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.
4 chapters have already been published (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4).
This post in the series will focus on 6 countries that will participate in the second semi-final:
Czech Republic, Georgia, Latvia, Moldova, Poland, Switzerland.
Artist: Benny Cristo
Benny Cristo (real name: Ben da Silva Cristóvão) is a 33-year-old Czech singer, writer, sportsman, and actor. Benny was born to a Czech mother, while his father is from Angola.
His main genres are Rap, R&B, hip-hop, and pop.
He became known in 2009 when he participated in Česko Slovenská SuperStar (English: Czech&Slovak SuperStar). In 2010, he released his debut album “Definitely Different“. A year later, came his second album “Benny Cristo“. In 2014, he released his third album “Made in Czechoslovakia”.
He is vegan and an animal rights activist. He takes part in various projects and campaigns supporting animal rights. Moreover, he has been doing Brazilian jiu-jitsu (self-defense martial art and Combat sport based on grappling (, ground fighting, and submission holds.) on a competitive level and taking part in competitions all around the world.
Selection Process: In 2020, Benny Cristo competed in the national selection for Eurovision 2020.
Benny won the national selection, after ending 2nd in jury voting and 1st in the public vote.
He was meant to perform the song “Kemama” at Eurovision 2020. However, Eurovision 2020 was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic
On the 13th of May 2020, the Czech broadcaster confirmed Benny was internally selected for Eurovision 2021. The singer came with 3 songs, and finally, the song “Omaga” was selected.
Allocation in Semi-Final: the Czech Republic was allocated to perform in the first half of semi-final 2. Benny will perform in 3rd position, after Estonia, and before Greece.
Musical Review: It’s a Pop – R&B song with elements of electro-dance. The song starts with the chorus in a kind of more “calm” version. The melody in that part is based on a gentle beat combined by percussion and electronic keyboards. The first verse starts with a stronger beat, bass guitar, and keyboards. Benny sings in a theatrical way, most of it isn’t singing but a speech adapted to the melody. There is something modern in the verse, but effortless and lazy at the same time. Some words are being pronounced in a hurry like there are other important things to do.
In the chorus, Benny concentrates on singing, rather than talking. The mixed beat opens the third verse. That verse is more rhythmic and more happens there, regarding the melody. The last-minute has a more “acoustic” vibe at the beginning, including the use of echo and backing vocals in its beginning. The song has a memorable beat and melody, but something in the structure and arrangement is messy. The transition between the different parts is more impressive than some of the parts and it may be a bad sign.
Lyrics
Honestly, don’t care
I’m happy you’re here
Tryna make you smile for a while now
I’m like, “Omaga, you’re so beautiful.”
Why don’t you come over and have it
Why don’t you let me have it, ohI did a lot of dumb, shh
Lot of things I wish I didn’t do
Baby, come back, won’t you?
Back, come back, hey
Oh, I’m crazy, is it crazy to love you?
Baby, come back, won’t you?
Babe, come backYou said you’re still too mad
About them things I did
But I don’t know what I did, baby
You said you again feel down to blame apocalypse
There ain’t no apocalypse
Long as you’re here on my lipsHonestly, don’t care
I’m happy you’re here
Tryna make you smile for a while now
I’m like, “Omaga, you’re so beautiful.”
Why don’t you come over and have it
Why don’t you let me have it, ohYou’ve been home too long
I’ve been home too long, yeah
We both need to feel love, nothing wrong with that
Můžeš bejt u mě klidně můžeme dělat jakoby
There ain’t no apocalypse
Long as you’re here on my lipsHonestly, don’t care
I’m happy you’re here
Tryna make you smile for a while now
I’m like, “Omaga, you’re so beautiful.”
Why don’t you come over and have it
Why don’t you let me have it, ohLike omaga, omaga, you’re so beautiful
Omaga, omaga, why don’t you let me have itYou said you’re still too mad
About the things I did
But I don’t know what I did, baby
You said you again feel down to blame the apocalypse
There ain’t no apocalypse
As long as you’re here on my lipsHonestly, I don’t care
I’m happy you’re here
Tryna make you smile for a while now
I’m like, “Omaga, you’re so beautiful.”
Why don’t you come over and have it
Why don’t you let me have it, ohLike omaga, omaga, you’re so beautiful
Omaga, omaga, why don’t you let me have itLike omaga, omaga, you’re so beautiful
Omaga, omaga (yeah), why don’t you let me have it
Poetry Analysis: It’s a love song. The spokesperson is a guy who tries to get the love of a woman he likes. We suspect they’ve had some moments together in the past, but now for unknown reasons she ignores him. It seems that the main reason that the guy wants her is her beauty.
