225 === [00:00:00] Meredith: This song is basically this gif of Megan Rapinoe from 2015 at an interview where they say like, write on a whiteboard one word that describes you and she just flips it around and it says GAY. [00:00:25] Ben: Hello, and welcome to the Eurowhat. Episode 225, dropping on April 2nd, 2024. We are a pair of Americans trying to make sense of the Eurovision Song Contest. I'm Ben Smith, and I'm here with my co host, Mike McComb. Hey, Mike. [00:00:42] Mike: Hello! [00:00:43] Ben: In this episode, we'll be talking about the last five entries in semi final one with our special guest, Meredith Clark. Hey, Meredith. [00:00:49] Meredith: Hi there! [00:00:50] Ben: It is a delight to have you back. [00:00:53] Welcome back, Meredith Clark! --- [00:00:53] Meredith: Thank you very much. I was very excited to get the chance, um, so I'm glad you can fit me in and give me a chance to get excited about some of these entries. [00:01:01] Ben: Absolutely. Although, the other thing I wanted to check in on is we were, we both recently saw Dothy Frere in concert. How was the Milwaukee show? [00:01:08] Meredith: I had such a fantastic time. It was delightful. Everybody was having such a fun one. I got the sense that it was possible that some parents had dropped their kids off at the Olivia Rodrigo show directly across the street and then popped over to see Tati. Yeah, the 11 year olds will be fine at the Faiserv. Forum, like, I need to go listen to some electropop. [00:01:39] Ben: his live show is just so good and so tight at this point. Like, he just got announced on the Lollapalooza lineup. [00:01:47] Meredith: Yeah, I saw that. He just was so fun, obviously great stage presence, really silly and sort of exactly as goofy as you wanted. Ran around up into the balcony and took pictures and like said, you know, danced with people and then went back. It was really cute. but it was strange because I had no idea what the crowd was going to be like. I don't know if you had that experience too. I didn't know if there would be lots of young people or it would be all middle aged nerds, but that was my feeling. Yeah. [00:02:21] Mike: this was probably two years ago at this point. And, think the older nerds kind of drifted towards the balcony and the like the back bar area. But there were there were a lot of youngins in the crowd as well. So, [00:02:34] Meredith: We were in the balcony, so of course you've correctly called my experience at the [00:02:41] Mike: It wasn't like the Maneskin show where it was just like, oh, we were the only olds there and we were the very, very back, so the kids are going to be okay. That's what I took away from that show, so. [00:02:53] Ben: Yeah, no, on my end at the Boston show, there were definitely a couple groups that I immediately pinpointed as being, you know, The younger kind of teenage with like, what was clearly the 30 something cool aunt slash uncle chaperone taking them to their first show. I'm just like, aww, this is a good one. [00:03:12] Meredith: Anytime we can introduce the teens to German house music, like I think that's good. [00:03:19] Ben: Yes. [00:03:21] Meredith: I don't know about you two, but I had two pairs out of the five songs where I felt like they were both kind of doing the same thing and occupying the same space, but one just caught me so much more than the other. So obviously we can get into that, but I, it was like having them together really created it, you know, gave me a, Interesting perspective on things, so I feel like I have many more opinions than I did. [00:03:50] Mike: I was kind of in a similar boat since we changed up the way that we did the lineup for the semifinal, where we're covering them in the order they were selected. You can kind of tell that there was a shift in tone from, like, late December, early January, to, mid March, and, uh, yeah, this is really capturing that mid March vibe, so [00:04:10] Ben: Yeah, and although I found this group of five as a whole to be really rewarding listening to with my big headphones. Like, there's some really lovely production stuff going on in the mix. The [00:04:21] Meredith: Agreed, It was exciting that I was able to force myself to like really spend some time with these songs and thinking about Since there has been such beautiful production on the studio tracks to think about what it's going to look like live after they've figured that out, [00:04:35] Serbia - Teya Dora - "Ramonda" --- [00:04:35] Meredith: there's a couple I'm very excited about seeing what they pick. [00:04:39] Ben: first song we'll be discussing today is Serbia's entry this year, Teodora's Ramonda. Teodora Pavlovska, who performs as Teodora, will represent Serbia with the song Ramonda after winning the national selection process Pesma za Eurovizju. She attended music school in Belgrade and continued her studies at the