passionpop | Entries tagged with latvia

Artist: Sudden Lights
Song: Aija

Currently with bookmakers: 26th (200/1-1000/1)

Place 2022: 14th out of 17 in Semi final 1

Wins: 1 2002

Sudden Lights won both the popular televote and the jury vote at Supernova 2023 beating out Patrisha's "Hush" who was second in both. Prior to Supernova, Sudden Lights' claim to Eurovision fame was opening act for Brainstorms tour a few years ago, Brainstorm having come third for Latvia in 2000. Predictions are Sudden Lights won't finish that high.

Aija roughly translates to lullaby, and though it doesn't start like a lullaby, it does calm down to a hush near the end. other than the first 30 seconds, it is very 90s indi and comparable to Powderfinger, just not as good. This will need a good performance to get cut through and not actually being Powderfinger, I doubt it.

Latvia has tried a few different things to win Eurovision. Opera, pop, and a lot of indi. 2001 is likely in the indi category more due to a failure of any other better fit

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Most Wins: Norway 3 (Latvia 1)
Most Entries: Norway 59 (Latvia 21)
Bookies Favourite: Norway 35/1 (Latvia 250/1)

Latvia:

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Citi Zēni met at a song writing camp and released their debut album last year, and that is about the whole extent of their Bio. Subwoolfer have even less. They have a made up history, and even their names (Jim and Keith) appear fake. Both bands are sending novelty songs to Eurovision and the novelty of both of them wears off pretty quick

Subwoolfer have been popular with fans since their song was released and it ranked 1 with many of the fan groups. Citi Zēni have not had the same cut-through, and being in a semi with a couple of novelty songs it will be hard for them to make it in the face of the competition. Subwoolfer will probably fade in popularity closer to the event, that usually happens, but Citi Zēni will not over take them

In the end Subwoolfer have the better gimmick and the more memorable song. I personally dislike them both and if I never hear them again I would be happy, but Give that Wolf a Banana is technically better and has a ready made package an easily repeatable performance. Citi Zēni just has a cheap rip off of Epic Sax Guy

This round goes to Norway

Norway:

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Selection: Internal
Wins: 1 (2000)
2020: Samanta Tīna – Still Breathing
2021: Samanta Tīna – The Moon is Rising

Current Bookmakers: 32nd

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Samanta Tīna has made a video for Eurovision that was filmed entirely on a camera phone, apparently a Samsung S21 5g. It is a slick vid and better quality than many filmed videos in the past. It is amazing how far technology has improved.

After 5 attempts to go to Eurovision for Latvia and a further 2 for neighbour Lithuania, Samanta Tīna finally won the national selection, Supernova, in 2020 only for the Eurovision to be cancelled. Persistence paid off however and Samanta Tīna was internally selected for Latvia for 2020. The 2021 song is nowhere near as good as the 2020 so, and that song was not that good. There are a couple good hooks that are good for samples, but not got singalongs and neither song received or deserved any cut through.

Out of 20 appearances at Eurovision Latvia has only seen the final 10 times, and 4 of those final appearances were before the Semi was formally introduced and in 2006 they were in the final because they finished in the top 10 the year before. It was 100% better than this year’s song.

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Latvia - 1 win
Carousel - "That Night"

Verses

Lithuania - 0 wins
Jurij Veklenko - "Run with the Lions"

"Carousel - That Night - Latvia 🇱🇻 - Official Video - Eurovision 2019" (Watch on YouTube)

Trendy hipster music verses a trendy young thing. It is obvious which one is prettier but neither song is a stand out and both are borderline at best to qualify.

"Jurij Veklenko - Run With The Lions - Lithuania 🇱🇹 - Official Video - Eurovision 2019" (Watch on YouTube)

Jurij is a talent show graduate who is singing a song that sounds like a 'winners single' from one of those shows. It is a crap song designed to be sold to young girls who part with money too readily. Carousel's song is easier to listen to but also easier to fall asleep to. Different horses so to speak.

Jurij is easier to vote for and easier to look at which is about the only thing that gets him over the line. I am going Lithuania.

Appearances: 18
Wins: 1
Selection method: National final Supernova 2018
Vote: Jury and public vote. Public vote combined televoting and Spotify streams.
Winner: Laura Rizzotto
Song: Funny Girl

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This is the ultimate friendzone song and it proves that being friendzoned is not unique to men. How could she be friendzoned? Well, when your name sounds like a rice dish it is understandable that people would think you are just the funny girl.

