Hello Hivers!
This Saturday, I watched the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 Grand Final. I'm from Turkey and my country hasn't been participating in the contest since 2013. The reason is that Turkey was dissatisfied with the ruling system of Eurovision and stated that the rating system was done mostly based on politics.
However, I still enjoy the contest very much even though we are not participating anymore. I think Eurovision is a wonderful opportunity to discover great foreign artists and music that I am unlikely to come across otherwise. Plus, I love that people from different nations come physically and virtually together for a couple of days to have fun, listen to music, and support each other. I think it's one of the best times of the year.
This year, I didn't know any of the songs and artists that would participate, so I listened to all of the songs for the first time in the Grand Final. I enjoyed some of the songs much more than the others, but some of my favorite songs didn't perform very well, so I was a bit upset.
Now, I would like to share my favorite songs from the contest and maybe you can share yours too in the comments!
1- Kalush Orchestra - Stefania (Ukraine)
I know many were speculating that Ukraine would win this year in any case due to war, and they were right. Still, I think this song well deserved the 1st place. I think it's an incredibly unique song in that it blends very different styles together in a catchy and uplifting way. There aren't usually many rap songs in Eurovision, but this song was much more than a rap song. On top of the rap sections, it featured traditional Ukrainian melodies and woodwind instruments: the sopilka, and the telenka. I'm especially obsessed with the solo part played by the telenka. That part has been on loop for the whole day!! I also very much enjoyed the choreography, the unique costumes, and the overall energy of the group.
Sam Ryder - SPACE MAN (UK)
To be honest, I was pretty surprised when I saw UK's performance and song as I didn't expect it to be that good. I remember the UK did not receive any prominent rankings at Eurovision for many years so this song went way out of my expectations. It's a heavenly beautiful power ballad that comes to life with Sam Ryder's impressive vocal performance. It came in first place at the jury vote but lost to Ukraine when the televoting points were added. This song could have well won the contest if there wasn't a war in Ukraine, but it's not to say that Ukraine's song didn't deserve it.
Jérémie Makiese - Miss You (Belgium)
This song was one of my disappointments in the contest. I didn't expect this song to win but it was among my top ones so I really think it deserved much better. I think it's a super catchy and soulful song. It's also not an easy song to sing but the artist's vocals were sooo good and powerful. His charisma and confidence on the stage were amazing as well.
Chanel - SloMo (Spain)
I didn't like this song when I first heard it as it's not really my style, but after seeing this song getting a lot of points and praise from everyone, I decided to give it a second chance. After watching the whole performance today again, I must say I'm beyond impressed. Even though the song doesn't fit my taste, the choreography and the whole dance were the best of the night. The singer's breath control was exquisite as it's really difficult to deliver such an energetic dance performance and sing perfectly at the same time. It finished in 3rd place, just below the UK.
Konstrakta - In Corpore Sano (Serbia)
Again, I didn't like this song when I first heard it, though I felt it was quite experimental and avant-garde so I decided to explore it more. Today, I watched it again and read some lyrical analysis of the song, and I should say it's the song that has the deepest meaning and messages in this year's contest. The song cricitizes the Serbian healthcare system, the COVID-19 pandemic, beauty standards and mass media in an ironic and satire way. I also felt like there was a reference to Marina Abramovic in the performance, and I was surprised to read that Konstrakta actually confirmed the Abramovic reference in an interview. I think this song will remain as one of the most iconic entries in the history of Eurovision.