Berklee College of Music in Boston in 2014. Teodora returned to Serbia in 2018 and released several singles. Her song Janem was part of the soundtrack for a Serbian TV drama series. Following a school shooting in Belgrade in May of 2023, the song was adopted by protesters seeking gun reform. While this boosted Teodora's profile in Serbia, the Moje Moje portion in the song's chorus became the source of a TikTok meme that became particularly popular in India and Bangladesh. Since then, Teodora became the third Serbian artist to have 1 million listeners on Spotify. The other two are Constrakta, who represented Serbia in 2022, and Luke Black, who represented Serbia last year with Samo Misa Spava. which finished in 24th place. Ramonda is written by Andriy Anokaryovych, Luka Jovanovych, and Teodora Pavlovska. So Meredith, what did you think of this one? [00:05:58] Meredith: I really wanted to like this one and I didn't end up finding much to hold on to in it. She's clearly so incredibly talented and her voice is gorgeous. She has immense control, but ultimately it didn't get the hook sense. It felt, you know, it felt sad and everything, but it something didn't get a moment where it all clicked together for me, which I was disappointed by because I actually think I would, I want to like the song a lot. It just didn't do it for me, especially after having to listen to Portugal's number many times. And I think part of that might be the staging too, from the live performance. So it could grow on me if they change things up in a, in a way. But it just felt a little bit too spare. [00:06:44] Mike: I was a big fan of Serbia's selection field this year. I know we don't listen to the bookkeepers, but checking what the odds were, this was like the full on favorite to win Serbia's process. I was confused by that because it's just like, what, what is it about this song that is capturing people when there are so many bangers in this, playlist? When I was doing the background on Teodora, for the bio, that it was like, oh, this is making a lot more sense. Like she is winning Serbia's national selection. I think for very. Serbian reasons, like the fact that her songs have been part of, Serbian pop culture over the last year. That doesn't necessarily mean it's going to translate to an international audience, although that thing about the meme is so wild to me, because I don't know if you clicked through the link that I had in the show notes, but the meme is a skit, and then somebody's arms just randomly disappear, and then everybody does kind of like a Harlem Shake wailing in despair type thing, it's, this will be in the show notes, it's just like I'm just trying to make sense of it, but in terms of Eurovision, where this is like the next stage for this song, I completely agree with you, Meredith, I think it is really going to come down to the staging and like, I think the staging for the Serbian final was beautiful. I don't think that's necessarily going to translate to an arena. Stage. [00:08:13] Meredith: Oh, I was gonna say, that's exactly how I feel about it. There's just something so intimate and sometimes songs that have like that general tempo and the general vibe. They can really struggle, we saw that last year with a couple of really gorgeous songs from talented people, it's just how they put it together. [00:08:31] Mike: My other concern with this is of the songs that we were talking about today, this is the only one that's in the first half. And I think that that's going to be an uphill climb for this song, especially given some of the other, uh, like, Is this going to be in the lineup next to Windows 95, man? Is this going to be in the lineup next to Croatia? It's just like, that is such emotional whiplash if that happens. But it's very possible that, like, this is going to have a difficult time finding footing in the lineup, just given how varied this year's first semifinal field is. [00:09:06] Ben: You have both hit on a lot of the points from my notes as well, there's some really lovely moments in this song, And again, this is, this was like a real delight to listen to with, nice headphones on. 