Initial Personal Ranking: 37th overall, 17th in the semi-final.
The impact of the allocation in semi-final 2: 4 countries that tend to vote for the Czech Republic will vote in semi-final 2. Austria, Spain, Iceland, and Estonia
Odds Table: The song was released on the 16th of February 2021. Since then, the song has been in a range of places – 34-38. Since the 14th of April 2021, the song is 36th with betting odds.
Early Prediction: I barely see a chance that the Czech Republic will qualify for the final this year. I think the song may be a good one for parties and radio. However, I imagine it as a mess in the Eurovision state. The song has a cool vibe, but I think there are better upbeat songs in that semi-final. In addition, Benny isn’t a vocalist that will amaze us and I’m not sure that running order is on his side.Let’s not forget that historically Rap/ R&B songs didn’t do well in the contest.
Artist: Tornike Kipiani
Tornike Kipiani is a 34-year-old Georgian singer, songwriter. He rose to fame in 2014 when he participated in “X-Factor Georgia” and ended as the winner. Tornike released his debut album “Luck” in 2016. In 2017, he participated in the national selection for Eurovision 2017. He performed the song “You Are My Sunshine” together with Giorgi Bolotashvili and ended up in 23rd place in the national final.
Selection Process: In 2020, he won “Georgian Idol” and therefore has been selected to represent his country at Eurovision. He should have performed the song “Take Me As I Am“. However, Eurovision 2020 was canceled. The Georgian broadcaster has decided to select Tornike in internal selection for Eurovision 2021. He will perform the song “You“
Allocation in Semi-Final: Georgia was allocated to perform in the second half of semi-final 2. Tornike will perform in 10th position, after Serbia, and before Albania.
Musical review: It’s a personal acoustic love ballad. It opens with a dreamy instrumental section. Tornike sings the first verse with a low voice, alongside guitar, bass, and piano playing. The atmosphere is like a lullaby song, but with some darkness. The second verse starts with a drum beat.
He sings in a slightly more rough way, and the guitar playing takes over the melody.
The third verse has a different structure. Tornike sings it like a lullaby. In that part, the piano is dominant in the composition. Female backing vocalists can be heard in the background as it elevates the song. I don’t know the reason, but at that point, the song reminds me of church music. The chorus has a rock vibe, Tornike shows us his raspy voice which mixed well with the melody and backing vocals. The beat in the song gets stronger and Tormike reaches his peak vocal wisely.
The song is a decent one, but I can barely remember it. There’s something I don’t like about the arrangement of the song – having 3 verses in a row and only them a short chorus is problematic.
The chorus comes too late and the song can’t be “saved” in that point.
Lyrics
Sunshine, I wanna touch you
Wind blow, I wanna see you
I wanna touch
I wanna see
I wanna be with youOcean, I wanna hear you
Mountain, I wanna feel you
I wanna hear
I wanna feel
And I wanna be with youYou’re everywhere where I am
You’re in everything that I do
My love, my love
I wanna be with youMy love, my love
I wanna be with you
Poetry Analysis: This is a love song. The spolesperson is a man who fully respects and loves a woman. Wherever he is and whatever he does, he always thinks about her. He wants to see her, feel her touch, hear her voice and more. He thinks about her in different situations, being described as elements of nature: wind, sun, mountain, ocean.
Initial Personal Ranking: 34th overall, 16th in the semi-final.
The impact of the allocation in semi-final 2: 3 countries that tend to vote for Georgia will vote in semi-final 2: Greece, Moldova, and Latvia.
Odds Table: The song was released on the 15th of March 2021. On that date, it was the 26th with betting odds. In the days later, it started to decrease: being 28,29, and 33th in the table. Between the 18th of March 20212 and 4th of April, Georgia was in a range of places 32-34. Thereafter, it went down to 36th place. Since the 10th of April 2021, Georgia has been 34th with betting odds.
Early Prediction: Unfortunately, I don’t see any chance of Georgia qualifying for the final this year. In fact, I predict Georgia will end in the bottom 2 in semi-final 2.
Artist: Samanta Tīna
Samanta is a 32-year-old Latvian singer and composer. Her main genres are Pop, Dance, and R&B.
In 2010, Tīna won the Latvian music show “O!Kartes akadēmija“, winning the chance to attend the Tech Music School in London. In 2011, she competed in the Moldovan singing competition “Golden Voices” and won in the contest.
