers voice, but the song itself is pretty decent. However, it just can't compete with most of the other fantastic dance songs.
"Usko Rakkauteen" is another beautiful, soulful Finnish ballad. Simple and heartfelt...it's a great song to sway to. Raita's voice is suited perfectly for this song and she hits every note flawlessly.
"Hooked On Wii"There is just something super unique about this song. It has a nice strong steady beat and there's something vaguely childish about it int he best sort of way.  It's simple and fun and catchy and what can i say...i just heart it!
"Perfect" A nice simple mid tempo song...pretty good and nice to listen to...but it just can't compete in this year!

Semi Final 04 -
Number - Title - Televote - Place
01 - Noitanainen - 29 815 Votes - 5th

02 - Home - 46 778 Votes - 1st

03 - Roudassa - 37 064 Votes - 3rd

04 - Different Coloured Socks - 43 359 Votes - 2nd

05 - Mun Taivas - 34 715 Votes - 4th
06 - Usko Rakkauteen - 27 420 Votes - 6th

02 - Final -
I selected my Winner in 2 Rounds of Voting. In the First Round, I awarded the songs points a total of 6 times. The first 5 Times, I awarded points after various listens. For the 6th Vote, i Awarded Triple Weight Points based on my overall rankings. The top 4 Songs advanced to the Second Round, where i awarded "Televotes" to chose my Winner.

Round 01 -
Number - Title - Vote 01 - Vote 02 - Vote 03 - Vote 04 - Vote 05 - Vote 06 - Total - Place
01 - Pack Up - 04 - 03 - 12 - 01 - 02 - 09 = 31 Points - 5th

02 - Habits Of - 02 - 08 - 01 - 12 - 10 - 12 = 45 Points - 4th

03 - Erase You - 08 - 12 - 04 - 02 - 06 - 30 = 62 Points - 3rd
04 - Home - 01 - 04 - 08 - 03 - 04 - 06 = 26 Points - 7th
05 - Hooked On - 03 - 01 - 02 - 04 - 01 - 18 = 29 Points - 6th
06 - Different - 06 - 02 - 03 - 06 - 03 - 03 = 23 Points - 8th

07 - Better - 10 - 06 - 06 - 10 - 08 - 24 = 64 Points - 2nd

08 - Checkmate - 12 - 10 - 10 - 08 - 12 - 36 = 88 Points - 1st

Round 02 -
01 - Habits Of Human - 82 189 Votes - 4th
02 - Erase You - 97 503 Votes - 3rd
03 - Better - 121 845 Votes - 2nd
04 - Checkmate - 133 917 Votes - 1st

Congrats to Martina and "Checkmate"!

Here are the current internet rankings of my 18 songs -
2nd - 5 812 Votes - Better
3rd - 5 383 Votes - Usko Rakkauteen
5th - 5 222 Votes - Erase You
6th - 4 950 Votes - We Are The Night
7th - 4 846 Votes - Pack Up
12th - 4 527 Votes - Roudassa
15th - 3 029 Votes - Checkmate
18th - 2 704 Votes - Home
19th - 2 584 Votes - Rytmit
23rd - 2 115 Votes - Johnny
24th - 1 863 Votes - Only 7 Days
26th - 1 689 Votes - Different Coloured
27th - 1 629 Votes - Noitanainen
34th - 801 Votes - Mun Taivas
36th - 713 Votes - Hooked On Wii
37th - 624 Votes - Habits Of Human
39th - 551 Votes - Perfect
40th - 537 Votes - November's Touch


If you wish to have a say in the Finnish selection, it's super easy! Just follow these directions!

To vote for your favorites go to –

http://satumaa.yle.fi/umk

A little further down from the top, you will see a section on the right called "Fanitusbarometri".

Click on “Katso Koko Lista” and it will bring up a list of all the songs and their current rankings. Click on the song(s) you wish to vote for and it will open up that songs page. On that page click the button marked “Tykkään!” and you have voted for that song! You can vote for as many songs as you wish but only once for each song.

Don't forget to leave your voting preference in the comments section!

My First Impression of the results of JESC 2011

Okay, let me start off with my personal things.