'cause there's just really some great stuff to pick up in the, in the mix. But it's in the first half of the semi-final. And even though we are now folding in the, big six and making them perform during the semi-finals live, which I think is a great idea. It gives more things that you can stick between the, the large set piece. Uh, performers, where you're, you're hopefully giving all the people who are actually competing that night a fair shake. This could be staged really well, I think if they try to do how they stage this in Serbia, it could also just really fall flat. [00:09:46] Meredith: Because you mentioned Constructa and Luke Black. I mean, given how delightful both of them were in the lead up, you know, in the community, like the level of popularity and charisma that they had. I think she's got a lot better chances. If it turns out that's what her personality is very much like, but I don't know enough about what, you know, what kind of, Vibes she'll actually bring to Malmo. [00:10:13] Mike: This is one of those entries where, uh, I feel like it kind of depends on what the weather is like. If it's a rainy day in Europe, like I think the song is going to hit a lot differently than if it's like 75 degrees and sunny, you know? [00:10:26] Ben: Mhm. [00:10:26] Meredith: Yeah, 100%. [00:10:28] Ben: This is very much the mood in March. What is the mood in May going to be? [00:10:31] Iceland - Hera Bjork - "Scared of Heights" --- [00:10:31] Ben: Because that could be wildly different again. [00:10:34] Mike: Hara Bjork, who represented Iceland at Eurovision in 2010 returns to the contest this year with the song Scared Of Heights. She first rose a prominence as the host of Iceland's version of Whose Line Is it? Anyway, in the late nineties. Here Bjork has worked with Bjork. Providing vocals on the latter's 2004 album, Modula, as part of the Icelantic Choir. At Eurovision 2010, the song Quoi finished in 19th place. And in 2013, Hera got her flowers when she won the international competition at Chile's Viña del Mar Festival, which we talked about in episode 131. Iceland's participation in this year's contest has been a major source of controversy. Iceland has been one of the most vocal countries criticizing the EBU's decision to include Israel in this year's competition amid the war in Gaza. Ruv, Iceland's broadcaster, changed the rules for the contest Songvakeppnin so that the winner would have right of first refusal to participate in this year's Eurovision, raising the possibility that Iceland would withdraw. The super final of the contest, which included Palestinian artist, Bashar Morad, experienced voting irregularities and glitches. Adding to the controversy, HIRA Bjork, who was declared the winner of Song Vi Kanan, was confirmed as Iceland's entrant after the head of delegations meeting in mid-March. Scared of Heights is written by Yaro Omar Farris, Al Casey, Michael Burrick, and ADIs Maria v Viter. Ben is nodding in approval. All right. Last year, Iceland broke its most recent qualifying streak when Dilya's Power missed out on the grand final, finishing in 11th place in the second semifinal. So, Ben, what do you make of Scared of Heights? [00:12:36] Ben: All right, so I have been the resident Iceland stan on this program. like Hera a lot, and all of the biographical details, she has lived the wildest life. Uh, and I'm just so glad that Iceland also just went through a real deep whose line is it anyway phase like we all did in the late 90s. [00:12:53] Mike: Yep. [00:12:55] Ben: I think she sings this song well, and like, there's like little specificities in the lyrics that feel very real, but I think that this song kind of suffers after all of the controversy that happened. We talk a lot about how you don't have to be the best song in your semi final, you just have to beat like, in this case, five other things. I think that there are five other things that are better than this song, at least. Again, I am, I am our Eisenstein, I'm generally rooting for them, and I'm this is not what's been winning Eurovision the last five or so years, and I really don't See, I think, I think we're gonna get a very good, solid performance from her, because she's a very solid performer, but I don't think that this is qualifying. [00:13:34] Meredith: Yeah, I would say that too. I also really like Kera Björk, and again, she does great, she's a total pro, but the song just has all of its Potential edges sanded off. It feels very carefully constructed and lives in a bit of an uncanny valley where all of this should work. But I had this vision where I thought, if I'm not paying attention, I feel like I would expect to hear a song like this. while walking out of a giant baptism at like a mega church because it's like making you feel good. You're supposed to be inspiring, but there isn't that really, you know, the beating heart at the core of something, you know, it just felt a little bit too slick. Yes. [00:14:23] Mike: Like, there's stuff that I left out, like, uh, her day job? She's a realtor. And it's like, of course she's a [00:14:28] Ben: yes, of [00:14:29] Mike: That is so perfect. And, like, this, this song in particular, it really feels like the audio equivalent of the t shirt, it's why no clock somewhere? Like, and like, and like, And I don't mean that necessarily as a dig. Like, I feel like that is an audience that should also be served by Eurovision. This is the track to serve that audience. And, like, I think there's a lot of overlap with the audience that would be voting on shows like American Idol or The Voice. I