Supernova 2024 - My Top 15 (with comments) [Latvian ESC Selection]
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- Опубліковано 4 лют 2024
- I'll be honest, this was one of my least favorite selections of the entire season before the show, to the point where I was genuinely considering skipping the live performances entirely...that said, only Latvia knows how to take this many bad songs and get surprisingly enjoyable live performances out of them, and this was actually a fun selection to watch as a result.
Unfortunately, a bunch of my favorite songs here NQed (including my winner) and the biggest contender is a song that I don't see having any impact whatsoever on the big stage...needless to say, I don't think Latvia is breaking their NQ streak this year.
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SONGS:
Agnese Rakovska - AI
Alekss Silvers - For the Show
AVÉI - Mine
B/H - Amsterdam
Dons - Hollow
ECTO - Outsider
Edvards Strazdiņš - Rock n' Roll Supernova
Funkinbiz - Na Chystu Vodu
Jar of Kings - Wildfire
Katrīna Gupalo - The Cat's Song
Papīra Lidmašīnas - Mind Breaker
Patrīcija Spale - Heaven's Raining Down on Me
Saint Levića - Tick Tock
Sasha Sil - Love Is a Language
Vēstulēs - kur?
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We don't have a lot of agreement on this one, but you did light a fire under me when it came to your winner...and you got me listening to it more than I thought I would.
I consider all Heaven's Raining Down on Me appreciation a massive W (especially if I caused it 😤)
Eyy my last place is your first and your first place is my last, that's fun
Cool list! My favorites are Katrina and Ecto, but I am happy that each of us found two entries that we *really* enjoy in this selection. I do like your top 2 and both are 6+ entries for me. I also agree on Dons. He is good, but that's it. Just good. Is this really the entry that will make Latvia qualify in a 100% televoting semi after Aija NQd? Doubt it.
Yeah, this selection is a bit painful because all of the entries I actually like are ones that I also know have no real chance lol.
@@JH3Eurovision This! Dons is solid, but he has probably the second most OTT entry in the selection (the first obviously being the dreadful Love Is a Language). I can't imagine this picquing a lot of people's interest in the semi. At least Malta avoided picking Ryan Hili which would have put them in the similar category of songs.
Also... about Tick Tock. I feel like the entry IS supposed to sound ominous. If I got the lyrics correctly, it's about how our world is minutes to midnight and how we'll all be judged soon. So... heavy stuff. Musically, I like the piano-ballad parts, I don't like the rap parts. But knowing Santa Daneleviča, who already participated back in 2017, this is filled with religious symbols. At the time, she was rumored to be a part of some cult, but take it with a grain of salt.
@@Dominic-he7sg I've actually seen the Tick Tock music video (MUCH better than the live performance) and they left an explanation in the comments: basically, the song is moreso about not letting life pass you by before you can accomplish your dreams because you don't know how much time you have left etc etc. So not nearly as dark as your interpretation, but not THAT far off either.
It's highly unlikely that Dons isn't going to end up winning Supernova, and admittedly, neither his song or his performance might have seemed that convincing on stage, but it's definitely not going to stay that way for the big Eurovision stage, as he's said that he's got an entirely different staging idea for it. Also, looking at Semi Final 2, it appears that there won't be a lack of upbeat entries, which might just make a ballad stand out more, but those are only optimistic observations.
I'll believe it when I see it, I guess. I just think a song like that relies a lot on the performer connecting with the audience, and I don't think Dons does that.
Well, this was actually great! Nearly every song got better for me in some way. I don’t know how they did it, but they did!!
I also really like Supernova’s production; in particular, the lighting stands out to me in comparison to all other NFs so far.
I would actually consider watching the grand final of this, but…one qualifier is a song I never want to hear in my life again. You know which one I’m talking about.
Anyway, here’s my thoughts :D
*1. Heaven’s Raining Down On Me (8.5/10)*
I saw the results of the semi this morning and was PISSED that this didn’t qualify…and that was before it grew on me a bunch and made it up to #1. I cannot believe I am the same person who blasted the song as “pretty boring”; it’s beautiful. The last part really hits. Bad Latvians.
*2. Mind Breaker (7/10)*
Well this is one way to fix an issue I have with the studio version: make it work live. The staging is REALLY good. Honestly, the studio version is really growing on me anyway. Out of everything Latvia has right now, this would be my pick. I know it won’t win though.
