Which country's song should not win ESC 2018?

[FreeFair]

I actually think it's the opposite.
I firmly believe that Portugal's win was a Setback. It makes ESC a one night event, a one live performance thing.
Had Belgium won last year it would have made the casual viewers think.... Oh ESC is a source of music i can actually download and replay. I should follow it more often.

I agree with this, Portugal's song was too far in the other direction. I would have liked Belgium or Bulgaria to win, so that people could see that the contest was about modern, 'tasteful' pop music with beauty & intelligence.
Actually, after Portugal's win I would not like to see Estonia win because that's another Performance based novelty, except in Opera not Jazz. It wouldn't be commercially credible.
That's why my favourite three this year are Portugal (O Jardim is better than APD), Czech Republic (still kinda silly but very commerical, cool & modern), and Bulgaria (has all of the things that I do want to see in ESC)

 

[Bibha]

Well the Israeli media is using Netta song for animal rights promotion! I'm not your food, you stupid dude

 

[Iker]

I agree with this, Portugal's song was too far in the other direction. I would have liked Belgium or Bulgaria to win, so that people could see that the contest was about modern, 'tasteful' pop music with beauty & intelligence.
Actually, after Portugal's win I would not like to see Estonia win because that's another Performance based novelty, except in Opera not Jazz. It wouldn't be commercially credible.
That's why my favourite three this year are Portugal (O Jardim is better than APD), Czech Republic (still kinda sily but very commerical, cool & modern), and Bulgaria (all of the things that I do want to see in ESC)

For me your arguments does not have much value, maybe because I am not really into contemporary "pop" or mainstream music. Despite following ESC in which it is common I rarely find it important, it's also not type of music that I am mostly occupied with. Even for "lighter entertainment" I have other stuff but there are some uptempo pop songs that I enjoy this year actually. But I actually would not mind such winner this year to make it different than 2 previous years, Czech Republic winning would be acceptable, not off-putting at all and I'd be very happy for Czechs and Mikolaj Josef. Btw I am not sure whether Sennek is pop ...

Another argument of yours is also quite easy to debunk ... that music that is created for ESC has some big-hit radio potential regardless of it conforming to it or not. The only songs from ESC that I remember stumbling upon repeatedly on random radio stations was "Euphoria" & "Satellite" + "Heroes" & "Running Scared" but only for a month after Eurovision. Salvador's winning was not any "setback" for me.

I actually welcome all sorts of music at ESC, and I'd like countries to bring even more music in various styles and national languages / styles instead of Swedish assembly line pop / dance-pop that I am utterly bored with that emerges so often in National Finals and during actual Eurovision.

 

[FreeFair]

I actually welcome all sorts of music at ESC, and I'd like countries to bring even more music in various styles and national languages / styles instead of Swedish assembly line pop / dance-pop that I am utterly bored with that emerges so often in National Finals and during actual Eurovision.

If you mean more stuff like Serbia, then I totally agree. I just wouldn't want there to be anything obnoxious or too theatrical in there. It harms the reputation of the contest.

 

[FoxOfShadows]

I was never a fan of 'Amar Pelois Dois' and I still think Salvador is an insufferable and rude person. However, I do appreciate what winning did to the contest. It showed that we didn't want a cheap song with a big, tacky performance sung in poor English. It was definitely a turning point in the reception of the contest in the UK at least. Several people I know really liked Salvador's song and were interested in the contest for once. And it has resulted in us getting several more non-english songs this year which is always good. So I thank Salvador for that.

Israel winning this year would reverse all the good that Portugal did last year. The lyrics are poor, the clucking is gimmicky and undoubtedly the performance will be unnecessarily crazy and tacky. A lot of people will compare it to 'Occidentalis Karma' but I think there is a very distinct difference. OK was clever, the lyrics were filled interested concepts and messages and, unlike Netta's clukcing, the monkey actually made sense and fit the lyrics. It wasn't as gimmicky as people made it out to be. I understand that 'Toy' has an important message but the lyrics are poor so the message is either lost or ridiculed. I'm hoping the hype behind Israel is limited mostly to the fanbase because, as a British fan of the contest, I don't want Eurovision winners to go back to being cheap and tacky pop.

 

[Iker]

I was never a fan of 'Amar Pelois Dois' and I still think Salvador is an insufferable and rude person. However, I do appreciate what winning did to the contest. It showed that we didn't want a cheap song with a big, tacky performance sung in poor English. It was definitely a turning point in the reception of the contest in the UK at least. Several people I know really liked Salvador's song and were interested in the contest for once. And it has resulted in us getting several more non-english songs this year which is always good. So I thank Salvador for that.

