Welcome to our new series of posts!
The moment of truth has come, and all of the 39 competing songs of Eurovision 2021 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 focus on 5-6 songs.
You are invited to read the first chapter of the review (Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Israel, Malta, Russia, Ukraine) and the second chapter (Croatia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Romania, Slovenia)
this post in the series will be focusing on 5 countries that will participate in the first semi-final:
Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Norway, Sweden.
Artist: Montaigne
Jessica Alyssa Cerro (born 14 August 1995), who performs as Montaigne, is an Australian art-pop singer-songwriter-musician. Her debut album, “Glorious Heights“, was released on 5 August 2016 and became a huge success in Australia. The album reached the peak position of 4th in Australia. In 2019, she released the second studio album, “Complex,” which reached the peak position of 19th in Australia
In 2016, she won Breakthrough Artist – Release for the album and was nominated for three other categories.
In April 2016 she was a featured vocalist on Hilltop Hoods’ track, “1955“, which reached No. 2 on the ARIA Singles Chart.
Selection Process: In 2020, she participated in the national selection show for Eurovision 2020 – “Australia Decides 2020″ and won with the song “Don’t Break Me“. The singer should have represented the country at Eurovision 2020, but the contest was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Australian broadcaster SBS has decided to choose her internally for Eurovision 2021.
As we have published before, Montaigne intended to compete with another song that wasn’t accepted by SBS. In the end, she came up with the song “Technicolour”
Allocation in Semi-Final: Australia was allocated to perform in the first half of semi-final 1.
Montaigne will perform 5th, after Sweden and before North Macedonia
Musical Review:
The song starts as a ballad, with vocal improvisation by Montaigne. In the introduction, we can also hear some backing vocals. The first verse melody is based on simple guitar stringing that can sometimes be considered as an acoustic version. There is a soft cyclic beat that has been added as well. The production of the first verse sounds like a piece of 1990’s music.
Pre-chorus is more festive and upbeat. There is no evidence of guitar playing in the pre-chorus.
Montaigne stretches her vocal limits as she prolongs the words. Sometimes, her voice is a little shaky, but it is intentional to make it more emotional. Before the chorus itself, there is a dramatic stop. The song turns into a K-Pop with a massive beat. The chorus is catchy: the electronic beat dominates the sound and it is memorable as a huge radio hit. In the second verse, we can hear again guitar playing, but this time the rate is faster. The second chorus is quite similar to the first one, until its ending. Towards the end, Montaigne gave us some high notes as we can hear a slow beat of drums.
Then again arrives the K-pop beat with powerful singing.
The song is one of the most unique this year. When you hear it, you are taken on a journey where every step is surprising. Vocally, it can be shaky or unstable sometimes but the magic of the song overcomes everything. I wasn’t a fan of the song when I first heard it, but as time goes by, I love it even more.
Lyrics
I wanna be close to my mother
I wanna belong to the world
A mirror that shows technicolor
I’d be a magnificent girlBut everything is frustrating
Everything moves along faster than I can relate to
But I got power, yeah
Midnight is the hour, yeah
Time to take off your cloaksTechni-technicolour, techni-technicolour
If we stand together we can do whatever
Techni-technicolour, techni-technicolour
If we care for one another, we canI wanna know that there’s a futurе
That I can move myself towards
And yet, I promisе you, yes, all you nasty dudes
I don’t need certainty to get my pot of gold, noEverything is frustrating
Everything moves along faster than I can relate to
But we got grace, yeah
We got style and lasers, yeah
Time to take off your cloaksTechni-technicolour, techni-technicolour
If we stand together we can do whatever
Techni-technicolour, techni-technicolour
If we care for one another, we canShine, shine, shine, shine
Techni-technicolour (Technicolour), techni-technicolour (Technicolour)
If we stand together we can do whatever (We can do whatever)
Techni-technicolour, techni-technicolour
If we care for one another, we can shine, hey
Poetry Analysis: Technicolor is a color film process.
I see the song as a personal song. The song was meant to be uplifting, however, I find it kind of sad at some points. The spokesperson tells us she wants to be protected, but her place in the world is still to be found – “I wanna be close to my mother/ I wanna belong to the world“.
When she is looking in the mirror, she sees herself as a colorful character, she is diverse, different, and has a lot of things to suggest to the world: “A mirror that shows technicolor /I’d be a magnificent girl“.
