I told myself never to use the word 'tune' as I have done in my title but now I have. So... yeah. Anyway, as Eurovision if over for another year (why, God, why?!) I can finally share some music that has nothing to do with the contest. That's right, I do listen to other stuff too. So, what's new on my iPod?
Emeli Sandé - Abide With Me
Emeli Sandé is a fantastic singer, there is nothing I've heard from her that I dislike and Abide With Me is no different. As I'm sure many of you will know Sandé featured rather heavily in this year's Olympic ceremonies having performed this song in the opening ceremony as a tribute to those who died in the 7/7 bombings, and it truly was a beautiful tribute. Sandé's vocals are truly beautiful and soft, something which is evident in the final moments of the song when she sings a capella. The music, or general lack thereof, gives the song a haunting, mournful side which is emphasised by the beginning bell chime, the heartbeat throughout and the violins which play later in the song. This is the kind of song that makes you fall silent when you listen to it. It will make you stop in your tracks and think. All I can say is that the American's really missed out by not broadcasting this section of the opening ceremony. Dragonette - Live In This City
Dragonette - you know, Martina Sorbara (lead singer) provided the vocals to Martin Solveig's Hello? Yeah, that's the one! Anyway, the point in my opener there was that NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE LISTEN TO DRAGONETTE!!! This song is their 2nd single from their upcoming 3rd studio album, Bodyparts, the previous single being Let It Go which is equally/more amazing than this song. Live In This City is a fun, upbeat song which reminds me of Rogue Traders (Voodoo Child) before they went downhill after Natalie Bassingthwaighte left as lead singer. If you fail to enjoy this song, fail to enjoy the rock elements then I really don't see how you ever manage to have fun. Carrie Underwood - Blown Away
This is the first time I've ever paid attention to Carrie Underwood, winner of American Idol 4, mainly because she is a country singer and country isn't really my thing. This song however is less country and more rock/pop. The biggest draw to this sing, for me anyway, are the lyrics. There are some fantastic lines such as "There’s not enough rain in Oklahoma/To wash the sins out of that house/There’s not enough wind in Oklahoma/To rip the nails out of the past" and "Listened to the screaming of the wind/Some people called it taking shelter/She called it sweet revenge". The lyrics are dark, the song in general is dark and has a kind of 'twisted fairytale' theme that, as some of you will know, I love. There are, of course, other songs I've acquired lately that I like but they're more mainstream and what would be the point in sharing those?! I hope you give these songs a chance and maybe even go crazy and add them to your iPods or whatever. Liam
As widely predicted by bookies, fans and even me Loreen won the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 with "Euphoria" - the song won with 372 points, the second highest score in Eurovision history, just 15 away from Alexander Rybak's record. Euphoria did break the record for most '12 points' awarded, namely 18. Out of the 41 countries that could have awarded Sweden points, 40 of them did, Italy being the only country not to award Sweden anything - crazy!
Euphoria is currently number 3 in the British charts making it the most successful winning Eurovision song since 1997 and the most successful foreign Eurovision entry/winner since 1987. It's great to see Euphoria doing so well here especially as it is expected to become a massive summer hit in many parts of Europe.
For those of you who didn't see it (what were you doing that was more important?!?) here's Loreen winning the contest and her victory performance of Euphoria at Eurovision:
A quick note about the UK, while the song was pleasant and very well sung there's no escaping the fact that it was boring and completely lost amongst the fantastic competition this year, we should be grateful just to have avoided last place (poor Norway). The media and public have gone a little mental saying we should pull out of the contest because it's all political (very, very sore losers) but I will defend the contest to a hilt, I do not believe that the contest is political, countries voting for their neighbours is not political, it's a cultural thing. Singers who are successful in Russia, for example, will be famous in Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, etc because they share media and music tastes and the same goes for the Nords (Sweden, Norway, Finland, etc) and even the UK and Ireland. It is not Europe hating us, it is the BBC selecting the most random people and allowing us to be represented by frankly inferior songs. Also, we don't consistently do badly, in recent years we've come 11th (2011), 5th (2009) and 3rd (2002) - the BBC just needs to put the effort in!