The singer is well known for her attempts to represent Latvia and Lithuania in the Eurovision Song Contest.
Samanta took part in the Latvian selections in the years 2012,2013,2014,2016, 2019 and 2020.
In the years 2012-2014, she always finished in Top3 in the super-final.
In 2019, she competed with “Cutting The Wire”. In 2020, she finally won the national selection with “Still Breathing“
Selection Process: In 2020, Latvia held a national selection show “Supernova 2020”. 26 participants competed in the pre-selection, and 9 of them qualified for the final.
Samanta should have represented Latvia in Eurovision 2020 with the song “Still Breathing”.
However, Eurovision 2020 was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Latvian broadcaster LTV internally chose Samanta as the artist for Eurovision 2021.
In the middle of October 2020, the songwriting camp was held in order to find the perfect song for Samanta to perform in Eurovision 2021. 11 songs were presented in the songwriting. In the end, the chosen song was “The Moon Is Rising“, written by Samanta Tīna, Aminata (Latvian representative in Eurovision 2015) and, Oskars “SKVR” Uhaņs.
Allocation in Semi-Final: Latvia was allocated to perform in the second half of semi-final 2. Samanta will perform in 15th position, after Finland, and before Switzerland.
Musical Review: It’s a trap pop song. The song starts with a pre-recorded backing vocals that are brought in a wrap of processed electronic beat. Those pre-recorded voices open the introduction as well, but they are being heard in a lower volume. The introduction is short but very powerful. Samanta sings in acapella style, with an enormous voice and the recorded beat in the background.
The first verse melody is based on the beat from the beginning. The beat in the pre-chorus includes less of the recorded voice, and more a sound that can be described as a combination of bass and drums. Pre-chorus is being performed in a genre of R&B – Hip hop. Right after that, we get the desired chorus which is powerful and catchy. Samanta gives everything and that’s what makes it memorable, catchy, and forthful.
In the chorus, we have the sound of Latin guitars as well. The pre-recorded vocals can still be heard in the background. The post-chorus relies on a single sentence, that is being partitioned in a unique way. A significant part of it is being performed by female backing vocalists. The second verse has Latin vibes in it. The familiar beat returns in the pre-chorus as well. The backing vocalists are present in the pre-chorus. The melody of the pre-chorus is a mixture of beats. The second chorus opens with a massive singing by the backing vocalists. Then, Samanta joins and sings the chorus with the pre-recorded beat.
The song is catchy, it doesn’t have an ordinary structure and it doesn’t try to tick boxes.
The message of women’s empowerment is well delivered. In addition, Samanta’s beautiful voice is a bonus you can’t ignore. People may like it or not, but they will remember it anyway.
Lyrics
The queen of the night is coming
The blood moon is risingWhen I walk in like this with an attitude
You should know that I’m coming after you
You can run, you can hide, but you’re mesmerized
In your mind I am already idolizedPlaying dirty, not my case
Giving up hopes, not my case
Being envious, not my case
You got something to say, say it to my faceThe queen of the night is coming
The blood moon is rising(Get ready for a)
Pa-ra-ra, pa-ra-ra, pa-ra-ra-pa
Pa-ra-ra, pa-parade
Pa-ra-ra, pa-ra-ra, pa-ra-ra-pa
Pa-ra-ra, pa-parade (Get ready for a)
Pa-ra-ra, pa-ra-ra, pa-ra-ra-pa
Pa-ra-ra, pa-parade
Pa-ra-ra, pa-ra-ra, pa-ra-ra-pa
Pa-ra-ra, pa-paradeI will glow, I will burn, illuminate
Bring the passion inside, let me touch your fate
I will lead, I will guide you on your way
I am here to remind you’re in the right placePlaying dirty, not my case
Giving up hopes, not my case
Being envious, not my case
You got something to say, say it to my faceMy rules, your rules
I’m a woman, I’m a ruler
Rules, your rules
I’m accepting only true love
Rules, your rules
I’m a woman, I’m a ruler
You got something to say, say it to my face
My rules, your rules
Getting ready for the parade
Rules, your rules
No excuses, if it’s too late
Rules, your rules
Everybody follow my way
You got something to say, say it to my face(The queen of)
(The blood moon is rising)
The queen of the night is coming
The blood moon is rising(Get ready for a)
Pa-ra-ra, pa-ra-ra, pa-ra-ra-pa
Pa-ra-ra, pa-parade
Pa-ra-ra, pa-ra-ra, pa-ra-ra-pa
Pa-ra-ra, pa-parade (Get ready for a)
Pa-ra-ra, pa-ra-ra, pa-ra-ra-pa
Pa-ra-ra, pa-parade
Poetry Analysis: It’s a women’s empowerment song. The spokesperson is a woman who shares a personal story that aims to tell us a wider story. In the beginning, she calls herself the queen of the night. With that, she declares herself as a special woman but she tends to get her status only in the dark when she shines while it is dark outside. When the moon rises, no one doubts who the queen is. That night isn’t a regular one, the moon is red and may hint about a night of passion, love, or even fighting. – “The queen of the night is coming / The blood moon is rising“
The woman in our story is one you can’t resist, she might be attractive but more important- she is strong, determined, and has her own opinions and attitude.
