The Big 2012 (P)Review – Part 12: Belarus & Portugal

We’re running up to the 2012 Contest, all entries for Baku have been chosen and it’s time to take a closer look at what we can expect to see and hear at the end of May. I’m reviewing everything in order of draw: I’ll first give my general thoughts on the countries’ choices, then I’ll subject them to the DIMI test and finally I’ll score them, accompagnied by a predicition of how I think they’ll do in Baku. I’ll be tackling them in pairs & on the menu today: Belarus & Portugal.

5. BELARUS – We are the heroes

If only this would have been sung by a woman, so struttalicious! Now we have to make to with Litesound and the boys mistake this light footed Europop for a rock song?! That presentation in Eurofest will hopefully not make it to Baku because it doesn’t fit the song at all and is simply too farfetched to engage the viewer. They’re trying to pull an Azerbaijan (ie. Find a magic formula to win the entire thing) but there’s long ways to go yet, Belarus!

Checkpoint DIMI:
Daft? The presentation is, and not in a good way.
Intriguing?  No.
Modern? Been there, done that. The pumping beat doesn’t change a thing.
International? Perhaps. Don’t see it happening though.

Personal score:  11/20 – Prediction: Final (but only because the rest of the field is so terrible)

6. PORTUGAL – Vida Minha

Oh my. Composer Andrej Babić seems to be going for the Senhora do mar effect here but misses the mark completely by going for a lazy R&B beat that doesn’t suit the lullaby structure and those backing vocals are simply preposterous. The entire thing is very contrived, routine and dancers included and as much as Filipa Sousa tries to save whatever is left saving it’s just no good: this kind of thing doesn’t belong in the Contest (anymore).

Checkpoint DIMI:
Daft? No, quite the opposite.
Intriguing?  No, quite the opposite.
Modern? No, quite the opposite.
International? No, quite the opposite.

Personal score:  2/20 – Prediction: Stuck in the semi

Tomorrow: Ukraine & Bulgaria