Eurovision Song Contest 2014

Originally I had planned on cosying up in the sofa with a bowl of crisps and watch it like a fangirl, but then we decided to have people over and then go out to drink. So I thought my plan was totally butchered. Turned out a new person I hadn't met before showed up along with some of our friends and she asked if anyone was curious about ESC, so we snuck off into the bedroom where we have a second TV and started watching it there. So we watched almost every country's performance and just before the voting started we went out. So when I got back home around 1 am I went online and checked who won. And now here I am, slightly hungover and typing all my thoughts about ESC.

I don't watch the Swedish competition to choose our song. I'll know who won anyways. So after I found out that Sanna had won I listened to the song and I thought it was incredibly boring, so I didn't expect anything for her semi. But she was amazing, 100% better than the clip I saw from the Swedish competition. And I started to think that maybe we had a chance this year again.

I'll just say right now that my favourite songs of this ESC have been: Sweden, Latvia, Estonia, Austria, Finland, Switzerland, Germany and France. So it's a very wide spectrum, both in regards of genre and in regards of doing well and doing badly. Latvia and Estonia didn't even get to the finale and France came in last place in the finale. But since I really liked Austria I was very relieved when Austria won. And a third place for Sweden isn't too bad. Maybe the concept "pretty girl sings beautifully alone on stage" still works?

And I'll just say this right now. Many people accuse Austria of winning for the wrong reasons. That they won because of Conchita Wurst being drag and not because the song was good. Those people love to point out the fact that it's a music competition and nothing else should matter. I see Conchita Wurst as a person. No different from any other person. I loved Austria because I thought the song was amazing. It gave me chills and it sounded like an intro song to a James Bond movie. Conchita's voice was incredible and the song was powerful. Apart from Cake to Bake I find Rise Like a Phoenix to be the most memorable song from this year's competition. I also want to point out that Conchita winning ESC also was a huge win for HBTQ+ all over Europe. Her win reeks of acceptance and a better future.

Something else I've noticed this year is that 90's music seems to be making a comeback. Iceland, Denmark and Belarus all had songs clearly inspired by 90's music and clearly inspired by boy bands. And we all know that the 90's was the Golden Era of Boy Bands. I don't understand why Iceland's song was so popular. To me the whole thing looked and sounded like the Teletubbies singing Hanson. And with Denmark it was to the point that I for a split second thought they had hired Backstreet Boys.

I don't understand how San Marino, Poland and Armenia could get to the finale. San Marino's song was boring and I had forgotten about it as soon as the music stopped. And Poland's song was sexist and bad. Her singing was screeching and lyrics about Slavic women liking to please their men and using what God gave them, come on! What century is this? The only thing Poland had working in their favour was that the singer was good-looking. Then there's Armenia. The guy had absolutely no charisma and the song had lyrics a 5-year-old could've written. What was that song doing in ESC at all?! I also don't understand why the Netherlands did so well. I thought their song was mostly boring, though it was a fresh breeze in the mass that was hysteric electronic music or boring ballads. The only thing I remember about it today was that it was a country-ish song. Nothing more.

Then there's the politicis. Ukraine always do well in ESC and I sort of liked their song this year. But there was really no need for the audience to boo the Tolmachevy Sisters. They have nothing to do with Russian politics or Putin's scheme to re-conquer Europe. Politics have nothing to do in ESC, Conchita's victory proves that. The fact that Russia managed Top 10 proves to me that those of us watching at home aren't stupid enough to let our views of a country affect two little singing girls. I do however appreciate the irony. Last year Russia had a song about peace and love. This year Russia had a song about peace and love. At the same time Russia is waging war in the Ukraine. The people aren't the politics and the people chose the songs not the war, but there's irony in this.

Finally some words about the host country: Denmark. I had a lot of fun this year too, when they guided us around Copenhagen. I've been there and there and there and there and... I missed the intermission acts of the finale, but I really enjoyed the intermission in the second semi with people from all over Europe going out on stage to dance. Especially little 8-year-old Megan and 86-year-old Kit :D I also loved the history throwbacks. And the stage itself was amazing! Actually, the only thing I can complain about is the fact that Lise's English sometimes was so heavily accented by Danish that I couldn't understand her English. But anyway, amazing show Denmark!

ESC really isn't my type of music or what I generally listen to. But ESC is also a party and a tradition. Something I've watched every year for as long as I can remember. ESC is a European tradition. I don't know about the other countries, but you can't be Swedish and not have an opinion of ESC, whether good or bad or "I don't care". You can't be Swedish and not know about it. It's been on for almost 60 years, just that is an achievement. Sweden has won 5 times. This is our thing.