Here are my personal rankings of the Songs from JESC 2011 -

01 - Belgium - Een Kusje Meer (One More Kiss) - Femke
02 - Ukraine - Evropa (Europe) - Kristall
03 - The Netherlands - Ik Ben Een Teenager (I Am A Teenager) - Rachel
04 - Moldova - No, No - Lerica
05 - Bulgaria - Supergeroy (Superhero) - Ivan Ivanov
06 - Russia - Kak Romeo I Dzhulyetta (Like Romeo And Juliet) - Katya Ryabova
07 - Armenia - Welcome To Armenia - Dalita Avanesyan
08 - Georgia - Candy Music - Candy
09 - Sweden - Faller (Falling) - Erik Rapp
10 - Latvia - Moondog - Amanda Bashmakova
11 - Lithuania - Debesys (Clouds) - Paulina Skrabyté
12 - Belarus - Angely Dobra (Angels Of Goodness) - Lidiya Zablotskaya
13 - FYR Macedonia - Zhimi Ovoj Frak (I Swear By This Tailcoat) - Dorijan Dlaka

However because things never go as i want them to, I also made a prediction for how i think the contest would actually go....I didn't assign actual places but rather divided the songs into groups based on how strong i thought their chances were of winning -

Group 01 - Very Strong
Ukraine
The Netherlands
Georgia


Group 02 - Strong
Russia
Armenia
Belarus


Group 03 - Normal
Belgium
Sweden
Moldova
Bulgaria

Group 04 - Weak
Lithuania
Latvia
FYR Macedonia


If I had to put money on the winner, I probs would have gone with the Ukraine...great song, great performance and access to all those eastern bloc votes!

Okay, so anywho, here are the actual results -
Place - Points** - Nation
13th * - 31 - FYR Macedonia
12th * - 31 - Latvia
11th - 42 - Ukraine
10th - 53 - Lithuania
9th - 57 - Sweden
8th - 60 - Bulgaria
7th - 64 - Belgium
6th - 78 - Moldova
5th - 85 - Armenia
4th * - 99 - Russia
3rd * - 99 - Belarus
2nd - 103 - The Netherlands
1st - 108 - Georgia


*According to ESC rules, in the event of a Tie, the nation who recieved the greater amounts of higher votes is placed above the other nation.

** Due to the "Emotional Damage" of a Child receiving a low amount of points, each nation was given 12 Points at the start to show that they are all winners.


Initial Comments -

UGH! I'm not surprised at all by Georgia's victory...it's a silly, fast paced and colorful song that appeals to the mostly child audience. It's a silly song and has no real content, but it's children? what do you expect!

I am absolutely elated that the Dutch got a well deserved 2nd place for their cool, mature song and Rachel performed perfectly! When Belgium (the last nation to vote) gave their points, i was praying super hard they'd give the nul points to Georgia and their 12 (and victory) to the Netherlands

I am extremely happy that Belarus didn't win...it was pretty close their for a while. I must have missed something because i just don't get the appeal of this slow, boring ballad.

Russia did predictably well, as did Armenia.

I was super Happy that the televoters responded to the subtle awesomeness of the Moldovan entry, as i was worried it might go a little over their heads....but she did a fantastic performance and got a decent place.

BELGIUM! UGH! My heart bleeds for Belgium. Best song and performance of the evening and all she gets is 7th?!?! WTF! Belgium was ROBBED!

Bulgaria just can't ever seem to do well and although i love this song, i expected it in a middle of the pact position.

Sweden was a bit of a surprise, as i thought it'd do much better.

Lithuania got a lot more votes than i expected they would, so good for them!

UKRAINE!??!? WTF HAPPENED HERE!??!?! I NEVER would have guessed they'd walk away with 11th?!?! Tragedy!

Latvia - Great song but a bit too mature for JESC

FYRM - Worst song in the contest, glad it got last!

Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2010

Let me start out by saying that ESC 2010 was quite possibly the best JESC ever and for sure the best JESC since at least 2005. Tons of strong entries and a lot of great performances.  Anywho, here we go....

