I might not have missed a Eurovision Prediction deadline this Eurovision national final season (yet), but my dedication to the various preselections has waivered a fair amount, in so much that I've only watched 2 of them in full. Those were the United Kingdom (which I saw live!) and Switzerland (while watching a tennis match on TV, and only because Sebalter was the interval act!). Tonight, Eesti Laul brings the total to 3 (or 2.5, because I'll be going out around the time the results show starts)!
Despite being terribly tired and a teensy bit hungover, I diligently watched the semifinals on 11th and 18th February, and even recorded a voice memo during the latter, with commentary on the performances interpolating my 2 hour long summary of the previous night's antics. Now I'd like to publish some of those comments on the internet (with fewer references to the Friday nights out)…
First up, a couple of honourable mentions to songs which didn't make the final, but did, at least, make it onto my iPod:
Leemet Onno - Hurricane
Although I don't care much for the humming intro, I adore the gritty feel of this song, and the witty lyrics really appeal to me. One of my favourites to dance to when I'm alone in the lab, especially with the line "you're dancing round the room/I can’t let you escape!" Despite this, I wasn't too sad that it didn't qualify, for reasons I'll expand on further down…
Carl-Philip - Everything But You
Another song with lyrics I adore, the intro reminds me of the Robbie Williams song "Feel". I think the harmonies in the live version really lifted the song, and I was disappointed when it failed to qualify.
Now on to the finalists!
Liis Lemsalu - Keep Running
"Keep Running" was my initial favourite of Eesti Laul 2017, and I'd still be happy with it getting the ticket to Kyiv! With its evocative verses and infectious chorus, this song really appeals to my restless spirit, and it never fails to enter my head when I'm at a train station. (In fact, all the trains I've caught since I first heard this song have been "right on time!") As a fellow backpack aficionado, I'm particularly captivated by the line "I've got my backpack ready until the end"!
Koit Toome & Laura - Verona
This song is performed well, but I don't particularly care for the instrumentation or lyrics. It's quite pleasant, but I don't think it's engaging enough to do well at Eurovision. Also it couldn't tempt me to order a Verona pizza when we had Dominos deliver to the lab this Thursday…
Whogaux & Karl-Kristjan feat. Maian - Have You Now
This is a song I find myself singing at odd times in the lab, but I never make it much further than the chorus. I really like the way their voices sound together though!
Lenna Kuurmaa - Slingshot
I find this song quite bland, but the performance is pretty engaging at least. I would've preferred one of my honourable mentions to qualify instead.
Daniel Levi - All I Need
Daniel Levi were my winners in 2015, and while All I Need is no Burning Lights, I've grown to adore it, and will definitely download it once the dark and uninviting staging invariably prevents it winning the ticket to Kyiv! I'm very fond of the sweet lyrics, such as "it’s almost light/but the stars keep singing at our feet". I can't avoid mentioning the line "she told me/at random/at 4 am/I’m with you", because it inspired me to drag a couple of friends to Waitrose after a night out, so that I'd still be in their company at 4am! I won't go into what happened the following few Fridays between said friends, but suffice to say, the song reminds me of simpler times!
Elina Born - In Or Out
Another returnee from the 2015 selection, but Elina has the distinction of actually having made it to Eurovision that year, and "In Or Out" could well take her there again! I didn't immediately warm to the song and I think the staging could be improved, but it's certainly catchy and fun, and with Elina's dazzling vocals it would be a good choice for Eurovision.
Ivo Linna - Suur Loterii
The only Estonian language song to qualify, I become more and more fond of "Suur Loterii" each time I hear it! It has a lovely melody, not too dissimilar to his and Maarja Liis-Ilus' Eurovision entry from 21 years ago. Probably not the most sensible choice for Estonia in 2017, but not one I'd be annoyed at!
Rasmus Rändvee - This Love
This song is the reason I'm okay with "Hurricane" not qualifying, because I feared neither would reach its full potential had they been pitted against each other in the final. This song first got stuck in my head the day I needed rescuing from the lab (because of the line "baby don't come look for me"), and it has hardly left since! The lyrics are my favourite of the competition (and the standard is very high!) but the song is elevated further by Rasmus's flawless vocals and tremendous energy on stage! I really hope he delivers the song with as much gusto at tonight's final!
Ariadne - Feel Me Now
This is a very pleasant song with lovely vocals and simple yet effective staging, but I don't feel it's powerful enough to stand out at Eurovision.
Kerli - Spirit Animal
Kerli certainly brings the power! I find the performance highly engaging and very suitable for Eurovision. However I have some reservations about the song: I struggle to remember the verses, and I think the repetition of the chorus gets a bit too much.
So there you have it, my take on the Eesti Laul 2017 finalists! The main show begins in 45 minutes, at 17:30 GMT, while the results show starts at 19:35 GMT, 5 minutes after the party I'm attending tonight starts!