The modern world is one where everything has to be done as fast as possible, there is an instant culture. Sometimes, life moves so fast, that we can’t react or just stop thinking-
“But everything is frustrating/ Everything moves along faster than I can relate to“.
Nevertheless, she is optimistic. The spokesperson is strong enough to achieve her goals in life.
Like in the story of Cinderella, things will change at midnight hour. She will remove the protective layers and will be brave enough to show the world what she has got – “But everything is frustrating/ Everything moves along faster than I can relate to/ But I got power, yeah/ Midnight is the hour, yeah/ Time to take off your cloaks“.
The colorful world might sometimes be like a burden. The secret is to be united and help each other-
“If we stand together we can do whatever/ Techni-technicolour, techni-technicolour/ If we care for one another, we can“.
In the next verse, she tells us about her expectations from love in general or from a specific guy she met. She wants them to have a mutual future. However, her happiness won’t be affected by anyone else that’s herself. She even makes some criticism about guys’ behavior towards girls. – “I wanna know that there’s a futurе/ That I can move myself towards/ And yet, I promisе you, yes, all you nasty dudes/ I don’t need certainty to get my pot of gold, no“.
The song ends with the sentence “If we care for one another, we can shine, hey” which means that we will be able to reach new heights if we help each other and think about others. It can also be related to the relationship she mentioned earlier in the song.
Initial Personal Ranking: 7th overall, 4th in the semi-final.
The impact of the allocation in semi-final 1: 5 countries that tend to vote for Australia will vote in semi-final 1: Sweden, Israel, Norway, Belgium, and Germany
Odds Table: The song was released on the 4th of March 2021. On that date, Australia was 16th in betting odds. 2 days later, the country was 15th on the table but it started to decrease. Afterward, it was in the 18th and 20th places. Australia was in 22nd place from the 15th of March until the 30th of March 2021. Since the 31st of March, Australia has been on the 23rd of the table.
Early Prediction: First of all, I think that Australia is the country that took one of the biggest risks this year. In the chosen song, Montaigne tries to reach her vocal limits. Sometimes it pays off and sometimes doesn’t. The singing of the “we can shine” phrase was better than excepted. However, the pre-chorus isn’t accurately performed. I think the song can be boosted with amazing staging. If Montaigne can be more accurate vocal wisely then she has the chance to qualify.
If Australia qualifies, the country will end up in 14-20 places in the final.
Artist: Hooverphonic
Hooverphonic is a Belgian band that formed in October 1995. Though originally categorized as a trip-hop group, they quickly expanded their genres to alternative, electronica, electropop, rock, and a mixture of others.
The lead singer if the band was replaced several times: Geike Arnaer (1995-2008), Noémie Wolfs (2010-2015)ת Luka Cruysberghs (2018-2020). In 2020, the lead singer of the band was surprisingly replaced by Geike Arnaer, one of the band’s former leading vocalists.
The current members are: Geike Arnaer, Alex Callier, and Raymond Geerts
Selection Process: One of the Belgian broadcasters (VRT) internally chose the band to represent the country at Eurovision 2020. Last they, they were supposed to perform the song “Release Me“.
However, Eurovision 2020 was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 2 Belgian broadcasters VRT and RTBF have decided that Hooverphonic will represent the country at Eurovision 2021 as well.
The song was internally chosen by the band members: “The Wrong Place“
Allocation in Semi-Final: Belgium was allocated to participate in the second half of semi-final 1.
Hooverphonic will perform 11th, after Croatia and before Israel
Musical Review: It’s a dark soft rock-pop ballad. The song starts with a strong instrumental part that is composed of guitar and piano. The guitar stringing element creates an interesting beat that is being used as the basis for the first verse melody. Geike’s voice is dark and curious. She expresses the words in a unique way and sings them with a low voice. You can already tell that the production of the song is wise and sophisticated, as the cyclic beat sticks to your mind. In the pre-chorus, the guitar gets a significant role in the melody. The peak point of the song arrives as the pre-chorus ends. The tension is high and we definitely can’t imagine what would happen. The pre-chorus ends with masculine backing vocals which combine in an excellent way in the arrangement. Sometimes it seems like those voices were created to warn her of the upcoming future. In the chorus, her singing becomes a little bit softer. Each end of the line is being signed by strong guitar accords. The last line of the chorus is kind of a statement and therefore it includes a kind of “‘anger”. The second verse is more powerful, the guitar sound is more present. The second chorus continues directly from the point the verse stops. After the chorus, we have an additional section where the singer sings “You are in the wrong place” and accompanied by male backing vocalists. The song ends with the dramatic sentence “Don’t you ever dare to wear my Johnny Cash t-shirt“.