don't see this finishing in, like, first, second, or third in the semifinal, but I could see it potentially sneaking into ninth or tenth place. If that is a large enough audience that is picking up the phone, I could see them supporting this one. Just thinking about how this first semi final is structured, like, the second half of the first semi final is much more optimistic than the first half, I think might be the way to describe it. And I think this song is kind of like the thesis statement for the second half of the semi final. I don't think I will be seeking this out after this year's contest, but I'm very much looking forward to the performance. I love Harriet Bjork. Like, [00:15:37] Ben: Oh yeah, no, I love, I love Hara Bjork, she's great. I love that you've answered the question, does Hara Bjork know Bjork? [00:15:42] Mike: This is checking a lot of boxes. They're not on my personal checklist, but I can see it being on the checklist of people who do not host Eurovision podcasts, you know? And yeah, Eurovision is a big tent, and I think this may be a bigger part of the tent than we realize, or that we're in regular contact with. That might be a better way of phrasing that. [00:16:05] Ben: Yeah, there we go. [00:16:07] Meredith: Yeah. And I think, like, there are a couple of other songs that do generally occupy the optimistic we're all one kind of space and, you know, this is a better one. I just didn't feel, you know, comparing it to something like Sand, say, you know, when you have a beautiful vocalist. And a song that just makes you say, well, okay, I guess, like, cool. She's got a lot going for her that would, I think, you're totally right to say that it would be very appealing. Who isn't ready to listen to a song that kind of gives you unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield vibes? [00:16:43] Ben: We keep saying it, we like Hara Bjork a lot. And now just like, knowing that she's a realtor, like, she's gonna sell this house. I just wish that she had a nicer house to be selling to us. [00:16:52] Mike: I think that's a great way of framing it, just because, like, she's Just has just a sparkling personality. Like, I have a feeling more people may be voting for her than they would be for the [00:17:01] Meredith: Yeah, I could see that for sure. [00:17:02] Ben: again, just like, the second that Iceland wins and hosts the contest, just like, stick her in like, a hosting role, or in the green room, or just in some capacity, because I want to just hang out with her. [00:17:11] Australia - Electric Fields - "One Milkali (One Blood)" --- [00:17:11] Mike: Yeah, if she's the Petra Mead of Iceland, I am all for it. [00:17:15] Ben: Australia will once again compete at Eurovision, represented by the duo Electric Fields and their song One Milkale, One Blood. Lead vocalist Zachariah Michael Ross, both X Factor Australia alumni, Teamed up in 2015 to develop a sound they describe as Daft Punk meets Nina Simone in the deep forest. They first became known in Eurovision circles when they competed in the inaugural edition of Australia Decides in 2019, finishing in second place. Since then, the duo collaborated with Norway's 2019 representatives Kano and have won awards for best live voice from Australia's National Live Music Awards. Australia Eurovision since 2015. Last year, Voyager's Promise finished in 9th place, the 3rd time Australia finished at that rank, and their 5th top 10 placement. One Milkale, One Blood is written by Michael Ross and Zachariah Fielding. [00:18:21] Mike: First, I want to say how impressed I am that Australia has managed to send something really different each year that they've participated. Like, even the two years in a row that Montaigne was their representative, like, it was two different sides of Montaigne. So I, I really appreciate that Australia is still part of this. I hope they continue to be part of this. I think this is a really smart entry given their kind of limbo status in the contest since their participation is not currently guaranteed moving forward. This is a really strong reminder of what Australia brings to the competition overall. I don't think my opinion has actually changed all that much since we first talked about the track. Like, I think it's still very accessible, I think there are some clunky lyrics, but I think the live vocal performance will, it'll be easy to kind of sweep that under the rug. This is one of the performances I think I'm most looking forward to in the first semi final just because like I dig their vibe and I think it's going to be a lot of fun and really well executed. [00:19:27] Meredith: I just completely unabashedly love this song. It is just exactly the kind of candy that makes me nostalgic and happy and sort of generally just feel good at the same time. I was trying to think about what it was doing to me, like what