The Songs -
Number - Nation - Title (Translation) - Artist(s)
01 - Lithuania - Oki Doki - Bartas
02 - Moldova - Ali Baba - Stefan Roscovan
03 - The Netherlands - My Family - Anna And Senna
04 - Serbia - Carobna Noc (Magical Night) - Sonja Skoric
05 - Ukraine - Miy Litak (My Plane) - Yulia Gurska
06 - Sweden - Allt Jag Vill Ha (All I Want) - Josefine Ridell
07 - Russia - Boy And Girl - Sasha Lazin And Liza Drozd
08 - Latvia - Viva La Dance (Dejo Ta) [Long Live Dance (Dance Like That)] - Sarlote Lenmane And Sea Stones
09 - Belgium - Get Up - Jill And Lauren
10 - Armenia - Mama - Vladimir Arzumanyan
11 - Malta - Knock Knock! Boom! Boom! - Nicole Azzoparti
12 - Belarus - Muzyki Svet (Light Of Music) - Daniil Kozlov
13 - Georgia - Mari Dari - Mariam Kakhelishvili
14 - FYR Macedonia - Eooo, Eooo - Anja Veterova

Songs -
01 - Lithuania - Oki Doki - Bartas

02 - Moldova - Ali Baba - Stefan Roscovan

03 - The Netherlands - My Family - Anna And Senna

04 - Serbia - Carobna Noc (Magical Night - Sonja Skoric

05 - Ukraine - Miy Litak (My Plane) - Yulia Gurska

06 - Sweden - Allt Jag Vill Ha (Everything I Want) - Josefine Ridell

07 - Russia - Boy And Girl - Sasha Lazin And Liza Drozd

08 - Latvia - Viva La Dance (Dejo Ta) (Long Live Dance (Dance Like That)) - Sarlote Lenmane And Sea Stones

09 - Belgium - Get Up - Jill And Lauren

10 - Armenia - Mama - Vladimir Arzumanyan

11 - Malta - Knock, Knock! Boom! Boom! - Nicole Azzopardi

12 - Belarus - Muzyki Svet (Light Of Music) - Daniil Kozlov

13 - Georgia - Mari Dari - Mariam Kakhelishvili

14 - FYR Macedonia - Eooo, Eooo - Anja Veterova

Comments -

From the get go, there was a three way race to become my favorite song between Lithuania, Sweden and Georgia. They are each so special and perfect in their own way. Lithuania is an awesome Eastern European Dancey song with a great build and a great melody. Sweden is a perfectly charming and charismatic ballad. Georgia is just well...Georgia. It's totally high energy and crazy and awesome and a little bit of Lady Gaga (In JESC circles, she's known as "Mini Gaga").

In the End, i just had to give Sweden my top spot. I just love it too much. It's so deep and moving and powerful and pretty, i just have no choice but to love it. I gave Georgia my Second place and Lithuania gets my third. FYR Macedonia at 4th and Belgium at 5th complete my top 5.

Anywho, here are my current rankings -

1st - Sweden - Allt Jag Vill Ha - Josefine Ridell
2nd - Georgia - Mari Dari - Mariam Kakhelishvili
3rd - Lithuania -  Oki Doki - Bartas
4th - Belgium - Get Up - Jill And Lauren
5th - FYR Macedonia -  Eooo, Eooo - Anja Veterova
6th  - Malta - Knock Knock! Boom! Boom! - Nicole Azzopardi
7th - Latvia - Viva La Dance (Dejo Ta) - Sarlote Lenmane And Sea Stones
8th - The Netherlands - My Family - Anna And Senna
9th - Armenia - Mama - Vladimir Arzumanyan
10th - Moldova - Ali Baba - Stefan Roscovan
11th - Ukraine - Miy Litak - Yulia Gurska
12th - Serbia - Carobna Noc - Sonja Skoric
13th - Belarus - Muzyki Svet - Daniil Kozlov
14th - Russia - Boy And Girl - Sasha Lazin And Liza Drozd



