Welcome to our new series of posts! This is the second post in the series.
The moment of truth has come, all of the 41 competing songs have been revealed.
Therefore, we are ready for an extended review of them and of course ranking the songs.
Each post in the series will be focusing on 5-6 songs.
The first post in the series focused on 6 countries that will participate in the first semi-final: North Macedonia, Croatia, Slovenia, Sweden, Norway, and Australia.
The second post in the series will be focusing on 6 countries that will participate in the first semi-final: Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan, Lithuania, Belarus, and Israel
The artist: Go_A
Go_A is a Ukrainian electro-folk rock band. The members of the band are Kateryna Pavlenko, Ihor Didenchuk, Taras Shevchenko, and Ivan Hryhoriak.
The band combines modern electronic music with ethnic motifs. The first attempts to work with actual musicians were in 2012.
The band’s name means “return to the roots” and was made by combining the English word “Go” with the Greek letter “Alpha”, which symbolizes the beginning of everything
The song: Соловей [Solovey] (Eng: nightingale)
The live performance from the national final:
The revamped audio version :
Selection Process: Ukraine held its national selection “Vidbir“. “Vidbir 2020” included 2 semi-finals. 8 artists competed in each semi-final and 3 among them qualified from each semi-final. In the final, 6 artists competed for representing the country at Eurovision 2020. The final was held on the 22nd of February 2020. The results were determined by 50% public voting and 50% jury voting.
Go_A band was first in the public voting and in the jury voting.
Allocation In Semi-Final: Ukraine will participate in the second half of Semi-Final 1.
Musical Review: It starts with the playing of traditional wind instruments. Afterward, we get singing in a “white voice” (just like Tulia from Poland 2019). Thereafter, it becomes a harmony of voices. The melody is magical, attractive and creates emotions of being in nature which relates to the nightingale in the title. The use of Ukrainian together with oriental motives contributes a lot to the whole package. Towards the end, the song becomes more “western” in the production until the wishful drop. There is a use of electronic guitar. The song is ended with powerful singing.
The live performance starts with a guy playing the flute. The lead singer is standing in the center with two backing vocalists next to her. Red is the dominant color in the stage.
Two of the band’s members are playing the drums. The girls (lead singer and two backing vocalists) are dancing a traditional dancing in the per-chorus. The second occurrence of the chorus has more rhythm in it. The staging is simple but fascinating and effective.
The translated lyrics:
Oy, I went down into the valley
To harvest red guelder rose
Oy, I went down into the valley
To harvest red guelder rose
I gathered the flowers
Braided them into a wreath
Braided them into a wreath
Ruth and vinca I picked up
Came to me Vanya
Very fast from the grove
Told to me, Vanya
You’re so good Katya!
My dear Katya
I love you
I love you
For as long as my mother doesn’t knowNightingale, nightingale, do not sing so early
For my heart is not merry yet again
Nightingale, nightingale, oy what am I to do
I came to love him – and cannot forget himIf I hadn’t known this
I wouldn’t have gone with you
Wouldn’t have gone down into the valley
Wouldn’t have broken the guelder rose
I love you
For as long as my mother doesn’t know
And once mother finds out, we will partNightingale, nightingale, do not sing so early
For my heart is not merry yet again
Nightingale, nightingale, oy what am I to do
I came to love him – and cannot forget him
Poem Analysis: The spokesperson Katya is telling us about her lover Vanya. – “Came to me Vanya /Very fast from the grove /Told to me, Vanya /You’re so good Katya! /My dear Katya /I love you”
For some reason, their love should be kept in secret from Katya’s mother – “I love you/ For as long as my mother doesn’t know”
The plot occurs in a valley that’s located in a village – “Oy, I went down into the valley/ To harvest red guelder rose“.
