He is the betting companies favourite to win Eurovision 2016.
Norway barely made the top 20!!! (At number 20..) And England is even further down on 25th place.
Well we did tell you our entries suck.... And I'm sure our favourites, which you can see here, would have gotten much better odds....
Surprisingly, young plagiarising hearththrob Frans, from Sweden, gets the second best odds of winning the competition... What?? Did they hear his song?? It might be the most boring song in the history of songs..
However... For some reason, boring songs have a tendency to win ESC from time to time... And also.. the hosting country always get a lot of courtesy votes... So let's not get too hung up on that.
And while we're sort of on the subject of plagiarism, it doesn't look like the EBU(European broadcast union) thinks Frans has actually copied that other song...And according to EBU-chief (and Norwegian) Jan Ola Sand, they haven't recieved a complaint from Matt Simons record label either, so they're just not that bothered with the whole situation.
Here is the top 10 list of likely winners, according to oddschecker.com (I'm not putting in the odds because I don't understand them, and frankly I don't care..)
1: Russia
2: Sweden
3: Croatia
4: Australia
5: Malta
6: Latvia
7: France
8: Serbia
9: Ukraine
10: Azerbaijan
What jumps out to me as strange here is first of all Ukraine.. With their very likely to be disqualified song about Soviet invation of the Crimean peninsula...in 1944..but still..
And Malta! When has Malta EVER had a good entry!?! NEVER! Thats when!
We might have to do a review of these songs in a later blogpost..
But as for now we are happy to see that our Eurovision instincts (regarding the winner, at least) are spot on.
I the wake of our shock and horror of the plagiarism suspicions against Frans from Sweden we have dug a bit deeper into the ugly world of Eurovision rulebreaking.
As every Eurovision fan knows the competition has a ton of rules. A song can't be longer than 3 minutes, there can't be more than 6 people on stage and so on.
Following the simple rules I just mentioned is really never a problem for the contestants. I can't remember a single time someone was disqualified for smugling an extra person on stage...
However...
What seems to be more difficult is writing an original song that does not have some sort of political message. And year after year after year contestants are disqualified for these exact reasons.
And 2016 is no exeption.
As it turns out Frans wasn't even the first plagiarising Swede this year.
Anna Book was supposed to compete in Melodifestivalen with her song "En himmel för två",
but after the Swedish national broadcaster SVT published a little snippet of her entry, observant viewers pointed out that it bore a striking resemblance to the song "Taking care of a broken heart" by artist Felicia Dunaf.
This song was an entry in the Moldovan national competition in 2014, although it didn't go through. (I must say I'm amazed at how serious and updated the hardcore Eurovision fans are.... I may need to step up my game a little bit...)
As a resault Anna was disqualified.
The exact same thing happened to Stéphanie Palazzo from Switzerland. Her song "Perché mi guardi cosi?" was releasen in 2013, sung in a different language.
Hungarian band Misztrál and their song "Reggeli reggea" was thrown out for releasing the song before September 1. 2015, which is also strictly forbidden.
A far more stupid example from the national competitions is Norways Freddy Kalas, who "accidentally" plagiarised himself...
Turned out the chorus of his song "Happy rush" was pretty much exactly the same as a song he wrote in 2011.
He was, unlike the other plagiarisers, alowed to re-write his song a little bit and stay in the competition. Luckilly he didn't make it through to the international final, as his "new" song "Feel da rush" is God awfull.
Here you have it with sign languge interpretation for maximun entertaiment
On a more serious note, Germanys first choice, Xavier Naidoo, was also sort of disqualified this year. But not by breaking the rules per se.
After Naidoo was chosen by the radio station NDR to represent Germany, a lot of accusations of him beeing homofobic, racist and anti semitic surfaced. There are several things that have contributed to this reputation, and I wont go in to all of them, but one example is that he had a hidden track on one of his earlier releases with lyrics that seem to equate homosexuals with paedophiles.
(Why he would even want to participate in what is basicly a happy sparkling gay festival is baffling to me... but whatever..)
After the harsh backlash the German broadcaster ARD decided not to send Naidoo
Thomas Schreiber, coordinator from the German broadcasters ARD, told Eurovision.tv
"Xavier Naidoo is a brilliant singer who is, according to my own opinion, neither racist nor homophobe. It was clear that his nomination would polarise opinions, but we were surprised about the negative response. The Eurovision Song Contest is a fun event, in which music and the understanding between European people should be the focus. This characteristic must be kept at all costs. The ongoing discussion about Naidoo could harm the image of the Eurovision Song Contest.
This is why Naidoo will not represent Germany.
As previously mentioned all the entries will be scrutinized before they are allowed on stage in Stockholm.
And Frans isn't the only one causing a bit of extra exitement.
Ukraine have obviously chosen to ignore the rulebook, and is sending a song about Soviet Moscow’s (aka Stalin's) repression of the Crimean Tatar community...
...ok... Old news, one might say, but still it's politics. (And it isn't all that hard to see how this can relate to Russias recent escapades in the area.. )
Again, time will tell who will actually make it to the stage on May 14.
Swedens own 17 year old heartthrob Frans is being investigated for plagiarism.
Oh the shock!! The horror!!
Some critics claim the Swedes Eurovision contribution "If I were sorry" sounds a lot like American artist Matt Simons 2014 hit song "Cach and release".