Comments -

01 - Lithuania -
UGH! So much love! When I first heard all 14 songs, this was my inital favorite. I simply adored it. It has such a cool beat and feel and i can remember this being the first song i created a dance to. So much perfection. It has interesting start, which suggests the awesomeness that is to come. I love the difference between the steady beat of the verses and the hugely musical and melodic chorus. I just love the chorus! Ugh and he just looks so fucking smooth and cool during the whole thing you just can't help but adore him. By leaps and bounds the most professional and polished performance of the whole year. He just has this whole thing down pat...cool, casual costume, awesome dancing, perfect hair, great voice, fantastic song and all the right moves. His background dancers are flawless and the whole thing just screams "Cool". UGH! I just can't get over what a fucking amazing performance he gives. You don't expect this sort of thing from Lithuania...I mean this song is by leaps and bounds my absolute favorite Lithuanian entry in JESC or real ESC ever! I have high hopes that he might represent Lithuania in the actual ESC this year (a.k.a. the first year he's old enough to) and show them how it's done! Awesome, brilliant entry.

02 - Moldova -
Oh Moldova...you just can't ever seem to get it right. This song has it's moments...but in such an awesome year it just can't be anything but average. I like it and can listen to it and dance along a little bit. It has a kinda cool feel. Performance wise, the costumes are just fucking fantastic. And of course, since he's from eastern europe, he brought along a bunch of gymnasts who manage to keep things interesting. The performance is better than the song, but overall, it just can't compete in this year. 

03 - The Netherlands -
When i first heard this song, i loved it! It continued the proud Dutch JESC reputation for sending just fantastic songs (2003, 2005,2007!, 2008!) and i spent more than a few hours screaming and dancing along to it. That being said, over time, it's lost some of it's magic on me. Before JESC 2010, It usually ranked between 5th and 6th for me...but that's no longer the case. I mean it's awesome, but it's just a little too...erm...safe i guess? It doesn't have that certain spark that some of the other songs have and i'm realizing that more and more over time. Performance wise, they are spot on! I love the pink fiddle! Their costumes are hip and cool, but not to DTM (Dyed To Match). They do an excellent job of just having fun and making a party atmosphere. The lead girl (i'm not sure if that's Anna or Senna) does an excellent job of interpreting the song with her voice and gestures, but not in a "I'm making over dramatic gestures way". I love the hips and finger snaps and knees. Dancing wise, I think the background dancers do a fantastic job, but i wish the lead girls would like get off the platform...even if it's just a dancey walk. But she has great energy and you can just tell that she's having loads of fun and i like that.

06 - Sweden - (Breathless). Sweden. I love Sweden. I just can't say enough how much i adore Sweden.  After consecutive entries by the (amazing and worshipful) Sandén sisters (Molly in 2006, Frida in 2007, 2008 they didn't compete and Mimi in 2009) Sweden selected a (shocker) non - sandén sister! I. fucking. adore. this. ballad. For sure it's one of my favorite ballads ever. I love each and ever second of it. I love it's slow yet steady beat that stays throughout the entire song. I love...love...love the chorus. Everything about this song makes me want to become a better person whenever i listen to it. It by leaps and bounds has the best lyrics, message and meaning in the entire contest. For refernece, here are the lyrics with an english translation -

Jag har en dröm innom mig

    I have a dream within me

    Och jag vet den kan bli sann

    And I know it can become true

    Jag kan nå fram här och nu

    I can reach forward here and now
   
    Det finns ingenting i världen, ingenting med världen

    There exists nothing in the world, nothing to do with the world

    Det jag känner här idag, allt jag vill ha, inget annat

    What I’m feeling here today, all I want, nothing else

    Ingenting kan stanna det vi startar du och jag

    Nothing can stop what we’re starting you and I

    Allt jag vill ha

    All I want
   
    Här är en ny chans, att den fanns

    Here is a new chance, that it exists

    Jag kan knappt tro det är sant

    I can hardly believe it’s true

    Jag tar, jag ger, här och nu

    I take, I give, here and now
   
    Det finns ingenting i världen, ingenting med världen

    There exists nothing in the world, nothing to do with the world

    Det jag känner här idag, allt jag vill ha

    What I’m feeling here today, all I want
   
    Även om vägen är long, kan inget stoppa mig

    Even though the road is long, nothing can stop me

    För det står skrivet i stjärnorna

    Because it’s written in the stars

    Även om vägen är long, så är det allt jag vill ha

    Even though the road is long, it is everything I want
   
    Det finns ingenting i världen, ingenting med världen

    There exists nothing in the world, nothing to do with the world

    Det jag känner här idag, allt jag vill ha, inget annat

    What I’m feeling here today, all I want, nothing else

    Ingenting kan stanna det vi startar du och jag

    Nothing can stop what we’re starting you and I

    Allt jag vill ha

    All I want

It is impossible for me to ever get enough of this song. It just has such power within it, message and music wise. I've spent literally days of my life listening to this song on repeat while going about my business and sung it in a broom handle at the top of my lungs just way to many times to count. 

