i love kur? and i didnt know it was put first in the national final running order until i saw the popup in your video. Literally had me screaming NO NO NO. Manifesting that it can still win from there...
After watching your reaction to Vēstulēs, I paused you and watched the full performance THREE TIMES on the LTV Supernova channel. Then I sent a link to the performance to several of my friends (even ones who don't care about Eurovision). I absolutely LOVE 'Kur?' 'Hollow' is very good, but 'Kur?' is special, and I'd love to see Vēstulēs on stage in Malmö.
@@ESCTom I have rewatched that performance so many times this evening. Whatever it is, they've got it. I read somewhere they'd only previously performed at their school?
@@IanSowers True! This is their debut. ☺️ This is the main reason why I’m worrying about their performance on a big Eurovision stage but seeing so many positive reviews about them make me think maybe they will do better on ESC.
My favourite from this selection is definitely Vēstulēs i did also like dons but found the staging quite disappointing. Vēstulēs on the other hand really elevated the song with the staging for me and is now my favourite of the nf season so far
i'm heartbroken about kur? being first in the running order!! latvian is gorgeous, we really need more of it in eurovision. i'm someone who really doesn't usually like these slow jazzy ballads but the staging and vibe was so mesmerizing an attention-grabbing
voting opens right away BUT there defnitely going to not have as many viewers as later songs.... i usually dont like jazz and they won me over, thats IMPRESSIVE
@@ESCTom i'm also worried about it being a bit of a popularity thing with dons being so well-known in latvia, but i have my fingers crossed! i checked on wikipedia and wow the fact that we've never had latvian in a eurovision final is so sad!
I'm still hoping we get all three Baltic languages PLUS Norwegian and Finnish in the contest this year. Dons has a Latvian version of Hollow (he just won Musicala Banka with it) so why is he singing in English? Rooting for Vēstulēs with all my might!
At this point my greatest desire is for both Germany and Latvia to send the cat songs so we can see head to head in Eurovision which one is better. Also I miss Sudden Lights :(
I agree with you about Dons' staging. In my mind, I compare Hollow a lot with Watergun from last year (male ballad, strong vocalists, good song but nothing revolutionary etc.). Obviously with Watergun, the Swiss delegation was able to elevate it with staging, won all the votes from all the ballad lovers watching, and they qualified relatively comfortably with 97 points. If Dons wins, then the Latvian delegation definitely needs to do something similar (I would start by trying to bring in elements from the music video because it's actually very interesting), because if they can get to land then there's definitely a demographic that would vote for it, especially since it looks like it could potentially be the only ballad in the semi.
yea the plus side of ballads now, is that i think many are so afriad of them, that you can end up being the only one in the show. but you still need to entertain. Im hoping that if Dons wins, the latvia delegation take over, cos they did an amazing job with SL last year
so as a latvian, kur? is my absolutely favourite this year. If it comes between them and Dons, depending on the performance it could end up being pretty close. Still can't believe they're 16 & 17, the song, staging, the structure of the song and performance, everything worked in this well crafted crescendo that I didn't see much in anybody else.
Also it's funny that one of the most established Latvian artists is battling it out on Supernova with a bunch of teenagers and they caught him SLACKING
Kur? placed second in the semi-final and are currently trending #1 in Latvian Spotify TOP50 viral (while Hollow is #29). I honestly think that Kur? have a chance to win the national selection. PS I totally agree that Dons' staging was 1/10.
As a Latvian my fav has been v'estules from the day they announced the song. as it is their first song its very impressing and the guy is only 16. everybody knows its dons who is going to eurovision but i really think it shouldve been them.
I've been rooting for Hollow ever since its release but... that staging really disappointed me so much. I think he and his team were getting too confident because the song is the most popular one and winning some stuff already ahead of Supernova, and landsliding the odds. Definitely going for "kur?" now, even if it feels like it's going down the Aija route again.
Honestly, I wouldn’t mind if it was over confidence, because then at least it would mean there was a reason. The scary thing is if it’s just bad and there’s no reason for it.
I love this year's Supernova so much, all the songs are very alternative and also feel extremely authentic. It just feels like all those artists wholeheartedly stand behind their songs and what they want to convey, combined with these crazy alternative songs that I love anyways it's my favorite national final of the season! My favorites are Tick Tock and Outsider (I agree, they're both such talented artists and their songs are exactly what I'm looking for). kur? is a really close second, Vestules won me over completely with their live performance (Tick Tock and Outsider I actually adored from the audio track alone). Because you mentioned the english lyrics: Did you check out the lyrcis/meaning of Tick Tock? I think it's amazing and there was clearly put a lot of thought into it. The lyrics for kur? are also beautiful! Tbh, I was expecting Dons to win 100% before the live shows and was ok with it, because although not my favorite, it's a good song. But now... with how little effort seems to have been put in his staging and how much thought and effort put in the stagings of for example The Cat's Song, kur?, Outsider, etc. it would honestly feel kinda undeserved. Also, idk how to explain it, but all of these songs would continue Latvia's track record so much better than Hollow imo. Latvia has always just been doing their thing and I'm sure ttey will have have their big comeback one year (maybe this?) if they continue. A safe option like Hollow doesn't really seem like a good idea imo I'll definitely be rooting for kur? too win, but I'm also kinda dreading this final, because I can already see myself getting pressed over Dons winning now that I let my hopes get up a little bit and I really don't want to get pressed over national finals anymore, but it'll be hard😭
I totally agree with so much that. I have to admit that hollow doesn’t have a big Latvian identity in the same way that many of these other risky alternative songs do. I go on a lot about qualification record, and it would be nice if they qualified, but at the end of the day, I do think it’s more important to have a firm unique identity rather than become a super generic no identity national final. So actually Latvia are in a relatively healthy place in comparison to some other countries who have had a qualification streaks.
