Eurovision - 2013

Hi folks. It's that time of year again, when the whole of Europe goes a little bit camp and the sound of music (some good and some so so bad) fills the airwaves. It's Eurovision time and since my little slice of this poptastic indulgence was so popular last year, I'm back with another slice.

The following is my top five for this years contest which takes place in Malmo, Sweden and are in no particular order.

Azerbaijan - Hold Me by Farid Mammadov.

This performance is from the heats to find a winner to represent Azerbaijan and I think you'll agree the young man from Baku gives a beautiful rendition of the song.
Given his good lucks, I think he will place very highly in the contest with the female votes he is bound to receive.

Germany - Glorious by Cascada.

It's not Eurovision without a little dance music and this one from Cascada certainly delivers.
Now I will let you into a little secret..I always thought Cascada were a British act?
Lead singer Natalie Horler does have British parents so you can't blame me for thinking that.
With album sales of over five million and hits in many countries, the group are very popular and I will be astonished if they do not finish top ten.

Russia - What If by Dina Garipova.

Another beautiful song, superbly sung by the young Dina Garipova. Previously, she won the Russian version of The Voice. Could she be in line to win another singing competition?

San Marino - Crisalide by Valentina Monetta.

It's safe to say that San Marino have not fared well with Eurovision, having never made it to the final. Perhaps their 4th attempt at the contest will see that happen.
I absolutely love this song and may go as far to say that this is the one I would like to win.
Valentina previously represented her country with the awful The Social Network Song (she finished 14th in the semi-final) but she gives an astounding performance for this song and surely deserves her place in the final?

United Kingdom - Believe in Me by Bonnie Tyler.

I'm going to be brutally honest here. When I heard that Bonnie Tyler would be representing the UK for Eurovision, my heart sank, stomach churned and voices in my head were screaming what the? Bonnie had performed a song live on some show I'd seen a year or two ago and she was bad. I remember saying to myself at the time that she had lost it and should retire.

Now I know I said that we stood a good chance last year with good old Englebert and we failed miserably but with Bonnie, I truly believe we will finish top five with this marvellous song. Her husky tones are back and I was wrong to think she was past it.

Bonnie has sold millions of records, had numerous hits all over the world and been nominated for a Brit award twice and a Grammy three times. She is quite simply a world class recording artist. With a fan base in the millions, will she at last restore the UK's fortunes in Eurovision? If she gives a brilliant performance on the night, then we can only hope she can.

So there we have it, my top five for this years Eurovision. Do you agree with any of my choices or do you think the top five will read differently?

Tune in on Saturday 18th May for Eurovision 2013 and may the best song win.

Until next time, I bid thee farewell.

Guilty Pleasure - Eurovision Special. The Sequel

As promised folks, here is who I believe should finish in the top 3 for this years Eurovision Song Contest being held in Baku.

In reverse order we start with:

Number 3 - Love Will Set You Free by Engelbert Humperdinck (UK)

At 75, Mr Humperdinck is one of the oldest artists to represent the UK in the contest.
Though I think he will struggle with the high note at the end, I still think the UK will do well with this beautiful ballad.


Number 2 - Standing Still by Roman Lob (Germany)

This song has already been a huge hit in Germany, reaching number 3 in the charts.
If it does well on the night,I can see it charting quite highly over here in the UK.
Mr Lob has the full package -  stunning looks, amazing voice and a lovely song. The only downside is the video is quite similar to one by the not as amazing Daniel Beddingfield.


Number 1 - La La Love by Ivi Adamou (Cyprus)

I do love my dance music and this entry from Cyprus is superb.It should do well with the gay audience and who knows, maybe this could be the year we see quite a few Eurovision hopefuls do well in the UK pop charts.

That's my top 3 for you. Do you agree with my choices or have I got it completely wrong?
There is only one way to find out and that is by tuning in to BBC1 on Saturday 26th May.

Until next time, I bid thee farewell.

Guilty Pleasure - Eurovision Special

Here we are folks. The next entry in my Eurovision countdown.

No 9 It's All About You by Juliana Pasha (Albania)

Albanian singer Juliana Pasha represented her country for Eurovision 2010 and came a very disappointing 16th place.

2 songs stood out for me in 2010's contest. This one and the entry from Iceland which finished 19th. Both songs were well staged, with the singers giving it their all and both received rapturous applause.

Why their scores were so disastrous is a mystery to me and just shows how different a countries taste in music can be.

Maybe it's my taste that is strange as the UK only gave Albania 1 point. Could it have been Juliana's uncanny resemblance to Jane Beale from Eastenders that cost her points with the UK's voters?

Personally, I felt that she should have finished top 3 and it is a travesty that she did not.

  

So why has this song ended up in my top 10? Because it's a fantastic dance song full of energy and great vocals with good backing vocals too, that's why. Plenty of songs were sung on the night but it was this that stole the show for me.  

Germany won the contest with a rather dull song called Satellite and that is all I have to say about that one.

Until next time, I bid thee farewell.