And her voice! UGH! What a voice. Goregous and rich and powerful! She's a star! An absolute star! She makes singing perfectly seem effortless and nature. Something about her voice is just so charismatic and expressive. Although I've always had this song in my top 4 songs since the moment I heard it, after about 2 weeks, it became my undisputed and unchallengeable winner...(Here's a testament to how many times i've listened to it, i try very hard to have my play count for songs on Itunes reflect my general favorites and so i have a policy of reseting this songs play counts whenever it reaches over 1500 because it doesn't get the right to go above that for at least another year....i've reset it at least 3 times). Performance wise, she (along with Lithuania, Latvia and Malta) gave one of my favorite performances of the evening. At times, it seems like she struggled a bit with her vocals, but then she would prove it was no such thing by hitting high notes beautifully and expertly holding notes...that's just how her voice is. It's honest and sincere and just so charismatic. It just screams "I'm just a girl with a song and a dream" perfectly. She's also one of the few performers who didn't utilise on stage backing singers or dancers. She just showed up, in a goregous dress and perfect hair and make up and sang her heart and soul out and i simply adore her for doing so. She gave a professional, honest, sincere and mature performance in a contest that is dominated by children much younger than her with songs much sillier than hers dancing around the stage...but she doesn't need that. I could literally go on and on and on for like 7 pages about her performance...so i'll try to be brief. Brilliant arm gestures. Honest and sincere performance. She gave my absolute favorite performance of the evening (which is saying a lot given that she was up against Lithuania, Malta, Latvia and Georgia). I. fucking. love. her.

08 - Latvia - How much Latvia has grown on me. When I first heard it, i thought it was a bit boring and repetitive and well...I just felt that it was trying too hard. However, after a year of listening, i'm just completly in love with it. It's so fun and dancy and awesome! I adore the rhymic start with the "tick - tock - tick - tock" in the background. I love the costumes and the dancing is just above and beyond what should be expected from a 12 year old girl. She manages to do everything perfectly: Vocals, Expressive Arms, Dancing...just everything! I simply adore this song. I love the steady beat that carries throughout the whole song. I love the explosion of noise when she gets to the chorus. I love her side - step dance move and well just everything she does. I also fucking adore that beret!

09 - Belgium -
YAY BELGIUM! Despite being completly and totally robbed in 2009 ("Zo Verliefd" is quite simply one of the best songs ever created), Belgium decided to nix the folksy song idea and just straight out throw a party. "Get Up!" is just an amazing dance song. It screams "Party" and frankly, anyone who doesn't give into it has no soul. I adore....adore...adore this song! I mean the first lines are "Get up! Get up! It's a party!". Frankly, i have to say that Jill and Lauren perform just fantastically well as a duet. They are both talented singers but this is one of those cases where a total is greater than the sum of it's parts. I love how they share the song and throw the verses back and forth between each other and then come together just perfectly for the chorus. Usually in Duets, one singer tends to dominate the other but that's not the case here. I love the speaky verses and i just go wild whenver they do the "A-oh-a-oh-a-oh". I 100% thought this song stood a solid chance of winning, because it's just so much fun. I mean, i figured the whole hall would be clapping and swaying like crazy and the audience at home would be too. Performance - wise, they are great but disappointing.  They start with loads of energy and just super cute costumes...not to mention they are by leaps and bounds the oldest and therefore mose universally attractive of all the contsestants. Most people could find them somewhat cute and not end up being a creeper.  I love their costumes and their vocal performance is just flawless. What's disappointing is that they fail to interact with each other. One of my favorite things about this song is how they "throw" the verses between each other and frankly they don't do that on stage. They barely look at each other until the end and don't even acknowledge their dancers. I really wanted them to perform as a team...but they performed more like 2 soloists sharing the stage.