In the chorus, she is asking the nightingale to postpone its singing since she’s not happy when her lover isn’t around. Her lover is not allowed to be with her and she can’t forget him – “Nightingale, nightingale, do not sing so early/ For my heart is not merry yet again/
Nightingale, nightingale, oy what am I to do /I came to love him – and cannot forget him”
In the last verse, she refraining from her forbidden lover. The broken guelder rose is a metaphor for the promise she didn’t keep – “If I hadn’t known this /I wouldn’t have gone with you/ /Wouldn’t have gone down into the valley /Wouldn’t have broken the guelder rose“.
And once again, she mentions her mother as the main reason for ending the meetings with her lover – “I love you /For as long as my mother doesn’t know /And once mother finds out, we will part”
My Initial Ranking: 7th overall, 4th in the semi-final
My Initial Prediction: Although Ukraine has chosen a risky and a traditional folk song, I believe that Ukraine will qualify. The song stands out, it’s unique and I’m sure it will have a proper staging.
My prediction for a place in the final (if Ukraine qualifies) is 7-12.
The influence of the allocation in semi-final 1: 4 among 10 countries that tend to vote for Ukraine will vote in the first semi-final: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Italy, Russia
Odds Table: The song has been chosen on the 22nd of February 2020. On that night, Ukraine was in 18th place in the odds. The country spent the week later in places 18-20. On the 23rd of March 2020, the country decreased to 23rd place. Thereafter, it decreased to 25-28 places. At the moment, Ukraine is in 26th place.
The artist: Little Big
The band is active since 2013. The members of the and are Ilya Prusikin, Sonya Tayurskaya, Anton Lissov, and Sergey Makarov.
The band has a worldwide name with dozens and hundreds of views on YouTube.
The band genre can be described as a punk-pop with entertainment. The band’s hits have conquered the dance floors in Russia and neighbor countries. They submitted a request to represent Russia at Eurovision 2019, but haven’t been chosen.
The song: “Uno” (Eng: one)
Selection Process: The band was selected internally by the Russian broadcaster. On the 2nd of March 2020, the band was officially announced as the representatives of Russia at Eurovision 2020. The song “Uno” was released on the 12th of March 2020.
Allocation In Semi-Final: Russia will participate in the first half of Semi-Final 1.
Musical Review: It’s a trash-pop entertainment song. The song starts with the sound of guitars influenced by Latin music. The production sounds like it was taken from an old fashioned PC game that’s out of order. The melody is based on guitars, keyboards, and drums. There is a constant beat that appears in the verses and in the chorus.
An important component in the act is the dance in the video clip.
The lyrics are pretty silly. Their singing is blended and I’m not sure how will it work at Eurovision.
The general music style has a lot of in common with the AQUA band and other music pieces from the 1990s.
The lyrics:
It’s gonna take more than one margarita
I’m gonna call you my sweet señorita
I’m gonna leave after night only with ya
All you have to do is to be ready for some action nowDon’t be a dummy, dummy
I got that yummy, yummy
Can we be chummy, chummy right after midnight?
Yeah, you so charming bunny
Yeah, you so funny honey
All you have to do is to be ready for some action nowUno (Uno), dos (Dos), cuatro (Cuatro)
Uno, uno, uno (Uno), dos (Dos), cuatro (Cuatro)
Uno, uno, uno (Uno), dos (Dos), cuatro (Cuatro)
Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis
Uno, unoHo! Are you ready?
Ha! Hold it steady
Ho! Come to daddy
All you have to do is to be ready for some action nowDon’t be a dummy, dummy
I got that yummy, yummy
Can we be chummy, chummy right after midnight?
The night is charming bunny
You are so funny honey
All you have to do is to be ready for some action nowUno (Uno), dos (Dos), cuatro (Cuatro)
Uno, uno, uno (Uno), dos (Dos), cuatro (Cuatro)
Uno, uno, uno (Uno), dos (Dos), cuatro (Cuatro)
Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis
Uno, uno
Uno (Uno), dos (Dos), cuatro (Cuatro)
Uno, uno, uno (Uno), dos (Dos), cuatro (Cuatro)
Uno, uno, uno (Uno), dos (Dos), cuatro (Cuatro)
Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seisUno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis
Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis
Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis
Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seisUno, uno
Uno (Uno), dos (Dos), cuatro (Cuatro)
Uno, uno, uno (Uno), dos (Dos), cuatro (Cuatro)
Uno, uno, uno (Uno), dos (Dos), cuatro (Cuatro)
Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis
Uno, uno
Uno (Uno), dos (Dos), cuatro (Cuatro)
Uno, uno, uno (Uno), dos (Dos), cuatro (Cuatro)
Uno, uno, uno (Uno), dos (Dos), cuatro (Cuatro)
Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis
Uno, uno
Poem Analysis: Please. don’t insult the poetry.