Honestly think in a semi thats going to have several "girl bops", Kur? and Hollow would stand out. Both could qualify. I prefer Kur? by miles, but I think Latvia is going to play it safe with Hollow. If Vēstulēs doesn't win I hope they return to Supernova because that was quite a debut single.
I'm rooting for Latvia so hard, they were on my top 3 last year (justice for Aijā!! 💔). This year they have a pretty good selection! I think my favorite is Kur? but most of them were pretty good so I'm feeling optimistic.
inside me there are two wolves, one is sitting in a coffee shop in Riga listening to "kur?" and the other is losing it's mind on the kitchen floor to KITTY KATTY KITTY KATT
A this point I don't want Dons to win. It feels like they knew that already he has it in his pocket and they don't need to do any effort with staging. There are other contestants deserving it more. I enjoyed the most Tick Tock, Outsider, Cat's song and kur?.
I'm so impressed by Vēstulēs with Kur? !!! The music and lyrics are really interesting and to see these teens wrote it themselves?? WOW! Plus the staging switch up really grabs your attention 💙💙💙
There is hope because apparently Dons said that he will change his staging, visuals, colours (basically everything except the song) for the final. By the way there’s a Latvian version of Hollow (“Lauzto šķēpu karaļvalsts”) which is a big hit in Latvia and if Dons wins I hope he uses that version for Eurovision. Also Vēstulēs are 16 and 17!
@@ESCTom comments under the live performance are mostly negative about the staging, and twitter is trashing it too, so I am glad he had listened to the criticism
is there a source of him saying that? although I guess it makes sense, because I doubt he's that arrogant to think that everything was perfect and nothing needs to be changed...
I absolutely cannot understand what Dons and his team thought when they designed this staging. Is it overconfidence and a belief that he will easily glide through to the Eurovision as the only "big name", therefore no extra effort in the staging is needed so far? It comes as a stark contrast to many other performers in Supernova, who, despite having very low chances of going to Eurovision both because of their lack of popularity, clearly give everything to master and perfect their performances, therefore the public starts to sympathise with them instead of Dons. It's no wonder that a movement in support of Vēstulēs, the duo with no public appearances outside their school who have masterfully crafted both their song and performance, is appearing. It is likely to snowball on Saturday's evening, and I'm here for it, wouldn't feel sorry at all for Dons if he came in 2nd place again, because of the aforementioned reasons. That would be a lesson to him, but his win is still very much likely because of the jury who will probably carry him.
Thank you for reaction,Tom ❤️ I love Saint Levića so much! Their performance is a story of a life line in 3 minutes! It took them 1 year to prepare for this performance. Definitely will be hoping that they will come back in Supernova 🙏🏻 I still haven’t decided yet whom to vote for in the final,need to see Dons fixed performance first and then make a decision 😁
So far I really like Dons. I’m not a fan of ballads, but I’ll admit that I feel like I can connect with the lyrics so the song works for me. However, the staging makes me nervous. Maybe he could add choreography like Remo Forrer did last year? Adding more contrasting lighting, too?
The Cat's Song is the one that most stands out here to me 🐱 And fully agree about all these utterly clicheed lyrics in Eurovision, I mean why so many of them, every year?!
I‘ve been waiting for this reaction soooo long! I‘m glad you enjoyed Supernova this year, it‘s very overlooked I feel like and probably my favorite nf so far. Here‘s my top 3: 1. Kur?/Na Chystu Vodu (Both are masterpieces and one of my fav songs of the entire season) 2. Outsider 3. For The Show I feel like Dons is quite overrated, I don‘t get why soooo many people think it‘s outstanding. I mean it‘s nice, but nothing crazy good for me. I enjoy the Latvian version of Hollow way more, it‘s called Lauzto šķēpu karaļvalsts if you want to listen to it :)
I haven't heard the "Lauzto šķēpu karaļvalsts" version, but I think Don's team is counting on various depressed suicidal people with split personalities to vote for this song. I doubt they'll be lucky, because the depressed ones probably won't watch ESC. In contrast, "Kur?" was great, I voted both times!
@ idk what you were thinking but its not actually that funny to make fun of depression and stuff duh
10 місяців тому
@@ESCErik It is not and I was not trying to be funny just realistic about the possibilities of such song in the ESC. Don't get me wrong the song is great but IMHO not for this competition.
my favorites are definitely ecto - outsider (very cool sound) and vēstules - kur? (and i don't like kur? just because it's in latvian and i myself am latvian but rather cause the song is just really good)
i feel like the music video for hollow provided sooooooooooooooo much more atmosphere and a stronger concept for visuals. they shouldve honestly copy pasted it 😭
I need Latvia to send the Cat Song. I could see it qualifying for the sheer fun and adorableness of it, and it's different! Much like "Give That Wolf A Banana." "Kur?" is good too and I feel like if The Netherlands would have offered a visual like this on stage last year, they may have had a better chance.
