Today it was time for
at the ESC kompakt songchecks 2024.
In diesem Jahr wählte weder das Publikum in einem Vorentscheid, noch eine Jury in einer internen Auswahl den griechischen Beitrag für den Eurovision Song Contest. Stattdessen fragte der ausrichtend…
esc-kompakt.de
The verdict of the blogger:
Benny - This song really makes it difficult for me. There are some elements that I find absolutely brilliant, especially the innovative mix between traditional Greek elements and absolutely modern sounds. The high parts also offer an element of surprise (and I hope they work well live). However, some electronic sounds that remind me too much of video games tend to give me headaches and earaches.
Berenike - With “ZARI”, Greece succeeds in perfectly combining folkloristic elements typical of the country with modern sounds. That's how I like Eurovision. You can hear where it comes from without it seeming stale.
Douze Points - There is so much that bothers me about the song. There's Marina's high voice at the very beginning, then the wild mix of styles and generally the hectic pace. And then I think the song is really cool again. I'm extremely excited to see how they'll bring it to the stage. Until then
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Flo - That's quite an achievement - a song that initially seems strenuous to the limit really takes off and becomes one of the best uptempo numbers of the year. The potential for a summer hit is there and there is also a lot to be gained from the live performance here. And above all, what works here par excellence is combining more traditional with modern elements - which didn´'t always work in previous years.
Manu - The “Greek version” of the globally acclaimed Spanish singer Rosalía? It may be that Marina Satti is not just now using this musical style. The ESC could now help her achieve an international breakthrough. I really celebrate the creativity, the use of Greek folklore and the rhythm of the song - but in some places the high head voice throws me out. Not a song for all situations, but one that I like to move to.
Max - I was a bit skeptical about the whole thing because Marina's style is very similar to Rosalia's. However, “ZARI” completely convinced me. Reggaeton beats from Greece? Who would have thought that? In addition, the traditional elements that Marina mixes here fit very well and so the Rosalia comparison now remains more distant to me than I previously feared. It's perhaps the ESC song I listen to most often this year.
Peter -"ZARI” is one of my guilty pleasures from my personal upper third of the year. Marina has a great charisma (that intense look from her dark eyes in the video is magical) and an octave-strong top voice. But above all I like the so-called “national style”, the text (largely) in the local language, the changes in tempo, the pleasantly unwieldy instrumentation with classic Greek sounds. And that hip-hop-savvy awesome bass, it's independent and hauntingly great.
Rick - I didn't expect reggaeton from Greece, but I'm celebrating that this successful genre is at the ESC. Marina is also an extremely authentic and talented artist. The number is going forward, will stand out and create a great atmosphere in the Malmö Arena. It's simply contemporary, cool, has a lot of country-specific features and is polarizing - which is positive. Because even though I've read from many Western European fans that "ZARI" is too hectic for them, fortunately enough other nations love this style of music and will certainly appreciate the number. Very strong entry!!