Hikaruland Eurovision 2008 Preview Reviews: The Top 5

Here's the player...just so you can have a quick refresher:

Eurovision Song Contest - Belgrade 2008 Preview Player

Picking my top 5 was actually quite tricky because while there was no doubt about which entries would take the top 2 spots, 3rd, 4th & 5th places were tough calls.

1. Ukraine: Ani Lorak, her weapons of male destruction, an AIDS ribbon, and a disco-happy orchestration, made Ukraine easily my favourite for this year. When you think about it, the video is basically a very aggressive remake of Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. I like camp, I'll praise it, and I'm not afraid to admit it.
2. Turkey: I like my rock driving, aggressive with a touch of menace to it, like a Hitchcock thriller. Even better, the lyrics, performance, and mise-en-scene bring the crazy...literally.
3. France: Considering that the theme this year seems to be pastiche, it seems appropriate that the French entry (even though it's practically all in English--although "chivers" is not a word I've ever heard off, and I believe Sebastien is being intentional by writing it that way as opposed to "shivers") , would do the best job in pulling it off superbly, and with New Wave to boot. Note to several other participants this year (whose names I won't mention): the video for Divine also manages to best illustrate absurd comedy, which doesn't mean throwing everything plus the kitchen sink at the viewer.
4. Malta: The lyrics are very campy (and a touch absurd and dated--why would you sing about spying in Russia at a contest held in Serbia?), the music is driving, and the very visually stimulating video pretty much expresses both with a possibly unintentional homage to Benny Hill. Very effective, but not quite unique or quirky enough to launch it into the top 3.
5. Romania: This was an extremely tough call, but ultimately, Nico & Vlad brought the crazy, and deserve to be awarded for it. The lyrics aren't that interesting, but their OTT performance (Nico's losing her mind, Vlad is trying to calm her down like a good co-dependent boy toy, neither of them fazed by the fact that they are in the middle of a Romanian beach/garbage dump/orchestra rehearsal space wearing formal wear) is just too hilarious and engaging to be bogged down by lyrical blandness.

Honourable mentions

• Hungary: Starts out visually striking, but sputters midway. What is the symbolism for the running Doberman?
• United Kingdom: It's cool, slick, and makes you want to dance. Only out of the top 5 (and just barely) because crazy, camp, and angst-driven rock can't help but stand out from the crowd. Sly Stone revival!
• Spain: Offensive lyrics about mixed-race women being easy aside, the general joke does come across (particularly to Americans--although we have no televoting rights, so that's a bit of a misfire), and there really is some wit about it. It's really a straightforward parody in execution, but of who and what, we cannot say. The cheap quality works, however.
• Ireland: Unlike the Spanish joke entry, the Irish joke is much broader, and here again, the cheapness works. It's meant to be outlandish and poke fun at Irish Eurovision history. Dustin's voice, however, can be a little grating and hard to decipher, but that oddly works in the video's favour. (Along with the constant zooms the camera makes.)

Ukraine can probably add another year of coming in 2nd to its record, but they aren't going to win it.