This song is completely not rated by the bookmakers. It is certainly one of the better songs in this year’s Eurovision and if Laura nails the vocals (which she didn’t in Supernova) and puts on an interesting performance this should go top ten. Maybe they looked at the voting in Latvia and despite this song winning with but the Jury and the televote, the fact that it came third in the Spotify streams. If she nails it is it a good song, she just has to nail it.

If you are going to write a song for yourself to sing, surely you would keep it all comfortably within your range. Laura does struggle on the low notes in the first verse in particular, which is dangerous because that’s where you can lose votes. As for the performance, I would go away from the dress and change to a well fitted pants suit with tails. A nice touch would probably be to throw a hat off at the second chorus or in the final refrain. Strutting to the beat in the second verse, a little like Denmark in 2013, could lift this up a few votes. Waving her arms like she thinks she is Mariah Carey is not going to cut it at Eurovision.

Latvia has certainly refined their entries since their early days. Latvia’s second Eurovision entry from 2001 defies explanation

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Latvia
Semi final 1
Artist: Triana Park (Triānas Parks)
Song: Line
odds: $81

Word of the day
noteikts - Determined
Six national finals means you're pretty bloody determined to go to Eurovision.

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It is surprising that Latvia has ever won Eurovision, though the year they won (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4GOSw7v0N0">2002</a>) was a particularly weak contest. There have been good Latvian songs but they were in much stronger years. This year is reasonable one a far as Eurovision is concerned, but ambient music probably won’t win.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5aPtzBhZBc">Triana Park’s performance on Supernova</a> (the Latvian national selection) is best described as 80’s inspired. This performance came after a 4 year hiatus from Latvian selection (previously Eirodziesmā). 2017 was Triana Park’s sixth attempt to make it to Eurovision. With a bio that emphasises their many awards it makes you wonder why getting to Eurovision is important to them.

Triana park was originally created by Agnese Rakovska and her father, Aivars (from the band 'Bastards'). Dad has left the band but still, that is some good parenting. Not practical perhaps. Maybe a house would be better than a band, but still, pretty cool.

There are many reasons why Latvia is lucky to have won one Eurovision. 2001 is certainly one reason why it is just the one

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Latvia
Previous Entries: 16
Wins: 1 2001 Marie N - I Wanna https://youtu.be/_B68kYxcea8
First entry: 2000 Brainstorm - My Star https://youtu.be/N1y9xhmMSDk
Most recent entry: 2015 Aminata - Love Injected https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-usdXbeGHi8&nohtml5=False
National anthem: Dievs, svētī Latviju https://youtu.be/SCfX2gGohjU

2016

Justs – Heartbeat

There is something familiar about this ambient pop song. It sounds too much like last year’s entry. That is probably because it is written by last year’s entrant. Actually last year’s song was better, even if the singer was dressed like a giant red butt-plug.

This song is in the top ten with the bookies and I don’t quite understand why. Yes last year Latvia finished 6th and this song is similar, but last year the sound was new. Now it is so last year and I think the Eurovision audience will respond to that negatively. They will be positive about Justs and his designer stubble (is it still called that?) but negative about the song.

The national final makes one ponder what could have been. Justs came second in the televoting but won the internet votes. The song that won the televotes and finished second over-all is not as much of a Eurovision song, but it is a better song.

Doing something different only works if you do it once, so this year is not really different. Singing in Latvian is different and was only done in 2004

Latvia
Population: 1 985 600
Area: 64 589 km2
Language: Latvian
Eurovision Attendances: 15
Eurovision wins: 1 (2002)

Aminata - Love Injected

I have to say that the Bookmakers appear to rate this higher than I do and it sits in the mid-range with them. This song appears to be trying too hard to be different. It fails and just sounds annoying.

The song is not complete shit, I think the bridge is ok and the end is particularly good, mainly because it does end. This could be a surprise packet and on the night it shows itself to be complete brilliance. I doubt it, but it might

Aminata has entered a number of singing competitions and talent shows. Amongst others she was part of a Choir that competed in the Latvian version of Clash of the Choirs. This has been her second attempt to get into Eurovision through the national selection of Supernova. She may give Latvia its best result since 2008 in actually qualifying for the final. We will find out in a fortnight I guess

Going back further in Latvia’s Eurovision history, I think the less said about 2001 the better….

so the first semi is a few days away and the rehearsals are progressing nicely. this is the running order of the first semi. SPOILER WARNING: this has links to rehearsal clips and comments on the rehearsals.

