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!