ESC Etc.

Country: Iceland
Artist: Hera Björk
Title: Scared of Heights
Songwriter(s): Ásdís María Viðarsdóttir, Michael Burek, Jaro Omar, Ferras Alqaisi
Tempo: 128 BPM Mode: Minor Key: A Duration: 3:04

Iceland’s been on a journey this ESC season already. When news about Bashar’s participation broke out, Iceland momentarily shot to #1 in the odds, eventually settling somewhere in the bookies’ top 5 when the actual song was released. Regardless, Söngvakeppnin remained a hotly (and often disgracefully) debated topic, with fans praising the broadcaster’s anti-Israel stance and detractors criticizing a perceived attempt to politicize the contest instead. In the end, Bashar’s formidable odds failed to convert into a win, and in perhaps the biggest shocker of the season, Hera Björk has now nabbed her second ESC ticket 14 years after her first participation. I have discussed the song when I reviewed the national final: it’s fine without breaking any new ground, and while it sounds like a nice follow-up to Je ne sais quoi, the fandom isn’t as taken with it this time around. While I would say that part of it can be ascribed to the same ageism that has colored some of the reactions to Zorra (how dare women over 30 have fun and be happy and sing about it), there are concerns about this sounding a bit generic and dated that do have some basis in reality.

While this is not a skip for me, I do find the English version a bit clunky, and it didn’t really occur to me how much this actually sounds like Embers when translated (“I feel it coming” has the same exact chord progression as “Out of the embers…”) which is not a comparison you ever want to be facing. I doubt that – if she indeed decides to participate, as it seems she will – she will bring this in Icelandic (which would absolutely be the correct move in my opinion), so perhaps working on a more dynamic staging package might help. I really love the copper color palette, I love her pantsuit (obviously), but the stage does feel just a bit empty especially if the backup singers are just meant to be shoved in the background the whole time, and while the slow-mo is very striking and should absolutely stay, once Hera’s on top of that small platform she does look a bit uneasy. If the song is already proving so divisive, Iceland will really need to amp up the visuals and give this woman a show.

Jury Potential: Hera will really only have to worry about this upon qualification, which is definitely not a done deal. That said, the vocal is flawless and there is some radio appeal to the track. Unfortunately, this year is so strong that it might just not be enough.
Televote Potential: I don’t know that voters will take to this with the current staging concept. I brought up Embers because we all know what happened with that one.

Country: Serbia
Artist: Teya Dora
Title: Ramonda
Songwriter(s): Luka Jovanović, Teodora Pavlovska, Andrijano Kadović Ajzi
Tempo:  85 BPM Mode: Minor Key: A Duration: 2:54

While I didn’t include this track in my Pesma za Evroviziju review, it did occupy a spot in my Top 6 and it does make for a solid winner for Serbia. Teya Dora’s name kept getting bounced around in the winner conversation on social media the second this national final began, and she ended up winning the jury vote and placing second in the televote, emerging as the only act with widespread consensus. Ramonda refers to a lilac flower endemic to Serbia, which in the song is used as a symbol of strength and resilience in a broader commentary re: Serbia’s historical vicissitudes (the flower is known as the phoenix flower for its ability to revive from complete desiccation when watered), which does make for a rather suggestive metaphor. In the video (which really builds off the staging concept we got at Pesma), Teya Dora is seen walking around an arid open landscape, lamenting the lack of flowers to act as her guide through her struggles, until one solitary bud blooms in the end. It’s all very lovely.

And a little sleepy. I do really appreciate this song (I do, and I won’t skip this when it comes up in my playlist) and I find the final chorus to be particularly effective and haunting when the full orchastration kicks in, but I would say that my appreciation comes more from a place of respect than musical affinity. The song does take a minute or so to really establish itself melodically, and the verses don’t quite hit as clearly or powerfully as the chorus – beyond that, my worry is that so much of this track’s effectiveness rests on the lyrical message that casual viewers that just sit in front of this once without bothering to look it up might miss the whole point here if the staging doesn’t clearly set up a narrative for them to follow. Teya Dora’s vocal is more than adequate, but the song does lack a vocal moment to really push her – the word here is vibes, and I’m not sure how well this will resonate with audiences especially since, in terms of logistics, this ended up getting drawn in the most competitive half of the most competitive semi (first half of semifinal 1, you guessed it), where it is only comparable to Ukraine (as in, one of the faves with a 100% qualification record) in terms of sound and song structure. For the rest, this will be directly going up against Baby Lasagna, Silvester Belt, Luna, and Bambie Thug (and I don’t see it opening the show or closing the half, to be honest). Will voters from home appreciate a moment of quiet amidst all the fun, energy, noise, and general pop extravaganza? When given a bunch of delicious colorful candy, how many kids will realistically decide to take a break to eat that healthy piece of broccoli? I’m a bit concerned.

Jury Potential: If this advances, some juries will definitely appreciate this for what it is: a classy, impactful ballad with a good vocal and a strong production.
Televote Potential: This is where I’m a bit worried. I would say this would qualify easily out of semifinal 2, but it is realistically in section where we’ll be losing two or three of those seven songs. This year’s just brutal.