10 - Armenia -
UGH! Armenia. Year after year, they pretty much just send a high energy, meaningless, crazy song (baring their 2007 entry, which was flawless and awesome) and year after year i go from loving it to liking it to being indifferent to it to hating it to kinda liking it again to being indifferent to it. This year was no exception. When i first heard "Mama", i thought it was pretty good...but after a few listens, it just faded into noise for me. That being said, They are excellent at presenting songs you adore if you only hear once...which is pretty much why this song (unfairly) won JESC 2010. The performance was adequate...but honestly i never thought it was anything special...just kinda a bunch of noise and chaos. His dancers were often out of step and well just seemed amateurish. Ok vocals, ok performance...just OK all around...i really have no idea how this song managed to win!


11 - Malta -
Fucking Malta. For the longest time, all that was available was a poor quality live mp3 of her song, which i thought was nothing but chaotic. When she finally released the studio version, everything started to change for me. I just LOOOVE the studio version. This song starts slow and could be easily dismissed as a boring ballad until about 20 seconds in. Then it transforms into a powerful, awesome and fantastic song. It manages to be up - tempo but still meaningful. And that chorus...."Knock!...Knock! Knock!" well that's just a stroke of pure genius. Most of all, there's something about her voice that i just love. I don't know why, but i just love it. It's unique and it just kinda soothes me...I also just flip out when the song gets kinda quite and they all sing togehter and then she just powerhouses it out with her "Knooooooooooock! We're here at the door!" while her backing singers sing softly behind her. Performance - wise, she gave one of my favorite performances of the night (along with Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden). Everything about her performance was perfect. Her costume (and the matching costumes on her dancers) were flirty and fun and added an element of whimsy to a powerful song. I love her start, with her in line with her dancers and all of them throwing their hands around in a dramatic fashion. She wastes no time getting into awesome arm gestures, including my patented "One arm at head length moving down only to come up again in a sweeping and welcoming gesture". I adore how her whole body language changes with the "And suddenly". She's stepping and kicking and shimming with all the power in her "13 going on 14" self can muster. p.s. I aboslutely worship her hair. She does an awesome job of fading in and out of moving with her background dancers. Once again, AWESOME arm gestures. Ugh she's such a professional it puts like 80% of the other contestants to shame. She knows what camera to look in and when. She's clearly having tons of fun and dancing fantastically but it in no way affects her vocals. Along with Josefine from Sweden, She gives one of the best two vocal performances of the evening. Ugh...i just can't help but adore her. She makes perfection seems efforetless. Although i prefer the songs from Belgium and FYRM, taking into account their performances, She surpasses them both.


13 - Georgia -
Ah Georgia...by leaps and bounds i expected this to be the most memorable song of the evening.  I love this song...always have and always will. It's just so crazy and dancy and fun and well....it's something special. Unlike most songs, which start off with a small verse and then build, This song has an interesting and alluring start and throws a bunch of music and beats and fabulousnes right in your face and then softens for the verses. And even when it does that, it never loses that hard beat and is always 5 second away from rushing into a "Ram Ram Duri".  I love that. I also think the breathy, robotic vocals on the "aaaa - oooo - aaa - oo - oo - a - oo" are just fantastic. I don't understand how you can hear this song and not throw your hands up and dance along. I mean, this song is just like an explosion of awesomeness. It explodes and then softens only to explode again and again. And she doesn't just leave it up to the music to make that happen, she does it with her voice too....how awesome is it when she breaks into screeching "yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah" and then sings above her backing singers? Too awesome is the correct answer. Performance - wise, she does pretty well for this song. I mean, yes she takes an ok amount of talent and wraps it in say - sing verses and throws in a fair amount of high notes, but she knows what she can do and she uses it to her full advantage. She picked perfect backing singers/dancers and dressed them in outlandishly glittery costumes and threw pink wings on them just in case anyone didn't think they looked enough like drag queens. UGH! And the GLOVES! I love the white gloves! She's quite possibly the most gay male 11 year old girl in existence. She also directed her backers perfectly...i imagine she said "just dance the hell out of yourself and sing like robots", which they did perfectly. I love that she starts the performance with her and all her friends basically pretending to have seizures and then moving seemlessly into shoulder/hip shaking....awesome. She does a fantastic job of fading in and out of dancing along with her backers...which is a lot harder than it might look (trust me...i've been ESC for almost a decade and have seen it gone wrong literally hundreds of times). She looks supremly cute and put together as well. She also makes it very clear that she is the star of this show. My favorite part about her performance is how she acts like she has this energy just building up inside her that she just has no choice but to release at about 02:09...and then she just explodes physically and vocally. She does an excellent job of scream singing the long notes. I think the best thing about her is that she is able to appear "high energy" throughout this entire song...which just has to be exhausting...honestly although Sweden is my winner...i have no fucking idea how Georgia didn't win....i mean....who could have watched that and not voted for it?!?!?