My Initial Ranking: 41 overall, 17 in the semi-final
My Initial Prediction: Although the song is controversial, I have no doubt that Russia will qualify. Traditionally, trash pop/entertainment songs don’t get the full support of the jury voting. Traditionally, Russia doesn’t lead the jury voting. However, the song will get a lot of public voting. Therefore, I predict that Russia will qualify for the final and will end in 5-10 places.
The influence of the allocation in semi-final 1 – 6 among 10 countries that tend to vote for Russia will vote in the first semi-final: Belarus, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Israel, Lithuania, Cyprus
Odds Table: On the 2nd of March 2020, Russia was in 3rd place in the table. On the days after, the song was alternately in 3-4 places. Since the 9th of March 2020, the song is stable in the 5th place.
The artist: Samira Efendi (or just Efendi)
Samira is a 28 yeard old singer. She competed in several music competitions in Azerbaijan and outside the country. She competed in “Yeni ulduz”, (The New Star), “Böyük Səhnə” (Big Stage), “Silk Way Star” and “The Voice of Azerbaijan”. In the three latter, she finished in 3rd place.
In 2019, she successfully represented Azerbaijan at the Voice of Nur-Sultan, in Kazakhstan.
It was the 5th attempt of Samira to be selected as Azerbaijan representative in Eurovision. However, it’s off course the first time she was selected.
Samira was rumored to submit three different songs this year.
The song: “Cleopatra”
Selection Process: Like in past years, Azerbaijan selected its artist and song internally.
An international group of music experts, music producers, lyricists, composers, TV industry representatives, and journalists voted and selected the act for Eurovision 2020.
5 singers were shortlisted for Azerbaijan in Eurovision 2020:
Samira Efendi, Riad Abdulov, Elvin Novruzov, Laman Dadasheva, and Jabrail Rasulo
Allocation In Semi-Final: Azerbaijan will participate in the second half of Semi-Final 1.
Musical Review: It’s an ethnic pop song. The song starts with an ethnic singing with traditional Azerbaijan’s musical instruments. The song becomes rhythmic as we getting close to the chorus. There is an instrumental section in the chorus which is relying on electronic production. The last bridge in an instrumental electro-dance piece with motives of Middle-East music. The ethnic vibes and the invested production will help the song to stand out among others.
The lyrics:
Cleopatra was a queen like me
Just like me, yeah, just like me
Straight or gay or in between
In between, yeah, in between
Betrayed by a lover
So hard to recover
Couldn’t see the forest for the trees
Just like me, oh, in too deepThere was no intervention
I was lost, falling out with myself
I was so filled with tension
Getting mad was my cry for help
Now I’m back with a vengeance
I’ve found my inner voice again
And it speaks to my soul loud and clear
And it sounds like this…Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō
Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō
Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō
Like Cleopatra
La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la, like Cleopatra
La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la, like CleopatraCleopatra had Mark Antony
You know who I mean, not the Latin king
The one from Rome who lived long ago
After Caesar died, Cleo’s gigolo
Part Goddess, part temptress
The way he left me, it was shameless
She was her own worst enemy
Just like me, yeah, just like meBut now I’m back with a vengeance
I’ve found my inner voice again
And it speaks to my soul loud and clear
And it sounds like this…Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō
Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō
Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō
Like Cleopatra
La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la, like Cleopatra
La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la, like CleopatraSound-sounds like this
I can feel her spirit run through me
I can see it in my mind like a movie
Egyptian and Latin, the voices run through me
Come to meLa-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la, like Cleopatra
La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la, like Cleopatra
La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la, like Cleopatra
La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la, like Cleopatra
Poem Analysis: The song talks about the strengths and weaknesses of a woman, ebb, and flow, and in general getting up after sinking in the ashes of life.
