Morten Thomassen from Norway started reported on the final positions of the 37 entries in the 2023 Eurovision song contest. ESC Covers google translated it from Norwegian to English. We have reached the last post, position 1.
This is a blog entry and represents only writer Morten Thomassen’s own views.
The very simple answer to today’s question is that the former winner Loreen managed the feat of coming back as a former winner and winning again, most winners who come back are actually unable to do that.
Our Swedish friends have undoubtedly had the chance to share the place with Ireland for being the country that has won our driving competition the most times, and that doesn’t give very great odds that they will be the country that manages to get eight victories either first.
As a former winner, you basically have a lot to defend and prove, but when you get such a song and such a show as “Tattoo” was performed with, it wasn’t exactly surprising that the tall gentlemen and ladies in the jury got a chin drop and voted like crazy for it.
In the hall and with the people, Loreen didn’t quite manage to become the biggest favourite, the main reason for it was probably that our Finnish friend Käärijä came like a small load of ashes and charmed quite a few princesses and princes present in Liverpool and behind the TV screens in all participating countries and then it’s a bit charming when exactly the ash lad beats the obvious winner in advance, isn’t it?
But, let’s not forget that our Swedish friend was second best liked by the people and thus it was the people who gave her the victory in the end and then you can only be a little sad that the jury was not quite in a cha-cha-cha mood this Saturday evening in May.
And when we look at how “Tattoo” has done on the charts, there should be little doubt for ESC’s reputation that the right song won, if the right song means the song that does best on the charts and if ESC is to survive, the songs must be given a life after the final is over.
Like last year, it was actually my favorite song that won and I just love the way this song is performed, the closed-ness and intensity that is in the song, Loreen performs it in a very believable and closed-in intense way and I just love that the desperation in the song comes across well on the TV screen.
One can always wonder how the whole performance would have looked if our Swedish friends had only had the actually allotted 45 seconds to get their stage equipment out on stage, there is little doubt that those who vote and watch will be extra sharpened when you have to wait for exactly your song, but they were allowed to use extra time so any anger about this must go to the EBU and BBC who produced the show and not Loreen who got the performance she wanted.
Next year the Swedish organizers plan to cut down on the air time and then all such numbers that take a disproportionately long time to set up should be banned, if you ask me, we don’t need big moving loads on and off the stage, the song should be able to shine on not too much dressed own legs.
Time will tell if next year’s Swedish entry manages to stay “sober” on the equipment side, they find something spectacular every year anyway.
Featured image – Corinne Cumming – E B U