Eurovision 2021: What's another year without a little bit of drama?

Eurovision 2021: What's another year without a little bit of drama?
Friday, 19 March 2021

  • What's another year of Eurovision without a little bit of a drama? Even this year's Eurovision national selection season  didn't miss out several dramatic situations unwinding in a  number of countries. 

     

    In the past years  protests and calls for boycott, accusations of plagiarism, last minute rule changes,  withdrawals, questionable jury votes and political issues were some of the dramas we experienced on the way to Eurovision.

     

    This national selection season has its own piece of drama unwinding in countires as Belarus, North Macedonia, Russia and Israel. Lets go and see this year's cases: 

     

    Belarus 

    The domestic situation in the country has been tensed after last year's elections  in which incumbent Alexander Lukashenko was re-elected to a sixth term. Widespread claims of electoral fraud were followed by significant and widespread protests across the country. 

    Just a couple of days before and after months of silence regarding the country's Eurovision 2021 entey, BTRC, announced Galasy ZMesta for Rotterdamm who will be performing their song Ya Nauchu Tebya (I’ll Teach You)

    As soon as the song was released a massive wave of reactions flooded the social media and the media in general with voices asking from EBU not to accept the Belarusian song due to its politicial content. 

    EBU taking in mind the song's lyrics and whether they comply with the EBU's rules for the contest which forbid enties with political content in their text, has called on Belarus requesting the amendment of the lyrics , removing any political content otherwise they country will be disqualified. 

    Although BTRC denied that any political text was included in the Eurovision entry, the head of the national broadcaster has confirmed that their Eurovision hopefuls are on track preparing a new song for the contest. The country has a deadline untl the end of March either to amend the old song or submit a new entry. 

    In addition the controversial status in Belarus forced even the Melodifestivalen organisers to remove the country from the International juries of the competition in which Belarus was included. 

    Below listen to the song that errupted ongoing reactions of disapproval: 

     

    North Macedonia

    Vasil was internally selected to represent North Macedonia in Eurovision 2021 and will have the chance to complete his Eurovision journey which ended last year rapidly after the contest's cancellation due to the covid-19 outbreak. The national broadcaster, MRT held an open song selection in order to determine Vasil's Eurovision 2021 entry during which interested song writers and composers were able to submit their music proposals for Rotterdam. 

    Everything was calm and going smooth until the song Vasil's song "Here i stand" and its official video was released. As the video was filmed in the National Gallery Daut Pashin Amam a piece of artwork in the video which looked like the Bulgarian flag brought up interior reactions,  forcing the North Macedonian hopeful to edit the video and upload a new version removing the respective part. 

    And the drama goes on as the broadcaster, MRT, announced  that a commission is being created to review the nation’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 as public voices insisted on Vasil's withdrawal.  Vasil himself seeing things going to a direction that he never would even think of stated: 

    "I want to take this opportunity to thank Europe and the world for the amazing response, reactions, messages, love and support. Sadly this past weekend things took a different direction in my beautiful Macedonia and we had to remove and upload the video again. (Due to a misinterpretation of a tryptic art piece on the wall). I am a music ambassador, and in music there is no religion, politics, orientation, race or color. I had absolutely no intentions to hurt anybody. Quite the opposite!

    I am so proud of this project which not only embodies me, but my country and culture – musicians and featured artists in the gallery.I do not apologise for being me. I never will – I didn’t have a choice in that. However, if I hurt ANYBODY in ANY WAY, from the bottom of my heart … I am sorry. Forgive me."

    And as if the atmosphere wasn't already full of tension, Bulgaria came along with an explosive statement saying that if Vasil was deprived of his Eurovision 2021 participation he could represent Bulgaria at Eurovision 2022. 

    With the investigation by MRT underway it is still uknown when the result wil come out putting an end this episode of drama. However Vasil has upload the edited video of his Eurovision entry you can watch below: 

     

     

    Russia

    This year the national broadcaster opted for a televised national final after nine years, which saw Manizha with her song "Russian woman" win among three contestants. 

    Not long after the song won the national final, the Investigative Committee of Russia launched an investigation on the lyrics of “Russian Woman” for violating national harmony, following requests from the press and celebrities. Specifically, a number of celebrities and the staff of Veteranskie Vesti newspaper,  aksed  the Committee to investigate the lyrics of the Russian entry as ones that  “offend the dignity of Russian women and violate national harmony”. Further more the Russian hopeful has been criticised for “anti-Russian” values including the promotion of women’s rights and support for the LGBT community.

    Where will all this lead and what possible impact can it have on Russia's participation in Eurovision 2021 is something we'll find out the next days to come. Until then listen below to the revamped version of "Russian Woman" 

     

    Croatia

    Nina Kraljic did not win Dora 2021, although she was the big favorite according to the betting companies, but also the favorite of most fans. However, the winner according to the jury's verdict and the Croatian audience was Albina, with the song Tick-Tock.

    Soon after the national final was over Kraljic blamed openly the organiser's of Dora 2021 for her defeat. She stated that the result was predetermined, while she will never listen to the winning song of Dora 2021 but also that Albina did not deserve the victory. He also mentioned that the songs of ToMa, Bernarda and Mia were much better. Finally, after her delirium of statements, Nina deactivated all her personal Instagram accounts.

    Of  cource the national final winner, paid back with her own answer saying: 

    I respected Nina as an artist and as a really talented girl. I was a big fan of her during The Voice. But after all these things, I will never deny her talent, but for me, she was demoted as a human being. I know I should not think about it, loss is a great virtue.

    And that way somehow that little piece of drama from Croatia concluded and the clock for Albina's performance on Rotterdam Ahoy's stage is ticking.

     

     Israel 

    A sudden change of plans on the song selection process to determine Eden Alene's Eurovision entry arouse complaints and intense reactions among the authors that had submitted songs. A refusal by the broadcaster to reveal among the 220 songs  the shorlisted entries the time expected along with the change of plans were enough to bring a little of drama in the Israeli song selection. 

    Accordng to Euromix.co.il reports then, authors that had submitted original songs for Eden Alene had threaten to go to courts on grounds that the process was not held in a proper way. 

    Well-known creators expressed resentment from the way the broadcasting corporation managed things. "We committed suicide by creating songs at the height of the closure because we knew about a particular procedure and then changed it. We invested a lot of time and money based on a procedure revealed in the bylaws and it may not change after the songs have been submitted." 

    Another composer who was not even accepted stated "I hope that 16 songs were indeed selected as promised, because if not we will go to court in the matter. We hope that a healthy and orderly choice was made and that they did not change the rules of the game during the game." Another artist who has already competed in the process of selecting a song for the Eurovision Song Contest in recent years noted to us that "all the conduct this year was a bit strange."

    Eventually the Israeli selection saw three songs at the end making it through with the entry "Set Me free" the one to travel with Eden Alene to Rotterdam. 

    Unpleasant or not, expected or not this year's drama on the way to Rotterdam has been one of the kind we have seen almost each year heading to the contest, cause what's another year of Eurovision if it doesn't have a little bit of drama in it? 

     

    News Source: Eurovoix/ Euromix.co.il/ eurovision.tv/