This is a decent little pop song, but it doesn’t quite hit the mark. It’s nice to listen to, and easy on the ears, but lacks impact and is quite forgettable. The chorus is driving and easily the best bit of the song- I love the synthy feels in the instrumental, but feel that the song relies on those synthy chords a little too much, overusing them, and the pre-chorus just sounds a little…zany? We don’t really have distinct instrumental sections- it all feels a little samey throughout. My biggest issue is, however, that Uku sings throughout the whole song, but the vocal line doesn’t really go anywhere or take any risks- it all sounds the same, albeit different rhythms. I do like the harmonies in the bridge though- we have a moment of quiet compared to the rest of the song and it’s a nice contrast, especially with the effects. However, the song sort of all blends in together and the result is I don’t really remember any particular part- we have the synth throughout, Uku’s vocals play it safe and don’t really explore a huge range (which would be okay if the instrumental varied) and I can’t really sense any build, meaning the song is unfortunately stuck in one place, and then it ends very suddenly. I don’t dislike the song- apart from some slightly painful rhymes at the start, the lyrics are ok, but given how lyric heavy the song is (without any purely instrumental bits) they need to be stronger to have an impact and hook me in. I feel like more is needed to elevate this- it just feels a little too safe, and that means the song doesn’t reach its full potential. Yes, it’s okay, but it needs something more.
Prediction: I don’t think this song is going to qualify- it’s not particularly memorable or exciting, and without a good staging I can see this being forgotten, outshadowed by the bigger songs. It’s bad luck he’s performing in the dreaded second position, straight after San Marino, but the song needs to bring something spectacular to the staging to have a real chance.
Photo credit: Karl Saare
39. Portugal- Love is on my Side
The Euro-Vine 