the experience of listening to it was, and the closest thing I could come up with, I was like, this song is It's basically this GIF of Megan Rapinoe from 2015 at an interview where they say like, write on a whiteboard one word that describes you and she just flips it around and it says GAY. Um, and that's like this song to me. Like, this is, it's just so exactly what I need, and I'm very glad that Australia is bringing it. And I think when you stack Scared of Heights and this next to each other as both very like early 90s house y pop music feel to it, this one just has so much more, um, Life to it. I'm really excited to see what they do with the actual performance. I think It has such great potential. [00:20:33] Ben: When we first talked about this one, I had really only had a chance to listen to it, like, maybe two times, and just getting the time to sit with this one and discover all of its nuances, like, I really like what they've got going on on the actual music side of this, where, like, you get both, like, the house piano and the didgeridoo. It could be really cliché that, oh, aha, it's Australia, we've got didgeridoo, but like, that's part of who Electric Fields is, is like, is sort of like throwing all of these things in the pot and somehow making it work. My brain is already sort of leaping over, like, the places I thought were lyrically clunky before, but unlike when you have one of those Max Martin songs where, like, the words have been selected for, like, mathematical precision, When you go to Genius page for the lyrics on this, you can click through and see, oh, this is what they mean by that. Like, there's actual meaning behind what they have chosen, which as somebody who tends to generally talk in footnotes, I deeply appreciate. And like, I think just given that they have won live music awards, there's a really strong chance we're going to get some really good performances in the arena. Like, I am not scared at all about this sounding good there. I think that their vocals blend really well on this, they're playing to their strengths, there are some really, really cool moments that could happen with this. [00:21:49] Mike: I agree with you, Ben. I love the texture that the, kind of subtle didgeridoo line in the song is providing. And I think that's what is separating it from, like, Iceland's entry is there is that texture. There is that sense that this is coming from a specific place instead of a factory. [00:22:08] Ben: We talked about there being a smoothness with, with Iceland, where there's, part of that could just come with, Electric Fields wrote this song, Hera Björk has written, is performing a song written by other people, so there's just sort of like that layer of abstraction, but Texture is a really good work, there's just like stuff to grab onto with this song, and it's just hooks on hooks on hooks. [00:22:27] Meredith: Yeah. I am glad you both are very big fans of the didgeridoo element. I was like, guys, Did you know that didgeridoo? It's actually great in a really, like, bouncy house song, like, it works! It's great! [00:22:39] Ben: It's just like, it feels like one of those things on paper that you would roll your eyes at, but then you're like, no, this is [00:22:44] Meredith: Yeah, exactly. It's just so, so great that Australia just keeps doing it because they just love it so much. It's the love of the game and the, like, how clear it is that they care very deeply about sending someone good that they feel is exciting as a representative. sometimes it does, it definitely doesn't feel that way for some other countries. [00:23:09] Mike: absolutely. And is this the first? Australian entry that has had a didgeridoo element? I'm not, I can't think of [00:23:18] Meredith: I can't either, but I, some of those are very fuzzy because they were quite forgettable. Oh, [00:23:27] Mike: I mean, I think when like Australia was first announced as participating in Eurovision almost 10 years ago, like I think everybody was expecting it to be like a didgeridoo opera. And it's just like, nope, we're, we're, we're, we're gonna sit on that. We're gonna play that card at the right time. And I think this is the right time to do that. [00:23:43] Portugal - iolanda - "Grito" --- [00:23:43] Mike: So good job, Australia. This year marks the 60th anniversary of Portugal's Festival da Cancao and the country's first Eurovision participation. The winner of this year's festival is Yolanda and her song Grito. Yolanda Costa studied songwriting at the University of Sussex and tried to make her way through various singing competitions in Portugal. She was part of the songwriting team for Mar no Fim, in Festival da Cancao 2022, but it did not qualify for the final. Grito had a strong showing at this year's Festival da Cancao. It won the jury and finished second in the televote in the first semifinal. In