Another crazy year

[Fluke]

So with less than half of the entries chosen, it already looks like "crazy entries" are really back big time, in a way we haven't seen since 2008. What do you think cause this sudden trend?

Obviously the triple success of Konstrakta, Zdob si Zdub and Subwoolfer last year has a lot to do with countries feeling it's time to send such entries, and i guess the winner, Kalush Orchestra, was pretty unusual too. But why do so many countries seemingly hold back on a certain type of entry until "it's time" for reasons like this?

Another noticable trend, is early--mid-noughties aesthetic in the stagings. I'm not even sure if they intentionally mean to make them look like the cheezy East European entries of the time, or it's just the result of budget cutting combined with cheap hankering for gimmicks, but several of the entries so far look so uncanny like entries from that time, in their NF versions at least. Complete with clothes, hair styles and all. I don't think this is actually a trend in popular culture so could it just be a deliberate move by the directors of the NFs? And is it a coincidence that it was also the time of the most crazy ESC entries?

 

[Bobjan FR]

Sorry but, i don't see that much of "crazy entry" like you say... i list :

-croatia
-... and ?

Maybe you officialize the edgar allan poe entry ? Consider that unicorn by Noa Kirel will be one ? Or consider that all the party songs like we already have (+ yummy mommy for moldova) are "crazy" ?

 

[Mainshow]

We´ve had a few terrible entries and some fun entries thoughout the last decade as well.... some fans just noticed that Let 3 won (they also won the jury vote, btw!) and already complain about the new rule at Eurovision and how Eurovision is turning into a "circus" again. - I don´t think there´s a trend.

Let´s wait for other countries to announce their entries (especially the internally selected ones).

Let us not forget that sent this one... knowing that there´s 50/50 juries/televoting system back in 2021..
Let 3 are iconic, at least.

 

[Ezio]

I won't comment in this thread, because I already got patronized and chastised for speaking my mind in the Austria 2023 thread about the outlook of the having the juries gone. And Austria seems ready to troll as well, and I am not looking forward to it.

 

[jatojo]

I do recognize this tendency (and addressed it some days ago in this forum). It's a threat: Some already look down on Eurovision as kind of freaky, and if the "crazy entries" become the way forward in the fight for votes, it's not good for the overall image of the event. The noisy and unorthodox stuff is okay as an exception, but the core of Eurovision should be mainstream.

The problem is that mainstream is often seen as something bad (sometimes called "cheesy" and "generic"), and while I do think that creative and not-seen-before music and staging is worth appreciating, I'm also sad to see many well-crafted "regular" pop songs being beaten in the voting by entries whose main strength is their oddness. (Like when 'Nochentera' lost to an entry which has very little to do with mainstream modern music, or when 'Break It' in Norway doesn't even make it to the final because the televoters support a weird version of jazz).

Seeing Kalush beat Cornelia Jacobs last year felt a bit wrong to me - it may not have been the result under normal circumstances, but still ...

 

[Lonter]

Can I just like... -1 to everything said in the last post?

 

[Yazy]

Even if 2022 never happened, Let 3 would still win.

It was the only act that actually stood out on the night of DORA 2023.

Maybe the year 2022 impacted our broadcaster's decision to have them compete in the line up.

But against the "competition" that they had last Saturday night? They would sweep the votes any year.

 

[Bobjan FR]

the core of Eurovision should be mainstream

Why ?

 

[jatojo]

Why ?

Because that's what holds the event together in the long run and gives it a respectable image. If it's all traditional music or joke entries or gay party stuff or mixed genre compositions, Eurovision will end up as a niche event.

 

[jatojo]

It was the only act that actually stood out on the night of DORA 2023.

I'm getting increasingly sceptical towards the "stand out" criterion. If standing out means doing crazy stuff, then I'm not in.

(If it's about musical quality: Good!)

 

[Yazy]

If standing out means doing crazy stuff, then I'm not in.

Well neither am I if I there is an actual quality track that´s more on a "normal side" in our selection to choose.
You know.....something that is actually on the level of the "normal side" songs that are celebrated in the ESC community.

But that´s the thing.......there wasn´t.

There was either a circus act that divides people or a bunch of nothingness that´s on a "Guilty Pleasure" level from last year.

We sure as hell had no "De diepte", "Arcade", "Euphoria", "Grande Amore", "Hold me closer" etc. in the line up.
If people selected Let 3 over that, then I would be mad of course.

There was not even a semi-good bop like "Tick Tock" with a competent performer.

Between a circus and 17 background non events, I can´t blame the people for choosing the circus.