“When I walk in like this with an attitude/ You should know that I’m coming after you/
You can run, you can hide, but you’re mesmerized/ In your mind, I am already idolized“.
Even though she has the power and the suitable strength, she stays faithful to herself, she doesn’t hurt people. Whatever happens, she has the hope of success and gets what she wants. She has no problem with criticism, while it is being said in front of her face.
“Playing dirty, not my case/ Giving up hope, not my case/ Being envious, not my case/ You got something to say, say it to my face“.
Thereafter, she describes the ultimate relationship between her and a specific guy.
She will be the light of hope, love, and guidance. She also sees herself as strong enough to determine her man’s fate and ensure he is in the right direction. The old world where women are being controlled and guided by men and their needs isn’t relevant anymore.
“I will glow, I will burn, illuminate/ Bring the passion inside, let me touch your fate
I will lead, I will guide you on your way / I am here to remind you’re in the right place“.
The idea of a strong woman that can lead herself and others continues in the other parts of the song as well: “I’m a woman, I’m a ruler”, “I’m accepting only true love”
Initial Personal Ranking: 4th overall, 2nd in the semi-final.
The impact of the allocation in semi-final 2: 6 countries that tend to vote for Latvia will vote in semi-final 2: Estonia, Georgia, UK, San Marino, Poland , Portugal
Odds Table: The song was released on the 12th of March 2021. On that date, Latvia was 31st with betting odds. Later, the song got more support and was 28-29 at odds. Between the 16th of March and 30 of March 2021, the song was in place 24-29. However, since the 31st of March 2021, the song has been in place 32-33 with betting odds.
Early Prediction: Predicting Latvia’s fate this year is a hard question. On the one hand, the song is of the find that stands out. It seems that Latvia is really eager to qualify for the final, after 3 years of non – qualifying. On the other hand, the song is divisive and non-ordinary, so it may decrease the potential number of supporters. We have to mention the running order as well: Latvia will perform as the 15th country in the running order, being surrounded by 3 fan favorites; Bulgaria (song 13), Finland (song 14), and Switzerland (song 16). I want to believe that Samanta will shine and stand out among others.
I predict Latvia will end in place 8-13 in semi-final 2 which again makes a question about qualifying.
If Latvia qualifies, Samanta will end up in place 15-20.
Artist: Natalia Gordienko
Natalia Gordienko is a 32-year-old Moldovan singer and songwriter of Ukrainian descent.
She learned to play the piano and sang in the choir in music school. In addition, she has danced in the school’s dance ensemble for 10 years. At the age of 15, she started participating in singing competitions. In 2005 she became the lead singer of the Millennium band. They competed in the national selection for Eurovision 2005 and ended in 3rd place. In 2006, Natalia, Arsenium, and Connect-R competed in the national selection with the song “Loca“. They won the national selection and represented Moldova at Eurovision 2006. They ended up in 20th place in the grand final.
In 2009, she tried her luck as a DJ, but a year later returned to show business as a singer.
In 2010, she released her debut album “Time”, while in 2011 she released the album “Cununa de flori”. She has released 12 singles so far, some of them are her Eurovision entries.
In 2002, she participated in the national selection and won with the song “Prison“.
Selection Process: Last year, Natalia won the national selection with the song “Prison“. Natalia was meant to represent the country at Eurovision 2021 which was canceled. In 2021, the Moldovan broadcaster internally selected her as the artist for Eurovision 2021. Her song was written by the “Dream Team” (the same team that was behind her in 2020) including Dimitris Kontopoulos, Philipp Kirkorov, Mikhail Gutseriev, Sharon Vaughn.