the grand final, it received top marks from five of the seven juries and secured first place again. It maintained 16 percent of the televote, the same share as in the semifinal, and finished in second with viewers again, which is more than enough to get the ticket to Malmo. Grito is written by Yolanda and Luar. Portugal won Eurovision in 2017 and is looking for its fourth grand final qualification in a row. Last year's entry, Ai Coração, by Mimikat, finished in 23rd place. [00:25:08] Meredith: really adore this song and it is. Going to be so much fun to watch it get staged. Again, this was one where there was a lot of reward to trying to listen to some of the details that were in there. I mean, just the layers that it has, but then the song itself was good. And then watching the live performance was really stunning. this is currently my slow, sad song to beat out of all the entries. [00:25:37] Ben: The last couple years, Portugal has gotten really good at sending what feels like these beautiful, kind of self contained worlds. Because like, Mimikat, like we discussed last year, really felt like this wonderful kind of like, cabaret performance. Mm hmm. They're off doing their own thing, but it's always, such a joy to see, like, what wavelength Portugal is on. this one, I feel like it covers so much ground in three minutes, like, I'm always surprised at the end of the song that it is It's still only been like three minutes, cause like we've gone on a full journey. But I feel less worried than I do with something like Serbia, cause like it feels like Portugal's staging toolkit the last couple years has been very strong, and like they don't have the biggest budget out of all of the nations when you see what they put together for the arena stage, but they're very good at making good choices about what they are able to execute on the budget they have. Thank you. [00:26:28] Mike: Yeah, this is one where If it qualifies, I'll be really happy. If it doesn't qualify, I won't really be surprised. The part where I am hung up is how the televote is going to work for them. I thought it was really weird that it got the exact same share. In both the semi final and the final for the televote, and that it was, only 16%. And it's like, huh. I mean, that was good enough for second place. I mean, it was, across, 12 entries. So, like, 16%, a good share, but I think I would have expected it to at least increase, in the grand final. So, yeah, that's a little bit of a head scratcher, but it is kind of reminding me of Albania's entry last year and I think I had very similar reservations where it's just like, how are they going to stage this? It's going to probably be very minimal and is that going to connect with audiences? It connected very well with audiences, like it did very well in the rest of the world vote. It was the performance that really kind of pulled it across the finish line, and I'm hopeful that that is the case here as well. Like, when we initially talked about it, I think I said that it felt very Albanian and festival y, congas, in its style and presentation. It's like, oh, okay, that seems to be working with people. I think this is one to watch in the sense that it's like, I really have no idea how it's going to play. I will be fine with whatever the outcome is, but I do really like this song. [00:27:56] Meredith: it's, it's interesting because it also, in addition to, you're right, it does sound, does remind me of Albania, that there has been such a mixed reaction to certain, like to some countries going outside their traditional, like, wheelhouses. I mean, think about how, think about Spain. Which was a beautiful song, and it was beautifully staged last year, and people just did not connect with it at all, it did not get votes, so I'm wondering if this is a situation where Portugal, just because they've had it More successes. We'll be able to navigate that where, say, Spain couldn't. But it does seem like there's a bit of a possibility that it could also get punished for being a little bit more avant garde y than some, like, other songs that Portugal has sent. But I think Ben is right that the self contained worlds of it could really play in the favor. [00:28:50] Ben: Well, and like, I, I, Mike, I liked that, you're both fine with if it gets through. Yeah! If it doesn't get through, I understand, because like, yeah, I feel that way, and like, when I think about the last time Portugal did not make it through, it was with Telemoveus, which I think I was in the same place with her, like, I think this is super beautiful and cool, and like, they're doing a weird thing, and I love it. It might just not connect, and that was, that ended up being the case. [00:29:12] Mike: Yeah, as long as they don't stage this like a telenovela or whatever was going on with Telemovay, it's like, And I don't think they