And that is it for another year, Eurovision is over - how depressing! Though I imagine a lot of people will be pleased that I will finally stop posting, talking and whatnot-ing about Eurovision on a constant loop but Euphoria has earned itself a permanent place on my iPod so it's not all bad!
If you haven't already, go and buy Euphoria, it is a fantastic song! Don't let the fact that it is a Eurovision song dampen the fact that it is a genuinely good song that would chart well out of Eurovision x
Until Eurovision that is! Amazingly excited - though these exams keep me grounded - and, as promised, here is my last pre-Eurovision top 10 as decided by my iTunes play counts. Quite a few changes here, there are just so many good songs - how can I limit myself to 10?! Here's my first top 10, my second top 10 and finally, this week's top 10:
1 Point Azerbaijan: Sabina Babayeva - When the Music Dies
Round: Final
1st score: 0 points
2nd score: 10 points
2 Points
Romania: Mandinga - Zaleilah
Round: Semi-final 1
1st score: 2 points
2nd score: 0 points
3 Points
Ukraine: Gaitana - Be My Guest
Round: Semi-final 2
1st score: 1 point
2nd score: 6 points
4 Points
Iceland: Greta Salóme & Jónsi - Never Forget
Round: Semi-final 1
1st score: 0 points
2nd score: 0 points
5 Points
France: Anggun - Echo (You and I)
Round: Final
1st score: 3 points
2nd score: 2 points
6 Points
Norway: Tooji - Stay
Round: Semi-final 2
1st score: 10 points
2nd score: 8 points
7 Points
Italy: Nina Zilli - L'amore è femmina (Out of Love)
Round: Final
1st score: 4 points
2nd score: 3 points
8 Points
Austria: Trackshittaz - Woki Mit Deim Popo
Round: Semi-final 1
1st score: 7 points
2nd score: 1 point
10 Points
Cyprus: Ivi Adamou - La La Love
Round: Semi-final 1
1st score: 8 points
2nd score: 7 points
12 Points
Sweden: Loreen - Euphoria
Round: Semi-final 2
1st score: 12 points
2nd score: 12 points
So some big changes and no surprises here - Sweden is a complete non-mover, easily my favourite entry and it looks likely to win.
Entries no longer in my top 10: - Greece - Russia
Entries that returned to the top 10: - Romania
New entries in my top 10: - Iceland
Entries that featured in every top 10: - Austria - Cyprus - France - Italy - Norway - Sweden - Ukraine
Hopefully at some point next week I will make a post about my party preparations so you can use some of the ideas to celebrate Eurovision yourself. I've already posted the party playlist so on the next post I'll hopefully include things like drinks, food, decorations blah, blah, blah and, very importantly, the rules to my adaptation of Finnish drinking rules - ooooooh!
For any non-Eurovision fans still reading this post and indeed this blog, I still love you and it'll all be over soon! x
There are just two weeks to go until we are well into Eurovision week (22nd - 26th May) so today and then next Wednesday I will post my top 10 most played 2012 Eurovision songs and then we can see: 1) if there are any changes between them and my first top 10 (which you can see here); 2) if any of my most listened to songs will make it into the final; and 3) how they fare (if any make it) in the Grand Final. I should point out that my personal choice of winner has only ever matched the actual winner once and that was Lena with "Satellite" in 2010. It seems that Europe and I have different tastes...