Here is Frans:
And here's Matt Simon:
A representative from Simons record label pointed out the songs similarities even before Frans entered the Melodifestivalen stage on saturday.
Leading up to the international final all the 43 contributing songs will be checked for what they call "inaccuracies" before they are cleared to participate.
Eurovision "general" (Who by the way is Norwegian..) Jan Ola Sand, told the Swedish newspaper Expressent that if they find any evidence of plagiarism Frans will not be allowed to represent his own country on home turf in Stockholm in May.
Very curious to see what will happen then... Will they send slick rick Robin Bengtsson who came in second, with an even more boring song? Will they have to do the whole Melodifestivalen again? (Oh yes! Please do!! More Eurovision for us :))
As we are flat broke but still very keen on partying and socialising, I am introducing Matt to the grand Norwegian tradition of the vorspiel. A German word, but in my experience the Germans neither use the phrase nor the practice to any extent...
Anyway... Norwegians aren't known for being poor, but we were once upon a time. So I would say cheapness is in our DNA. And the vorspiel is basically a pre-party, where we get drunk at somebody's house before we go out, to save money...
What could be better? :)
Yes, I know! Having some Eurovision to keep us entertained while getting drunk. And lo and behold, Sweden's Melodifestivalen!
Matt here. Yep. This getting drunk on cheap wine before you go out is a winner, and doing it while shouting at the Swedes on TV scores bonus points with my Norwegian comrade.
The mighty Sweden, record winners of Eurovision and current holders, have dropped the ball in 2016.
They, and the weird international jury they have voting in their heats, have voted for a young tyke with a bewildering underwhelming song. 17 year old Frans looks happy to be let off his homework for the evening, and his almost catatonic song 'If I Were Sorry' never gets off the ground, let alone soars into the usual Eurovision madness.
It's far from Irelend's legendary Dustin the Turkey, but you get the feeling that Stockholm council have had a word with the organisers and made clear that they can't afford to stage Eurovision for a 3rd time in 5 or 6 years.
So, with the big Swedish beast sending a song destined for middling at best, our money is still on Russia, with a song that gets better and better and better the more I hear it. The only thing that could stop it might be real world politics...
Ida back: A BIG highlight of the evening was Victoria. Not her weird hybrid cross between country and disco song, but her absolutely fantastic look.
She looked like a modern disco wonderwoman with a white fro. LOOOOOVES IT
Suffice it to say, as with the Norwegian public's catastrophic ignorance of the Hungry Hearts (see previos post), Sweden instead chose an analogous ditty that trundles along for a while and then ends like it's suddenly embarrased to be onstage. The shame.
Yes Sweden! This means we're not even waiting to se what you're sending.
And not the other previous winners Serbia and Azerbaijan, either, for that matter. Their national competitions are this weekend. So are France and Lithuania's. (Yes I know France has won the competition too, but last time was in 1977, and that seriously doesn't count anymore... Even though they should have won i 2014..Just saying.... But now I'm rambling... Whatever! I can ramble. This is my blog after all...)
Anyway..Back to the issue. Hee's Russia. It's all over bar the scoring :-)
Ok, so Sergey Lazarev is making the age old Eurovision mistake of copying last years winner a little bit. But hey, if the copy is better that the original I'm all for it. Im really hoping Sergey will take a cue from Måns Zelmerlöw when it comes to stage performance as well.
Mmmm, Sergey Lazarev (-Matt.).
Given the extraordinary video, I can't wait to see it live on a Stockholm stage :D
...as in, not this crappy one where rubbish songs get chosen by the ridiculous people of our countries (Norway & UK respectively), these would be our choices:
Norway (Ida)
Since the beginning of time Norway have always sent deadly dull ballads or a faded copy of earlier winners to the Eurovision. Why, why, oh why can we never send something fun???? But when I saw this performance from Norway's Melodi Grand Prix my heart literally skipped at least one beat, and not only because I was a little drunk..
FINALLY!!! I thought.. Norway has understood what the Eurovision is about: a catchy tune and a fabulous show. Never mind the lyrics. (Im sure the space dog Laika missed more than disco up there...) Half of Europe don't understand them anyway...probably....
This song is a shameless flirtation with eastern Europe generally, and Russia specifically. Although there is a slight chance the Russians might take offence with a stage packed full of middle aged lesbians singing about their girlfriend in the streets of Moscow, I'm 99% sure The Hungry Hearts and Lisa Dillan would have KILLED it in Stockholm in May!!!! Too bad we'll never know...
The dear old UK (Matt)
And then there's the usual annual Eurovision bilge that the UK insist on serving up year on year. And this year, well, I mean, Thingy & Steve? We can't really complain, though, can we? The 6 songs offered up for ritual humiliation were simply a dead-eyed reflection on the current state of the UK pop charts.
So it's no wonder we sending two shiny-faced Pop Factor Idols to Stockholm to loiter around the back end of the scoreboard on 14 May, while the rest of Europe gets on with throwing the looniest party this side of the Eurasian continent.
Right here, in its rarified glory, Eurovision serves up a microcosm of the UKs relationship with Europe: a little sneering, not to be taken too seriously, let's have a laugh at the funny foreigners while we get on with ruling the waves.
Erm...I digress. Because it's my democratic duty, I of course voted in the UK heats, and below is the song that probably should have won. Dear me.