I think the song is pure art, wrapped in a radio-friendly frame. Geike’s voice shines in that kind of song. There is something mysterious and dark in the song and the production really fits that idea.
It isn’t a coincidence that the video clip is cinematic. The song has the characteristics of classical James Bond / Tarantino movies. The song has a potential that must be fulfilled with magnificent staging.
Lyrics
I wake up and I think I could use another drink
I’m reaching for a smoke to forget about last night, last night
I get up ’cause I need a shot of instant remedy
I put a record on that makes me think about last night, last nightIt all ended in the weirdest trip
You started actin’ way too hip
That’s why I ignored you for a long, long time
But then you had the best opening line
You’re in the wrong placeYou’re lying next to me, I don’t know where to hide
I see your smiley face that makes me wanna cry
What was I thinking? ‘Cause all we did was fight
Don’t you evеr dare to wear my Johnny Cash t-shirtYou’re in thе wrong place, you’re in the wrong place
You wake up and you think you won’t need another drink
You don’t want me to smoke, though I didn’t stop last night, last night
You get up ’cause you need an organic cup of tea
You put a record on that makes you think about last night, last nightYou confused me with your blurry eyes
Thought you were a different kind of guy
That’s why I took you to my messy place
But it felt as if we were in a different space
You’re in the wrong placeYou’re lying next to me, I don’t know where to hide
I see your smiley face that makes me wanna cry
What was I thinking? ‘Cause all we did was fight
Don’t you ever dare to wear my Johnny Cash t-shirtYou’re in the wrong place, you’re in the wrong place
You’re in the wrong place, you’re in the wrong place
You’re in the wrong place, you’re in the wrong place
Don’t you ever dare to wear my Johnny Cash t-shirt
Poetry Analysis: It’s a song that describes one night’s standing love from the point of view of a woman. Nowadays, everything is accessible. The value of love has decreased and a lot of people don’t concentrate on the long-term relationship. The spokesperson is a woman that tells her story while asking for the readers/listeners’ empathy. She opens the story by confessing that last night was a mistake. She is looking for a way out by focusing on external elements. At that certain point, she doesn’t blame herself for making the wrong decision – “I wake up and I think I could use another drink / I’m reaching for a smoke to forget about last night, last night. I get up ’cause I need a shot of instant remedy/ I put a record on that makes me think about last night, last night“.
She explained to us why giving him a chance was a mistake that she could have predicted. At the same time, she admits that the guy is charming and knows how to convince her with words.
“It all ended in the weirdest trip/ You started actin’ way too hip/ That’s why I ignored you for a long, long time.But then you had the best opening line“
In the chorus, she regrets last night. She is ashamed of giving him even a chance. Lying next to him was the last thing she wanted to happen. Everything can drive her crazy, even his smile. She tells us that back in time they used to fight, and it draws the whole night in ironic colors. She ends with a threat that is a metaphor for him invading her self-pace. It’s possible to suppose that they were naked last night. However, now she doesn’t want him to feel comfortable in her bed: “You’re lying next to me, I don’t know where to hide/ I see your smiley face that makes me wanna cry/ What was I thinking? ‘Cause all we did was fight/ Don’t you evеr dare to wear my Johnny Cash t-shirt“.
The phrase “You’re in the wrong place” repeats several times. It can be understood in different ways: The guy is in the wrong place (her apartment) or the spokesperson who is in the wrong place (the bed) or in the wrong situation.
As the morning comes, the differences between them become clearer. While she prefers another shot of alcohol, the guy prefers a cup of tea. It’s a metaphor to show the gap between them and how they weren’t meant to be. We can also suspect the guy himself is not so sure about his feelings regarding last night: “You wake up and you think you won’t need another drink/ You don’t want me to smoke, though I didn’t stop last night, last night/ You get up ’cause you need an organic cup of tea/ You put a record on that makes you think about last night“.