will. Like, if it is similar to the performance that, happened at Festival da Cancao, I think it will be fine. Like, I think that was a really effective performance. And yeah, I think thinking of it as a self contained world, it is, like, a complete story told in that three minutes. It's not trailing off the way that pop songs will tend to fade out rather than put a period at the end. [00:29:41] Ben: Yeah, and with the telemote percentage being the same, maybe there is just like, a given percentage of people this song is going to reach, and it's just a matter of, is that enough? [00:29:49] Mike: Yeah. I mean, if it's 16 percent across 15 entries, that is a pretty good share. [00:29:54] Azerbaijan - Fahree feat. Ilkin Dovlatov - "Özünlə Apar" --- [00:29:54] Mike: It's a better share than, than across 12. [00:29:57] Ben: The last entry revealed for Semi Final One is Azerbaijan's song Ozunleyapar, by Fari, featuring Ilkin Dovlatov. Fari is Mailyov, who performs as Fari, is 29 years old, and holds a master's degree in law. He reignited his love of music during the height of the pandemic. Ilkhan Dovlatov was originally part of another act up for consideration in Azerbaijan's internal selection process. He rose to prominence when he was the runner up in a Native Songs version of The Voice of Azerbaijan in 2023. Ozun La'apar is written by Edgar Ravanov, Fari, Hassan Hedar, Madina Salih, And Tamilo Rezaeva. This is the first time Azerbaijan has brought a song with lyrics in Azerbaijani. Azerbaijan is trying to get back into the grand final, having missed last year when the twins Tural Turan X finished in 14th place in the first semi final with their song Tell Me More. This is also one that we have not talked about at all on the show at all, because it was the last one to to be revealed. [00:31:11] Meredith: This one took several listens for it to start growing on me. It's fine. It does remind me of, like, music I would expect in a BMW commercial. Like, it's giving Sting desert rose. And You know, that song is quite beautiful, so it's a good thing to ape, but I don't know if it's gonna stand out. Like, usually when a song has this kind of vibe, the dude has to be really hot, and I'm not sure If he's not showing up with the, like, the arms, like, from the guy from Cyprus last year. I can really see it not going well. [00:31:49] Mike: That's been coming up a lot this weekend, I will say. [00:31:51] Ben: Yes. [00:31:55] Mike: Happy Cyprus Arms Appreciation Month, everybody. [00:31:59] Meredith: So yeah, I think there's, you know, there, there's good potential. It definitely is a vague, it's kind of in the ethno banger realm, but it's still pretty, pretty sedate. So we'll see. Maybe I'll feel okay about it, but it didn't do a ton for me. [00:32:17] Ben: I keep going back and forth on this one because like there are some some listeners were like, yeah, I love this direction for Azerbaijan. And there are other times when like. This is interesting wallpaper. I'm confused by the construction of this one, because when I listened to the first time, I wasn't watching the video, and I assumed Fari was doing more of like the English bits and sort of the main part of the chorus, and that Ilkin had like much more of a part than he seems to. And then when I watched the video, it confused me more, because he's like in there for a phrase or two, Yes, that's technically a featured role, but, like, I feel like, just thinking of this as a group project, I would like to see more of his work in the assignment. It's interesting, because, like, I love this direction for Azerbaijan, this feels authentic, but then, like, reading that Ilkin was in part of a different group, and just knowing that, like, there had been reports that, it was down to two artists, and Fari was not one of them, it feels like Azerbaijan is, trying to figure out what its new vibe is, and is in a phase where they're gonna try and throw some stuff at the wall, and we'll see if this sticks. [00:33:21] Mike: I actually kind of find this to be, maybe the most authentic song that Azerbaijan has sent. it's a big deal that this is the first one that is actually featuring Azerbaijani in the lyrics. Like, technically, I think, oh, was it Cleopatra, Mata Hari, whichever one, or maybe both of them. Like, there was, some little bits of Azerbaijani, but there weren't, like, complete words or anything. It was, like, more, like, the ululating or whatever. Offend was doing, but it doesn't feel like it is calculated or alright, we need to have this sort of tempo or like, kind of, kind of the Max Martin mathematical precision and strategy that I think Azerbaijan has typically brought to the contest. So that's one of the reasons why I really like this track. I'm not sure what to expect from the staging at all on this one, so I'm eager to be surprised. Like, I don't think it is just