( full list of Eurovision semi 1 participants )

so I think Hungary and Estonia have the best performance this semi and the Netherlands and Moldova are auto non-qualifiers

Latvia is known for sending some pretty out there performances to Eurovision, and this year is no exception. I usually love Lavia, but this year I am not so sure.

Artist: Aarzemnieki
Song: Cake to Bake

I just want to know if this song is just a giant euphemism for a virgin trying to get someone pregnant. 'Cake to bake' is like 'bun in the oven', right? Maybe I am reading too much into the chorus:
I've got a cake to bake – I’ve got no clue at all (cep, cep, cep, cep, cep kuuku)
I've got a cake to bake – and haven't done that before (cep, cep, cep, cep, cep kuuku)
don't be proud, mate please don't bother,
go, come on and ask your mother,
how to bake, how to bake, bake that cake...

Maybe I am reading too much into the song because really it could be about anything. It is a song that mentioned Atlantis, the lost Arc, the 'Chinese Wall' and it references Sherlock, and that's just in the first verse. It is like someone decided to see how many cultural references they could stick in the one song. It is the European 'Happy Birthday Helen'.

This song could be fun when performed at Eurovision, Latvia usually is. I don't think it will qualify for the final and the bookmakers rate it a snowballs chance in hell, but it is a nice try. Thanks Latvia... NEXT!

Aarzemniek is Latvian for foreigner, and lots of countries get foreigners to perform for them. Anna Vissi is better known for representing Greece than her home country of Cyprus, maybe because she has represented Greece twice, the first being in 1980

Country: Latvia

History...
Debut: 2000
Previous Appearances: 13
Wins: 1 (2002 – Marie N 'I Wanna')

2013...
Artist: PeR
Song: Here We Go

Oh, they have a keytar, they should qualify for the final just for that. Ralph (the lead singer) should wear a shirt because he is not exactly ripped, but the keytar makes up for that.

I think they try to sound a little to 1990's post Take That Robbie Williams. Everything about the song screams 1990's, the outfits though are from another era, perhaps the 1970s

the Band is quoted as saying about Eurovision that 'the contest is getting more cheesy and cheesy every year.' and they are proof of that, but they are fun. They are almost fun enough, in a Jedward kind of way, to qualify. The bookies give them a snowballs chance in hell, but I give them a little more than that. They will qualify at least.

it is never Too Much

Performer: Anmary (Linda Amantova)
Song: Beautiful Song

During the first time I heard the first verse of this song, I double checked the lyrics of the song Anmary was sending to Eurovision to make sure that this was the right song. It is. OMG this is for real. Is this a piss-take or is this serious? OMG I think it is serious.

Whats scary is the more i listen to it, the more I can see its potential to win. It taps into that desire for instant fame that Gen Y onwards has in abundance, without being sung by twats and without being overly factitious.even if it doesnt win, it will atleast be the theme of the next Junior Eurovision, if not this Eurovision. It could so easily be abused in ads. It could be good....

It will be a tough qualifying for Latvia seeing that their neighbours are in the other semi. if it qualifies, this will b in the top half of the draw. If this doesn't qualify, it will not be a change in Latvia's recent fortunes. They haven't qualified since 2008. I don't know if I want this to qualify. at least it clarifies that Eurovision is entertainment, and not a song contest.

If you want to do a dong which demands votes, Lithuania did that best in 2006. As for Latvian Eurovision songs, I loved 'Questa Notte', partly for Latvia singing in italian when no majority italian speaking country was there to vote... even Switzerland only gave them 3 points.

Latvia:

Wins: 1
Entries: 8
2007 Semi final: 5
2007 Final: 16

2008:

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Pirates of the Sea - Wolves of the Sea
( lyrics )
This is my favourite song from Eurovision so far... which is scary in itself specially since it is again, 90's eurodance. but it is now the unofficial theme song for talk like a pirate day, if nothing else.

Latvia are no strangers to working their way up from the semi final, since the semi final was introduced, they have only failed to qualify for the final once. I have faith that this will make it to the final, but I doubt it will win.

OTT a bit, I have been getting into the show 'life on mars', which for Dr Who fans stars the master, and well Latvia sent a 'Hello from Mars' once.... F.L.Y....

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Entries tagged with latvia

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Eurovision 2022: Latvia Vs Norway

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Eurovision 2019: Latvia vs Lithuania

Eurovision 2018: Latvia

Eurovision 2017: Latvia

Eurovision 2016: Latvia

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Eurovision 2014: Latvia

Eurovision Song Review: Latvia

Eurovision 2012: Latvia

Eurovision Reviews: Latvia

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