Thereafter, she gives another explanation to their meeting. She trusted him and thought he wouldn’t disappoint her. Her apartment is described as a messy place and this is a metaphor for the situation she has been through. However, when they arrived at her place it seemed like they had different expectations: “Thought you were a different kind of guy/ That’s why I took you to my messy place/ But it felt as if we were in a different space“
Initial Personal Ranking: 5th overall, 2nd in the semi-final.
The impact of the allocation in semi-final 1: 3 countries that tend to vote for Belarus will vote in the first semi-final: Australia, The Netherlands, Lithuania
Odds Table: The song was released on the 4th of March 2021. On that date, it was in 15th place on the table. In the following days, the song went down to 18-20 places. Since the 3rd of April, the song has been in 20th place.
Early Prediction: I really see Belgium as a potential dark horse this year. It is well known that the chances aren’t in their favor. But the song is unique, it has a special quality. The song is the only soft-rock ballad in that semi-final. If Hooverphonic will have a proper staging (not too simple but not too effortless) then the song can be elevated. Recently, the band gave a live performance of the song which was excellent vocally. In addition, I think the song will get more support from the jury.
To sum up, the main challenge of Belgium will be passing the semi-finals. If Belgium advances for the grand-final, the song will end in 13-18 places.
Artist: Lesley Roy
Lesley Roy was born on the 17th of September 1986.
She is a singer-songwriter from Balbriggan in Dublin, Ireland.
She released her debut album, “Unbeautiful” in 2008. Until switching her focus to songwriting, and attracting the attention of Marc Jordan, the manager credited for launching the career of Rihanna and owner of Rebel One Management & Publishing. As a songwriter, Lesley has experienced international success with releases for artists including Adam Lambert, Miss Montreal, Medina, Jana Kramer, and Marlee Scott.
Roy has been married to an American wife for more than 10 years.
Selection Process: In 2020, the Irish broadcaster RTÉ internally chose Lesley to represent the country at Eurovision 2020, but the contest was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic
According to Lesley, the Irish broadcaster told Lesley she would be selected again only if she came with a banger. Lesley has worked hard, with few writers from Ireland, Sweden, Norway, and more.
In the end, Lesley was selected after submitting the songs “Maps“.
Allocation in Semi-Final: Ireland was allocated to perform in the first half of semi-final 1.
Lesley will perform 7th, before Cyprus and after North Macedonia.
Musical Review: It’s a power-ballad with pop folk production. The song starts with an instrumental part that is composed of violin and other string instruments. In the first verse, Lesley sings in a soft voice while the melody is based on keyboards and string instruments. There is a powerful beat that is getting stronger as the pre-chorus continues. The chorus has a more acoustic flavor of melody, the stings are mentioned in a weaker beat, while we can hear guitar playing as well. The second verse is a little bit faster and the unique beat is kept. The bridge is more rhythmic compared to the verses, her singing is easier and lazier but this is to prepare us for the last big chorus. The song ends with acapela singing that is combined with vocal improvisitions.
The song is radio-friendly and has a magnificent production (thanks to the string instruments). The style of the song reminds me a little bit of Clean Bendit’s music. I consider the song as an improvement from last year. However, something is still missing. The song isn’t impressive enough wisely and I feel that the video-clip itself elevated the song. There are moments where the melody and production hide Lesley’s singing and it’s a shame.
Lyrics
I’m gonna let down all the armor
Let out the power that I’ve been hiding
Not afraid of the monsters, of the nightmares
That I’ve been fightingEasy to run, harder to stay
Finding colours in the grey
Thought I was done, but I got it wrong
I fell twice, I’m twice as strongI’ve been searching all the wrong places
I’ve been trying too many faces
Only one way to go
This is the way back home
I’ve been searching all the wrong places
I’ve been trying too many faces
Only one way to go
This is the way back homeI had to take all of the long ways
All of the wrong ways
‘Cause I couldn’t see
All the signs, all the mistakes
Pointing one way to get back to meEasy to run, harder to stay
Finding colors in the grey
Thought I was done, but I got it wrong
I fell twice, I’m twice as strongI’ve been searching all the wrong places
I’ve been trying too many faces
Only one way to go
This is the way back home
I’ve been searching all the wrong places
I’ve been trying too many faces
Only one way to go
This is the way back homeMy soul is a map, my heart is a compass
I am the road
There’s only one way to go
This is the way back home
My soul is a map, my heart is a compass
I am the road
There’s only one way to go
This is the way back homeI’ve been searching all the wrong places
I’ve been trying too many faces
Only one way to go
This is the way back home
I’ve been searching all the wrong places
I’ve been trying too many faces (I’ve been trying)
Only one way to go
This is the way back home
Poetry Analysis: It’s a self-empowerment song. In the beginning, the spokesperson confesses she has struggled before. She doesn’t tell us why she was afraid, but it seems now that she is strong enough to carry the burden of life – “I’m gonna let down all the armor/ Let out the power that I’ve been hiding/ Not afraid of the monsters, of the nightmares/ That I’ve been fighting“.