The song for Eurovision 2021 is “Sugar“:
Allocation in Semi-Final: Moldova was allocated to perform in the first half of semi-final 2. Natalia will perform in the 7th position, after Poland, and before Iceland.
Musical Review: It’s a midtempo dance-pop song. The song starts with a basic melody in a low volume.
Natalia starts her singing as speaking, but as the verse continues she moves on to singing.
The general beat of the song can be heard as well, but it is being entered gradually. Pre-chorus is a little bit slower and includes more elements in the production. Before the chorus, we have a rhythmic instrumental section. In the video clip, we can see Natalia dancing alongside her dancers (which will probably happen in the performance itself). The chorus starts in a powerful way, the melody changes and we can hear the keyboard playing that is being hidden in the dance-pop production.
The last line of the chorus breaks it into 2 parts where the second part is a direct continuation of the instrumental part. Then we get the instrumental part again. The second verse is shorter than the first one. Melodically, it reminds the first verse but has a faster rate as well. Her singing there is passionate and can be defined sometimes as whispering- singing. Pre-chorus has the same vibe, where Natalia doesn’t invest any special effort in singing. This time the chorus arrives just right after the pre-chorus. I’ve been waiting for something surprising but again we have got the same instrumental part that lacks power. The bridge has a different structure, once again the singing has more vibe of talking. The rate is faster, while the beat starts soft and then becomes more and more dominant. Finally, we got the most interesting singing part of the song where Natalia sings a long note in the shape of vocal improvisation. In that part, we can hear some backing vocals processed into the production itself. After that section, the song ends out of the blue.
To sum up, the song goes with the mainstream and it can be key for success. However, I found some weak points in the song: It doesn’t impress vocally (even in the field of light dance-pop songs), nothing special happens in the instrumental part. I understand their choice to avoid singing in some parts which probably happens in order to include some dancing in the performance itself.
However, the song could have been developed in a more interesting direction.
My main problem here is that Natalia looks uncomfortable with the song, we can tell it by her mimics. Performing that kind of song requires a certain character (a sassy one). I’m not sure if Natalia is the right person to play that role.
Lyrics
I can’t explain it but there’s something going on
A crazy energy inside of me
First just a tingle, then it turned into a burn
Like fire in my bloodAnd now I hear my body talk, talk, talk
A taste is all, all I need
And I’m about to climb the walls
No way I’ll be alone tonightCome over, come over
I’m over doing without you
Come over, come over
Hey lover, give me some sugarGot me addicted, so you can’t take it away
Get me all satisfiedAnd now I hear my body talk, talk, talk
A taste is all, all I need
And I’m about to climb the walls
No way I’ll be alone tonightCome over, come over
I’m over doing without you
Come over, come over
Hey lover, give me some sugarJust took a little kiss to show how I was missing out
Compared to you no one has anything to brag about
Your lips are honey-sweet, I feel it to my knees
Now I want only one sugar, sugar on my tongue
I need your kisses baby, gotta keep ’em coming
Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-ohSugar
Poetry Analysis: It’s a song about passion and love. The spokesperson is a woman that needs her man close to her. She can’t wait to meet him again. Her body requires his presence. He is as essential and desirable as sugar.
Initial Personal Ranking: 30th overall, 14th in the semi-final.
The impact of the allocation in semi-final 2: 2 countries that tend to vote for Moldova will vote in semi-final 2: Portugal and Greece
Odds Table: The song was released on the 4th of March 2021. On that date, Moldova was 17th with betting odds. A day later, the country decreased to 18th place. By the 15 of March, Moldova was in a range of places, 15-18. Between the 16th of March and the 24th of March, the country was 14th with betting odds. Then again, it reached 15th place and later places 16-17. Now the county is again in 17th place.
Early Prediction: I think the key concept to remind you here is the fact that the dream team (especially Dimitris Kontopoulos and Philipp Kirkorov) are standing behind the entry.
If the dream team owns a song, it will definitely have a memorable staging. The style of the song is of those who can convince people. I don’t see Moldova as one of the acts to lead the scoreboard of semi-final 2. However, there are high chances of qualifying (let’s say from places 6-10 in the semi-final). If Moldova qualifies, Natalie will end up in place 17-24 in the final.
Artist: Rafał Brzozowski
Rafał Brzozowski is a Polish TV presenter and dancer, he is 39 years old and became known in 2011 when he participated in the first season of “The Voice of Poland”.
