Moldova MOLDOVA 2024 - Natalia Barbu - In The Middle

[ESC United Mod Team]

 

[rasmuslights]

Can't see this qualifying at all. There's no Italy, France, Spain, Romania.

They have Ukraine but even they will probably give them max. 6 points. So it's probably game over for Moldova.

And also they've been sending returning artists ever since 2019. Like ?

 

[ESC94]

Despite rarely hitting my personal taste, nearly always sent entries that were memorable for me. But this year I my reaction to the song is basically this emoji:

It´s really uneventful and boring for me, especially the verses, only the chorus with the "dadadada" is a bit more interesting but otherwise it enters one ear and leaves the other. And I have to say that I´m not a big fan of her voice either.

All in all I give underwhelming , because it´s not unlistenable. I could see Natalia reaching the final and then ending somewhere between 15-20th but I wouldn´t be suprised if it fails to qualify.

 

[Ted Talks]

The best part is the fake violin playing - which says it all!

Such a downgrade on Pasha from last year and Sugar being my guilty pleasure of 2021. At least it’s better than 2022’s Moldovan entry for me, but this sure as heck won’t score as well as that.

 

[FilipFromSweden]

Oh I love this rhytmic stuff maybe higher later, Moldova always brings it

 

[Bobjan FR]

I really liked the audio version, but the performance of yesterday lacks a lot of energy. Valeria was better. Back in the past, the last time there was a tie in moldova was in 2017, and the public vote won over the jury vote , and sunstroke came back to eurovision. Why not this time ?

 

[BorisBubbles]

I think @BorisBubbles has already described how I feel about the performance. It is indeed somehow off-putting and devoid of charm. The song was already for me in a this is ok but I don't care about it ballpark but now I'm leaning dangerously close to disliking the entry. I know Moldova aren't the only country to do this but it rubs me up wrong how the jury had the final say here for the tiebreaker especially how it happened. The stoney faces of Natalia and her team after it was revealed Valeria won the televote, the big celebrations.. then a couple of minutes later, "well actually Valeria, you lost." Each of the jury giving their 12 to Natalia too. Hmmm...

Yeah the voting procedure is a bit iffy, but that eastern europe for you. everyone is a little bit corrupt and out for themselves. not a slight, it's just how things are in these countries.

also another reason why i'm not really into moldova is that i've already done some calculating in semi 1, and would rather just have... higher qualifying odds for the borderline qualifiers i already like (ireland, slovenia) over a glow-up for one i don't particularly care about as of now. I would be perfectly okay with it if Moldovan Staging Wonder didn't come together this year.

if she's in the final, good on her, i guess. if she's in the final over ireland and slovenia, :sigh: also good on her i guess. but i'd rather she did not, you know.

 

[Fluke]

I had to check where i recognized the name Natalia Barbu from... sure, i was a fan of her 2007 entry, one of the strongest in that actually not-that-great year, but i can't say the same for this uninspired, dated mess of radio-pop cliches with eastern vocal stylings thrown in as an attempt to spice it up.

It's just generic, monotonous and leaves you waiting for a worthwhile element that never comes. There's nothing strong about it, nothing to remember or praise. The staging with the "clones" is weird, almost unsettling without being memorable. In a year that already seems to be full of ethnic novelties, this seems like another NQ for Moldova.

 

[jatojo]

I just wish all pre-recorded backing vocals were banned. It's so much more satisfying to know that the vocals in a song are coming from real people, as we do here.

 

[jatojo]

Fun fact: Most votes in the poll above are exactly in the middle.

 

[Ana Raquel]

2007

not-that-great year

me when i tell lies

 

[njdevils94]

The whole thing ends up being too static for me as it is at the moment. That needs to change in Malmo. Natalia's diction is also questionable and the high operatic notes don't completely land either. The violin mic-stands are a cute and creative gimmick. Glad to see them fake play the violins at the end too but I don't think that will be enough for Natalia Barbu to qualify unless they revamp the heck out of this and up the staging even more.

In The Middle just fails to leave any notable impression on me. are known for great stagings so it not completely counting it out but right now it looks like a clear non-qualifier. Valeria will win eventually if she keeps trying.

 

[Loindici]

I don't think In The Middle should be slandered (in fact, in its studio form, it's amazing). As a song I'd give it a .

The problem is definitely the stage performance. It is so static, the formation isn't interesting, the mics are everywhere it's cluttering the stage. They need something more space-like for the background and a more "goddess"/"angel"-like fashion, and some sick hand gestures.

 

[han-g]

Can't see this qualifying at all. There's no Italy, France, Spain, Romania.

They have Ukraine but even they will probably give them max. 6 points. So it's probably game over for Moldova.

And also they've been sending returning artists ever since 2019. Like ?

They will have Romania in a way - (rest of the world, and its a big country if they decide to vote could get the rotw 12 points.)

 

[martin]

They will have Romania in a way - (rest of the world, and its a big country if they decide to vote could get the rotw 12 points.)

Yeah and don,t forget that some people around Europa who comes from Romania and could easy send some votes to Barbu who lives in Romania when Romania not taking part. Moldova is also very good to upgrade they songs in ESC. Also Portugal vote in this semifinal.

She also needs to beat only 5 songs in this semifinal.

 

[BorisBubbles]

Natalia's diction is also questionable and the high operatic notes don't completely land either.

It's the tone of her voice. It's giving Japanese Water Demon.

 

[Iker]

Natalia Barbu - a blast from the past! The song sounds ... very 2006-2008 Eurovision to me which is fitting given the name but likely unintended, so it needs some revamp to make it less dated. I like it though and it's a type of music that I do listen to outside of the Eurovision context. The title is also fitting because even though I dig the song it is a little bit ... in the middle overall lol. There were both much better similar songs and some much worse.

Some vocals were very pitchy in Moldova, and yeah it needs some revamp IMHO. However the production of the NF was predictably bad so one has to consider that too.

There's though one other issue I have with it, the lyrics are cheesy and her English diction is far from perfect.

I loved the violinists and their matching outfits!

 

[Iker]

Not happy about how Natalia won, but she was my favorite in that NF... nevertheless I doubt, "in the middle" will be in my top 10 after all songs selected

I haven't followed Moldovan preselections and I don't know what Antiprincess song is about but I read that the level was low (so not unlike ... always?).

 

[Iker]

If yall gonna have jury as the tiebreaker then announce the televote first you idiots, so there's at least some excitement.

idk it feels like it should be better with SVT production but idk

I think Moldova should do a Sweden and consider proportional voting so points from the televote would possibly weigh more if there's a big gap between votes for the 1st and 2nd so a Swedish thing (a simplified version of it lol).

 

[esc87fan]

Valeria's appeal has been rejected

🇲🇩 Moldova: Valeria Pasha's appeal has been rejected

On the 17th of February, another Saturday during the national final season, meant that another batch of countries was broadcasting their national finals, whethe

www.escunited.com

 

[njdevils94]

Valeria's appeal has been rejected

🇲🇩 Moldova: Valeria Pasha's appeal has been rejected

On the 17th of February, another Saturday during the national final season, meant that another batch of countries was broadcasting their national finals, whethe

www.escunited.com

No surprise. I don't think the appeal was ever meant to actually overturn the result but rather show more transparency.