Im sorry everyone. In the beginning i was on Dons to qualify. And had The Cats Song 2nd. But i agree with Tom despite what we saw in Dons music video. That stageing was DISAPPOINTED. Katrina however was just as fun and good as i hoped. So i HOPE The Cats Songs wins and Hollow gets 2nd. I Just love the cats song. Its fun, its catchy its cute, its adorable. And its DIFFERENT Compared to what normally Eurovision songs are
I gotta say this is such a good Supernova!😁Hollow is their best optipn because with a good staging that would truly be magical and has the biggest potential!
1) Alex has the same haircut as the lead singer of The Busker; 2) What's inside the box? She is. The set is a representation of the inside the box she's trapped in.
Hollow is growing on me, slowly. Well, it seems this will be sent. This year will be probably very dynamic and fast paced with not many ballads and slow-ish songs so Dons may stand out (and in the final too if Ryk doesn't get selected in Germany) and Latvia may be back in the final.
From the studio versions, Hollow is by far my favourite, but from the live performance I don't think it's the right choice for Eurovision. I'm still happy Dons entered the selection though as I wouldn't have found the song otherwise (I would have also preferred the Latvian version of the song)
My favourite is Dons all the way but I agree that the staging was bad. I still think he is the best choice and I'm sure he’s gonna elevate his staging until then (or already for the Supernova-final ?). The Cat Song is very funny and adorable but I'm afraid it could end like Citi Zeni.
Studio it's been on repeat for me since the supernova songs dropped I do like the live performance and staging bur i absolutely hate the guys hair @@ESCTom
@@ESCTom it reminds me of those soft rock ballads big alternative/rock/grunge bands used to release 25-30 years ago to get on the radio and have a chart hit (e.g. Bush "Glycerine" or something).
I haven't been a fan of Dons at all, ever, but he can sing and his song is pretty decent, if dull. Staging needs improvement and will get it, hopefully.
I still like Dons's Hollow, but it felt like it was slower than on music video. The staging was plain, which is funny since they had made an expensive looking video. I hope he will sort out this for the final.
Latvia's stage ideas are wonderful, I wish more artists would do something like this. But songs... I hope they got better. Right now, I like The Cat's Song and Kur? (but they are first in the running order...)
I have been saying this a few times already in reddit, but whoever Latvia chose this Saturday, it's still not a guaranteed Q yet. We thought it would be easy since they're in the 2nd half of the 2SF, but in that 2nd half there's also Belgium (Mustii), Georgia (Nutsa), Netherlands (Joost Klein) and Estonia (most likely 5miinust x Puulup) otw, and we already got Norway (Gåte). Overall I love Vestules the most. I love Dons too, but please improve the staging 😢the vocals are already great. I have been loving and defending this NF ever since the moment their songs released. So many gems here, besides the other two, the Cat's song was guilty pleasure, Na Chystu Vodu is such a vibe groovy song, Tick Tock has such a great concept, Mine and For the Show was so much better live, even the eliminated ones were great too (AI and Heaven's raining down on me).I remember earlier back then before the show, I saw the fandom basically saying "oh we are so gonna NQ again".
Not particularly liking the winner but can't deny he has a great voice. With good staging there's a chance of qualifying but it's all down to that staging.
Kur was so good it honestly gives me aija vibes, I don't fully see the appeal of Hollow, to me it is kind of just a boring ballad. And if it were to go to ESC, I don't think it would go as far as Kur would. At least I hope so...
I don't know if there is something wrong with me but I do not see The Cat's song as a funny or joke entry at all. It is a well thought out song from a cat's perspective. I guess the whole concept of singing from the perspective of an animal is regarded as ridiculous or silly usually but I think it could be done in a sophisticated and more serious manner. With this song - I dont think its THAT serious but as you said - its quite whimsical but its also done with elegance - nothing about it screams joke, even the staging - that IS what cats do and how they act after all. It does have humour but I think its very charming and not at all as a "laugh at me because i'm funny". Overall, I think its a very unique song that has been executed perfectly. I do think that it won't be chosen which is very sad and disappointing but oh well...
Dons is most likely to win and I hope he or his team watches this video and reads comments. Absolutely everyone agrees that his staging is trash and logically thinking - he should be changing it for this Saturday already.