In 2017, he participated in the national selection of Poland for Eurovision 2017. He performed the song “Sky Over Europe” and ended in 2nd place. So far, he has released 5 studio albums:
Tak blisko (2012), Mój czas (2014), Na święta (2014), Borysewicz & Brzozowski (2015, with Jan Borysewicz), Moje serce to jest muzyk czyli polskie standard (2016).
Selection Process: Rafał Brzozowski was internally chosen by Polish broadcaster TVP. He will sing the song “The Ride” that was written by Swedish writers
Allocation in Semi-Final: Poland was allocated to perform in the first half of semi-final 2.
Rafał will perform in the 6th position, after Austria, and before Moldova.
Musical Review: It is a synth-pop with wide influences of 1980’s music. The song starts with a synthesized beat and electronic keyboards. Rafał starts singing the first verse in a calm way. There is no special effort in the singing and it doesn’t seem like it will be difficult to perform. Sometimes, the voice sounds a little bit too processed (maybe auto-tune?). The beat in the chorus goes in another direction, it isn’t constant and has a richer sound. After the chorus, there is a short instrumental part.
The second verse is similar to the first one, but it is more rhythmic. Rafał‘s voice sounds better and the beat is more dominant. The production even includes some backing vocals. There is another occurrence of the chorus and it is even better with the backing vocals. Right after that, certain parts of the song are just being repeated.
For me, the song doesn’t feel special, at a certain point, it looks like a copy-paste of itself until we get something close to 3 minutes. It looks like the main components of the song are the melody and the production itself. In addition, I’ve been for something surprising to happen in the song and it was far from that. I am not sure Rafał has enough charisma in order to stand out. In fact, I believe the song is more suitable for women’s voices.
Lyrics
Lights, beating on a rainy street
All the faces I meet tell me I’m wrong
Bright, staring at the neon signs
To invent a plotline, must endure(I) Not lost, even at night
I can do it right
Just let me go
Yes I do, I’ll get through this somehow
Let me understand what is in and outSo baby, keep going in your life
High above the ground, live it out loud
I’ll take it to the end of the line
Takes the fight, do it right
It does not matter if I stumble and fall
I’ll get through this, I’ll never touch the ground
So baby, wait for the ride in your life
Hold on really tight, do it rightHeart, I will give my heart and soul
I walk on the gold, without restraint
I will rise high in the atmosphere
I have no time to worry
Follow my routesNot lost, following the neon lights
Shots in the summer sky
Just let me go
Yes I do, I’ll get through this somehow
Let me understand what is in and outSo baby, keep going in your life
High above the ground, live it out loud
I’ll take it to the end of the line
Takes the fight, do it right
It does not matter if I stumble and fall
I’ll get through this, I’ll never touch the ground
So baby, wait for the ride in your life
Hold on really tight, do it rightI’m going to take the world tonight (oh-wow-oh-oh)
I’m not going to ask, I’m going to take what’s mine (oh-wow-oh-oh)
So hold on tight, baby, let’s get strong (oh-wow-oh-oh)
High above the ground
Bright, staring at the neon signs
Let me understand what is in and outSo baby, wait for the ride in your life
High above the ground, live it out loud
I’ll take it to the end of the line
Takes the fight, do it right
It does not matter if I stumble and fall
I’ll get through this, I’ll never touch the ground
So baby, keep going in your life
Hold on really tight, do it right
Poetry Analysis: It is a self-empowerment song. The song starts with a dark description of a view, the spokesperson is standing in a rainy street outside. He is confused about the future and suggestions he has got from his friends: “Lights, beating on a rainy street/ All the faces I meet tell me I’m wrong/ Bright, staring at the neon signs/ To invent a plotline, must endure“.
Thereafter, he is determined that he will get through and overcome all the difficulties:
“(I) Not lost, even at night/I can do it right/ Just let me go/ Yes I do, I’ll get through this somehow/Let me understand what is in and out“.
In the chorus, he says that the outcome isn’t important, but the effort and braveness.
We can all fail, and then just try again – “Takes the fight, do it right/It does not matter if I stumble and fall/I’ll get through this, I’ll never touch the ground/ So baby, wait for the ride in your life/Hold on really tight, do it right“.
Life is short, there is no time to waste regret or think “what would have happened if .. “. When he does the things he wants, he feels great and afraid of nothing – “Heart, I will give my heart and soul/ I walk on the gold, without restraint/ I will rise high in the atmosphere/I have no time to worry/ Follow my routes“.