1 Point
Austria: Trackshittaz - Woki Mit Deim Popo
Round: Semi-final 1
Previous score: 7
2 Points
France: Anggun - Echo (You and I)
Round: Final
Previous score: 3
3 Points
Italy: Nina Zilli - L'amore è femmina (Out of Love)
Round: Final
Previous score: 4
4 Points
Russia: Buranovskiye Babushki - Party for Everybody
Round: Semi-final 1
Previous score: N/A
5 Points
Greece: Eleftheria Eleftheriou - Aphrodisiac
Round: Semi-final 1
Previous score: N/A
6 Points
Ukraine: Gaitana - Be My Guest
Round: Semi-final 2
Previous score: 1
7 Points
Cyprus: Ivi Adamou - La La Love
Round: Semi-final 1
Previous score: 8
8 Points
Norway: Tooji - Stay
Round: Semi-final 2
Previous score: 10
10 Points
Azerbaijan: Sabina Babayeva - When the Music Dies
Round: Final
Previous score: N/A
12 Points
Sweden: Loreen - Euphoria
Round: Semi-final 2
Previous score: 12
3 new entries here: Azerbaijan, Greece and Russia who have displaced Bulgaria, Denmark and Romania who were in my last top 10. Azerbaijan surprises me slightly because it's a ballad and they usually bore me but I like this one, clearly a lot. All but 2 of the songs on the list here which were on the previous list have fallen, the biggest being Austria who fell from 7 points to 1. As I expected, Sweden has remained on top - such a brilliant song! It is expected to win the second semi-final and to go on and win the contest altogether. If so, I am DEFINITELY going to Sweden for Eurovision next year!
The hope is, following my last top 10, this top 10 and my next top 10, that I can post a little something about who I would like and who I expect to progress from the semi-finals on Tuesday 22nd and Thursday 24th but what with me having exams we'll have to wait and see! I will hopefully also post on the Saturday before the final as I prepare for le party.
Again, feel free to share your comments, your top 10 - I am seriously interested! Eurovision-mad! x
That's right, another Eurovision-based post, this time I'm just sharing my Eurovision party playlist. Wtih just over a month to go until the contest kicks off, it is VERY important (for me at least) to start thinking about how to top last year's party and where better to start than with the pre/post-contest music? Feel free to take ideas from this year's playlist or last year's for your own party, also, feel free to tell me if I'm missing any essentials or have a go at me for including some Eurovision songs you'd rather forget.
The party this year will be on May 26th, the same night as the live final, and is very conveniently two days after my final, final-year exam so I don't have to feel guilty for not revising (as if I would anyway)!
This year's playlist is 48 tracks long, I have somehow managed to more than double the length of my 2011 playlist! The playlist does not include 2012 entries, save those for the show! The worst thing is that this playlist is only gonna get longer every year as I add songs from the previous contest...
10 of these are winning entries (2, 4, 8, 13, 19, 26, 28, 29, 31 & 38)
Amazingly there are more UK entries than any other, there are 7. The next highest is Ukraine & Moldova with 4.
Most of the songs come from last year's contest - 2011 - then 2010 (9), 2009 (8) and 2008 (7); proof that Eurovision gets better every year?!
Only 4 of these songs are pre-2000: 3 winners & 3 UK entries (2/3 winners there)
Song 43 (Sieneke - Ik Ben Verliefd (Sha-la-lie)) is the only song in the list to have not actually been in the Eurovision final but it's a fun song so I thought best not to leave it out!
Any thoughts on this year's playlist? Do let me know!
For European readers, ESC 2012 will take place on the 22nd (1st semi-fianl), 24th (2nd semi-final) and 26th (the final) May. For non-European readers, the final and the semi-finals will be broadcast live on the Eurovision website - don't miss it!! x
We are fast approaching what I like to call 'Eurovision season' - I say 'fast approaching' but we are already there really, for me it means Eurovision starts when all the songs have been chosen; the last song to be be picked was The Social Network Song, on 22nd March, which will be San Marino's entry. The season ends about a week after the contest, once I start getting bored with the vast majority of the songs.
As I've mentioned on the blog before I do like a Eurovision party, and this year will be no different - there will be the usual banners, munchies, alcohol and music. I've created a new playlist and I will, like the sad-mad-obsessed-fool that I am, be sharing the tracklist. You never know, you might like some ideas for a playlist of your own. Everyone loves a Eurovision party!