Not a fan of Dons "Hollow" tbh, it's solidly crafted and he's got pipes but overall it's very generic, very flat & casting show ballad. I can see it winning tho because of the safety appeal. Other than that I am completely taken by "Kur?" There's a dynamic development within, very quality harmonics, authenticity, great vocals with unusual timbre and a great staging! This will certainly have many ears & eyes perking up! As a close second I have "Cat´s Song" because despite being deliberately whimsical in the best way possible, it has a thoughtful musical production, fresh & contemporary with a great bop feeling. Overall I like that vast range of genres and sounds in Supernova this year. It's definitely one of the NFs with the most breadth and contemporary feel. Also, I always struggle why many NFs and voting seems to have a tendency to settle for alleged "safe" entries (like Hollows in Supernova´s case). ESC is so much NOT about safe entries (anymore? Or ever?). I can see the logic in trying to appeal for the easiest common denominator but this approach may have worked in times when there still were vast differences in musical tastes across individual countries (like some particular genres being very very underground or upsetting to the voting majority of certain countries) but now, with all musical styles being known, represented, enjoyed and appreciated all over, there isn't much need to streamline entries for mellow, pleasant mass appeal, in fact, it's actually working towards the detriment of voting appeal. A safe entry is safe in terms of getting some nondescript midfield placement at most, top shelf it's entries that either offer genuine musical quality, a virality that can't be calculated upon (case in point: Bejba) or anything that feels genuinely different, left field, daring and fresh.
I was positively surprised by the quality of performances, cause at first listening of snippets sounded a bit boring and i just though Don is too obvious winner as he's high on betting odds (ok, now its already 73%, new record?).
Dons has the best song in my opinion but the staging is really poor. It doesnt evoke an emotional reaction like the music video does. I still think if he wins Supernova it can qualify and do well in the final with an improvement to the staging.
Real options in Katrina Gupalo feels like something Lithuania would send, funnily enough, and Dons is exactly what Estonia would send. Latvia's best idea might just be copying their better performing neighbors.
I know it's obvious, but the song sounds hollow. The epic production is not matched by his persona, his delivery, and the gospely elevation sounded cringy ridiculous.
I made a big mistake... I didn't watch the performances before this video without commentary and now I regret it because the presenter is talking non-stop and it is impossible to hear the song. This is not a complaint but a realization of my mistake
Tom, seriously, this is yet another NF that has been "ok" but nothing has gripped me or made me feel any wow factor at all this year. Normally by 10 songs in to ESC I'm starting to pin my favourites but so far it's just happening for 2024. Honestly, i went on the the My Eurovision Scoreboard and found it hard to give any songs any points this far. This is the most fair to middling contest we've had in years. I've a few faves from NF NQs but this might be the weakest year in a long time (so far). As and when a country with a wow factor enters a song they will be way ahead in the voting this year
I've had Kur? on repeat and now I'm so invested in Vēstulēs winning Supernova even though it seems like a longshot 😭😭😭 Please not Dons, he has negative charm and stage presence!!!
i love kur? and i didnt know it was put first in the national final running order until i saw the popup in your video. Literally had me screaming NO NO NO. Manifesting that it can still win from there...
After watching your reaction to Vēstulēs, I paused you and watched the full performance THREE TIMES on the LTV Supernova channel. Then I sent a link to the performance to several of my friends (even ones who don't care about Eurovision). I absolutely LOVE 'Kur?'
'Hollow' is very good, but 'Kur?' is special, and I'd love to see Vēstulēs on stage in Malmö.
crazy that they are 16 and 17 but they are clearly ready. some people have just got it
@@ESCTom I have rewatched that performance so many times this evening. Whatever it is, they've got it. I read somewhere they'd only previously performed at their school?
@@IanSowers True! This is their debut. ☺️
This is the main reason why I’m worrying about their performance on a big Eurovision stage but seeing so many positive reviews about them make me think maybe they will do better on ESC.
My favourite from this selection is definitely Vēstulēs i did also like dons but found the staging quite disappointing. Vēstulēs on the other hand really elevated the song with the staging for me and is now my favourite of the nf season so far
The Cat’s Song is so hypnotizing to me. I need to see it on the Eurovision stage
Same opinion, i think vestules is the best choice for me so far for latvia, to make it to the final. After a long time they have a chance to qualify!
I would take 500 cat songs over Luxembourgish songs too(27:32) 🐱
i'm heartbroken about kur? being first in the running order!! latvian is gorgeous, we really need more of it in eurovision. i'm someone who really doesn't usually like these slow jazzy ballads but the staging and vibe was so mesmerizing an attention-grabbing
voting opens right away BUT there defnitely going to not have as many viewers as later songs....
i usually dont like jazz and they won me over, thats IMPRESSIVE
@@ESCTom i'm also worried about it being a bit of a popularity thing with dons being so well-known in latvia, but i have my fingers crossed! i checked on wikipedia and wow the fact that we've never had latvian in a eurovision final is so sad!
I'm still hoping we get all three Baltic languages PLUS Norwegian and Finnish in the contest this year. Dons has a Latvian version of Hollow (he just won Musicala Banka with it) so why is he singing in English? Rooting for Vēstulēs with all my might!
At this point my greatest desire is for both Germany and Latvia to send the cat songs so we can see head to head in Eurovision which one is better.
