Serbia SERBIA 2016 - ZAA Sanja Vučić - Goodbye (Shelter)
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ParadiseES
Well-known member
I can't understand why the juries put this in the bottom. Come on, Sanja has one of the best voices in the contest, the song has quality and it was perfectly performed. This was one of the most popular songs with my friends.
Shame on Spanish televoters as well putting this last.
Shame on Spanish televoters as well putting this last.
HSV1887
Member
- Joined
- March 5, 2015
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- 135
It's been more than 24 hours since the contest and I am still extremely disappointed that Serbia got such a poor result. Sanja sang her heart out, the song had meaningful lyrics and was well-composed, and the staging was great, too. I really don't get it. The only explanation I can come up with is that Serbia followed Australia so close in the running order, but considering that it barely scraped through in the semis, there has got to be more to it than that.
Such an underrated song. At least the televote lifted her up a bit, but I thought this was a sure thing for the top 10. 
I'm happy my countries jury was one of the few to give Serbia points, even if it was just 2.
I'm happy my countries jury was one of the few to give Serbia points, even if it was just 2.
kamc
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- March 20, 2013
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- 1,370
I can't believe this barely scraped into the final (10th in second semi) and then completely bombed with the juries
I will admit that the staging and styling just didn't work for me, and I wish now they stayed true to the original performance of the song with just Sanja on stage.
The power of the performance was somehow diluted with the dancer and backing singers on stage, and I felt Sanja was told to "reign in" her performance style.
It's still an achievement that she got the second most 12 points overall in the televote
And finally, it was the biggest highlight of my week in Stockholm to meet and chat to Sanja on the red carpet. She was unbelievably bubbly and warm, and was the only act to really embrace you for a proper selfie
I hope to see her at eurovision again someday.
I will admit that the staging and styling just didn't work for me, and I wish now they stayed true to the original performance of the song with just Sanja on stage.
The power of the performance was somehow diluted with the dancer and backing singers on stage, and I felt Sanja was told to "reign in" her performance style.
It's still an achievement that she got the second most 12 points overall in the televote
And finally, it was the biggest highlight of my week in Stockholm to meet and chat to Sanja on the red carpet. She was unbelievably bubbly and warm, and was the only act to really embrace you for a proper selfie
I hope to see her at eurovision again someday.
Well in general, I am not disappointed with televoters, it is more or less close to reality, but the juries.......... No words. I have a feeling that no matter what we send will end up like this with them. I could understand last year, to some degree, why they smashed Bojana, as although she was also a superb vocal, the song was cheesy and trashy in a way, but here I really don't have a valid explanation. And she was even better in the final than in the semi
Still, I am really proud of what Sanja did I am sure this will not affect her career and I wish her all the best.
No words. I have a feeling that no matter what we send will end up like this with them. I could understand last year, to some degree, why they smashed Bojana, as although she was also a superb vocal, the song was cheesy and trashy in a way, but here I really don't have a valid explanation. And she was even better in the final than in the semi Still, I am really proud of what Sanja did
I am sure this will not affect her career and I wish her all the best.
FilipFromSweden
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- March 27, 2012
- Posts
- 6,667
Interesting! 72 of the 80 televoting points she got was of 12 pointers!
AuroraBorealis
Member
She did amazing on the night, deserved a top 10 place instead of Sweden.. that's for sure.
Simon87
Well-known member
Amazing
lavieenrose
Albania Superstar
That medley, though very clearly made under the influence of some very powerful stimulant, rocked 
It brought me back to the song reveal show where she did a bunch of songs in a bunch of different styles, making me grow absolutely besotted with her as an artist. The song may not quite have made my top 3 (Serbian version would have), but I'm so thankful to Serbia for introducing me to such a wonderful artist.
It brought me back to the song reveal show where she did a bunch of songs in a bunch of different styles, making me grow absolutely besotted with her as an artist. The song may not quite have made my top 3 (Serbian version would have), but I'm so thankful to Serbia for introducing me to such a wonderful artist.
GianlucaTomoe
Banned
Bravo Sanja! She doesn't have any bias in music.
EurovisionBelarus
Member
This was such a great song!!
Time for me to review this year's Serbian entry better late than never, right?
ZAA Sanja Vučić - Goodbye (Shelter)
Status: Meh
Song: For some reason, Serbia always had an advantage (in terms of qualification and overall success) over the other countries of the Balkan region and, unlike Bosnia & Herzegovina, I've failed to understand why because, apart from a few great ballads, I personally don't think they've brought outstanding entries. I disliked "Cipela" (2009) and "Ovo Je Balkan" (2010) even though I admit they were unique; I kinda enjoyed "Caroban" (2011), thank God they kept it in Serbian; "Ljubav Je Svuda" (2013) was just trash to me, it was their weakest effort to date imo; "Beauty Never Lies" (2015) was very cheap as well, but I didn't mind it; my favourite Serbian entry is "Nije Ljubav Stvar" (2012) and what I expect from them: classiness and authenticity. I always praised Serbians for keeping on singing in their language, but they unfortunately joined the already crowded English Eurovision family, which is a big minus to me. Personally, whether the meaning of the song is important or not, the lyrics should be in their mother tongue, Serbian language has great musicality, so I don't see the point of losing one's identity just because one talks about a serious topic. After "Beauty Never Lies" and its message about tolerance towards people who aren't physically considered in the norm, "Goodbye (Shelter)" deals with domestic violence: kudos for addressing this at Eurovision, but as I said, they could have done it in Serbian, a short explanation from national commentators should be enough for most people to get the idea behind the concept. The lyrics are rather well written by Eurovision standards, Sanja talks to her boyfriend/husband who is probably beating her and harassing her, but unlike most beaten women, she seems to find the strength to fight back against him, even though it's been quite a long time since this situation started, actually we don't know if she succeeds in leaving him or not. Unfortunately, I'm not moved by the text and I think English doesn't help, I feel like there aren't enough words to fill the melody, if that makes sense. Musically, the song is a power ballad: it starts off with a few piano notes leading to a piano/voice duet, a bass is added after the first two lines, and then cymbals, light drums and strings can be heard during the pre-chorus (I think the transition here is a little too noticeable, we go from an almost acoustic intimate atmosphere to a very dramatic one, it does lack an intermediate build-up part imo). The chorus uses the same instrumentation as the pre-chorus but the main melodic lines make it more memorable and powerful. A flute solo (which is of course reminiscent of Molitva) accompanied by light drums was used as a transition to the second verse that got proper drums and noticeable strings in the background. Then come the pre-chorus and chorus which both capitalize on those new added elements and the introduction of backing voices. The bridge is mainly an instrumental part (strings, vocalizes, light drums), it's probably my favourite part of the song. Sanja's voice takes the lead once again by means of a high note before singing the final chorus with a few ad-libs; the strings and backing voices become even more dramatic here. Finally, the song ends on a note held for a few seconds, I don't know how to describe the dramatic loud sound that's behind it though. 
Overall, it's a perfectly acceptable and classy song, the arrangements are ok and it's definitely not cheap (contrary to their 2015 entry), it's a power ballad with a certain musicality and meaning, so I should be liking that one... Strangely enough, I've never succeeded in getting into it: apart from the bridge that stirs up my interest, the rest leaves me completely cold, it's even borderline boring to my ears. I don't feel like the song is that special actually, I probably would have liked it more had it been sung in Serbian. Update: I've just discovered that the Serbian version existed ("Iza Osmeha") and it is - as expected - miles better. Please stop with that English nonsense guys!
Voice: Sanja has got a powerful voice, she can sing and I admit she gave two steady performances that sounded like the studio version. She is vocally talented, there is nothing to discuss in this department. However, her voice is just not my cup of tea: her vibes and her tone overall don't please me. No offense, it's just my taste.
Staging: Serbia went for a dark, classy and simple (yet efficient) presentation. All the vertical spotlights surrounding the stage were white, there were some reddish lights here and there in the background and at the center of the stage, the LED floor was displaying what looked like moving curved blades and a cut garnet, while women's faces appeared in black and white on the backdrops. As the camera zoomed in on Sanja - who stood at the center of the stage behind a microphone stand - one could see her backing vocalists bathed in red light behind her, doing gestures in almost slow motion (maybe they also represented beaten women?). During the chorus, they performed a proper choreography while the floor and background were decorated with red blades and shapes. A male dancer appeared during the transition part and started a "fight" with Sanja through a handful of symbolic stylized gestures (at that point, I guees the meaning of the song became crystal clear for everyone), before performing a dance routine on his own from the second verse. During the bridge, some additional white moving lights were added to the existing ones while the backing vocalists came together and stood right behind Sanja. Some (rather discreet) white strobe lights lit up during the final chorus; the performance ended with the women's faces appearing again on the backdrops. Some people said the staging was too dark, personally I think it fit the meaning of the song, I wouldn't have imagined brighter colours or busier visuals for such a serious and sad song tbh. I liked the performance, Sanja had originally lots of dramatic facial expressions and gestures that were toned down for the occasion, yet she seemed to have a lot "to say" gesture-wise.
That was cute though. People compared the backing vocalists presentation to Molitva's, personally it reminded me more of Maja Keuc's "No One", but none of these acts have invented anything tbh. Sanja wore a fancy leather-like sleeveless long black dress with see-through parts (legs and décolletage area), opaque parts covered in grooves, prominent shoulder pads and fringes. She also wore two silvery bangles and a black hair accessory. The backing vocalists wore dresses and outfits of the same colour and style.
Outcome: Serbia qualified for the final and placed 18th there as juries ranked them 23rd (!) and televoters ranked them 11th... First, even though the song doesn't move me, I fail to understand why - once again - juries voted for Australia and Israel like crazy and totally ignored Serbia (along with Czech Republic and Poland), objectively they should have supported it as it is what they usually vote for, I don't get it. On the contrary, Sanja was at the gates of the top 10 with people (like last year if I remember correctly), which is why they ended up getting a place in the middle of the scoreboard. In my personal ranking, I ranked "Goodbye (Shelter)" 30th (out of 42): the song is supposed to have all the required elements for me to like it (as I am a ballad person), but it leaves me cold for some reason. No offense but in the 2010's at least, I think Serbia has mostly been the overrated child of the Balkan family while they haven't exactly sent the best efforts imo. Please guys, I beg to you to get back to Serbian asap, I couldn't care less about understanding every word, I want your accent, your musicality, your personality. Of course, it also applies to all the other countries out there (especially Albania, Iceland, Croatia...), languages are needed because they add something special to songs that end up sounding the same in English, you guys are the only recent winners to sing fully in your mother tongue, then you've sent many entries in Serbian, so why do this to me now? I wish you good luck for next year and count on you to come back to your senses regarding English.
better late than never, right?ZAA Sanja Vučić - Goodbye (Shelter)
Status: Meh
Song: For some reason, Serbia always had an advantage (in terms of qualification and overall success) over the other countries of the Balkan region and, unlike Bosnia & Herzegovina, I've failed to understand why because, apart from a few great ballads, I personally don't think they've brought outstanding entries. I disliked "Cipela" (2009) and "Ovo Je Balkan" (2010) even though I admit they were unique; I kinda enjoyed "Caroban" (2011), thank God they kept it in Serbian; "Ljubav Je Svuda" (2013) was just trash to me, it was their weakest effort to date imo; "Beauty Never Lies" (2015) was very cheap as well, but I didn't mind it; my favourite Serbian entry is "Nije Ljubav Stvar" (2012) and what I expect from them: classiness and authenticity. I always praised Serbians for keeping on singing in their language, but they unfortunately joined the already crowded English Eurovision family, which is a big minus to me. Personally, whether the meaning of the song is important or not, the lyrics should be in their mother tongue, Serbian language has great musicality, so I don't see the point of losing one's identity just because one talks about a serious topic. After "Beauty Never Lies" and its message about tolerance towards people who aren't physically considered in the norm, "Goodbye (Shelter)" deals with domestic violence: kudos for addressing this at Eurovision, but as I said, they could have done it in Serbian, a short explanation from national commentators should be enough for most people to get the idea behind the concept. The lyrics are rather well written by Eurovision standards, Sanja talks to her boyfriend/husband who is probably beating her and harassing her, but unlike most beaten women, she seems to find the strength to fight back against him, even though it's been quite a long time since this situation started, actually we don't know if she succeeds in leaving him or not. Unfortunately, I'm not moved by the text and I think English doesn't help, I feel like there aren't enough words to fill the melody, if that makes sense. Musically, the song is a power ballad: it starts off with a few piano notes leading to a piano/voice duet, a bass is added after the first two lines, and then cymbals, light drums and strings can be heard during the pre-chorus (I think the transition here is a little too noticeable, we go from an almost acoustic intimate atmosphere to a very dramatic one, it does lack an intermediate build-up part imo). The chorus uses the same instrumentation as the pre-chorus but the main melodic lines make it more memorable and powerful. A flute solo (which is of course reminiscent of Molitva) accompanied by light drums was used as a transition to the second verse that got proper drums and noticeable strings in the background. Then come the pre-chorus and chorus which both capitalize on those new added elements and the introduction of backing voices. The bridge is mainly an instrumental part (strings, vocalizes, light drums), it's probably my favourite part of the song.
Sanja's voice takes the lead once again by means of a high note before singing the final chorus with a few ad-libs; the strings and backing voices become even more dramatic here. Finally, the song ends on a note held for a few seconds, I don't know how to describe the dramatic loud sound that's behind it though. Overall, it's a perfectly acceptable and classy song, the arrangements are ok and it's definitely not cheap (contrary to their 2015 entry), it's a power ballad with a certain musicality and meaning, so I should be liking that one... Strangely enough, I've never succeeded in getting into it: apart from the bridge that stirs up my interest, the rest leaves me completely cold, it's even borderline boring to my ears. I don't feel like the song is that special actually, I probably would have liked it more had it been sung in Serbian. Update: I've just discovered that the Serbian version existed ("Iza Osmeha") and it is - as expected - miles better. Please stop with that English nonsense guys!Voice: Sanja has got a powerful voice, she can sing and I admit she gave two steady performances that sounded like the studio version. She is vocally talented, there is nothing to discuss in this department. However, her voice is just not my cup of tea: her vibes and her tone overall don't please me. No offense, it's just my taste.
Staging: Serbia went for a dark, classy and simple (yet efficient) presentation. All the vertical spotlights surrounding the stage were white, there were some reddish lights here and there in the background and at the center of the stage, the LED floor was displaying what looked like moving curved blades and a cut garnet, while women's faces appeared in black and white on the backdrops. As the camera zoomed in on Sanja - who stood at the center of the stage behind a microphone stand - one could see her backing vocalists bathed in red light behind her, doing gestures in almost slow motion (maybe they also represented beaten women?). During the chorus, they performed a proper choreography while the floor and background were decorated with red blades and shapes. A male dancer appeared during the transition part and started a "fight" with Sanja through a handful of symbolic stylized gestures (at that point, I guees the meaning of the song became crystal clear for everyone), before performing a dance routine on his own from the second verse. During the bridge, some additional white moving lights were added to the existing ones while the backing vocalists came together and stood right behind Sanja. Some (rather discreet) white strobe lights lit up during the final chorus; the performance ended with the women's faces appearing again on the backdrops. Some people said the staging was too dark, personally I think it fit the meaning of the song, I wouldn't have imagined brighter colours or busier visuals for such a serious and sad song tbh. I liked the performance, Sanja had originally lots of dramatic facial expressions and gestures that were toned down for the occasion, yet she seemed to have a lot "to say" gesture-wise.
That was cute though. People compared the backing vocalists presentation to Molitva's, personally it reminded me more of Maja Keuc's "No One", but none of these acts have invented anything tbh. Sanja wore a fancy leather-like sleeveless long black dress with see-through parts (legs and décolletage area), opaque parts covered in grooves, prominent shoulder pads and fringes. She also wore two silvery bangles and a black hair accessory. The backing vocalists wore dresses and outfits of the same colour and style.Outcome: Serbia qualified for the final and placed 18th there as juries ranked them 23rd (!) and televoters ranked them 11th... First, even though the song doesn't move me, I fail to understand why - once again - juries voted for Australia and Israel like crazy and totally ignored Serbia (along with Czech Republic and Poland), objectively they should have supported it as it is what they usually vote for, I don't get it. On the contrary, Sanja was at the gates of the top 10 with people (like last year if I remember correctly), which is why they ended up getting a place in the middle of the scoreboard. In my personal ranking, I ranked "Goodbye (Shelter)" 30th (out of 42): the song is supposed to have all the required elements for me to like it (as I am a ballad person), but it leaves me cold for some reason. No offense but in the 2010's at least, I think Serbia has mostly been the overrated child of the Balkan family while they haven't exactly sent the best efforts imo. Please guys, I beg to you to get back to Serbian asap, I couldn't care less about understanding every word, I want your accent, your musicality, your personality. Of course, it also applies to all the other countries out there (especially Albania, Iceland, Croatia...), languages are needed because they add something special to songs that end up sounding the same in English, you guys are the only recent winners to sing fully in your mother tongue, then you've sent many entries in Serbian, so why do this to me now?
I wish you good luck for next year and count on you to come back to your senses regarding English. 