Moving on - due to a rather large amount of boredom, I wondered what my top 10 Eurovision 2012 songs are so far. Fellow Eurovision fans will know that only the top 10 countries will get points based on this system: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 & 12. So here are my top 10 so far...
1 point Ukraine: Gaitana - Be My Guest
2 points Romania: Mandinga - Zaleilah
3 points France: Anggun - Echo (You & I)
4 points Italy: Nina Zilli - L'amore è femmina (Out of Love)
5 points Denmark: Soluna Samay - Should've Known Better
6 points Bulgaria: Sofi Marinova - Love Unlimited
7 points Austria: Trackshittaz - Woki Mit Deim Popo
My top 10 are based on their number of plays on iTunes so they're probably very likely to change, except for Sweden's entry anyway, that song has made its way to my top 25 so...
Eurovision isn't for everybody so if you made it this far down the post - WELL DONE!! And seeing as you made it this far, why not tell me your favourites and criticise/praise my Euro top 10? The Eurovision final this year is May 26th - CANNOT WAIT. Diolch am ddarllen x
Two posts in quick succession? Madness! And to be honest this post will be a trip into madness as I felt that I MUST share this song with my readers. It is a song by the Moldavian group SunStroke Project and singer Olia Tira who are in the running to represent Moldova in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 with their song "Superman":
It kind of reminds me of some kind of mix of "We No Speak Americano" and "Mr. Saxobeat" which can only be a good thing. This is just 1 of 85 songs hoping to represent Moldova and I hope they win it, the song is really fun and they have experience having represented Moldova before in 2010 with one of my favourite songs that year, "Run Away":
How can Moldova not want them back?! Anyways, back to revision - sigh. Hope you enjoyed my brief moment of procrastination in Eurovision land! Liam x
Enough procrastination! It's been a while since my last post but the summer holidays are upon me so I can start blogging again properly, yay! My last blog project was to write about me which started with a bit of a blurb about me (here) and then I moved on to list my most played songs but that went appallingly so instead I'm going to list all 25 right here and now!
1. Satellite - Lena And there you have it - finally! Let me know what you think, I am genuinely surprised at the amount of pop and Eurovision songs there are!
Eurovision is coming!!! On Saturday 14th May, 25 countries from across Europe will compete in the Eurovision Song Contest, the biggest television event in Europe and, debatably, the second biggest in the world. Tonight (May 12th) is the second semi-final which I am, of course, looking forward to! Saturday night will basically be full of food, drinks, flags, games, glow sticks and even a little bit of a dress-up and for the occasion I have made a 23-track playlist of pure Eurovision tracks. The tracks contribute to a party atmosphere and so there is a variety of countries, winners, languages but all can either be sang along to or danced to - maybe even both?! 2011 songs have not been included because they'd lessen the stage presence of the actual performances on the night - which is a shame because there are some great songs this year!
How about some trivia? 8 of these are winning songs. Amazingly 4 of them are British, amazing because I usually dislike UK entries - tied with Ukraine whose entries I usually love. Most of these songs are from the 2010 contest (5) closely followed by 4 from 2009 and another 4 from 2008. 19 of these songs are from the 00s onwards, specifically 2006 onwards, while only 4 are from before the 00s and all but one of those 4 are from the UK.
So as you can see there are some very modern Eurovision tunes along some unforgettable classics - good playlist? I think so :) Roll on Saturday!!
Liam x
I wonder how accurate music is in defining a person so by continuing my iTunes based biography I'm hoping that there is some correlation between my personality and the genre/artist/lyrics/whatever of my most listened to songs. So here we go with the next 5 tracks!
20. Action - Anastasia Prikhodko (166 plays)
Number 21 featured Ukrainian pop and so does number 20! Another fun, upbeat, synth-y/pop-y song. Just something fun to listen to, I can't really relate to the lyrics/artist so there's no significant detail to take here.
Another Eurovision song and yet again another song with no significant meaning, just very fun.
