ESPERANTO
Eurovision 2020: Gone But Not Forgotten
WORDS BY Thiamando Pavilidis @thiamand_no ART BY Madison Marshall @madagasc.art
Every year, the countries of Europe (plus a few nearby, most recently Australia), unite to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest. Sadly for us diehards, this year’s contest, much like every other good thing in the world recently, was cancelled. That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the 2020 entries! Here’s a few of my personal favourites that are worth checking out!
[OMITTED] RUSSIA: Little Big — UNO
LITHUANIA: The Roop — On Fire
If you know Little Big from their viral 2018 rave hit This was to be one of the first times Lithuania was a ‘Skibidi’, then you’d know that this year’s entry is a favourite to win, and rightly so. Indie pop/rock isn’t a step away from the usual dramatic ballads Russia genre usually featured in Eurovision, but band The brings. ‘UNO’ is a strange combination of tango and Roop managed to do it, and do it well. The song itself rave music, with lyrics in both English and Spanish. is a fun combination of synth and guitars with some While the song itself is a bit of a fun mess, the perfor- fun vocals from frontman Vaidotas Valiukevičius, but mance is what bumps it up to my top five. The two the real appeal of this entry is the performance. Valilead singers and three backup singers — clad in latex ukevičius begins by writhing around on stage, wearing and mesh flares, of course — bounce off each other a white turtleneck and dramatically loose black pants. lyrically whilst maintaining blank, expressionless faces The first thing my brother said after viewing this was, the whole time. Then there’s the dancing, including “how sad, I’ll never be able to see this for the first time some kind of leg flapping and minimalistic hand moagain.” This is because at about halfway, two backup tions. This isn’t even the best part — the performance dancers appear on stage with Valiukevičius and is stolen by the dancing gentleman to the left of the engage in what might be the most ridiculous choreogstage in a pastel blue jumpsuit and headband, doing raphy involving a lot of huge arm movements and jazz the absolute most. Whilst not my favourite entry, hands over the head. At some point, the dancers also Russia certainly gave a very memorable performance find magnifying glasses and play around with them. this year. 7.5/10. It’s complete madness, but in the best way. 8.5/10
AUSTRALIA: Montaigne — Don’t Break Me
Initially upon hearing about Montaigne joining our national selection competition, I was concerned she’d be too Triple J-esque for Europe. Boy, was I surprised by the sheer emotion Montaigne brought with ‘Don’t Break Me’, both lyrically and physically. I was lucky enough to attend Eurovision: Australia Decides and see this performance live on stage. You’ll notice Montaigne maintains eye contact with the camera the entire time. While in the crowd, I found this didn’t translate well live — there was a cameraman blocking my view half the time. However, upon seeing the video online of the same performance, I realised exactly how dynamic the staging was, especially with elaborate choreography from both a blue-haired Montaigne and her dancers. Overall, a powerful song with a powerful performance that would’ve made Australia proud. 8/10. 24
UKRAINE: Go_A — Solovey (Nightingale) This year I found out my new favourite genre of music was electro-folk, thanks to Go_A. You’ll note that this is the only song on this list to be performed in the country’s native language, and that singer Kateryna Pavlenko’s vocals are a traditional style we may not be used to. Poland used the same vocal technique last year and it sounded like a kindergarten concert, but with ‘Solovey’ I find the combination of modern and traditional quite haunting. Then there’s the staging. Everything you’d expect from Eurovision. You’ve got the dramatic drums, the mysterious flute, and the pyrotechnics... Of course, there’s Pavlenko’s dress — a structural red masterpiece with a tight black leather undershirt that wouldn’t look out of place on a Jean Paul Gaultier runway. Also, in the last twenty seconds, there’s a guy with flames coming out of his guitar. Need I say more? 9/10.