The title is “Cleopatra” but it is being used as a metaphor of a strong woman or even any strong person.
In the beginning, the spokesperson compares herself to a strong historical character –
“Cleopatra was a queen like me/ Just like me, yeah, just like me”
They both are queens thanks to their place in life and the belief in themselves.
The spokesperson is keeping on a vague identity. She is asking to disconnect us from her gender and sexual identity. By that, she represents more characters and evokes a sense of identification – “Straight or gay or in-between”
Afterward, she hints that the reason for her sadness and weakness is that she was cheated by her lover – “Betrayed by a lover/ So hard to recover”
She describes the tough time she went through. She has no idea what to do and was furious. In the end, she finds answers and comes back for taking revenge –
“There was no intervention/ I was lost, falling out with myself/ I was so filled with tension/ Getting mad was my cry for help/ Now I’m back with a vengeance/
I’ve found my inner voice again/ And it speaks to my soul loud and clear”
She confesses that what hurts the most it the way she was neglected by her lover. Her main enemy is the woman who her lover prefers over her –
“The way he left me, it was shameless/ She was her own worst enemy/ Just like me, yeah, just like me”
My Initial Ranking: 13 overall, 8 in the semi-final
My Initial Prediction: Azerbaijan will qualify for the final. The country is well known in elevating its songs with a strong staging. The song is ethnic, modern and has potential.
If Azerbaijan qualifies for the final, my prediction will be 6-12 places in the final.
The influence of the allocation in semi-final 1 – 5 among 10 countries that tend to vote for Azerbaijan, will vote in the first semi-final: Russia, Ukraine, Malta, Romania, Cyprus.
Odds Table: The song has been released on the 10th of March 2020. On the day before, the country was in 16th place in the table. After releasing the song, the song increased directly to 9th place and it’s stable there until now.
The artist: The Roop
The Roop is a Lithuanian pop-rock band from Vilnius that was formed in 2014. The band consists of Vaidotas Valiukevičius, Robertas Baranauskas, and Mantas Banišauskas.
The group has released two albums – “To Whom It May Concern” in 2015 and “Ghosts” in 2017. In 2018, the band participated in the national selection for Eurovision 2018 and performed the song “Yes, I DO“.
The song: “On Fire”
Selection Process: Lithuania selected an act for Eurovision 2020 via its national selection – “Pabandom iš naujo!” (“Let’s try again!”). The selection process included 3 heats, 2 semi-finals and final. 36 songs were included in the line-up of the national selection. 8 artists qualified for the final. The Roop won the competition with 59.7% of the public votes. The results of any of the rounds in the competition were determined by 50% jury voting and 50% public voting.
Allocation In Semi-Final: Lithuania will participate in the first half of Semi-Final 1.
Musical Review: It’s a mid-tempo Pop Rock song with foundations of the early 2000s.
The permanence starts with zoom-in on the lead vocalist’s face, while 2 magnifying glass is being attached. The beat of the song is catchy. The melody includes piano, guitar, and drums. The singer has a unique voice that you can’t ignore. The instrumental transition is excellent and fits very well with the dancing. There is a creepy part of the dancing which can be removed easily. To sum up, it’s a good song but there will be more than a few people that won’t be attracted to it.
The lyrics:
I’m a human, not a stone
I can make a change and go
Wherever I want to
They told me maybe I’m too old
But there’s a fire in my soulThe heat is getting higher
I feel that I’m on fire
The world is my desire
I feel that I’m on fire
Ooh-ooh-ooh-oohThere’s no doubt I’m strong enough
To reach the state I’ve dreamed of
It’s gonna happen
And I will do what I can
Just to be a better manThe heat is getting higher
I feel that I’m on fire
The world is my desire
I feel that I’m on fireCan’t believe it took so long
To take action and move on
No one can stop me
Through the clouds, there comes the sun
And I’m ready for some fun
UhLa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-laCome on, let’s ride
(Ooh)The heat is getting higher
I feel that I’m on fire
The world is my desire
I feel that I’m on fire(On fire)
(Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
(On fire)The heat is getting higher
Poem Analysis: It’s a self – empowerment song. In the first verse, the spokesperson is calling for a change. He is saying than human beings are dynamic and therefore has the power to move and change – “I’m a human, not a stone/ I can make a change and go/ Wherever I want to”.