At the end of the song, he appoints the readers and asks them to wait for the ride of their life, which means an unforgettable journey. He can advise them after he has done it by himself. Again, he talks about the importance of doing courage – “So baby, wait for the ride in your life/High above the ground, live it out loud/I’ll take it to the end of the line/ Taking the fight, did it right/
It does not matter if I stumble and fall/ I’ll get through this, I’ll never touch the ground/ So baby, go on with your life/ Hold on tight, do it right“
Initial Personal Rankings: 32nd overall, 15th in the semi-final.
The impact of the allocation in semi-final 2: 3 countries that tend to vote for Poland will vote in semi-final 2: Austria, the UK, and the Czech Republic
Odds Table: The song was released on the 12th of March 2021. On that date, Poland was in 21st place in the table. Between the 14th of March and the 19th of March, Poland was already 24th with betting odds. The decreasing trend continued: Poland was 26th, 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st with betting odds. Between the 4th of April and the 20th of April, Poland was 33rd with betting odds. Since the 21st of April, Poland has been in 37th place.
Early Prediction: There are a lot of entries with 1980’s musical influence. Poland is one of them, and to be honest it isn’t one of the best in that genre. In addition, the majority of the 1980’s entries are allocated in the second semi-final. I don’t find Rafał with enough charisma to shine among the others. Therefore, at the moment I predict Poland won’t qualify for the final. About the semi-final, I predict Poland will end up in places 13-17.
Artist: Gjon’s Tears
Gjon Muharremaj is a 22-years-old Swiss singer and songwriter. He was born in Broc, Fribourg, Switzerland to a Kosovo Albanian father and an Albanian mother. Gjon started singing at a young age. In 2011, he competed in the first season of “Albanians Got Talent” and ended up in 3rd place.
In 2012, he reached the semi-finals of “Die grössten Schweizer Talente”.
In 2019, he competed in “The Voice: la plus belle voix” (The Voice of France) under the mentoring of Mika, and was eliminated in the semi-finals. In 2020, he was chosen as the Swiss singer for Eurovision 2020.
Selection Process: Last year, Swiss Broadcaster SRG SSR organized an internal selection for Eurovision 2020. The broadcaster has received 515 songs. The audience consists of 100 members and a jury of 20 international music experts who judge the songs. Eventually, a decision of 50% audience and 50% international jury will determine who will fly the swiss flag in Eurovision 2020. it was Gjon’s Tears that was chosen. He was meant to perform the song “Répondez-Moi“.
However, Eurovision 2020 was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2021, Gjon’s Tears was internally chosen for Eurovision 2021.
A total of 13 songs were created in the songwriting camp.
2. The songs have been produced in Switzerland and out of Switzerland.
3. Gjon recorded all 13 songs.
4. 100 people from the Swizz public and 20 international music experts judged the songs. They not only gave points to the songs but also gave remarks on what can be improved in the production.
5. Their remarks were incorporated into the production and videos of live- performances were recorded.
6. The 2 jury panels judged the songs again.
7.The chosen song was co-written by Gjon’s Tears himself.
The chosen song was “Tout l’Univers” (Eng: All the Universe):
Allocation in Semi-Final: Switzerland was allocated to perform in the second half of semi-final 2.
Gjon will perform in the 16th position, after Latvia and before Denmark.
Musical Review: It’s a power ballad. The melody is based on piano playing and experimental production. The song starts with a piano solo, very quickly we can hear Gjon singing.
He sings slowly, with a lot of emotions, and with a soft and mid-low voice.
Pre-chorus has a slightly different sound, we can already tell at this point that something big will happen in the development of the song. We are not wrong, Gjon uses his magical voice with wonderful high notes. There is something optimistic and yet dramatic in the chorus. The melody is basic but so impactful. The chorus ends in a modest way. The second verse has a different structure: it isn’t only piano playing, but also string instruments that are being added to the package alongside a digital gentle beat. Gjon sings again with a low voice just to make us ready for the high notes in the upcoming chorus. The song becomes even more powerful. The chorus contains drums playing as well, with a digital beat that is being beaten by piano playing and string instruments. The peak of the song is Gjon’s high note that is being transferred into a falsetto shout. That shout gives us the drama we have been waiting for. Thereafter, we can hear him singing while being accompanied by backing vocalists. The song ends with singing in a high and soft voice.
It isn’t just a song, it’s also an external experience. There were moments when I felt my soul floating out of my body. The video clip (together with the audio) takes you on a breath-taking journey.