Also I miss Sudden Lights :(
Your reaction to the Kur? Switcheroo was so cute haha
I agree with you about Dons' staging. In my mind, I compare Hollow a lot with Watergun from last year (male ballad, strong vocalists, good song but nothing revolutionary etc.). Obviously with Watergun, the Swiss delegation was able to elevate it with staging, won all the votes from all the ballad lovers watching, and they qualified relatively comfortably with 97 points. If Dons wins, then the Latvian delegation definitely needs to do something similar (I would start by trying to bring in elements from the music video because it's actually very interesting), because if they can get to land then there's definitely a demographic that would vote for it, especially since it looks like it could potentially be the only ballad in the semi.
yea the plus side of ballads now, is that i think many are so afriad of them, that you can end up being the only one in the show. but you still need to entertain.
Im hoping that if Dons wins, the latvia delegation take over, cos they did an amazing job with SL last year
so as a latvian, kur? is my absolutely favourite this year. If it comes between them and Dons, depending on the performance it could end up being pretty close. Still can't believe they're 16 & 17, the song, staging, the structure of the song and performance, everything worked in this well crafted crescendo that I didn't see much in anybody else.
Also it's funny that one of the most established Latvian artists is battling it out on Supernova with a bunch of teenagers and they caught him SLACKING
he was SLAAAAAAAAAAACKING. what the hell happened?
You train your young musicians so well! Weren't Sudden Lights just out of school when they entered Supernova in 2016?
@@larchwood14 I literally was one year below the vocalist in university, so it was his second year, but yes, they were super young!
Kur was my favorite before the show so i hope despite the running order some magic happens
that running order is SHAAAAAAAAAAADY
@@ESCTomfacts!!!
Kur? placed second in the semi-final and are currently trending #1 in Latvian Spotify TOP50 viral (while Hollow is #29). I honestly think that Kur? have a chance to win the national selection. PS I totally agree that Dons' staging was 1/10.
As a Latvian my fav has been v'estules from the day they announced the song. as it is their first song its very impressing and the guy is only 16. everybody knows its dons who is going to eurovision but i really think it shouldve been them.
I've been rooting for Hollow ever since its release but... that staging really disappointed me so much. I think he and his team were getting too confident because the song is the most popular one and winning some stuff already ahead of Supernova, and landsliding the odds. Definitely going for "kur?" now, even if it feels like it's going down the Aija route again.
Honestly, I wouldn’t mind if it was over confidence, because then at least it would mean there was a reason. The scary thing is if it’s just bad and there’s no reason for it.
I love this year's Supernova so much, all the songs are very alternative and also feel extremely authentic. It just feels like all those artists wholeheartedly stand behind their songs and what they want to convey, combined with these crazy alternative songs that I love anyways it's my favorite national final of the season!
My favorites are Tick Tock and Outsider (I agree, they're both such talented artists and their songs are exactly what I'm looking for). kur? is a really close second, Vestules won me over completely with their live performance (Tick Tock and Outsider I actually adored from the audio track alone). Because you mentioned the english lyrics: Did you check out the lyrcis/meaning of Tick Tock? I think it's amazing and there was clearly put a lot of thought into it. The lyrics for kur? are also beautiful!
Tbh, I was expecting Dons to win 100% before the live shows and was ok with it, because although not my favorite, it's a good song. But now... with how little effort seems to have been put in his staging and how much thought and effort put in the stagings of for example The Cat's Song, kur?, Outsider, etc. it would honestly feel kinda undeserved. Also, idk how to explain it, but all of these songs would continue Latvia's track record so much better than Hollow imo. Latvia has always just been doing their thing and I'm sure ttey will have have their big comeback one year (maybe this?) if they continue. A safe option like Hollow doesn't really seem like a good idea imo
I'll definitely be rooting for kur? too win, but I'm also kinda dreading this final, because I can already see myself getting pressed over Dons winning now that I let my hopes get up a little bit and I really don't want to get pressed over national finals anymore, but it'll be hard😭
I totally agree with so much that. I have to admit that hollow doesn’t have a big Latvian identity in the same way that many of these other risky alternative songs do. I go on a lot about qualification record, and it would be nice if they qualified, but at the end of the day, I do think it’s more important to have a firm unique identity rather than become a super generic no identity national final. So actually Latvia are in a relatively healthy place in comparison to some other countries who have had a qualification streaks.
Honestly think in a semi thats going to have several "girl bops", Kur? and Hollow would stand out. Both could qualify. I prefer Kur? by miles, but I think Latvia is going to play it safe with Hollow. If Vēstulēs doesn't win I hope they return to Supernova because that was quite a debut single.
I'm rooting for Latvia so hard, they were on my top 3 last year (justice for Aijā!! 💔). This year they have a pretty good selection! I think my favorite is Kur? but most of them were pretty good so I'm feeling optimistic.
inside me there are two wolves, one is sitting in a coffee shop in Riga listening to "kur?" and the other is losing it's mind on the kitchen floor to KITTY KATTY KITTY KATT
im sooooooooooooo obsesssed with the cat song
Song 2, the singer was in the box (well not really obviously) but that was the stage concept
Outsider and Tik Tok are so good, real out of box stuff and interesting lyrics.
Saint Levica's singer actually participated in Supernova before, in 2017 with the song "Your Breath", which was actually pretty good!
I’m team Kur? on this one. Latvia and Portugal are the only ones bringing authenticity this season.
Same here. I need Kur? to win but they’re first in the running order so I’m very nervous for them
??? Norway sounds authentic for me
@@Scheherasad sure, but I didn’t include it because i think folk rock is not that unique of a genre when it comes to Eurovision.
