It's that time again!
Since there are god knows how many entries this year (I will break my no-alcohol-at-home rule in order to make it through this year's voting), I'm splitting up this year's Preview Video review into several parts. For those not familiar with the Preview Video review set up at this corner of the internet: I watch 30-60 seconds of each preview clip and then write my impressions.
(You can find the videos at Eurovision.tv, click on "mediacentre")
Today I'm covering the A's.
Albania: Frederik (who should either shoot his stylist and/or get a better toupee) gestures dramatically near a pond or a lake while a woman (I'm assuming this is Aida) wails while dressed like some aging socialite circa 1965. It does not make one sympathetic to whatever plea he is begging us to hear. Pretty scenery though.
Andorra: Like every Eve6/Blink 182/early Green Day video you've ever seen, with Anonymous playing their instruments with screaming, happy teenagers in the background. That said, it's revolutionary for Eurovision. Considering the song is asking us to "save the world," I have to wonder what does shaving one's head have to do with it? If it's a reference to Locks of Love (an organisation that donates hairpieces to children who have medical hair loss), then that's a brilliant move. Unfortunately, I suspect it's just an attempt to appear "punk."
Armenia: Hayko does his best Zeljko impression by looking moody in white in the middle of a market/bazaar while a (clarinet?) player plays in the background...yet is strangely not heard. Shouldn't the "you" being addressed in the song be seen? I remain firm in my conviction that it wouldn't kill Armenian TV to do a Cher & Colton Ford disco duet. I'm sure they'd have no problem doing it for free.Then again, I suspect Armenia doesn't want to win inasmuch as just place strongly.
Austria: Is this 1993? Seriously, this video is so 90s that I have expect Eddie Vedder to randomly appear midway through the song waving his hair along to the beat. Anyway, it's Erik (who I'd accuse of doing a Chris Daughtry impression, but I don't think Daughtry is that well known overseas) scowling at the camera in black & white, and then black & red, with a red AIDS ribbon in the background. Visually, I know they're going for grit and symbolism, but at the same time, I don't think the lyrics jive with it. I don't get the message here, and I am tempted to think that Erik doesn't either (to paraphrase an old MTV ad: "they just told me to rock...real hard.")
Next up: B is for Bizarre, C is for Crazy, D is for Drag, and E is for Eh? (believe it or not, that only covers 9 countries).
1 comment:
I really like the Albanian entry, just a pity it's in English..
And Austria just prove again they have no identity, yet another anglo-saxon wish-wash from them.
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