For my next blog, I decided to review the songs of four Mediterranean nations. I already reviewed two Mediterranean nations with my Big Five blog. Now focusing on these four nations. All of them have their unique styles and have delivered amazing entries in the past. Let’s see how their numbers for this year fare:
CYPRUS 🇨🇾
Performer: Silia Kapsis
Song: “Liar”
For the second straight year, Cyprus enters an Australian of Cypriot descent. Another unique fact: 17 year-old Silia Kapsis is the youngest entry for this year’s Contest. Her song ‘Liar’ has a common message saying she’s done with her lying lover. The song starts quietly but the energy grows over the course of the song. Some could call this song this year’s ‘Unicorn.’ Its appeal gets better as you listen again and again.
ESC Chances: It’s always an interesting battle of Cyprus vs. Greece. Cyprus has sent a lot of female entries in the last few years that know how to grab your attention. I find her song likeable but right now in the odds, it appears to be ‘borderline’ in its chances for qualifying. Silia will need to have an eye-catching show if she wants to increase her chances of qualifying and getting a good finish. For a nation that gave us Eleni Foureira, Tamta and Elena Tsagrinou, a lot will be expected of her.
GREECE
Performer: Marina Satti
Song: “ZARI”
This will be the first Contest since 2018 that Greece sends a song with an ethnic vibe. Marina Satti has made a career for herself with music mixing Greek, Arab and Balkan sounds with urban elements and beats. Her style is very noticeable in this Greek-language song. Of all this year’s entries I’ve heard, this is definitely the most relentless. Even watching the video, you can tell this song is loaded with attitude. I found it very infectious the very first time I heard it.
ESC Chances: Ethnic entries from Greece do have an edge. Their winner from 2005 had ethnic flavor as did the other three songs that clinched Top 3 finishes. On the other side of the coin, ethnic flavor also makes up two of Greece’s three non-qualifiers including their last entry with ethnic flair from 2018. Already the song has been found being catchy with Eurofans. With rapport like that, it will need excellent staging if it wants to go far in the Contest. Gotta keep a good thing going!
ISRAEL
Performer: Eden Golan
Song: “Hurricane”
A lot has happened in the world in the last twelve years. Especially in Israel. The big questions in the past months were would Israel be in Eurovision? And how will other nations react? Israel is here and represented by Eden Golan. She almost wasn’t because the EBU kept demanding her song ‘Hurricane’ be rewritten without obvious political messages or Israel would have to be eliminated from the Contest. After numerous rewrites, there was a version of ‘Hurricane’ that the EBU found acceptable. The lyrics make ‘Hurricane’ sound like a love song. There may be some underlying political message but it’s made to feel like a song about love. The instrumentation will get your attention as well as Eden’s vocals. She knows how to deliver well. Especially since this is a powerful song
ESC Chances: Some people may vote or not because of the song. There are also some that may vote or not because of the politics. I don’t like when people use politics to berate a nation’s performer like how ten years ago when Russian performers were booed. The nation’s entries are entertainers, not politicians. Nevertheless it is very possible people can use politics as their reason to either vote for this song or not vote for it. I see this song qualifying but even though it has the quality of a song for a Top 10 finish, I don’t think it will make it in.
PORTUGAL
Performer: iolanda
Song: “Grito”
Once again, the Festival da Cancao decided this year’s entry for Portugal. The artist is Iolanda Costa and the song is “Grito,” a song she co-wrote and co-produced. It’s a ballad that differs from you common ballads as it starts slow but gets more dramatic over time. Iolanda’s vocals really convey emotion. Despite that, I didn’t really catch on to the song. Also I did not like the dancing from her dancers.
ESC Chances: Portugal had it difficult in the 2010’s. Despite a win, they only had three Grand Final appearances. Here in the 2020’s Portugal has had better luck as they’ve qualified for each of the three Grand Finals. This song does not look like a qualifier. It has its own characteristics and unique traits, but I think many will have similar feelings to mine that this song is too dramatic. If she’s going to qualify, I think the dancers needs to have better choreography as well.
And there you have it! My look at four Eurovision songs from the Mediterranean nations. Each are unique in their own way. We’ll see how they fare in the SemiFinals and in the Grand Final for the lucky ones.
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