Sorry.

(If it's about musical quality: Good!)

Now funny enough, I do like some musical elements of our entry. Several elements actually. The early 2000´s punk rock sound and the industrial techno sound in the verses.

But I think that this discussion of genre preferences is for a different thread though.

 

[jatojo]

Well neither am I if I there is an actual quality track that´s more on a "normal side" in our selection to choose.
You know.....something that is actually on the level of the "normal side" songs that are celebrated in the ESC community.

But that´s the thing.......there wasn´t.

Well, I can follow that.

It's not that I'm against unorthodox entries. They are always going to be there, and it's fine, but they are only unorthodox if they are exceptions to the rule. This year there seems to be quite a lot of crazy stuff going to Liverpool.

Also, I definitely think the "weird" entries should have a level of artistic value. "Telemóveis" from Portugal had that - and ended up as a NQ. The Russian grandmothers didn't have it at all - and got a top result. That's not how I want Eurovision to be.

 

[LakZaNokte]

So with less than half of the entries chosen, it already looks like "crazy entries" are really back big time, in a way we haven't seen since 2008. What do you think cause this sudden trend?

Obviously the triple success of Konstrakta, Zdob si Zdub and Subwoolfer last year has a lot to do with countries feeling it's time to send such entries, and i guess the winner, Kalush Orchestra, was pretty unusual too. But why do so many countries seemingly hold back on a certain type of entry until "it's time" for reasons like this?

Another noticable trend, is early--mid-noughties aesthetic in the stagings. I'm not even sure if they intentionally mean to make them look like the cheezy East European entries of the time, or it's just the result of budget cutting combined with cheap hankering for gimmicks, but several of the entries so far look so uncanny like entries from that time, in their NF versions at least. Complete with clothes, hair styles and all. I don't think this is actually a trend in popular culture so could it just be a deliberate move by the directors of the NFs? And is it a coincidence that it was also the time of the most crazy ESC entries?

It doesn’t have to be a trend. Every esc year is special.
And also, there are years that seem to have influx of certain genre. I mean, there were years where more than half song were ballads.

It is way to soon to call it a trend.

The beauty of esc is in diversity, in everything. And yes, it gets tilted in some direction from time to time but, for those who really love it, it’s always colorful.

 

[midnightsun]

Seeing Kalush beat Cornelia Jacobs last year felt a bit wrong to me - it may not have been the result under normal circumstances, but still ...

Except that Kalush was 100x better than Cornelia and Kalush wasn’t even in my top 10 Everyone has a different taste.

Yeah, I get a bit of 2008 vibes but not because of joke entries. Which we don’t have right now - I see fun entries only.

Joke entries are, to me, songs that are mocking Eurovision. Like Irlande Douze Points, We are the winners, Wadde hadde dude da etc. We definitely don’t need them and I despise them.

While fun entries address different topics in a fun way. I think it’s not that bad to have one or two in Eurovision but not more.

I think the overall "late 2000s" vibes come from the fact that many countries so far sent unusual choices of music, especially in relation to what the country usually sends. Many songs seem as if they didn’t try that hard. We‘ve got lots of performances with a funny vibe to it. So I guess that’s why people say „like 2008“ when song genres were all over the place.

 

[Loindici]

Except that Kalush was 100x better than Cornelia and Kalush wasn’t even in my top 10 Everyone has a different taste.

Yeah, I get a bit of 2008 vibes but not because of joke entries. Which we don’t have right now - I see fun entries only.

Joke entries are, to me, songs that are mocking Eurovision. Like Irlande Douze Points, We are the winners, Wadde hadde dude da etc. We definitely don’t need them and I despise them.

While fun entries address different topics in a fun way. I think it’s not that bad to have one or two in Eurovision but not more.

I think the overall "late 2000s" vibes come from the fact that many countries so far sent unusual choices of music, especially in relation to what the country usually sends. Many songs seem as if they didn’t try that hard. We‘ve got lots of performances with a funny vibe to it. So I guess that’s why people say „like 2008“ when song genres were all over the place.

The other reason the year went a bit more whimsical is the big support on non-solo acts for two years in a row. Half of the top 10 consists of non-solo efforts in 2021, whereas in 2022 there is also 2 duos and 3 groups in the top 10 (whether you'll count Ensemble Maro as a solo or group). Another group won the trophy for the second time, too, in 2022.

Well, in the 2000s, there are just INFLUX of groups participating, especially from 2005 onwards. It's usually groups that serve you these entries that make you frown in confusion.