Although this song doesn’t show off Tornike’s killer vocals, it is beautiful and heartfelt, showing another side to Tornike, a softer, gentler, more vulnerable one. However, the song just doesn’t hold my interest at all, unfortunately. It’s a shame, because there is a true, authentic beauty in this song’s simplicity: yes, the lyrics are very forgettable and uninspiring, but this allows the instrumental to shine. The strings and bells give a soothing, longing feel, and it really underpins the song’s yearning. The instrumental also compliments Tornike’s voice perfectly, knowing when to take centre stage and when to fade back, giving the piece a very well-rounded feel. It’s almost cinematic- not quite strong enough to hold its own, but accompanying a story where we’re connected to the characters, really quite sweet and moving. But then, and this is my main complaint, we get this sudden ‘my love’ belted out at the top of Tornike’s lungs and that soft, delicate mood is thrown to the wind. Don’t get me wrong- this is powerful, but it just comes out of absolutely nowhere and shifts the entire mood. I feel like the song needed to stay quiet, or work on building up throughout, to make the final section less jarring. Still, the ending itself is very cute. I do like this ballad- it’s authentic, soothing and very sweet, but it just misses the mark with the weak lyrics and choppy transition at the end. It’s a bit dull overall, and could use some fine-tuning, but on the whole it is very understated and emotive, with huge potential.
Prediction: unfortunately, I can’t see this making it out of the semi finals- not only is it likely to get lost in the string of ballads but it’s up against some stiff competition as far as emotive ballads go with Bulgaria and Switzerland likely to overshadow it. A cute staging could elevate the song, but I worry Tornike lacks the charisma to really sell this: he can sing, that’s proven, but he has the same facial expression throughout the entire music video, and I worry he’ll struggle to connect with the viewers.
Photo credit: Timo Kvirkvelia
38. Estonia- The Lucky One
39. Portugal- Love is on my Side
The Euro-Vine 