In the pre-chorus, she admits that the easy solution is to run away. It is more difficult to find the good things in the bad ones. Sometimes, we think that we overcome the difficulties, but harder difficulties are on the way. But that is what will build us and make us much stronger “Easy to run, harder to stay/ Finding colours in the grey/ Thought I was done, but I got it wrong/ I fell twice, I’m twice as strong“.
In the chorus, she shares the solution to all of her problems – she has to go back home:
“I’ve been searching all the wrong places/ I’ve been trying too many faces/ Only one way to go/ This is the way back home“
In the past, she tried so hard to solve her problems. It took a lot of effort and time to implement all the optional solutions. She even admits she was blind enough not to see the truth.
“I had to take all of the long ways/ All of the wrong ways/ ‘Cause I couldn’t see/ All the signs, all the mistakes“.
The song ends with a beautiful metaphor – she describes her soul as a map which means she is looking for meaning and in the same way to be accepted although she is different. Only a compass (her heart) will navigate her to the right place in the right way: home.
“My soul is a map, my heart is a compass/ I am the road/ There’s only one way to go/ This is the way back home“.
Initial Personal Ranking: 26th overall, 13th in the semi-final.
The impact of the allocation in semi-final 1: 5 countries that tend to vote for Ireland will vote in the first semi-final: Sweden, Belgium, Australia, Norway, Italy
Odds Table: The song was released on the 26th of February 2021. On that date, it was 28th in the betting odds. Since then, the song
Early Prediction: It seems like Lesley has worked really hard this year. The staging director will be Fredrik Rydman – he is the one who created the genius staging behind Sweden’s entry at Eurovision 2015. However, we have seen before that Lesley isn’t a great vocalist. In addition, I think that the production of the song makes her voice get lost in the melody. As we all know, semi-final 1 is a blood-bath. Therefore, I predict Ireland won’t qualify for the final
Artist: TIX
TIX is the stage name of Andreas Andresen Haukeland, 28 years old Norwegian singer, producer, and songwriter. The stage name came from his childhood when children called him tics.
He has Tourette syndrome, a condition characterized by involuntary movements called tics.
In 2016, he released his debut album “Dømt og berøm” which was picked number 2nd in the Norwegian chart..He co-produced the song “Game Time” for Flo Rida and was one of the writers of “Sweet but Psycho” performed by Ava Max.
Selection Process: As usual, Norway chose the artist and song for Eurovision via the traditional festival “Melodi Grand Prix”. 26 different artists competed in the selection this year. 6 of them were chosen automatically to qualify for the final (including TIX himself). The selection included 5 semi-finals, a second chance round, and a grand final. 12 artists competed in the grand final.
All the results were determined solely by the public.
TIX won the national final after he even defeated the huge fan favorites: KEiiNo
Allocation in Semi-Final: Norway was allocated to perform in the second half of semi-final 1.
TIX will perform 9th, after Cyprus and before Croatia
Musical Review: The melody is based on keyboards playing with massive production.
It’s a pop-rock song with influences of 1990’s music.
The verses are a little bit faster than the chorus. The chorus is powerful and it’s thanks to the singer’s voice. Choosing to include backing vocals here is a smart decision.
TIX has magic in his voice that you can’t ignore, it seems like his voice is already a part of the melody. Towards the end, we get a modulation as expected.
In the performance, TIX wore a white angel costume while he held gold chains that were connected to his dancers. The dancers wore black outfits and wings which may hint that they were angels with “negative intentions.”
The song is catchy and radio-friendly, and there is still something missing in the puzzle. I love 1990s music, but adding a modern layer to the song could really help. My main criticism here is that the song is heavily produced. Sometimes, you can’t distinguish between the pre-recorded vocals and the live vocals.