A this point I don't want Dons to win. It feels like they knew that already he has it in his pocket and they don't need to do any effort with staging. There are other contestants deserving it more. I enjoyed the most Tick Tock, Outsider, Cat's song and kur?.
wtf is that staging? it barely exists
Dons is best one by far. Staging can easily be fixed
That cat song is stupidity adorable. Like it wouldn't win Eurovision..but at the same time, I wouldn't mind seeing it in the final.
I'm so impressed by Vēstulēs with Kur? !!! The music and lyrics are really interesting and to see these teens wrote it themselves?? WOW! Plus the staging switch up really grabs your attention 💙💙💙
There is hope because apparently Dons said that he will change his staging, visuals, colours (basically everything except the song) for the final. By the way there’s a Latvian version of Hollow (“Lauzto šķēpu karaļvalsts”) which is a big hit in Latvia and if Dons wins I hope he uses that version for Eurovision. Also Vēstulēs are 16 and 17!
ok thank god! so hes basically throwing it in the bin? was there a big response to his original show?
@@ESCTom comments under the live performance are mostly negative about the staging, and twitter is trashing it too, so I am glad he had listened to the criticism
is there a source of him saying that? although I guess it makes sense, because I doubt he's that arrogant to think that everything was perfect and nothing needs to be changed...
Hollow sounds like a qualifier, but they need to rework the staging
rework as in throw in bin 🗑️ and start again pls 🙏🏻
@@ESCTomi completely agree
I absolutely cannot understand what Dons and his team thought when they designed this staging. Is it overconfidence and a belief that he will easily glide through to the Eurovision as the only "big name", therefore no extra effort in the staging is needed so far? It comes as a stark contrast to many other performers in Supernova, who, despite having very low chances of going to Eurovision both because of their lack of popularity, clearly give everything to master and perfect their performances, therefore the public starts to sympathise with them instead of Dons. It's no wonder that a movement in support of Vēstulēs, the duo with no public appearances outside their school who have masterfully crafted both their song and performance, is appearing. It is likely to snowball on Saturday's evening, and I'm here for it, wouldn't feel sorry at all for Dons if he came in 2nd place again, because of the aforementioned reasons. That would be a lesson to him, but his win is still very much likely because of the jury who will probably carry him.
Thank you for reaction,Tom ❤️
I love Saint Levića so much! Their performance is a story of a life line in 3 minutes! It took them 1 year to prepare for this performance. Definitely will be hoping that they will come back in Supernova 🙏🏻
I still haven’t decided yet whom to vote for in the final,need to see Dons fixed performance first and then make a decision 😁
yea if Dons doesnt REALLY fix, then i think people should vote elsewhere
Saint Levica really should have given one of their staging ideas to Dons
IKR, like literally just 1 of their 15 good ideas would suffice 😭
@ESCTom yep, anything would be better than nothing
So far I really like Dons. I’m not a fan of ballads, but I’ll admit that I feel like I can connect with the lyrics so the song works for me. However, the staging makes me nervous. Maybe he could add choreography like Remo Forrer did last year? Adding more contrasting lighting, too?
But why is he showing up to the show with no plan 😭
lol i could totally imagine "the cat's song" being the song that randomly takes off on tiktok
its stuck in my head
The Cat's Song is the one that most stands out here to me 🐱 And fully agree about all these utterly clicheed lyrics in Eurovision, I mean why so many of them, every year?!
Kur? Is my WINNER and in eurovision will by for me really high! Growing on me every listen
Good luck getting the Cat Song out of your head now. I was charmed by it and now it has completely consumed me.
I‘ve been waiting for this reaction soooo long! I‘m glad you enjoyed Supernova this year, it‘s very overlooked I feel like and probably my favorite nf so far. Here‘s my top 3:
1. Kur?/Na Chystu Vodu (Both are masterpieces and one of my fav songs of the entire season)
2. Outsider
3. For The Show
I feel like Dons is quite overrated, I don‘t get why soooo many people think it‘s outstanding. I mean it‘s nice, but nothing crazy good for me. I enjoy the Latvian version of Hollow way more, it‘s called Lauzto šķēpu karaļvalsts if you want to listen to it :)
listening to latvian version now
I haven't heard the "Lauzto šķēpu karaļvalsts" version, but I think Don's team is counting on various depressed suicidal people with split personalities to vote for this song. I doubt they'll be lucky, because the depressed ones probably won't watch ESC. In contrast, "Kur?" was great, I voted both times!
@ wtf??
@ idk what you were thinking but its not actually that funny to make fun of depression and stuff duh
@@ESCErik It is not and I was not trying to be funny just realistic about the possibilities of such song in the ESC. Don't get me wrong the song is great but IMHO not for this competition.