*3. The Cat’s Song (6.5/10)*
Why is this so enjoyable?? It just is. It’s so weird and I love it.
*4. Hollow (6/10)*
I still think this is Latvia’s best shot at breaking the NQ streak, but I’m not convinced they would with such bland staging.
Honestly, based on the Latvians’ reaction to the staging in the UA-cam comments, I genuinely believe that The Cat’s Song and Kur? have a chance at winning now. Hollow still has the best chance, but it’s no longer “the most obvious winner ever”.
*5. Na Chystu Vodu (6/10)*
Another grower! It’s a vibe. Nothing else to say.
*-6. Kur? (5.5/10)-*
I don’t know anymore.
On the one hand, I still have the same issue I had before: while the instrumental is fantastic for the most part, the rock portion is just a bunch of random riffs and sounds pretty bad.
On the other, there’s something about this that’s just so magnetic to me. Today after watching the live performance I listened to this song quite a few times. There’s a part of me that thinks this song would be a bad choice, but another part of me that wants it to win.
I genuinely don’t know where to put it here, because putting it at #6 actually hurt for some reason.
*7. Amsterdam (4/10)*
*8. Rock n’ Roll Supernova (3.5/10)*
Enjoyable trash, both of them.
*9. For the Show (3.5/10)*
He is a very good performer, in fact so good the song became far less annoying to me. Still bad though.
*10. Mine (3/10)*
I won’t lie, this is also growing on me. However, the instrumental still rubs me the wrong way. It feels somewhat jarring and also a bit thrown together in a way.
11. Love is a Language (2.5/10)
*12. AI (2/10)*
No longer a 1/10 because I can actually hear her singing! But…they kept in that backing track. UGH
13. Tick Tock (2/10)
14. Wildfire (1/10)
*15. Outsider (0/10)*
I finally powered through this!!!
It’s offensively bad.
I want those three minutes of my life back.
NOW.
Another member of the Heaven's Raining Down on Me army. One Of Us
(I'm also not surprised that it NQed, the song's not that competitive for Eurovision. It probably would have done well in American Song Contest, though...again, we LOVE that style of country music over here).
What you said about Kur is why I think it would have better chances in Eurovision than Hollow. Kur's artists are both very engaging performers and that kind of dynamic has worked well for countries in the past (i.e. Zalagasper). It makes you want to root for them even if you don't like the song.
And yeah, Supernova is definitely one of the more interesting NFs when it comes to their staging concepts (24. Avēnija's entry last year is probably the best example). Always neat to see what they come up with.
Good to know I still don't like Triana Park lmfao
Also that cat song is goated
Why did I know you were gonna love the cat song
@@JH3Eurovision I've become predictable
What do you think about the ESC hosts? They were just announced
Indifferent. I actually haven't seen many Eurovisions in full (I tend to only watch the performances, aside from the 90s when I just watched SvenskTV's full uploads), so I don't have much of an opinion on most hosts
Malin Akerman is a brilliant actor! I am a fan since Watchmen in 2009! And Petra Mede is already a ESC royalty! So, call me hyped! :)
Y'all praised Latvia too much last year. You hath wrought this people.
Hmm not sure this is the year Latvia breaks the streak… 😬
I don't see it happening either. Dons could probably qualify if there were juries, definitely not in a televote-only semi though lol.
I don't really get the Dons hype. The song's fine and he sings it pretty well, but the whole package just feels rather hollow (pun intended). The staging is also severely lacking for a frontrunner of a NF. Latvia is heading for another NQ, unfortunately. I quite like "Na Chystu Vodu" and "Kur?", however if Sudden Lights didn't qualify with a stronger song, these won't either. I don't even know what's their best bet for a qualification really, perhaps Avéi?? Highly doubt they'll choose anyone other than Dons tho and, therefore, likely a NQ I reckon.
I actually think Kur would be a more likely qualifier than Dons (I can see the public buying into them because they're so young and they do come across as genuine onstage), but I still wouldn't hold my breath about them making it.
Fair? I can see Dons, Alex, Saint and Vestules making it to the Eurovision final if they put more effort into their performances. And so I really like 7 out of 10 finalists, and in the semi-finals I just threw out the worst songs