Review: “ESCZ 2024” (Czechia)

Czechia will choose a song and an artist for Eurovision 2024 via “ESCZ 2024”.
7 songs are in the race to represent the country at Eurovision 2024.

#1. Aiko – Pedestal

It is a pop rock song. The song opens with a beat that is build on a sped-up electronic guitar beat. Thereafter, Aiko starts singing with a quite soft voice that stands in contrast to the beat of the song. The first verse in mainly based of drum and beat. The pre-chorus is faster and repeats on several words. The chorus is more self-empowerment/stadium rock piece. The chorus combines between gentle shout and a cheerful singing.
The second verse is faster. The melody is still based on drum and beat, but we can hear more elements of bass stringing. The second chorus comes pretty fast.
The final part is cyclic, we can hear the chorus again, this time with a short instrumental part composed of bass and electric guitar.
Overall a decent song, but I feel like something is missing. At some point, it develops predictably by the “rules of the format”.

#2. Elly – The Angel’s Share

It is a mid-tempo indie-pop ballad.
The song starts with a piano playing, Elly opens the singing part with a high tone of voice and fragile intrepetition. There is something magical about the first verse, you can tell she spans a story in front of the listener.
The pre-chorus is based on a simple piano playing and soft singing.
The chorus is energetic and faster, the keyboards playing becomes more intestive and creates an atmosphere of running in a race. There is also a light effect of echo in the production.
The second verse is faster and more symphonic, Elly challenges herself in an even higher tone of voice. Towards the end of the second verse, she lengthens the words.
The second chorus is memorable, and enables her to showcase her vocal abilities in the mix of production.
The bridge is emotional and puts the message of the song in the center of attention.
It was slower and performed superbly. The last chorus closes the song. It is richer wisely, with the addition of backing vocals. The electronic elements contribute to the added value of the song. This doesn’t bother creating emotional (and yet a intense song) with modern production.
The lyrics are meaningful, as the song tells the story of going on after experiencing a loss.
This is a way to bring the full package and still keep it unique, well done!

#3. Gianna Lei – Starlet

It is a modern midtempo radio-friendly pop song.
The song starts with a short and simple keyboard playing. Shortly after, we can hear bass guitar stringing. Gianna starts singing at the very beginning. She sings in a mid tone of voice, almost effortlessly. The first verse structure is quite monotonous.
The chorus starts immediately, the basis of the melody is the same, however more elements are added to the tempo of the song. We can hear some percussion elements in the chorus. At the beginning of the chorus. she sings in a slightly higher tone of voice.
The second verse is a bit richer, with a faster tempo obtained by the guitar stringing.
The bridge features some pre-recorded backing vocals.
The last chorus steps more into the semi-electronic production, but still faithful to the general line of the song.
Gianna performs the song in a quite sweet voice.
However, I feel like something is too effortless in the whole package: From the lyrics, to the quite constant melody and the “unbothered” singing. That’s why, this song might be lost in the mix.

#4. Lenny – Good Enough

It is a singer-songwriter piano rock ballad.
Lenny starts singing immediately with the piano accompany her. The first verse is quite calm and puts the emphasis on the piano and her voice. The melody suggest a non-trivial phrasing of the words in the sentence.
The pre-chorus is more dynamic and gives us a hint to the raspy voice Lenny suggests.
The chorus is more memorable, Lenny sings it with a raspy voice. She repeats the words “Good enough” several times. The melody is quite sparse, and her unique voice takes the attention. The second verse is actually the bridge: It starts after a short instrumental part. This part features some pre-recorded backing vocals. The second chorus is more powerful, it comes also with drums, electric guitar and string elements. It is finalized with powerful singing and emphasis on the strings and fragile singing,
Lenny is one of the great performers in this line-up. However, I feel the song isn’t strong enough melodically wisely.

#5. MYDY – Red Flag Parade

It is a theatrical pop-rock song with some foundations of punk.
The song opens in a very distinctive way, with some howling, electro beat, and electric guitar playing.
The first verse takes us one step backward from the introduction.
The lead singer sings, and sometimes recits. In the background, we can hear some whispers.
The sound of bells, percussion, and xylophone leads us to the chorus.
The chorus is more memorable, and the rhymes stick immediately to your mind.
The word B*tch is sometimes replaced with witched and beeps.
The chorus brings a catchy and powerful melody, which for some reason reminds me of the kicking female rock from the 1990’s and the 2000’s.
The lead singer sings with a semi-smokey voice.
The second verse is quite similar to the first one, but this time the drum beat is more dominant.
Drums and electro beat lead us to the second chorus.
After the second chorus, we have a repeat of the same phrases. From there, the song goes quiet in circles until the end.
Whether this is a catchy song that might get the attention of the voters, the answer is yes.
However, at some point it develops into a too repetitive piece.

#6. Tom Sean – Dopamine Overdose

It is a techno-electronic dance pop song.
The song opens with a dark vibe, Tom sings the introduction with a considerably low voice. He repeats on the phrase “I can’t get no sleep”.
The first verse melody is quite simple, and mainly based on the production itself.
The pre-chorus is full of vocal effects.
Thereafter, we are moved to the chorus, with the same opening as in the intro, The lyrics become quite strange with sentences like “Sweat on your body, sweet like teriyaki”.
He is accompanied by some backing vocals in the chorus,
The second chorus is different from the first one, as it is faster and includes more words. A short pre-chorus leads us to the chorus. This time, the chorus is followed by a danceable electro beat. In my opinion, the best part is the bridge, where Tom shows more of his vocal abilities.
The song ends with last chorus.
The advantages is that the song is different from the others in the line-up. However, it feels a little bit too technical, and with less soul.
I can see is as another song that will be pleasant to hear at a Euro Club.

#7. Tomas Robin – Out Of My Mind

It is a radio friendly pop song.
The song opens with keyboard playing, Tomas sings in a mid-low tone of voice.
The first-verse has a clear flow. The pre-chorus is a little it faster, and includes some percussion elements in the production.
In the chorus, he sings more powerfully and we get a kind of mid-tempo electro beat.
We can also hear fading per-recoded backing vocals.
The second verse starts immediately afterward. It continues the electro beat from the chorus, as well as the husky voice singing. Thereafter, comes the second chorus, which is longer and also includes an instrumental part.
The electric keyboards take control of the last part of the song.
The song ends by a slowly decaying.
Overall, this is a radio-friendly song with modern production. I liked Tomas husky voice. Sonically, I have nothing bad to say. But something in this song feels a bit generic. In some senses, vibes of a song by “X-Factor” winner, a year after his win.
I’m not sure it is strong enough for Eurovision.

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Personal Ranking

Elly – The Angel’s Share
Lenny – Good Enough
MYDY – Red Flag Parade
Tom Sean – Dopamine Overdose
Aiko – Pedestal
Tomas Robin – Out Of My Mind
Gianna Lei – Starlet

Prediction

It seems like Mydy will probably lead the public vote. If we rely on local popularity, Lenny has probably the biggest local-recognition.
Elly will probably be able to pick the attention of the jury.
In addition, the Czech are well known in their affection to techno/EDM, so Tom Sean might surprise as well,
Overall, it seems like the biggest competition will be between Mydy and Elly.

Who would you like to see representing Czechia at Eurovision 2024?
Eurovision 2024 will be held in Malmö, Sweden.
The semi-final will be held on the 7th and 9th of May 2024, and the grand final will be held on the 11h of May 2024