Israel winning this year would reverse all the good that Portugal did last year. The lyrics are poor, the clucking is gimmicky and undoubtedly the performance will be unnecessarily crazy and tacky. A lot of people will compare it to 'Occidentalis Karma' but I think there is a very distinct difference. OK was clever, the lyrics were filled interested concepts and messages and, unlike Netta's clukcing, the monkey actually made sense and fit the lyrics. It wasn't as gimmicky as people made it out to be. I understand that 'Toy' has an important message but the lyrics are poor so the message is either lost or ridiculed. I'm hoping the hype behind Israel is limited mostly to the fanbase because, as a British fan of the contest, I don't want Eurovision winners to go back to being cheap and tacky pop.

I think I might be an interesting case as I love both Salvador & Netta (and I'd like to see her winning this year!) I don't think it would reverse anything. I don't think she's cheap and tacky pop ... for that I'd recommend Azerbaijan this year.

It does not mean that something is tacky because that something is non-serious.

 

[midnightsun]

Just one hope: don’t let the winner be Israel !

Other than that, I wouldn‘t like to see soulless generic Dance songs like Finland, Australia or Azerbaijan winning.

 

[Ana Raquel]

out of these songs, the only one in my bottom five is Spain. I also don't want Russia and The Netherlands to win though. I'm fine with the rest by now














slovenia the world is yours

 

[Bibha]

Only _4 countries yet to reach double digit dislikes

 

[FreeFair]

Based on how polarizing other big entries are, I think we could see Bulgaria win because of the largest amount of 10, 8 & 7 points even if other entries get more 12s.

 

[Citelis]

Some of them are nowhere near the win! Spain for example!

 

[Franzilein]

I hope Israel doesn't win. It tries so hard to be funny, but it just isn't... I think the concept of "Fremdschämen" fits really well here :?

 

[A-lister]

Out of this bunch, I'd only be ok with the following winning:

Estonia: La Forza(Elina Nechayeva)
France: Mercy(Madame Monsieur)
Greece: Oneiro Mou(Yianna Terzi)
Israel: Toy(Netta Barzilai)
Italy: Non mi avete fatto niente(Ermal & Fabrizio)

The rest are not worthy of winning imo, simply because they are either bland, dated or have no "personality" on their own.

Anyways I don't agree with this list, I don't see most of Europe liking (why is this so high in the betting?, you'll see that this will rightly flop with televoters in May) nor do I see , or as winner material what so ever

 

[A-lister]

I was never a fan of 'Amar Pelois Dois' and I still think Salvador is an insufferable and rude person. However, I do appreciate what winning did to the contest. It showed that we didn't want a cheap song with a big, tacky performance sung in poor English. It was definitely a turning point in the reception of the contest in the UK at least. Several people I know really liked Salvador's song and were interested in the contest for once. And it has resulted in us getting several more non-english songs this year which is always good. So I thank Salvador for that.

Israel winning this year would reverse all the good that Portugal did last year. The lyrics are poor, the clucking is gimmicky and undoubtedly the performance will be unnecessarily crazy and tacky. A lot of people will compare it to 'Occidentalis Karma' but I think there is a very distinct difference. OK was clever, the lyrics were filled interested concepts and messages and, unlike Netta's clukcing, the monkey actually made sense and fit the lyrics. It wasn't as gimmicky as people made it out to be. I understand that 'Toy' has an important message but the lyrics are poor so the message is either lost or ridiculed. I'm hoping the hype behind Israel is limited mostly to the fanbase because, as a British fan of the contest, I don't want Eurovision winners to go back to being cheap and tacky pop.

Yeah God forbid ESC could ever produce a hit again... let's go back to the 80's-90's when only dreaded dated ballads won and everyone laughed at how dated and out of touch the contest was...

I don't think Israel has the best song this year, but I do think it would actually do ESC good to have a winner that could stand a chance to become some sort of hit afterwards, it would help its reputation rather than the opposite, it would make ESC look like it has potential of being a force to be reckon with in music rather than this contest with dated stuff. ESC would do good with atleast producing a couple of cross-over hits in a decade (preferably more of course), otherwise the contest looks irrelevant just like it was in the past. I am not saying that ESC should only be about chasing hits, but it's also harming the contest when it is so out of touch it can't even produce one hit being the biggest music show afterall.

 

[FoxOfShadows]

Yeah God forbid ESC could ever produce a hit again... let's go back to the 80's-90's when only dreaded dated ballads won and everyone laughed at how dated and out of touch the contest was...