Lyrics
What can I say?
I can’t make her stay
When I know that she’s so far above
How could she ever love someone like me?
She’s out of reachHere in the dark
Inside the hole in my heart
I’m fighting all of my demons tryna tear me apart
And I’m still not sure what you ever saw in meNo, I’m a, I’m a fallen angel
And no matter where my heart is
There’s no way I’ll ever reach up to Heaven to youShе’s so far out of this world (Yeah-oh)
No way I could ever bе with her (Yeah-oh)
‘Cause I know Heaven’s your home
That’s where angels belong
And it wouldn’t be fair (Yeah-oh)
If I keep you down here (Yeah-oh)Here in the dark
Inside the hole in my heart
I’m fighting all of my demons tryna tear me apart
And I’m still not sure what you ever saw in meNo, I’m a, I’m a fallen angel
Tryna fly but I’m not able, oh-oh-oh-oh
And I need you to know
That it’s okay to let me go
‘Cause no matter where my heart is
There’s no way I’ll ever reach up to Heaven to youI’m a, I’m a fallen angel
Yeah, I’m a, I’m a fallen angel
And I’m still not sure what you ever saw in meNo, I’m a, I’m a fallen angel
Tryna fly but I’m not able
So, just let me go
(I’m a, I’m a fallen angel)
‘Cause no matter where my heart is
There’s no way I’ll ever reach up to Heaven to you
Poetry Analysis: It’s a love song. The song’s spokesperson is a man who experienced break-up.
In the beginning, he sees himself as not good enough for the woman he talked about.
Her love is far and unachievable: “What can I say? I can’t make her stay/ When I know that she’s so far above/ How could she ever love someone like me?/ She’s out of reach“.
The break-up left him broken, torn, and with low self-esteem:
“Here in the dark/ Inside the hole in my heart/ I’m fighting all of my demons tryna tear me apart/ And I’m still not sure what you ever saw in me“.
The chorus contains a contradiction, while his lover is an angel high above the sky, he falls to the ground. That makes the difference and the gap between them be as big as impossible. The idea continues in the next verse as well:
“No, I’m a, I’m a fallen angel/ And no matter where my heart is/
There’s no way I’ll ever reach up to Heaven to you
Shе’s so far out of this world (Yeah-oh)/ No way I could ever bе with her (Yeah-oh)/ ‘Cause I know Heaven’s your home/ That’s where angels belong/ And it wouldn’t be fair (Yeah-oh)/
If I keep you down here (Yeah-oh).”
Initial Personal Ranking: 25th overall, 12th in the semi-final.
The impact of allocation in semi-final 1: 3 countries that tend to vote for Norway, will vote in the first-semi final: Sweden, Lithuania and Russia
Odds Table: The national final came to an end on the 20th of February 2021. Back then, the country was in 8th place at betting odds. Thereafter, it moved to places 9-13. Since the 31st of March 2021, the song has been in 9-10 places.
Early Prediction: I am not really sure about Norway this year. It seems to me that the song is a cliche for entering the safe zone. The staging concept can be problematic as well.
Two other things are the fact that the song is too-produced and that it is the tougher semi-final.
Therefore, my prediction is that Norway won’t qualify for the final or qualifying from the 9-10 place in the semi-final. If Norway manages to qualify, then the country will end up in 19-25 places.
Artist: Tusse
Tousin Michael Chiza is a 19 years old Congolese-Swedish singer. He came to Sweden as a refugee from Congo. He was adopted by a Swedish family. In 2018, he participated in the music show “Talang 2018 ” and was eliminated in the semi-finals. In 2019, he participated and won “The Swedish Idol 2019“
Selection Process: As always, Sweden chose their artist and song via the “Melodifestivalen”.
28 artists competed in a national selection show that included 4 semi-finals, a second-chance round and a grand final. Tusse won the “Melodifestivalen 2021” with 175 points (jury and public vore combined), while 96 among them are from the public vote (the maximum a candidate can get).
The chosen song is “Voices“
Allocation in Semi-Final: Sweden was allocated to perform in the first half of semi-final 1.
Tusse will perform 4th, after Russia and before Australia.
