The 2015 “Expert” Panel – UNITED KINGDOM

Still In Love With You (Eurovision 2015 – United Kingdom)

The ESC United “Expert” Panel is back once again reviewing all Eurovision songs and rank them accordingly.

You are probably asking yourself on how we pick our panel and the criteria. We looked at people from all walks of life to bring together a unique group of panelists with a wide range in taste. They all bring different skills and tastes to the table so who are they?

Anselm – The Alternative Guy
Arie – The Professional Musician
Daniel – The Noob
Katja – The Schlager Queen
Mike – The Smart One
Olivia – The Journalist

You can read more about them HERE

Disclaimer: While we picked, what we perceived individuals with a wide range in taste, it is subjective to a certain degree so just enjoy their thoughts and if you don’t agree, feel free to post your comments below.

The United Kingdom has a sophisticated Music industry, yet they haven’t been able to bring any of that to Eurovision. Maybe Electro Velvet will put an end to that?

Mike – The Smart One
Seriously?  Really?  What was the BBC song selection committee smoking?  It is time to return to the public voting.  Even “Flying the Flag” was better than this.  In fact even bland Josh was better.  This is so bad on so many different levels.  First of all ragtime swing is one of my least favorite musical genres.  The male and female duo sing decently but the lyrics are so cutesy as to annoy.  The instrumental echoing is irritating as well.  And who had the bright idea of adding techno space pop to the verses as well as having the male singer go off on a long scat riff?
Points: 2/10

Olivia – The Journalist
Hello 1920s! From the first thirty seconds of this song your ears are launched into a different world of flapper dresses, speak easy’s and Charlestone dancing. This is certainly a different sound for Eurovision. But it’s a sound that frankly, the competition has not been missing. After one minute of this song it feels like you have entered a musical nightmare that will never end: a cocophany of repetitive sub-wafer bass lines, cliché 20’s brass motifs, and ghastly 1990s production sounds. This song screams mediocrity. The male vocals are weak, if not grating at some points. Female vocals are okay, nothing special. BUT, Eurovision is as unpredictable as warm sunshing in the British summer. So a miracle could happen; Europe might, bizzarely, fall in love with it…And, let’s hope so!
Points: 2/10

Katja – The Schlager Queen
OK, here’s a thing – I love this! It’s so positive, catchy and infectious! I don’t understand some of the UK fans’ backlash over this one, because this is one of the few stand-out songs in this contest. Yes, perhaps Alex’s vocals are not so strong in the studio version, but live performance gives this so many possibilities. I do hope they elevate the feel-good factor in the song with some Charleston and some retro shots in black & white and I hope Alex & Bianca prove everyone wrong by making one of the best UK performances in a long time and emerging out of the blue as underdogs-turn-favourites. It happened last year with The Common Linnets as well. Good luck UK!
Points: 8/10

Anselm – The Alternative Guy
First of all: Many people say this is electro swing. It’s not. You wouldn’t refer to Nickelback as a rock band either. “Still in Love With You” is almost unbearably cheesy and cringeworthy – regardless of that I still can’t put my finger on whether I hate the entry or not. I do enjoy it quite a bit as it’s a jolly and quirky tune. There’s no doubt this song stands out from the rest of the line-up. Oh, and for some reason I’m craving potato waffles now…
Points: 5/10

Daniel – The Noob
Last but not least: The United Kingdom. You can’t miss this entry, even though it’s the last one to review. It’s so catchy and it puts me into a good mood. I think that I heard a similar song or melody before but don’t quote me on this. I really can’t say to which song I’m having flashbacks to while listening to this entry. However I may be wrong. “Still In Love With You” is a great song one way or the other. Both of them work well together and that’s what you can evidently see on stage. What I really love is this old casino atmosphere brought by the catchy melody.
Points: 8/10

Arie – The Professional Musician
It’s like Moulin Rouge with a touch of electronica!  Fun!  The lyrics are sophisticated rubbish.  I love  the melody and fun 20s feel.  My only advice for breaking that ceiling is:  MORE!  It needs more background vocals.  Have some fun with the women’s trio.  It needs more dixieland jazz instrumentals throughout.  More trombone slides, more solo muted trumpet, more ad lib clarinet solos.  It’s clever and stupid at the same time, and I love it
Points: 10/10

Overall: 35 Points

Another polarizing entry which puts the UK somewhere in between. Let’s have a look.

Do you think that the panel got this right?!? Share your thoughts below and join the convo on our Forum. See yah soon!