Being first in the running order isn't a bad thing when the televote opens at the beginning of the show...
ohhhhh i didnt know that
it doesnt help with the people who tune in late though
my favorites are definitely ecto - outsider (very cool sound) and vēstules - kur? (and i don't like kur? just because it's in latvian and i myself am latvian but rather cause the song is just really good)
i feel like the music video for hollow provided sooooooooooooooo much more atmosphere and a stronger concept for visuals. they shouldve honestly copy pasted it 😭
or make something inspired by it
The staging of hallow really killed it
I need Latvia to send the Cat Song. I could see it qualifying for the sheer fun and adorableness of it, and it's different! Much like "Give That Wolf A Banana." "Kur?" is good too and I feel like if The Netherlands would have offered a visual like this on stage last year, they may have had a better chance.
Im sorry everyone. In the beginning i was on Dons to qualify. And had The Cats Song 2nd. But i agree with Tom despite what we saw in Dons music video. That stageing was DISAPPOINTED. Katrina however was just as fun and good as i hoped. So i HOPE The Cats Songs wins and Hollow gets 2nd. I Just love the cats song. Its fun, its catchy its cute, its adorable. And its DIFFERENT Compared to what normally Eurovision songs are
I love outsider
I gotta say this is such a good Supernova!😁Hollow is their best optipn because with a good staging that would truly be magical and has the biggest potential!
1) Alex has the same haircut as the lead singer of The Busker; 2) What's inside the box? She is. The set is a representation of the inside the box she's trapped in.
yea i missed that cut that they did early to show that he was looking in the box at her
And based on televoting during live show,Dons landslides and 2nd place Vēstules.
If not Dons then Vēstules for Eurovision
Kur? To the final!
Hollow is growing on me, slowly. Well, it seems this will be sent. This year will be probably very dynamic and fast paced with not many ballads and slow-ish songs so Dons may stand out (and in the final too if Ryk doesn't get selected in Germany) and Latvia may be back in the final.
From the studio versions, Hollow is by far my favourite, but from the live performance I don't think it's the right choice for Eurovision. I'm still happy Dons entered the selection though as I wouldn't have found the song otherwise (I would have also preferred the Latvian version of the song)
yea itll be my favourite studio version too but the performance drags him down to 3rd for me
My favourite is Dons all the way but I agree that the staging was bad. I still think he is the best choice and I'm sure he’s gonna elevate his staging until then (or already for the Supernova-final ?). The Cat Song is very funny and adorable but I'm afraid it could end like Citi Zeni.
yea id worry for the Cat song qualifying. it could flop
If Germany picks Ryk with Oh Boy, I feel like it beats out Hollow in the "Hozier-style epic male ballad" category 😝
OH 100%
kur? Is my favourite song of the entire year and i don't see that changing
cos of the performance or from the studio version?
Studio it's been on repeat for me since the supernova songs dropped I do like the live performance and staging bur i absolutely hate the guys hair @@ESCTom
Dons song is so very American Song Contest.
yea its very solid but standard. really it's just a pop ballad mildly disguised as an indie song
@@ESCTom it reminds me of those soft rock ballads big alternative/rock/grunge bands used to release 25-30 years ago to get on the radio and have a chart hit (e.g. Bush "Glycerine" or something).
Hi Tom! Can you react to the Spain entry? Thank you
ive already recorded it so once i have my Sanremo video up, ill start finishing the spain one
yes, the lines above the letters make the sound longer :)
I haven't been a fan of Dons at all, ever, but he can sing and his song is pretty decent, if dull. Staging needs improvement and will get it, hopefully.
2 years in a row where Latvia was in my top 5. They still don't qualify
Latvia pleeease send ‚kur?‘ to eurovision 🫶🏻
I still like Dons's Hollow, but it felt like it was slower than on music video. The staging was plain, which is funny since they had made an expensive looking video. I hope he will sort out this for the final.
Latvia's stage ideas are wonderful, I wish more artists would do something like this. But songs... I hope they got better. Right now, I like The Cat's Song and Kur? (but they are first in the running order...)
This is a strange semi final. I feel like I've basically seen the final but without the score announcement... Haha
yea i dont like that format AT ALL 😭
I have been saying this a few times already in reddit, but whoever Latvia chose this Saturday, it's still not a guaranteed Q yet. We thought it would be easy since they're in the 2nd half of the 2SF, but in that 2nd half there's also Belgium (Mustii), Georgia (Nutsa), Netherlands (Joost Klein) and Estonia (most likely 5miinust x Puulup) otw, and we already got Norway (Gåte).
Overall I love Vestules the most. I love Dons too, but please improve the staging 😢the vocals are already great.
I have been loving and defending this NF ever since the moment their songs released. So many gems here, besides the other two, the Cat's song was guilty pleasure, Na Chystu Vodu is such a vibe groovy song, Tick Tock has such a great concept, Mine and For the Show was so much better live, even the eliminated ones were great too (AI and Heaven's raining down on me).I remember earlier back then before the show, I saw the fandom basically saying "oh we are so gonna NQ again".
yea my expectations were low cos of the lack of hype so i was pleasantly suprised. easily one of the most interesting national finals this season
Katrina all the way!!! I love love love this kind of whimsy, and I love cats 😻😻😻 If this went to ESC, I would be the happiest person ever😊
😂 🐱
Not particularly liking the winner but can't deny he has a great voice. With good staging there's a chance of qualifying but it's all down to that staging.
Don't forget that it's just a semifinal he doesn't have to go all out 100% yet
Hollow needed a good bridge!