14 - FYR Macedonia -
I simply adore each and every moment of this song. I mean, even taking into account the fact that i have a huge soft spot in my heart for the Macedonians (Especially when it comes to JESC...they've presented some of my favorite entries), i just can't help but think that this is an absolutely amazing song. It starts brilliantly with a soft accapello and just builds from there. I love the soft growing of the beat and music and I can't help but flip out when it culminates with the chorus. There's just something special about this song that makes me heart it. And then we get to her performance....wow. Just wow.  I am well aware that it's not as flashy or dramatic as some of the other performances, but it just fits the song perfectly. Everything from her pig tails to her running in place to her goregous "pink" themed costumes just fills me with joy. It doesn't hurt that she's one of the only singers this year to perform my favorite move (i.e. having all your backing dancers form a line behind you and dramatically throw their arms out). Great arm gestures and a more than fair vocal performance. As much as i love this song, i knew...just knew that it would be forgetten when it came to the voting. It takes more than a couple listens to "get" this song and sadly...she only had three minutes to impress. Love the song....just LOVE! This song and Belgium keep changing places for my 4th and 5th song...but more often than not Belgium comes out just a tiny bit ahead....

Before the Contest, my predictions (not my rankings, but how i thought it might go based on history, song, and such)

I totally thought Georgia had it in the bag, but the other songs i thought might pull off a victory were Lithuania and possibly Armenia and maybe Belgium (It has a certain kinda dark horse feel). I also thought that Sweden and Latvia might due quite well, Sweden having the strongest ballad in a year with very few ballads and Latvia having a high energy song which might appeal to tween voters.

As for the middle of the pack, I thought Russia would be there, despite having a "boring" song...just because they're Russia and they get votes from all the nations they used to Occupy. I thought Serbia would also end middle of the pack. I had high hopes that FYR Macedonia and Malta would triumph with strong songs and performances and despite always seeming to come in the bottom, they might place in the top 10. I also thought the Netherlands would be there.

I expected Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova to be in the bottom. Belarus because it's boring and well just kinda sad and Ukraine and Moldova not because they were necessarily "bad" songs, but just because they would be somewhat forgettable. 


Actual Result -
1st - Armenia - 120 Points
2nd - Russia - 119 Points
3rd - Serbia - 113 Points
4th - Georgia - 109 Points
5th - Belarus - 85 Points
6th - Lithuania - 67 Points
7th - Belgium - 61 Points
8th - Moldova - 54 Points
9th - The Netherlands - 52 Points
10th - Latvia - 51 Points
11th - Sweden - 48 Points
12th - FYR Macedonia - 38 Points
13th - Malta - 35 Points
14th - Ukraine - 28 Points


UGH! Well this just goes to show that Europeans are ridiculous and tasteless, especially their children (traditionally, Children make up the bulk of the votes even though they watch it with adults).
It's not even like a bad song won, that happens all the time and i'm used to it...but i was completly shocked at the results mainly because of the top 5 Songs, i thought 4 of them were completly bland and forgettable. Georgia only got 4th? Lithuania 6th? SWEDEN 11TH?!?! WTF EUROPE? I was shocked that Georgia didn't sweep the contest and i was heartbroken that Malta, Sweden and Latvia ended up in the bottom 5 despite delivering the best performances of the evening.

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