2023-05-10 19:16:09
The real start of the continental song contest was not even the beginning of the competitive “race” on Tuesday or the defile of participants (this time from 37 countries) along the traditional Turquoise Path, but the arrival at the arena a few days before the coronation of the newly crowned monarch Charles III with Queen Consort Camilla . Eurovision, perhaps, has not known such a royal discovery in every sense and scope since its foundation 67 years ago.
The royal couple not only blessed the place of the singing stadium with a blessed visit, but pressed the red button with their own hands. Given the troubled realities of the modern world, the attraction, of course, looked somewhat ominous (although it is possible that the British, famous for their passion for irony and jokes, just humored in black quite consciously), but, fortunately, the button turned out to be harmless and symbolized only launch of the Eurovision stage.
True, His Majesty was worried, aimed for a long time with a finger and still missed a button the size of a ripe watermelon, but Camilla, as always for many decades of love and friendship with her betrothed, took everything into her own hands and saved the situation – she simply slapped her palm flat, even not aiming, and the stage, to the sounds of solemn techno-pop, sparkled and sparkled in a way that no Eurovision venue has sparkled and sparkled before. Technological and design luxury was confirmed not only by the well-known and sophisticated English sense of style, but also by the status of Foggy Albion as one of the world’s main centers of technology, modern music and show business.
Well, after all, Liverpool itself is also the small homeland of the great Beatles. There was no way you could hit the dirt in the face. Exactly opposite the Eurovision arena, there is also the starting stop of the famous Magiсal Mystery Tour bus tour – to the memorial sites of the Liverpool Four, although some English irony is also seen in this. The cliché of the “competition for housewives”, despite all the efforts of Eurovision to modernize, has not yet evaporated anywhere and, especially in Britain, it is persistently cultivated, and not only by high-browed criticism. Even a native Liverpool taxi driver from Bangladesh, for example, hearing about Eurovision, will certainly wince and blurt out with an elegant saying that he does not watch this shit, but only watches football.
Therefore, one can only guess whether John Lennon or George Harrison are spinning in their graves when the Magical Mystery Tour buses leave the main entrance to Eurovision. But still living highly respected beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have not yet laughed off the housewife-European revelry committed in their small homeland. However, they themselves have always been close to the deep people, so, most likely, they will not mind at all. And, by the way, it was noticed by the same high-browed local statistics that, despite all the shit and fuck, as soon as the call signs of European songs sound on the air, the streets of many, especially peripheral English towns, villages and villages are empty in an instant. Everyone sits at home with their TVs on (or laptops – after all, trends!), But with tightly curtained windows so that, God forbid, one of the neighbors does not catch such a shameful activity as watching Eurovision.
However, one circumstance shifts the usual accents – in fact, this is not the British, but the Ukrainian Eurovision, which the country and the city “sheltered” after Ukraine’s victory last year with the song Stefania performed by the ethno-rap group Kalush Orchestra. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) decided to move the contest to Liverpool. Moreover, the second place last year (and for the first time not the last in many years!) was won by Great Britain with the charismatic Sam Ryder and the song Space Man. At the same time, Britain is not the first time to host “foreign” contests, when countries for one reason or another could not or refused to host the “victorious” Eurovision: in 1960 instead of the Netherlands, in 1963 instead of France, in 1972 city instead of Monaco, in 1974 instead of Luxembourg. And Luxembourg, by the way, then bit his elbows in despair, because it was in Brighton in 1974 that the historical triumph of the Swedish group ABBA with the song Waterloo happened. However, in recent times, such a precedent looks like a rather extraordinary event.