I don't think Israel has the best song this year, but I do think it would actually do ESC good to have a winner that could stand a chance to become some sort of hit afterwards, it would help its reputation rather than the opposite, it would make ESC look like it has potential of being a force to be reckon with in music rather than this contest with dated stuff. ESC would do good with atleast producing a couple of cross-over hits in a decade (preferably more of course), otherwise the contest looks irrelevant just like it was in the past. I am not saying that ESC should only be about chasing hits, but it's also harming the contest when it is so out of touch it can't even produce one hit being the biggest music show afterall.

Eurovision can have a 'hit' winner without resorting to awful lyrics and cheap chicken gimmicks. I'd class 2012, 2015 and 2014 as hits and also as good winning songs. They're certainly a league above this year. Eurovision's reputation has increased favourably in the last few years as the quality of entries and production has increased. Israel winning would help reverse that image.

 

[anto475]

I voted against:
Because it's a terrible song and it would be a shame to see it win above so many better songs
It's just too slow and soulless, I can't see it winning
If any other country sent it I would love to see it win. But I don't want to see a contest in Jerusalem. I don't want the Eurovision to be used by Israel's pinkwashing campaign. I don't want the contest to be part of Israeli propaganda painting it as a "modern, liberal, Western" country. Not a chance.
Because Europe is only so big and I don't think the continent could fit Alexander Rybak's swollen head if he won. Plus it's a shitty shitty song and doesn't even deserve to qualify
PLEASE PLEASE can we just not have Sweden win and can Christer Bjorkman go back to hairdressing and stop ruining the contest with his awful polo neck jumpers, generic music, and Melfest PLEASE

 

[A-lister]

Eurovision can have a 'hit' winner without resorting to awful lyrics and cheap chicken gimmicks. I'd class 2012, 2015 and 2014 as hits and also as good winning songs. They're certainly a league above this year. Eurovision's reputation has increased favourably in the last few years as the quality of entries and production has increased. Israel winning would help reverse that image.

I find it interesting how conservative Eurovision fans seem to be, what "in the real world" is considered quirky and fun, some here directly label as "gimmicky" (and this comes from a contest which was always meant to be a bit over the top). There are so many global hits that are more "gimmicky" than this one. If increasing "quality" is having winner entries that sound like they could have been taken part in ESC 1950's with absolute no cross-over appeal what so ever, zero chance of having any life outside of the contest, zero chance any radios would pick them up and no viral potential, then I'd prefer a "reverse in quality" as you put it. Don't get me wrong, what I love about Eurovision is the musical diversity, but it's bad for a contest that is supposed to be the largest music and entertainment show in the world to barely be able to produce one hit song in a decade, it makes the contest look irrelevant almost. The last thing Eurovision needs it to turn back to the 1980's and 90's when most entries sounded like they were atleast a decade too late and were dreadfully out of touch of contemporary music.

 

[A-lister]

If any other country sent it I would love to see it win. But I don't want to see a contest in Jerusalem. I don't want the Eurovision to be used by Israel's pinkwashing campaign. I don't want the contest to be part of Israeli propaganda painting it as a "modern, liberal, Western" country. Not a chance.

I thought this was about the music? How original with Irish anti-Israel bashing though... and yes it's the only country in a whole region where it's not illegal to be gay and where women have equal rights... that's not "pinkwashing", it's facts... but yeah of course they have no right to exist and those beautiful "Democratic and cradle of human rights"-states surrounding them should have the right to eat up this small piece of land too (because having 99% of middle east, whole Northen African and big parts of Asia isn't enough )... God forbid that Jews have a small strip of land and defend themselves against daily attacks... Zzzz

Anyways, I doubt the contest would be held in Jerusalem due to various reasons, so it would probably be Tel Aviv.

 

[Ezio]

Eurovision would survive Israel winning this year. In fact, it would be a breath of fresh air if Israel won. 3 out of 4 last winners had very meaningful and serious songs. Eurovision moved in a direction where many songs are more meaningful and in fact, Israel makes a lot of sense too, but it is more quirky and fun as well. I would stand 100% behind Israel if they won.

 

[bstream]

Occidentali’s Karma and Israel 2018 are certainly two different songs. Israel 2018 is about body positivity and calling out immature behavior of men, Italy 2017 was a critique of western culture and ignorance-fueled pretentiousness. Italy was lost in translation (the gorilla came off as a gimmick and not the illustrative point it was supposed to serve). Israel is in clear English. I’m still trying to fully take in Israel’s entry this year, and I think seeing it live will make or break it.

And I think that applies to so many entries this year. With no clear favorite outside of the virality of Israel, this probably be the first Eurovision in over half a decade where we truly won’t have and idea until after semi 1 and/or 2. The only other year I can remember where this was remotely the case was Conchita after the semi performance in 2014.

The Eurovision audience isn’t against joke entries forever, and I think one can win eventually, but smart staging now plays a much larger role in recent years.