Eurovision 2015 (P)review – part 9 – Latvia, Lithuania & Malta

All of this year’s songs have been selected, which means it’s time to start the countdown (cue Final Countdown) for the 2015 edition of our beloved Contest! I’ll be tackling the semis & the final in alphabetical order – on the menu today: Latvia, Lithuania & Malta from semi 2!

LATVIA

 

The Song: *runs back to check if he got everything right* This is Latvia? Well, well, well! Norway 2013 & France 1991 have made a beautiful baby, if you ask me: a rather sinister elctronic vibe that mixes surprisingly well with an unexpected African(like) vibe. It’s like food pairing – what seems like an odd combo is just a delicious explosion of flavors. Gimme more. (Can’t believe I’m actually saying this about a Latvian entry, pinch me!)

The Voice: She puts the Amina in Aminata, if you ask me – especially towards the end. The verses leave a tiny bit to be desired, but the chorus fully makes up for that.

The Performance: Gorgeous armography. Do not change a single thing, please.

In one line: I just hope this isn’t my yearly jinx (Finland 2012, Slovenia 2013 & Israel 2014 await their 2015 sibling in the corner) – or did I just jinx the jinx? Argh!
PERSONAL TOTAL: 85%
PREDICTION: I’m scared to say anything. But. Left hand table in the final.

LITHUANIA

 

The Song: Malta 2014, anyone? It’s so goody two shoes I want to shoot it. Harmless little pop tune of course, kinda lovely country thwang at times but it doesn’t excite me one little bit. You needed that confusing, lengthy procedure to come up with thís, Lithuania?

The Voice: A duet? No way! Kinda works for this song, even though their voices don’t really blend together that well – though that could be because they were thrown together at what seems the very last minute…

The Performance: …which might explain that rather clumsy performance in the national final. Thank heavens Vaidas is nice to look at.

In one line: Middle of the road, 911!
PERSONAL TOTAL: 66%
PREDICTION: Right hand table in the final.

MALTA

 

The Song: Where do I begin? A song about a warrior that lacks power and strength? No bueno. Should’ve gone for extra/other instrumentation and production, me thinks. Too tailormade for Eurovision. The build-up reminds me vaguely of EKO‘s Red. That came last in an MF semi in 2014, while it was way better. Just saying.

The Voice: Here as well, the power lacks to make this entry the warrior it so desperately wants to be. The broken down o-o-o annoys me immensely, for some reason. Not a fan.

The Performance: It’s Malta, I’m not expecting that much to be honest.

In one line: Georgia laughs.
PERSONAL TOTAL: 46%
PREDICTION: Perhaps scraping its way into the final, where it’ll do exactly nothing. Wouldn’t be surprised to see Malta miss the final for once, though.

Current Standings:

Total:

1. Latvia – 85
2. Estonia – 84
3. Belgium – 81
4. Ireland – 79
5. Czech Republic – 73
6. Denmark – 71
7. Cyprus – 70
8. Romania – 69
9. Netherlands – 67
10. Lithuania – 66
11. Azerbaijan – 66
12. Georgia – 65
13. Armenia – 64
14. Moldova – 63
15. Albania – 62
16. Finland – 60
17. Serbia – 55
18. Greece – 53
19. Belarus – 52
20. FYR Macedonia – 51
21. Malta – 46
22. Iceland – 40
23. Russia – 38
24. Hungary – 32
25. Israel – 18

Semi 1:

1. Estonia – 84
2. Belgium – 81
3. Denmark – 71
4. Romania – 69
5. Netherlands – 67
6. Georgia – 65
7. Armenia – 64
8. Moldova – 63
9. Albania – 62
10. Finland – 60
11. Serbia – 55
12. Greece – 53
13. Belarus – 52
14. FYR Macedonia – 51
15. Russia – 38
16. Hungary – 32

Semi 2:

1. Latvia – 85
2. Ireland – 79
3. Czech Republic – 73
4. Cyprus – 70
5. Lithuania – 66
6. Azerbaijan – 66
7. Malta – 46
8. Iceland – 40
9. Israel – 18

Tomorrow: Montenegro, Norway & Poland