Eurovision 2022 thread

I could have written this! Exactly how I feel. I’ve always watched it and think it’s a whole lot of fun. My kids grew up watching it. We’d have Eurovision parties and get food and drink from all the countries competing. Great memories. My youngest son is a professional musician now playing (and teaching) “real music”.

 

I don't think this year's competition was particularly strong but I think Eurovision in general is much much better, quality wise, than it used to be. Having a lot of countries that actually take it seriously and want to win it - as opposed to the British, who just treat it as a joke - has upped the standards. The fact is, lots of countries have caught up with the UK and France and Germany and the 'big' European nations and can produce music that's every bit their equal in terms of quality and professionalism. There is some nonsense every year, but there's 20 odd countries involved, there's bound to be. The worst thing this year were all the 'tasteful', mawkish ballads - and, thankfully the European public agreed with me!

 

Ukraine got 439 out of a possible 468 from the public vote. It'll be interesting to see the breakdown

 

There's one on the Eurovisionworld website

 

Cheers. 27 twelves

 

"Tasteful" is indeed the word I've been muttering to myself. It's almost too tasteful these days. It was pretty awful back in the day when almost every song was a novelty song, but now it's swung a little too far in the other direction. At least we had Moldova to break up the ballads. Also this year they've laid back on the hi-energy eurodisco stuff which there was far too much of in the recent past.

 

Eurovision is generally much more varied than people give it credit for.

 

I'd give this years ESC 7 out of 10. Some really great songs (Sweden, Greece, Netherlands) but there was a lot of awful 'serious' songs that spoiled it a little (Azerbaijan, Poland and Germany). It was a high bar to follow after last year (9 1/2 even with that awful tuneless winner) so ok. Could smell Ukraine's win weeks ago but disappointed the song was OK, no great shakes.

Btw, wasn't Mika great as a presenter? Get him signed up for a show!

 

My favourite songs this year were the one with the fiddle players that was a bit Cotton Eye Joe and the Serbian Lady Gaga washing her hands all the way through the song. I commented jokingly at the time that it sounded a little bit like the lyrics mentioned Meghan Markle and I just looked it up now and it turns out I heard correctly and the lyrics are absolutely insane! The rest of the songs seemed blander than usual with not as much of the usual wackiness, so while in another year the UK song might not have done well, it could be described as 'anthemic' and somehow found the right formula to win, or in this case come second because Ukraine.

 

I watch Eurovision, but I just feel every year it becomes more about the performance than the song and to slick, not kitsch enough for me.
Eurovision is when I miss Terry Wogan.

 

Well, the wackiest aside from Serbia was the Norwegian one...

 

Yeah, I really enjoyed the Dutch song too. Thought she had a great voice and hopefully a good future ahead for her. Was a nice tune.

Sweden were OK, but too polished and professional - like a Eurovision song machine, producing the perfect corporate Eurovision sound. Needed a bit more soul and humanity.

My daughter just loved the Norwegian entry. She was in hysterics about it all night! I thought it was quite funny (but it tried too hard), but she was cheering for it over and above anything else! She loved it. She's still going on about bananas today.

 

did anyone notice that Austrian song "Halo" had Gabry Ponte as a co-writer? Shout out to all Eurodance lovers from the 90's!

 

The best part was when Graham Norton started singing 'I Written A Letter To Daddy" when one of the announcers appeared during the national voting- a terrific Eurovision moment.

 

your daughter must also like What Does the Fox Say

 

Checked it out and if she doesn't know it already, then she'll love that - I've just sent her a link to it over the What's-App-sphere, or however it is that kids communicate these days.

 

The UK entry was their best for years. Sam sang the **** out of it- what a great voice- not just a shouter and squealer but a genuine controlled vocal. Of course Ukraine was going to win. It was a quirky Euro entry and the sentiment was strong. The 2nd rate J-Lo with Cristino Ronaldo look a like dancer did well as did Sweden- good songs and performances. The Italian song they we're having about was gawd awful and out of key. The Serbian hand washing was just weird. The presenters were cringeworthy- especially the girl who looked and sounded like Chas Dingle form Emmerdale and Mika was awful. I expect that the UK did well partly as a result of the changing political landscape in Europe during recent months. Russia was booted so a numbe of nations who would normally vote for their larger neighbour were free to place votes elsewhere. Georgia and Ukraine gave 12 points to the UK. Germany was bottom of the poll- and of course Germany continues to buy Russian Oil and Gas. France was just above- with Macron pandering to Putin on the phone for months. Don't underestimate the geopolitics and various cultural connections that are always at play. 2022 saw a shift. It's hard to image Russia winning the contest for a long time after current events are resolved. It took until the mid 80s for Germany to be fully rehabilitated and finally win.

 

I may be an old curmudgeon but I feel like the scoring system is a real scam. We sit for an hour watching the scores come in, the ebb and flow as songs rise and fall, only for someone to come in at the end and say, "hey, this song got 10 million points" and it's all over.

Truth be told, I kinda feel as though the UK entry was robbed. The Ukrainian song was okay but was never a winner. This year it wasn't a song contest.

 

Curmudgeon is my middle name, so if course I agree with you. Seems we just have to roll over and let Ukraine win everything now. World Cup football, all the Olympic golds, maybe let them take part in the Commonwealth Games.

 

Well they're playing Scotland in the World Cup playoffs and if Scotland roll over in that game they'd be advised to stay in Ukraine, it'd be safer than coming back to Scotland

 

Alas, you're right. For too many years Eurovision has been a 'cause' contest. That said, I have no issue against Ukraine being awarded as winners. They need all the positivity they can get. However, it was not a good song. Finland, Bulgaria, Iceland, Denmark, Moldova, San Marino and Serbia were all far better songs. Even ours was a giant step up from the usual garbage we have been putting forward.
Roll on next year.

 

The Scotland v Ukraine World Cup playoff is at Hampden, although they are also in the same group in the Nations League which will be played at a later date.

 

Roll over in that game and they should seek asylum in Ukraine then.

 

Serbia got my douze points.

 

The jury vote got it right, the public more showed their support for the country not the song.