It is possible, by the way, that this year a historical triumph will also happen – the second victory of the Swedish singer Lorin, too. In the history of Eurovision, only one performer has won twice – Johnny Logan from Ireland (in 1980 and 1987). The attempts of other pop heroes to re-taste the sweet fruit of victory ended either in a resounding failure, like with Dana International in 2011, or with a sluggish puff, like with Alexander Rybak in 2018. when it became known about the return of Lauryn to the competition. Her song and number Euphoria in 2012 became not only victorious, but also entered the golden fund of Eurovision. The singer has gained a place of honor in the pantheon of “icons” of the competition and has acquired an impressive international fan base. Her stay at Liverpool is invariably accompanied by a neurotic frenzy of fans, and the predictions for victory are only growing day by day. After the first semi-final, they reached a record 45%. Lorin herself is in no hurry to celebrate the triumph, prudently flirting:
“I didn’t think I’d be back. This is not planned, – the singer assured journalists in Liverpool. – But I heard the song (Tatoo), and then they asked me: maybe Melodifestivalen (national selection in Sweden. — A.G.)? And (at first) I said NO! Then it was… “maybe”. And then I went with the flow … I feel that I have to create and that it is important …
“For this, I’m tearing my ass,” Lorin, already quite joking, completed the description of her creative Eurothrowing. Where, however, her torn ass will be nailed by the current, is another question: and given the not the most successful experience of past repeat winners, and the fact that the Tatoo song, although good, solid and very professionally presented, still gives off a slight smell of sturgeon not first freshness. This time Lauryn brought nothing new to the competition, unlike Euphoria in 2012. Wisely leaving the door slightly ajar for a possible retreat, the cunning Swedish Berber makes a reservation: “All these thoughts only destroy creativity. I block out thoughts of winning or anything like that. It’s disorienting.”
Moreover, this year (according to forecasts and pre-charts) Finnish pop avant-garde performer Käärijä is on the heels of Lorin with a provocative, satirical and humorous number Cha Cha Cha in a mix of author’s rap, hard Finnish heavy music and the aesthetics of a cheerful “cabaret for adults”. The guy exudes an ocean of confidence. “How does it feel to reach the final with a song entirely in Finnish?” the artist was asked at a press conference. “At home, many did not believe that this was possible. I want to show that you can even win with a song in your native language, that’s why I’m here,” replied Jere Pöuhönen, whose playful stage name translates as “Fantik” and who walks in Liverpool in a completely obvious status not only as a favorite, but also as everyone’s favorite . Severe Finnish humor is highly appreciated by speakers of sophisticated English humor, and a brightly painted Finnish sauna trailer with a portrait of the performer, parked near the arena, has become a competitive attraction here.
For those readers who do not have the opportunity to watch the TV broadcast of the contest according to the past tradition, since Russia left Eurovision last year, and it’s too lazy to look on the Internet, MK published an overview of the numbers and songs of the key performers of the current contest in the Soundtrack back April 19th.
Not only the Finn and the Swede, but almost all the tops and favorites of this year gathered just at the first semi-final last Tuesday, with the exception of the Frenchwoman La Zarra, who, as a representative of the country from the so-called. The “Big Five” (founding countries of the competition) will perform only at the grand final, bypassing the sieve of the semi-final rounds. The passage to the final was predictable for both Alessandra from Norway (Queen of Kings song) and Noah Kirel from Israel (Unicorn). Also reached the final; Switzerland (Remo Forrer), Croatia (Let 3), Serbia (Luke Black), Czech Republic (Vesna). The performances of the majority of the artists were not only musically and staged expressive, they were united by the presentation, albeit in different ways, somewhere with humor, somewhere seriously, but a single message to “peace, friendship, chewing gum and solidarity”, gratefully accepted by the audience gathered in the hall not from outer space, but with a baggage of disturbing world news. Mimicat from Portugal with Ai Coração in the style of a port cabaret-burlesque can become at the final turn the very “dark horse” that few people bet on at the beginning of the competition, and Pasha Parfeniy from Moldova, along with Lorin, turned out to be a native of that very Eurovision Song Contest -2012″. The artists met again not just at the competition, but in one semi-final, and both reached the final. They greeted each other like family, exchanged friendly jokes, mutual congratulations and wishes of good luck.
The atmosphere of a large, close-knit, if restless family really reigns at the competition, and this year’s motto United by Music (“United by Music”) is filled with a message of unity not only in music …
Liverpool.
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