18. Fame Kills - Dangerous Muse (168 plays)
There are several reasons why I like this song. The lyrics are random while having an abstract meaning to them which I like. The music is amazing, it's dance/electronic with an 8-bit heart (also known as chiptune) which provdes an amazing foot tapping/head bobbing beat. For me the lyrics offer a warning "Before the tide turns, Before the stars are blind, Before the sun, And the explosion, Before the fame kills" it all spells 'limited time'. Do it now or face the consequences. Overall an amazing song at a lengthy 6:52!
17. Promise This - Cheryl Cole (169 plays)
A song that does have some meaning through its lyrics but I essentially like it for its music. Again, just a bit of fun, it was in every club around the beginning of the last academic year and it stuck. Its a bit old now so I am now waiting for it to slip out of the top 25 altogether.
16. Tea Party - Kerli (182 plays)
LOVE this song and this artist! Kerli (pronounced 'curly' in America) is an Estonian artist with the most amazing style of music, it's what I like to call 'creepy pop' and what she calls 'bubble goth'. Her music is very upbeat and mainly pop but it always has a dark twist in lyrics and her music can accommodate this through the use of synths and rock influences. This song is especially good because it is all about Alice in Wonderland, which, again, I love. I also quote one particular lyric in everyday use. 'Fothermucker'. Genius.
These 5 singles are mainly for fun with just two having more of a definitive reason for being in my 25. I suppose these songs would say that I like fun, but then again, who doesn't like fun? Bhy the looks of it, the next 5 will be a lot more useful in helping my little test so stay tuned!
Liam x
While I'm 'insighting' (it's a made-up word I rather like, don't confuse with inciting!) I thought I could share my music by showing you my iTunes top 25. I will omit nothing, so anything embarrassing will be featured and, to add to said embarrassment, I will include the number of plays. I think the music someone listens to can help define them, though of course it's not an absolute science.
25. Firework - Katy Perry (139 plays)
Brilliant song, brilliant singer. It's an up-tempo, uplifting song though I love pretty much anything by Katy Perry so it's no surprise she's in my top 25.
24. Parachute - Cheryl Cole (147 plays)
You know when you're in a relationship with someone and you may have a song? Well this was my song with a certain guy featured in The Aber Affair. It's been over a year since we broke up but I played this so much while we were together and after we broke up that it's managed to stay in the top 25 despite falling so many places.
23. Her Name is Alice - Shinedown (148 plays)
I am a massive fan of anything Alice in Wonderland and this song is taken from the soundtrack to Tim Burton's film adaptation or 'sequel', whatever you wanna call it. The song is a rock song that tells the story of Alice through a darker twist which I love.
22. Part of Me - Katy Perry (156 plays) Gorgeous song, again uplifting but I just can't pinpoint exactly what it is I love about this song. The music is amazing, the lyrics are beautiful and they create a fantastic combination. (Lack of video is due to the fact the song is leaked, rumoured to be on a deluxe version of Teenage Dream).
21. Be My Valentine (Anti-Crisis Girl) - Svetlana Loboda (158 plays)
Ukrainian pop = amazing! This song is just pure fun, very dance-y and pop-y. This song was used to represent Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Russia and I was very disappointed to see it come 11th. A song just for fun, this song has been in my top 25 for over 2 years!
A nice start I think, mainly pop with a bit of rock thrown in, mainly fun, uplifting stuff with a twist which probably does go a long way to describe me.
Next 5 to come soon!
Liam x
Eurovision is coming!!! On Saturday 14th May, 25 countries from across Europe will compete in the Eurovision Song Contest, the biggest television event in Europe and, debatably, the second biggest in the world. Tonight (May 12th) is the second semi-final which I am, of course, looking forward to! Saturday night will basically be full of food, drinks, flags, games, glow sticks and even a little bit of a dress-up and for the occasion I have made a 23-track playlist of pure Eurovision tracks. The tracks contribute to a party atmosphere and so there is a variety of countries, winners, languages but all can either be sang along to or danced to - maybe even both?! 2011 songs have not been included because they'd lessen the stage presence of the actual performances on the night - which is a shame because there are some great songs this year!