going to be the two guys standing behind microphones There's going to be something more, because while this is subtle, I don't think they're going to be that subtle. Like, there is going to be some bombast somewhere. [00:34:24] Meredith: Yeah, it's still Azerbaijan. We can be excited that they're trying something new, but they're still going to be as mercenary as possible when it comes to trying to, you know. Make it to the final. [00:34:36] Mike: I'm eager to see how this one plays out. I am thumbs up on this one. Again, if it doesn't make it I wouldn't be terribly surprised. might be a little concerned in the sense that Azerbaijan has not figured out how to leverage the televote, and that is where their big struggle is the last few years. but I think this is a step in the right direction for them. [00:35:01] Ben: I would agree, yeah, and like, that definitely is their, their stumbling point, they are partially the reason why the semifinals are televote only. That they got through a couple years ago is something that only had jury support. Support their sort of, trying stuff out as they figure out how to work with the new system, cause like, I think they want to be in the final, and I think, again, this is a good pivot for them. I want to know more, and also I want to hear this one live, because the video is very good at giving you The feeling that you're watching a live performance they're in a studio and you're seeing a person that like the the DJ controls and you're seeing some string players in the background but that's absolutely the studio track on top. [00:35:37] Mike: Yeah, that's the thing that I found most confusing. The way that the Eurovision channel has been posting things on YouTube is just like, it's the national final performance, the official music video. This one is called the showcase performance, and it's just like, okay? And it is the only entry this year that has that sort of distinction, why not just call it the official music video unless there is plans to release something down the road? But yeah, like, that just seems like an odd caveat to throw in at the very last minute. [00:36:08] Meredith: Yeah, I would be fine if this went through. I don't think it'd end up placing very high in the end if it did make it, but I guess coming about it honestly, instead of hiring whoever the most expensive ringer on the market is, and then giving them a, a song and a, and then just bribing everybody. I know they just like [00:36:29] Ben: it's I mean [00:36:30] Mike: Allegedly. Don't sue us, Azerbaijan. [00:36:33] Meredith: I have no inside knowledge about these things, but I do think, like, yes, they do seem to be, I, I would be very interested to see how they do when they're competing on their true own merits. But let's never go back to Baku. We don't need that [00:36:51] Final Thoughts --- [00:36:51] Ben: All right. Well, Merida, thank you so much for joining us, , to chat about these. [00:36:55] Meredith: Yeah. Thank you for having me. It is delightful as always. [00:36:59] Mike: are there any other entries that have caught your ear this year or that you're particularly excited about? [00:37:05] Meredith: I mean, obviously I'm excited about Croatia. I think you just have to. He's the, he's the king of the weird little guys. My big ones right now are Croatia and Australia. And I'm very curious about how things are going to go for Estonia, because I really want that to be fun. I just felt like Lithuania and Latvia, like, Didn't bring, well Lithuania is better, but like Latvia didn't bring it for me this year, so I'm glad that we can, I can be excited for some Baltic weirdness. [00:37:36] Ben: Yeah, the, the Baltics have been doing very good work. [00:37:38] Meredith: Yeah, I just, I applaud them. Keep it coming, everybody. Bring this stuff, you know, bring it along. It's what I like to see. And um, yeah, I can imagine probably keeping some of those songs on my playlist after the, the competition is finished this year. [00:37:54] Ben: is there anything you would like to plug? [00:37:55] Meredith: If anyone is ever interested in more podcasts in their lives, they can check out the podcast I host with my friend Allison Kilkenny over at Light, Trees, and News. [00:38:07] Ben: that's going to do it for this episode of the Eurowhat. Thanks for listening. The Eurowhat podcast is hosted by Ben Smith. That's me and Mike McComb. [00:38:15] Mike: That's me. If you'd like to help support the show and access a ton of bonus content, head on over to patreon. com slash eurowhat. [00:38:23] Ben: Our full coverage of the 2024 Eurovision song contest can be found on our website at Eurowhat. com. You can also follow us on social media at Eurowhat. [00:38:31] Mike: Next time on the Eurowhat, we start talking about semifinal two with our special guest, Katie Proctor. Happy Cypress Arms Appreciation Month.