The criticism may be the age of the spokesperson. However, he is still having the desired passion to change – “They told me maybe I’m too old/ But there’s a fire in my soul”
He feels that the change is inevitable – “The heat is getting higher/ I feel that I’m on fire/ The world is my desire/ I feel that I’m on fire”
The spokesperson is determined to the wishful change. He is convinced in reaching the destiny and therefore becoming a better person – “There’s no doubt I’m strong enough/To reach the state I’ve dreamed of/ It’s gonna happen/ And I will do what I can/ Just to be a better man”
In the end, he is satisfied with daring and braveness When fulfilling his destiny, he is happy and optimistic – “Can’t believe it took so long To take action and move on/ No one can stop me/ Through the clouds, there comes the sun/ And I’m ready for some fun“
My Initial Ranking: 23rd overall, 12th in the semi-final
My Initial Prediction: Lituania will qualify for the final. It seems to me that the song will get more support from the public than the jury. If Lithuania qualified, it will end in 5-12 places in the final.
Some fans see Lithuania as a potential winner of Eurovision 2020. I think that Lithuania will end at the begging of the table but won’t win.
There are 2 main reasons for my opinion:
#1. In my opinion, the song won’t get the required jury support to win.
#2. Lithuania has 2 contenders that belong to the same group of entertainment songs: Russia and Iceland. Although the three of them differ musically, their concepts are similar.
The influence of the allocation in semi-final 1: 5 among 10 countries that tend to vote for Ireland will vote in the first semi-final: Ireland, Norway, Belarus, Australia, Ukraine
Odds Table: The song has been chosen on the 15th of February 2020. On that day, Lithuania was 6th in the table. On the day after, Lithuania increased to 3rd place. The country stayed on the 2nd place 4 days in a row. Thereafter, the country was first in the table for 9 days in a row. The country has moved from 2nd place to 3 places and vice versa since the 2nd of March 2020. At the moment, Lithuania is 3rd in the table.
The artist: VAL
The group VAL consists of singer Lera Gribusova (Valeryja Hrybusava) and singer and multi-instrumentalist Vlad Pashkevich (Uladzislaŭ Paškievič).
In 2015, Lera participated in the “Voice of Ukraine“, and also the Slavianski Bazar singing contest, where she finished second.
The song: Da Vidna [Да вiдна] (Eng: Until dawn)
Selection Process: In January 2020, Belarus has decided to hold a national selection. 95 songs were submitted to the Belarussian broadcaster. On the 27th of January 2020, 49 songs were shortlisted. Professional jury panel selected 12 songs among the 49 to participate in the national final. The national final was held on the 28th of February 2020. The results in the final were determined by 50% international jury and 50% public voting. However, the jury and the public didn’t agree at all. As a result, VAL who was second in public voting and second in the jury voting won the national selection.
Allocation In Semi-Final: will participate in the half of Semi-Final 1.
Musical Review: It’s a Pop song with electronic production. The verses are opened with a gentle melody that based on keyboard playing. In the verses, we can sometimes hear backing vocalists. The verses have a ballad character. From the bridge and afterward, the rhythm is built. The chorus is rhythmic and includes an electronic beat that will be included later on. The structure of the song is right: it isn’t uniform and therefore more interesting. On the live performance, they gave a good vocal performance. I wasn’t a fan of the first listening, but I must confess the song is growing on me. It is catchy, special and has the potential to deliver a good performance.