Kur was so good it honestly gives me aija vibes, I don't fully see the appeal of Hollow, to me it is kind of just a boring ballad. And if it were to go to ESC, I don't think it would go as far as Kur would. At least I hope so...
I don't know if there is something wrong with me but I do not see The Cat's song as a funny or joke entry at all. It is a well thought out song from a cat's perspective. I guess the whole concept of singing from the perspective of an animal is regarded as ridiculous or silly usually but I think it could be done in a sophisticated and more serious manner. With this song - I dont think its THAT serious but as you said - its quite whimsical but its also done with elegance - nothing about it screams joke, even the staging - that IS what cats do and how they act after all. It does have humour but I think its very charming and not at all as a "laugh at me because i'm funny". Overall, I think its a very unique song that has been executed perfectly. I do think that it won't be chosen which is very sad and disappointing but oh well...
Don's styling is like Victor Vernicos 40 years and two divorces later.
☠️☠️☠️😂
Dons is most likely to win and I hope he or his team watches this video and reads comments. Absolutely everyone agrees that his staging is trash and logically thinking - he should be changing it for this Saturday already.
Vēstulēs could be just as cool as Zalagasper.
they can pull it off cos theyve got serious talent
The cat song didn't need to hit that hard.
Not a fan of Dons "Hollow" tbh, it's solidly crafted and he's got pipes but overall it's very generic, very flat & casting show ballad. I can see it winning tho because of the safety appeal. Other than that I am completely taken by "Kur?" There's a dynamic development within, very quality harmonics, authenticity, great vocals with unusual timbre and a great staging! This will certainly have many ears & eyes perking up! As a close second I have "Cat´s Song" because despite being deliberately whimsical in the best way possible, it has a thoughtful musical production, fresh & contemporary with a great bop feeling.
Overall I like that vast range of genres and sounds in Supernova this year. It's definitely one of the NFs with the most breadth and contemporary feel. Also, I always struggle why many NFs and voting seems to have a tendency to settle for alleged "safe" entries (like Hollows in Supernova´s case). ESC is so much NOT about safe entries (anymore? Or ever?). I can see the logic in trying to appeal for the easiest common denominator but this approach may have worked in times when there still were vast differences in musical tastes across individual countries (like some particular genres being very very underground or upsetting to the voting majority of certain countries) but now, with all musical styles being known, represented, enjoyed and appreciated all over, there isn't much need to streamline entries for mellow, pleasant mass appeal, in fact, it's actually working towards the detriment of voting appeal.
A safe entry is safe in terms of getting some nondescript midfield placement at most, top shelf it's entries that either offer genuine musical quality, a virality that can't be calculated upon (case in point: Bejba) or anything that feels genuinely different, left field, daring and fresh.
I was positively surprised by the quality of performances, cause at first listening of snippets sounded a bit boring and i just though Don is too obvious winner as he's high on betting odds (ok, now its already 73%, new record?).
yea honestly i think if i had done this reaction without the live performances, it would have been very different
Dons Hollow is one of my top3 this year. The Music Video is so beautiful and is voice is amazing
Dons has the best song in my opinion but the staging is really poor. It doesnt evoke an emotional reaction like the music video does. I still think if he wins Supernova it can qualify and do well in the final with an improvement to the staging.
im saving the music video in case he wins and i need something else to react to
Kur? should win. Hollow is boring as all can be. Hollow feels like a NQ
Real options in Katrina Gupalo feels like something Lithuania would send, funnily enough, and Dons is exactly what Estonia would send. Latvia's best idea might just be copying their better performing neighbors.
Am I the only one who really doesn't like Hollow??? Like I like almost all of the other songs except the fan favourite help😭😭😭
I know it's obvious, but the song sounds hollow. The epic production is not matched by his persona, his delivery, and the gospely elevation sounded cringy ridiculous.
To be honest I would make coming last in the grand final with a couple of pity pionts now lol
I made a big mistake...
I didn't watch the performances before this video without commentary and now I regret it because the presenter is talking non-stop and it is impossible to hear the song.
This is not a complaint but a realization of my mistake
Yea the days of checking out the songs together are over, because of copyright
Tom, seriously, this is yet another NF that has been "ok" but nothing has gripped me or made me feel any wow factor at all this year. Normally by 10 songs in to ESC I'm starting to pin my favourites but so far it's just happening for 2024. Honestly, i went on the the My Eurovision Scoreboard and found it hard to give any songs any points this far. This is the most fair to middling contest we've had in years. I've a few faves from NF NQs but this might be the weakest year in a long time (so far). As and when a country with a wow factor enters a song they will be way ahead in the voting this year
theres still plenty of the season left to go
dons for me
Basically that guy is 16 years old and Vēstules = Letters and Kur? = Where?
I've had Kur? on repeat and now I'm so invested in Vēstulēs winning Supernova even though it seems like a longshot 😭😭😭
Please not Dons, he has negative charm and stage presence!!!
I don't get the Dons hype either
Every Eurovision needs a last place. I'm prepared to put Hollow last out of 37.
ouch 😭
“Kur” is too boring. Its even hard to listen to the end. Disaster.