Gjon sings it flawlessly without too much drama or manners. The fact that the song is in French just increases its value. Almost everyone can get excited even before reading the lyrics.
That’s why the song can be a contender to win the whole contest this year.
Translated Lyrics (thanks to LyricsTranslate)
Let the wind brush
His/her hand over my shoulder
The void in my head
Not a single place to hideThe dawn is fading
Behind a field of ruins
The time to grow up
Don’t hold yourself backI see pieces of you behind us
I see what pain has made of meThe whole universe
Our two hearts under the ground
At the center of the rifts where everything explodes
Being at the point of impact
Without youWhat will happen to our breaths
If they stay on the shore?
This love that wrings us outI see pieces of you behind us
I see what pain has made of meThe whole universe
Our two hearts under the ground
At the center of the rifts where everything explodes
Being at the point of impact
Without you
Behind my eyelids
Get some airAh
The whole universe
Our two hearts under the ground
At the center of the rifts and the aftershocks
We will meet at the point of impact
How can we heal our exploding hearts?
The whole universe
Poetry Analysis: The song invites us to find comfort and grow even when life is tough and it seems like there’s no place for hope. At the beginning of the song, the spokesperson feels lost and insecure in the “new world”. The only thing that keeps him a little bit calm is a hand that is over his shoulder.
“Let the wind brush/ His/her hand over my shoulder/ The void in my head/ Not a single place to hide“.
Something bad happened in the environment where the spokesperson lives, there are ruins (like after a war, car accident, crime, or natural disaster. However, the spokesperson has already been in situations like this and he knows that no matter what, he must grow up and focus on self-healing:
“The dawn is fading Behind a field of ruins/ The time to grow up/ Don’t hold yourself back“.
The spokesperson hasn’t realized what really happened until he saw someone he knew broken. The pain made him suffer and even changed part of him – “I see pieces of you behind us/ I see what pain has made of me“.
The world, in its current status, is built on broken pieces that should be united. The only remedy is loving each other. Two hearts at the center of rifts will overcome every difficulty. None of us will have the technique or opportunity to fix the world alone – “The whole universe/ Our two hearts under the ground/ At the center of the rifts where everything explodes/ Being at the point of impact/ Without you“.
If we leave our breaths on the shore (a metaphor of not taking risks, not being brave enough to dive into the unknown water), then we won’t advance and won’t overcome the past problems:
“What will happen to our breaths/ / If they stay on the shore? / This love that wrings us out“
Love can be a dangerous thing, but we will have to recall that there will always be a second opportunity. We can’t let love down, everyone has their own scars from the past and yet, we have to love each other and find our own love – “The whole universe/ Our two hearts under the ground/
At the center of the rifts where everything explodes/ Being at the point of impact/
Without you/ Behind my eyelids/ Get some air“.
The last chorus presents the accurate solution with no hints. Two united hearts will be strong enough to survive and rift and even will have the honor to see the aftershock. They will be able to see each other, meet, embrace each other’s fears, and give hope to each other. Only then their hearts will be healed and completed – “The whole universe/ Our two hearts under the ground/
At the center of the rifts and the aftershocks/ We will meet at the point of impact/
How can we heal our exploding hearts?/ The whole universe“
Initial Personal Ranking: 2nd overall, 1st in the semi-final.
The impact of the allocation in semi-final 2: 4 countries that tend to vote for Switzerland will vote in semi-final 2: Austria, Finland, the UK and Denmark
Odds Table: The song was released on the 10th of March 2021. On that date, Switzerland was predicted to be the winner of Eurovision 2021 by the bookies. However, on the 21st of March, the country was in 2nd place (behind Malta). Since the 8th of April, Switzerland has been in 3rd place.
Early Prediction: Qualifying isn’t a question this year. Switzerland brought us this year a wonderful ballad, performed by a talented singer with the bonus of being performed in a foreign language.
WE have already seen that Gjon is an excellent singer in live performances as well.
The right question to ask: Will Switzerland win Eurovision 2021?
I’m sure the country will be in the Top 5 in the grand final (even Top 3). Switzerland will probably be the winner of semi-final 2 with decent chances to win the whole contest.
Eurovision 2021 comes just after a very tough year of handling Covid-19. Last year, Eurovision was canceled. Will the voters support a touching ballad like the one Switzerland suggests, or will the voters find comfort in an upbeat song?
the next chapter, we will discuss 6 other countries that will participate in semi-final 2, stay tuned!
You can find all the relevant information on our Eurovision 2021 homepage:
