ESC

[Lady B]

It's February, which can only mean one thing... No, I'm not trying to bring that up again! Of course, Februrary can only mean that it's finally time for Melodifestivalen to start again!

What the hell is "Melodifestivalen" you might ask? Well, as any swede would know, it's an extremely popular televised song competition whose name could be translated to "The Melody Festival" where 28 contestants battle it out and prove themselves to be worthy! Worthy of what, you might ask?

Why, to prove themselves worthy of representing Sweden in the 60th annual Eurovision Song Contest, of course! What is the Eurovision Song Contest, you might-- okay, I'll stop doing that... Anyway, the ESC is, just like Melodifestivalen, a live televised song competition, and the competitors are made up of representatives from mostly European nations, although I believe Azerbaijan and Israel participate as well. It is one of the most watched non-sporting events in the world, in fact, last years finals attracted an audience of 195'000'000 viewers worldwide.

So, have you ever heard of ESC? If so, what do you think about it? Do you have any favourite entries?

(The first ever winner of ESC, Lys Assia, back in 1956)

(Last years winner, Conchita Wurst, one of my all time faves)

(ABBA, performing their hit 'Waterloo' in the year of 1974's edition - which marked the start of their international popularity)

(Did you know Celine Dion participated in the year of 1988's edition - for Switzerland?)

(I'm not even sure about this one...)

 

[Windsong]

That's really neat.

Just wish having musical talent or any real talent anymore wasn't about standing in line for hours on end to get on stage for a few minutes to try and impress a couple of drama queen judges on national television.

But that's just me.

I'll keep an eye on this, even if I can't understand it.

 

[redblood]

I always forget to watch until the finale when my friends forces me to come over to see it together with them xD I'm more interested in Eurovision than Melodifestivalen. Usually I just listen to the songs on youtube after the contest is over to see if there were any good songs in it. Usually I find one or two, but Sweden often disappoints me over all xb It feels like it's just the same songs over and over again for most parts.

 

[Lady B]

That's really neat.

Just wish having musical talent or any real talent anymore wasn't about standing in line for hours on end to get on stage for a few minutes to try and impress a couple of drama queen judges on national television.

But that's just me.

I'll keep an eye on this, even if I can't understand it.

I get what you mean, but there are some things I think may need clearing up.

The contestants don't "stand in line" waiting to perform, but I know you probably didn't mean that literally. They actually have a pretty fun and comfortable time in the 'Green Room', an area of couches smack dab in the middle of the audience, and they get to do interviews and stuff during intermissions. Also, there are sketches and bits similar to half-time shows. Swedish smorgasbord, anyone?

Unlike some televised contests, there are no judges making comments and giving critique after each performance. There are judges, several per country participating, in fact, but they're not seen, and their votes only count for about half of the total tally, I think. The rest is decided by telephone votes (power to the people, whoop whoop!) But honestly, I think the judges shouldn't have any say whatsoever. It's an outdated system from back when it just started out, and people couldn't ring in or send text messages to vote.

 

[Windsong]

I get what you mean, but there are some things I think may need clearing up.

The contestants don't "stand in line" waiting to perform, but I know you probably didn't mean that literally. They actually have a pretty fun and comfortable time in the 'Green Room', an area of couches smack dab in the middle of the audience, and they get to do interviews and stuff during intermissions. Also, there are sketches and bits similar to half-time shows. Swedish smorgasbord, anyone?

Unlike some televised contests, there are no judges making comments and giving critique after each performance. There are judges, several per country participating, in fact, but they're not seen, and their votes only count for about half of the total tally, I think. The rest is decided by telephone votes (power to the people, whoop whoop!) But honestly, I think the judges shouldn't have any say whatsoever. It's an outdated system from back when it just started out, and people couldn't ring in or send text messages to vote.

I wasn't saying that stuff in reference to yours, don't know nearly enough to make those assumptions.

Mine was in regards to American Idol if you're familiar with it.

 

[Lady B]

I wasn't saying that stuff in reference to yours, don't know nearly enough to make those assumptions.

Mine was in regards to American Idol if you're familiar with it.

Yup.

Just wanted to state some facts about how ESC is far superior to most televised competitions - such as American Idol.

 

[Koschei]

Fuck yeah!

The rest of the world better prepare themselves, Eurovision is coming.

This will be glorious.

 

[Ser K+]

Eh, I may go eventually, someday, If I ever visit Switzerland.

 

[Lady B]

Eh, I may go eventually, someday, If I ever visit Switzerland.