Musical Review: It’s a power ballad. The song starts with an instrumental part that consists of bagpipes playing (Denmark 2013 anyone?). The first verse is performed with a special pronunciation of the words, the singer tends to extend the words at the end of each line. Electronic beat combined with the sound of electric guitar leading to the sound of that part. The chorus is powerful and contains backing vocals as well. However, the chorus ends with too many repeats of the phrase “Million Voices“. The third verse is very similar to the first one.
Towards the end, Tusse isn’t alone on the stage and he sings “Can you hear them?” while the backing vocalists sing the chorus itself. The last half-minute of the song starts with modulation.
I think that there isn’t a perfect match between Tusse and the song. No doubt Tusse is a good singer (you can check out his “Swedish Idol” performances). There’s nothing bad about the song at all, but I would like to see a singer with a powerful and thicker voice performing it. I think the whole issue here may depend on taking the right breaths.
Lyrics
There’s fire in the rain
But we’ll get up again
We’re thousand miles apart
But we’ll overcome
I’ll never let you down
World is turning us around
But I feel it in my heart
Let’s make a brand new startCan’t stop us now, forget the haters
Get up and live and make it matter
There’s more to life so go ahead and sing it outCan you hear a million voices
Calling out in the rain?
You know we got a million choices
So go get out and let it rainA million voices, voices
A million voices, voices
A million voices, voices
A million voicesThere’s fire in the rain
And I can feel your pain
Painting all the scars in
The colors of change
Don’t let them hold you down
Don’t let them hold you down
Go shooting like a star
The star you areCan’t stop us now, forget the haters
Get up and live and make it matter
There’s more to life so go ahead and sing it outCan you hear a million voices
Calling out in the rain?
You know we got a million choices
So go get out and let it rainCan you hear them?
A million voices, voices
Can you hear them?
A million voices, voices
Can you hear them?
A million voices, voices
Can you hear them?
A million voicesCan you hear them? (Can you hear them?)
Can you hear them?Can you hear a million voices
Calling out in the rain?
You know we got a million choices
So go get out and let it rainCan you hear them?
A million voices, voices
Can you hear them?
A million voices, voices
Can you hear them?
A million voices, voices
Can you hear them?
A million voices
Poetry Analysis: The spokesperson is a refugee that is trying to live his life in a new place.
In fact, the song tells the story of Tusse’s life. He starts with the contradiction of fire and rain, something that’s impossible. The aim is to show how difficult it was for him to live his life in the original form but living the life in a new place as well. Now, he is far away from his house, but it will help him and save him- “There’s a fire in the rain/ But we’ll get up again/ We’re a thousand miles apart/ But we’ll overcome“.
He is trying to recover. The fuel that fills him with energy is his haters. What’s important is to live life and survive: “Can’t stop us now, forget the haters/ Get up and live and make it matter/ There’s more to life so go ahead and sing it out“.
In the chorus, he asks readers to be aware of the people around them. There are other people the no one sees and no one cares about. Their voices may disappear in the powerful rain.
“Can you hear a million voices/ Calling out in the rain?/ You know we’ve got a million choices“.
The metaphor of fire in the rain returns. It seems now that the spokesperson has already adapted to his new place. However, he is still aware of other people’s pain. The change is the thing that will help them recover and will freeze the scars. He asks other people (other refugees may be) to be proud of themselves and not to be let down by stronger people. Everybody is special in their own way and has their right to exist.
“There’s fire in the rain/ And I can feel your pain/ Painting all the scars in/ The colors of change/ Don’t let them hold you down/ Don’t let them hold you down/ Go shooting like a star/ The star you are“
Initial Personal Ranking: 22nd overall, 10th in the semi-final
The impact of the allocation in semi-final 1: 5 countries that tend to vote for Sweden will vote in the first-semi final: Norway, Australia, Malta, Slovenia and Lithuania.
Odds Table: The song was chosen as the Swedish entry for Eurovision 2021 on the 13th of March 2021. On that date, the song was 5th in the table. A day later, it reached 4th place. Since the 15th of March, the song has been stable in 6th place.
Early Prediction: Combining the facts that Sweden is one of the power-houses, the story behind the song/singer and that the song has the potential to be likable jury, we will get 100% chances of qualifying. In the final, Sweden will probably end in 5-10 places.
In the next chapter, we will start to discuss semi-final 2, stay tuned!
You can find all the relevant information on our Eurovision 2021 homepage:
