BernadetteCydonia
Well-known member
I was never a huge fan of Slovenia in ESC, they had a few nice entries but for the most part I wouldn't end up rooting for them at all. Then Zala and Gašper did THAT
Slovenia SLOVENIA 2019 - Zala Kralj & Gašper Šantl - Sebi
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BorisBubbles
Veteran
It's never too late to start rooting for the secong best country in Eurovision, Bernadette 
I used to be a huge fan of Slovenia at ESC.
Recently it's kind of a downfall for me, but still loving 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
Greatest lineup ever.
2010 is a huge letdown, only to shock me in 2011 with the MASTERPIECE NO ONE, which is one of the best entries to date for me.
2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 were also great.
2016, 2017, 2018 left me unimpressed. Actually i warmed up to Hvala ne, only after the final was over tho lol but still I hear it from time to time
And this year I'm not that fond of their entry again.
NEXT YEAR, MAKE SLOVENIA GREAT AGAIN
Recently it's kind of a downfall for me, but still loving 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
Greatest lineup ever.
2010 is a huge letdown, only to shock me in 2011 with the MASTERPIECE NO ONE, which is one of the best entries to date for me.
2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 were also great.
2016, 2017, 2018 left me unimpressed. Actually i warmed up to Hvala ne, only after the final was over tho lol but still I hear it from time to time
And this year I'm not that fond of their entry again.
NEXT YEAR, MAKE SLOVENIA GREAT AGAIN
njdevils94
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RainyWoods
Croak-kay
I'm trying to get into this song again, as I feel like I might have been harsh. When I look at them I see John Lennon and Yoko Ono for some reason (don't ask), and I want to like them. The song just has zero development though throughout the entirety of the three minutes. If you appreciate its vibe then I guess that's cool cause you can just go with the rock-steady flow of it, but otherwise it's difficult and very much a slog. As background music it's fine. Give it my attention and I'd rather just be listening to something else that's going to actually stimulate me. Maybe I'm listening with the wrong frame of mind? That was the case last year with Portugal's O Jardim. That minimalist song though has a very strong emotional pull to it. Sebi meanwhile is so lackadaisical. I'm ok with sleepy, dreamy stuff (in fact, I really like the dream pop genre) but the melody I find as uninteresting as the singing. I get it that it's probably their thing and that's fine. They seem genuine, but as much as I crave for alternative stuff at Eurovision, and cherish some of the unconventional moments we're given, I just can't see myself getting hyped for something like this song at the contest, and I need to get hyped. I won't give up on this entry yet though. I'll try some more. I feel somehow guilty for not digging it.
Mrm
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- March 11, 2013
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RainyWoods
Croak-kay
VikingTiger
Well-known member
Just listening to Sebi in the studio version gave me a much better total experience than watching their actual performance. I still feel that their performance was too introvert and somehow awkward. I did not fall for their quirkyness - even though the backdrop was very suitable for the song, and and really liked it!
But just listening to this song now alone in my bed, a bit tired and hangover, is a very pleasant and soothing experience.
Maybe this could actually work irl too...
But just listening to this song now alone in my bed, a bit tired and hangover, is a very pleasant and soothing experience.
Maybe this could actually work irl too...
BernadetteCydonia
Well-known member
It's never too late to start rooting for the secong best country in Eurovision, Bernadette
haha just call me Sonia or Svai, it's easier
BorisBubbles
Veteran
I get what you mean Rainy. When the EMA songs leaked - well, the 8 that mattered anyway-, I ranked Sebi 7th or 8th overall. It was not a song that I remembered, but I liked the ambient vibe it provided.
Less than two weeks later I am obsessed with it. Comparing it to "O Jardim" is what I did as well, but I think now (read this in Sîan Phillip's Livia's voice) that this comparison might be wrong. O Jardim was very intense, but also very slow and difficult to get into. I don't really get that with Sebi, which had to compete against things such as Atma, Kaos and Rhythm Back to You and still stood out for being a moody, atmospheric song, quite unlike the crazy it had to contend with. O Jardim's element is earth (it has a very flowery, if stoic melody), but Sebi's is water. Its rhythm conjures up the coming and going of the tides, like the ripples and waves of the mountain spring, this song is ever flowing, never stopping.
What I'm saying is that, ultimately, "Sebi" is its own thing and it's not right to project the standards we had of other songs onto it. "Sebi" has no inherent evolution but that's precisely the point of the song. It's in a neverending state of flux, without a clear beginning or end. It's three minutes of dreamy musing about a love that runs deeper than the ocean and which, as far as Zala & Gaspar is concerned, remains the same for the rest of their lives.
Fingers crossed the staging can nail the ambience and intensity, so that the silent introvert majority can glom onto it like fireflies to a lantern.
Less than two weeks later I am obsessed with it. Comparing it to "O Jardim" is what I did as well, but I think now (read this in Sîan Phillip's Livia's voice) that this comparison might be wrong. O Jardim was very intense, but also very slow and difficult to get into. I don't really get that with Sebi, which had to compete against things such as Atma, Kaos and Rhythm Back to You and still stood out for being a moody, atmospheric song, quite unlike the crazy it had to contend with. O Jardim's element is earth (it has a very flowery, if stoic melody), but Sebi's is water. Its rhythm conjures up the coming and going of the tides, like the ripples and waves of the mountain spring, this song is ever flowing, never stopping.
What I'm saying is that, ultimately, "Sebi" is its own thing and it's not right to project the standards we had of other songs onto it. "Sebi" has no inherent evolution but that's precisely the point of the song. It's in a neverending state of flux, without a clear beginning or end. It's three minutes of dreamy musing about a love that runs deeper than the ocean and which, as far as Zala & Gaspar is concerned, remains the same for the rest of their lives.
Fingers crossed the staging can nail the ambience and intensity, so that the silent introvert majority can glom onto it like fireflies to a lantern.
BernadetteCydonia
Well-known member
idk, idk, it's okay I guess, I actually don't like that one, not a fan of that one, nice but meh, alright but wouldn't stan it that much
but I at least like like Sebi strong enough
Carian
Well-known member
I like your commentary of the song (especially that part about the tune and how it makes you feel), however, allow me to correct you on one point. You say (and many other people in various forums) that this is a love song. That's not the case. I was wondering right now, why so many people think this, and I am slowly coming to conclusion that certain things have got lost in translation (I assume that you have read the translation of lyrics). Yes, a lover can sing this song to his/her partner, but this song can be sung also by a mother to her kids, by a friend to a friend. The basic point of the song/lyrics is that you accept the addressée even if he/she gets lost, makes mistakes, goes astray etc. In chorus, she sings that since we cannot always see stars in the sky (which in the past were used as our guide to travel/stay on our course - especially by sailors - and this flux thing you were talking about actually fits this metaphor perfectly), we should stay true to ourselves (i.e. "find the path/map inside ourselves how to go on, how to get there where we are going), and we should not apologize to her (ie. to singer), if we cannot find our way immediately. That is to say, when we try to stay true to ourselves, we might make errors, cuz we get clumsy, unsure (we are blind without stars!), and we should not apologize to others for that reason.
Another reason why this is most certainly not a love song is that she sings in Slovenian "vežejo nas iste sanje, isti strah". If this were a love song, she would use the dual number, which Slovenian possesses, but instead she uses plural forms. To native speakers, this is a clear sign that she is not talking about them as a couple, but in general. So, she is not trying to say with this verse that she is bound to him by the same dreams and fear(s) - as a matter of fact, she is saying in general that all people are bound by the same dreams and fear(s).
So, if I had to define what this poem is, I'd say it is a mantra, sort of consolation and spur/incentive. It is a song for lost people or people who feel lost. It is a song about hope, where the singer assures the addressée that she/he is there for him, waiting patiently that one finds his/her path back to his/her true self (and happiness). And on this note, I think that your interpretation of the tune perfectly matches the lyrics. Hm, maybe now some of the people here will get why I said already couple of days ago that this song is pure poetry and whole package for native speakers' ears if they only allow themselves to hear the lyrics, composed in simple, yet beautiful language.
That's all. I hope I didn't bore you to death with my interpretation/explanation
And thanx for sharing your thoughts. I think it is quite funny that you were on the right track of getting the meaning of the poem only by "feeling" the tune.
Carian
Well-known member
[MENTION=15070]John1[/MENTION] & [MENTION=9195]tuorem[/MENTION]
I find it quite funny that French seem to like our song this year. And this said, I have noticed that France almost never gives us any point. Completely overlooked by the general French population. I wonder, will this change perhaps this year?
I find it quite funny that French seem to like our song this year. And this said, I have noticed that France almost never gives us any point. Completely overlooked by the general French population. I wonder, will this change perhaps this year?
[MENTION=14374]Carian[/MENTION]
Thank you for the explanation, it doesn't change what I think of Sebi in general but I'm glad it's more than a simple love song. The message is pretty cool.
As for French votes, sorry it won't get mine, but maybe my fellow compatriots will make up for it
Thank you for the explanation, it doesn't change what I think of Sebi in general but I'm glad it's more than a simple love song. The message is pretty cool.
As for French votes, sorry it won't get mine, but maybe my fellow compatriots will make up for it
BorisBubbles
Veteran
No it was actually fine! I'm an English teacher and very often do song analyses in my classes. It's always interesting to hear how others interpret poetry and prose (especially from a native speaker) because it's always interesting and different for each of us. The entire package of "Sebi" is really pretty and I'm sure that's why it won, rather than some violent 'WE HATE KAOS' reaction.That's all. I hope I didn't bore you to death with my interpretation/explanation
Carian
Well-known member
[MENTION=14374]Carian[/MENTION]
Thank you for the explanation, it doesn't change what I think of Sebi in general but I'm glad it's more than a simple love song. The message is pretty cool.
As for French votes, sorry it won't get mine, but maybe my fellow compatriots will make up for it
You are welcome. As for voting - I am actually not angry with you, as I am not giving points to France this year either... I loved all three last entries (2016, 2017, and 2018), but this year... Suis desolé, mais non.
Carian
Well-known member
I am actually not that into poetry per se, however, I always loved and I still do to hear good lyrics along with good music. But in the end, this is not enough for me. If a singer wants to sell me his/her song, he/she has to know to interpret the poem. If a singer is technically impeccable, yet unable to convey the right emotions with his/her song, it doesn't do it for me. So, what counts in my opinion is lyrics, music, and the right interpretation. And the best ESC example to prove my point is Molitva from 2007. That song won because of the interpretation.