The lyrics:
I braided the autumn and then unbraided it
I got lost, for winter covered the late paths with snow
I asked myself why I needed the one that I had not chosen
I stayed confused until dawn, a dark night full of secrets and passionUntil dawn, until dawn, I wasn’t yet alone
Until dawn, until dawn, the clear moon kept bringing us together
Until dawn, until dawn, the clear moon kept bringing us together
Until dawn, until dawn, I wasn’t yet aloneI wasn’t the one to blame for not being on my own
Oh I did not stay a girl for long, my youth passed me by
Oh, how early, oh so early, did you bloom, my white rose, and to whom?
Oh mamma, why do I need the one that I have not chosen
I stayed confused until dawn, a dark night full of secrets and passionUntil dawn, until dawn, I wasn’t yet alone
Until dawn, until dawn, the clear moon kept bringing us together
Until dawn, until dawn, the clear moon kept bringing us together
Until dawn, until dawn, I wasn’t yet aloneI wasn’t the one to blame for not being on my own
I wasn’t on my own
Poem Analysis: The spokesperson is telling about a love she had on a specific night – “I stayed confused until dawn, dark night full of secrets and passion“.
She describes the time that has past alongside her confusion- “I got lost, for winter covered the late paths with snow“. The snowy winter covered har paths and therefore her way is bounded.
Her love story ends as the sunsets. Until that point, she wasn’t lonely – “Until dawn, until dawn, I wasn’t yet alone /Until dawn, until dawn, the clear moon kept bringing us together“
The spokesperson admits she is guilty of being alone – “I wasn’t the one to blame for not being on my own”
A long time has passed. The spokesperson isn’t young anymore. She is wondering who will be her lover- “Oh I did not stay a girl for long, my youth passed me by/ Oh how early, oh so early, did you bloom, my white rose, and to/ whom?”
Nowadays, she feels sorry for being alone and misses her lover – “Oh mamma, why do I need the one that I have not chosen”
My Initial Ranking: 14th overall, 9th in the semi-final
My Initial Prediction: Belarus won’t qualify for the final. The song is good enough for qualifying. However, the first semi-final is tough, a kind of “blood- bath”. My prediction is that Belarus will be a borderline non-qualifier (11-13 places in the semi-final).
However, as well as Slovenia, if one of the predicted qualifiers has a bad performance, Belarus will have a chance for qualifying.
The influence of the allocation in semi-final 1: 5 among 10 countries that tend to vote for Belarus will vote in the first semi-final: Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan, Lithuania, Israel.
Odds Table: The song was selected on the 28th of February 2020. On the night of the final, Belarus was is 26th place in the table. On the day after, Belarus decreased directly to 33rd place. On the 1st of March 2020, the song continued to decrease to 39th place. Afterward, the song moves in the range of 38-40 places. The song has been in 40th place since the 7th of March 2020.
The artist: Eden Alene
Eden Alene was born on the 7th of May 2000. She is an Israeli singer.
Eden was born in Jerusalem. When she was two years old her parents divorced. Since then, she hasn’t been in contact with her father. She studied in religious schools, and then attended the Hebrew University High School.
In 2018, she was enlisted to the Israel Defense Forces and serves in a military band.
The song: “Feker Libi” (Eng: The Love of My Heart)
Selection Process: The selection process in Israel was composed of 2 different formats. First of all, the platform of “Hacochav Haba La’Eurovision” (Eng: “The Rising Star”) was used to select a representative. The final of “Hacochav Haba La’Eurovision” was held on the 4th of February 2020.
Eden Alene won the competition and therefore will represent Israel at Eurovision 2020.
Secondly, The Israeli broadcaster KAN held a special selection show “Hashir Haba La’Eurovision 2020” where Eden performed 4 songs. The selection show was held on the 3rd of March 2020.
The selected song was “Feker Libi“. One of the writers and composers is Doron Medalie who wrote and composed the entries of Israel in Eurovision 2015,2016 and 2018 (The winning song – “Toy“)
Allocation In Semi-Final: Israel will perform in the second half of Semi-Final 1.
Musical Review: The song contains lyrics of 5 different songs: Amharic, English, Hebrew, Arabic and an African Gibberish language. The first verse’s melody is based on traditional African music foundations. Afterward, there is a dominant drop that stopped by a water drop sound.
The second verse just belongs to the pop genre. The chorus has more Middle-East character and it includes a repeating of the phrase “feker libi” (the love of my heart) in several languages. Moreover, some parts of it have Caribian vibes. The chorus ends in a loud beat.
Afterward, Eden sings in English and an African Gibberish. The last half-minute was composed as a traditional Ethiopian music. The atmosphere of the song reminds of plenty of cultures, Africa, tradition, and nature. The song is decent and stands out. However, for me, it is too brimful. It feels like trying to include as many ingredients as possible and beyond: 5 languages, plenty of music genres (African, Europe pop, Ethnic pop, Middle-East, Caribian music and more). You can observe that a lot of efforts were invested in production (even too much). The song is a little bit complicated in the first listening.
The lyrics:
ፍቅር ልቤ, እወድሃለሁ, ና ወደ እኔ, I love you
ፍቅር ልቤ, እወድሃለሁ, ና ወደ እኔ, I love you
(Yalla-la, Yalla-la)
(Yalla-la, Yalla-la)
Once upon a time, I was looking for a sign
Pachamama, Pachamama
Show the way, oh, be my guide (I love you)
Love is on the mind
Close your eyes and you will find
Melodía, Melodía
Feel the energy insideSay all the people coming, coming my way
Love is on my way
Maka Lakuma de de, Maka Lakuma de masa
Maka Lakuma de de, Maka LakumaFeker libi, tonight is our story
We celebrate the glory
We have no shame
Feker libi, I’m not ashamed to love you
Tonight I’m gonna find you
I call your nameፍቅር ልቤ, حبيب قلبي
אהוב ליבי, אותך אני אוהבת
ፍቅር ልቤ, حبيب قلبي
אהוב ליבי, אותך אני אוהבת
(Yalla-la, Yalla-la)Look at us tonight
Color party side to side
Confetti ya, confetti ya
Falling on us from the sky
Say all the people coming, coming my way
Love is on my way
Maka Lakuma de de, Maka Lakuma de masa
Maka Lakuma de de, Maka LakumaFeker libi, tonight is our story
We celebrate the glory
We have no shame
Feker libi, I’m not ashamed to love you
Tonight I’m gonna find you
I call your nameፍቅር ልቤ, حبيب قلبي
אהוב ליבי, אותך אני אוהבת
ፍቅር ልቤ, حبيب قلبي
אהוב ליבי, אותך אני אוהבתፍቅር ልቤ, እወድሃለሁ, ና ወደ እኔ, I love you
ፍቅር ልቤ, እወድሃለሁ, ና ወደ እኔ, I love you
ፍቅር ልቤ, እወድሃለሁ, ና ወደ እኔ, I love you
ፍቅር ልቤ, እወድሃለሁ, ና ወደ እኔ, I love you
ፍቅር ልቤ, እወድሃለሁ, ና ወደ እኔ, I love you
ፍቅር ልቤ, እወድሃለሁ, ና ወደ እኔ, I love you
Poem Analysis: The song about a love story. The spokesperson is a woman who feels lucky to find her lover and celebrate their love together.
My Initial Ranking: 16th overall, 10 in the semi-final
My Initial Prediction: I predict that Israel will qualify for the final. If Israel qualifies, my prediction for the final is 9-16 places.
The influence of the allocation in semi-final 1 – 4 among 10 countries that tend to vote for Israel will vote in the first semi-final: Azerbaijan, Australia, The Netherlands, Germany.
Odds Table: The song has been chosen on the 3rd of March 2020. On that night, Israel was in 20th place in the odds. On the 8th of March 2020, Israel increased to 19th place. Since the 14th of March 2020, Israel is in the 18th place in the odds.
Stay tuned until the next chapter, when we will discuss the remaining 5 countries that will participate in semi-final 1: Ireland, Malta, Cyprus, Belgium. Romania.