FYI, the hosting country is the one whose entry won the previous year. This year Austria's hosting because Conchita Wurst won last year, when Denmark was hosting because Emelie Forest won the year prior, when Sweden was hosting because Loreen had won the year before that, and so on.

 

[Ser K+]

FYI, the hosting country is the one whose entry won the previous year. This year Austria's hosting because Conchita Wurst won last year, when Denmark was hosting because Emelie Forest won the year prior, when Sweden was hosting because Loreen had won the year before that, and so on.

:I
[Naivety Intensifies]
Nevermind me then.


Still gonna visit Switzerland, sometime. Maybe.

 

[Lady B]

Some moar Eurovision songs! :D

(L'amour est bleu, a classic!)

(I just couldn't not post this one. I think it received the most highest scores ever, but not the highest total score)

(This one makes me happy!)

(HARD. ROCK. HALLELUJAH!)

(Fly on the wiiiings of looove!)

 

[Halo]

Man, it's been years since I watches ESC. I might this year. Although the UK always put on such a horrifically poor show, which is weird considering how influential the country has been in Western music as a whole.

 

[cider]

Last time I watched the ESC was back in 2011. I was watching it with an Irish chick in Melbourne, and remember making fun of her because of Jedwards ridiculous performance. Little did I know what was in store though, as Eric Saade later came on and embarrassed my nation utterly (I'm Swedish). At least I got laid.

 

[Lady B]

Man, it's been years since I watches ESC. I might this year. Although the UK always put on such a horrifically poor show, which is weird considering how influential the country has been in Western music as a whole.

Well, somewhere along the line they kinda just stopped caring. I don't know if the show's popularity in the UK dwindled as a result of that, or if it's the other way around.

I mean, just LOOK at that...

Although, lately, it feels like they're trying to pick things up again, by sending entries with some big names involved, such as Andrew Lloyd Weber, Engelbert Humperdinck, and Bonnie Tyler.

The entries I was referring to:

 

[redblood]

Here's all the Swedish winners. Cause why not? :3

This one is my favorite Swedish winner:

 

[Hatsune Candy]

Maaan, just another cool thing I gotta miss out on cuz I live in bloody America. The majority of people I know online live somewhere in Europe, so I'm honestly a little surprised I've never heard of ESC before.

 

[redblood]

Maaan, just another cool thing I gotta miss out on cuz I live in bloody America. The majority of people I know online live somewhere in Europe, so I'm honestly a little surprised I've never heard of ESC before.

Pssst, you can watch Eurovision on youtube. They upload the whole finale show shortly after they're done :D Though since they do air the shows online now a days too, you can always try to find a live stream that works in your country once it's time.

Here's last years full show if you wanna take a look and see if you wanna try watching it this year :3 And before you get confused over the commentary over the speaker, every country has their own commentary person so people can get stuff explained in their own language. I have no idea why they need one in English when most of it is spoken in English anyways, but I guess they didn't want to be different. xD

 

[Dervish]

The nice thing about music is that you don't need to speak the language to appreciate and enjoy it. It's also a nice way to bring people together across borders.

 

[Lady B]

With two legs of the race finished, four entries have been chosen to compete in the finals of Melodifestivalen to decide which one of them goes to ESC in Vienna this May, and four have been chosen to participate in the "Second Chance", which as the name implies, is a second chance for the entries to make their way to the finals.

The entries that have made their way to the finals are sort of kept under lock down at the moment to ensure fair play, but here are some entries that I like which have been eliminated:

Molly Pettersson Hammar with "I'll Be Fine"
http://www.svt.se/melodifestivalen/artister/2015/molly-pettersson-hammar/

Elize Ryd & Rickard Söderberg with "One By One"
http://www.svt.se/melodifestivalen/artister/2015/elize-ryd-och-rickard-soderberg/

Marie Begman & Sanne Salomonsen with "Nonetheless"
http://www.svt.se/melodifestivalen/artister/2015/marie-bergman-och-sanne-salomonsen/

Emelie Irewald with "Där Och Då Med Dig" (translated: "Then And There With You")
http://www.svt.se/melodifestivalen/artister/2015/emelie-irewald/

I was probably the most sad when the top and bottom entries got eliminated, because I really, really liked them. The middle two are sort of "feelgood" songs, one with slightly more power and one that is more mellow, so them getting eliminated also made me sad. What do you guys think of them?

 

[redblood]

Melodifestivalen has its finale tonight to decide who will go on to Eurovision, and I am so happy that they got Conchita Wurst (last years winner) to come and sing the opening :D

-Gets annoyed at Filippa Bark's bad humor and forgets about Conchita being amazing-