Zack: We at ESC United love to network with other Eurovision websites and blogs. With all the great contacts people have out there, why not network?! One of my personal favorite blogs that I follow on Facebook is from Jaz in Australia. Eurovision by Jaz provides some nice thoughtful editorials on the Eurovision scene. And much to my delight, I had …
A look at the songs of Balkan superstar Željko Joksimović
From Zack: At ESC UNITED, we want to put the focus back on the totality of the entries. That means we want to honor everyone involved, particularly the composers. After asking our readers for their thoughts on the composers that we should retrospectively cover, we got some great feedback and will be featuring some of them this week. Our next featured …
Interview with Bas Tukker, expert of the Eurovision orchestra
Zack: I myself have heard the discussion many times before: whether or not the orchestra, last seen in 1998, should return. For a slight second, it seemed it would after rumblings of rumors during the months leading to the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest. Those rumors did not come to fruition. On the Internet, you can find a number of sites …
It’s not just another name: It is Karen Kavaleryan
From Zack: At ESC UNITED, we want to put the focus back on the totality of the entries. That means we want to honor everyone involved, particularly the composers. After asking our readers for their thoughts on the composers that we should retrospectively cover, we got some great feedback and will be featuring some of them this week. Our next featured …
Euphoria for Thomas G:son
From Zack: At ESC UNITED, we want to put the focus back on the totality of the entries. That means we want to honor everyone involved, particularly the composers. After asking our readers for their thoughts on the composers that we should retrospectively cover, we got some great feedback and will be featuring some of them in the upcoming week. In …
Three minute Eurovision songs? Too short or just right?
What is the “3 minute rule”? It means that no song in the Eurovision Song Contest can be longer than that. This rule was adopted in 1960 due to time constraints and to avoid extremely long entries such as Italy’s song from 1957 which was 5 minutes 9 seconds long. So for 53 years, this rule remains intact and …
Key Changes in ESC – A Eurovision strategy?
What components make up a memorable and successful Eurovision Song Contest entry? In the recent era of Eurovision, there have been a number of strategies entries have utilized, including: – Wind machines (France 2012; Denmark 2010) – On-stage costume changes (Croatia 2011; Latvia 2002; Netherlands 2000) – Drag queens (Denmark 2007; Ukraine 2007; Slovenia 2002) – Break dancers (almost every …
Sticking with the studio version: Songs more appreciated in recorded than live form
In 1975, Joy Fleming sang, “Ein Lied kann eine Brücke sein.” Yes, a song can be a bridge, but given the singing quality of some of the acts today, a song can be a dam too. As one looks back to all 58 Eurovision Song Contests one may see a theme. Note that in the early days, when many …
Naughty Eurovision – A Top 10 of “dirty” Eurovision lines
The Eurovision Song Contest is known among fans and casual viewers for its lyrics, for better or worse. While maybe not the most sophisticated, the ESC has provided us with unique lyrics that are memorable and a big reason why this contest is so popular among the die hard fans. Over the next few weeks I’m going to take …
When the music dies: Disqualified and rejected songs of the Eurovision Song Contest (Part 2)
Many countries elect to utilize a national final to determine which artist(s) and which song will represent them at the Eurovision Song Contest. However, like so many things with Eurovision, you never know what’s going to happen, and in some cases, the song that is originally chosen can change. This is the second of two articles that will explore songs …