North Macedonia NORTH MACEDONIA 2019 - Tamara Todevska - Proud

[A-lister]

Winning its semi? Almost winning the final with just a couple of points? Were the juries on drugs or was this a political stunt to promote the new official country name to the general public?

People can obviously like the entry as much as they like, but I always stressed the issue when juries are completely deaf to the songs and treat this contest as yet another "singing contest" where "big conventional vocals" get favored regardless of the song they sing. I honestly don't care if someone can "belt out" for 3 minutes if the song is boring, banal, dated kitsch like in this case. Now I watched the final with a bunch of people, many of whom aren't even particular fans of the contest, people with different music taste and backgrounds but all agreed when seeing this on top: WTF!? Sure, we all agreed she can sing, but really? The song is so bland it's painful.

 

[RainyWoods]

Winning its semi? Almost winning the final with just a couple of points? Were the juries on drugs or was this a political stunt to promote the new official country name to the general public?

People can obviously like the entry as much as they like, but I always stressed the issue when juries are completely deaf to the songs and treat this contest as yet another "singing contest" where "big conventional vocals" get favored regardless of the song they sing. I honestly don't care if someone can "belt out" for 3 minutes if the song is boring, banal, dated kitsch like in this case. Now I watched the final with a bunch of people, many of whom aren't even particular fans of the contest, people with different music taste and backgrounds but all agreed when seeing this on top: WTF!? Sure, we all agreed she can sing, but really? The song is so bland it's painful.

No, the composition was exquisite (in my opinion). The very first time I heard the entry I got Suus vibes from it and felt like Macedonia were going to get their best result ever with the song. As a piece of music I put it besides entires like Suus, Et S'il Fallait Le Faire.. songs that were so weighty and beautiful in a melancholic way. The only small problem I had with Proud was its lyrical content which I always found a bit too blunt. When Tamara performs it though you can feel every word she sings is true. Macedonia receiving their best result last night was the moment of the contest for me. In fact, even if it was just the public vote she still would have come 12th, so the jury vote only pushed her up four places. For me this is one of the right entries the jury have thrown their weight behind. Admittedly though in a heartbeat I'd trade in that Macedonian top 10 for the Norwegian win and San Marino top 10 that the public wanted. That would have been too beautiful.

 

[A-lister]

No, the composition was exquisite (in my opinion). The very first time I heard the entry I got Suus vibes from it and felt like Macedonia were going to get their best result ever with the song. As a piece of music I put it besides entires like Suus, Et S'il Fallait Le Faire.. songs that were so weighty and beautiful in a melancholic way. The only small problem I had with Proud was its lyrical content which I always found a bit too blunt. When Tamara performs it though you can feel every word she sings is true. Macedonia receiving their best result last night was the moment of the contest for me. In fact, even if it was just the public vote she still would have come 12th, so the jury vote only pushed her up four places. For me this is one of the right entries the jury have thrown their weight behind. Admittedly though in a heartbeat I'd trade in that Macedonian top 10 for the Norwegian win and San Marino top 10 that the public wanted. That would have been too beautiful.

I know we often have different music taste in here, which is fine, but one thing we did have in common and still have throughout the years is our like of "Suus", and this is NOWHERE near "Suus" in any shape or form (other than perhaps being a ballad sung by a female, but this is where all comparisons stops). This song clicks all the clichés of a clichéd Eurovision ballad for me, from the banal lyrics of "self-empowerment" to the melody structure and production to the big conventional live vocals... what I hear in this is just another ESC ballad (the bad kind) that I heard trillions of times before the past decades, "Suus" was unconventional, adventurous, art... I can't believe you can hear any similarities? I mean it's fine if one likes these type of "big ESC" ballads like this one, but this has little in common with "Suus".

 

[Ezio]

I feel good about Macedonia leading the pack and felt pity for them, that with the last jury vote they were snubbed. Unnecessary voting build-up by the producers imho.

However, the song itself was just an utterly bland vocal exercise. I guess juries killed off too much original songs in the national finals and semifinals that there was nothing left to vote for in the Grand Final. So in the end, it is okay.

 

[RainyWoods]

I know we often have different music taste in here, which is fine, but one thing we did have in common and still have throughout the years is our like of "Suus", and this is NOWHERE near "Suus" in any shape or form (other than perhaps being a ballad sung by a female, but this is where all comparisons stops). This song clicks all the clichés of a clichéd Eurovision ballad for me, from the banal lyrics of "self-empowerment" to the melody structure and production to the big conventional live vocals... what I hear in this is just another ESC ballad (the bad kind) that I heard trillions of times before the past decades, "Suus" was unconventional, adventurous, art... I can't believe you can hear any similarities? I mean it's fine if one likes these type of "big ESC" ballads like this one, but this has little in common with "Suus".

I think it's the closest thing we've had to creating what Suus managed. When Proud was released I instantly was infatuated with it, but then as mentioned above, l had this barrier with the lyrics. When I heard the instrumental of the track my feelings for the song as a composition were solidified. I didn't love Suus because it was unconventional. I loved Suus because it was a raw unleash of emotions and swimming in this somber beauty. This track makes me feel the same way. For me it was easily the best composition of the year. Put the song in Macedonian and it would probably rank in my top 10 Eurovision entries ever. The one point I agree with you on is the lyrics, but then again, point me in the direction of original lyrics at Eurovision. Most songs suffer from so called banal lyrics, even last nights winning song.

 

[MalagaToledo]

Ice vocal, but that song was just boring. I could have seen her flop with televote from distance long before it started.

 

[John1]

She almost won the jury vote and her semi final. She made us all proud of her and I'm glad that she provided their best result ever and not Ninanajajaja thing.

 

[RainyWoods]

Ice vocal, but that song was just boring. I could have seen her flop with televote from distance long before it started.

I would hardly call 12th for a country with one of the worst Eurovision records a televote flop (would have equalled their best ever result actually). Certainly a fall down though from the jury vote they received last night.

 

[MalagaToledo]

I would hardly call 12th for a country with one of the worst Eurovision records a televote flop (would have equalled their best ever result actually). Certainly a fall down though from the jury vote they received last night.

Well, I meant flop from 2nd with jurry to 12th with televote. Or if its easier flop from about 240 pts to 50 something pts. That's flop. In recent years this is common issue, discrepancy between jurry and televote like czechia, Macedonia, Norway, Sweden and smth needs to be changed. BTW, this is not their best entry. I still listen to kaliopi, karolina, tose.

 

[pras]

She was so sweet after hearing her televoting score

 

[Ichbinjari]

She was a real dark horse (for me)! Well done

 

[Stiven]

I still can't believe we entered the top 10, I'm so proud of Tamara although I was sceptical about the song at first her performance really blew me away. And it was so bizarre after so many years of being ignored by anyone outside our neighbourhood to suddenly receiving 12 points from countries outside of it and actually leading the voting for the first time since our debut. I couldn't be more happier.

 

[LeBomb]

I can see what [MENTION=9441]RainyWoods[/MENTION] means with the "Suus" comparison.

Listen to both instrumentals. They both use piano + small chamber sections and are melancholic in tone.

 

[toinou03]

Congratulations. That's really great to see Macedonia finally shine !
Jury attention was logical. It was the most classical ballad and probably the best vocals on the night. It was flawless. But the dress... !

 

[RainyWoods]

[MENTION=10002]LeBomb[/MENTION] exactly. I actually did the same instrumental comparison myself an hour ago just to make sure I wasn’t crazy. Both are melancholic piano ballads with only string section accomplishments and tasteful percussion added towards the end. Stripped back and timeless in terms of production. Both songs performed by soulful singers with raw deliveries. We can argue whether or not they’re both in the same league. It’s hard to argue though that they don’t share some similarities at least in terms of tone.

 

[A-lister]

I think it's the closest thing we've had to creating what Suus managed. When Proud was released I instantly was infatuated with it, but then as mentioned above, l had this barrier with the lyrics. When I heard the instrumental of the track my feelings for the song as a composition were solidified. I didn't love Suus because it was unconventional. I loved Suus because it was a raw unleash of emotions and swimming in this somber beauty. This track makes me feel the same way. For me it was easily the best composition of the year. Put the song in Macedonian and it would probably rank in my top 10 Eurovision entries ever. The one point I agree with you on is the lyrics, but then again, point me in the direction of original lyrics at Eurovision. Most songs suffer from so called banal lyrics, even last nights winning song.

Well ok, fair enough. I thought the reason you loved "Suus" so much was because of how out-of-the box and "avantgarde" it was (in a Eurovision context that is), that's why I couldn't really get the comparisons as this entry had the stylistics of a very standard Eurovision ballad imo.

 

[GianlucaTomoe]

When entries like this get results like this (lmao do you see what I did here?), it gives me hope that quality in Eurovision is still well-rewarded.

 

[A-lister]

When entries like this get results like this (lmao do you see what I did here?), it gives me hope that quality in Eurovision is still well-rewarded.

Quality??

This ballad would feel just as dated and bland in 2001 as now

 

[lavieenrose]

Winning its semi? Almost winning the final with just a couple of points? Were the juries on drugs or was this a political stunt to promote the new official country name to the general public?

People can obviously like the entry as much as they like, but I always stressed the issue when juries are completely deaf to the songs and treat this contest as yet another "singing contest" where "big conventional vocals" get favored regardless of the song they sing. I honestly don't care if someone can "belt out" for 3 minutes if the song is boring, banal, dated kitsch like in this case. Now I watched the final with a bunch of people, many of whom aren't even particular fans of the contest, people with different music taste and backgrounds but all agreed when seeing this on top: WTF!? Sure, we all agreed she can sing, but really? The song is so bland it's painful.

Oh my god Tamara’s jury slay truly just keeps on bringing me more and more joy

 

[Preuss]

This will always remain the perfect story of a perfect underdog
8th place well deserved!