The Euro-VineI hope you all enjoyed the reviews (well, reactions) of the songs competing to be Albania’s entry in Rotterdam next year. Here are my top 20 songs, with tonight’s finalists in bold. Elvana Gjata – “Me tana” Albërie Hadërgjonaj – “Ku ta gjej dikë ta dua” Arilena Ara – “Shaj” Wendi Mancaku – “Ende” Devis […]
Robert Berisha – “Ajo nuk është unë” This song has some stunning musical moments in it, but doesn’t really work for me as a whole. Whilst the backing singers do a lovely job of introducing the song, creating a mysterious vibe, they take valuable time away for musical development later on. Robert has a lovely […]
Kastro Zizo – “Asaj” This is not really my cup of tea. Kastro has a very unusual style of singing- he speak-sings with his raspy voice- and while the emotion is palpable, it’s not easy on the ears and the mood behind the song feels extremely forced to the point where the intended effect is […]
Bojken Lako- Malaseen I have very mixed feelings about this song. I’ll start with what I loved- the chorus is catchy and the melody has a nostalgic feel to it without seeming too dated. The clarinet over the top gives an ethnic vibe which works absolute wonders with the song, and Bojken’s vocals in the […]
Tungjatjeta! Happy start of Eurovision Season everyone! The first national final is well and truly underway, and by tomorrow, we will know the first song of ESC 2020. The Albanian selection show began on Thursday night, and the first 10 artists competed. The reviews will be fairly short, and my initial reaction is what I’m […]
Brief update: It’s been a while since this blog was updated, and I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts on the Albanian line-up of songs this year. However, I am aware that I’ve not updated this blog in a long while- for that I apologise, it’s been a busy few weeks. Given that this is […]
The Albanian national final is back for its 58th edition, and the 20 artists competing have been announced by broadcaster RTSH. With the first semi final less than a month away, let’s take a look at the list, featuring some familiar names. Albërie Hadërgjonaj Aldo Bardhi Arilena Ara Bojken Lako Devis Xherahu Eli Fara & […]
With the first national final just a month away, Eurovision season really is just around the corner, and the delegations are busy preparing. Two artists have already been revealed- Hooverphonic for Belgium and Blas Canto for Spain- and Bulgaria are revealing their artist next week. But how are the other countries selecting their entrant? Here’s […]
After much speculation and anxious waiting by fans, the EBU ended our long wait on Thursday, revealing the finalised list of competing nations for Rotterdam next year. 41 countries are set to compete, with 39 returning from last year, and Bulgaria and Ukraine both coming back after a year out. Sadly, this meant that Hungary’s […]
This is hopefully the first post of many, and I can’t wait to share my ideas and musings with all of you, in addition to keeping you up to date with all things Eurovision. From national final announcements to song reviews to discussions about ways the contest could change, it’ll all be here. Having watched […]
The Euro-Vine