Close Menu
    All

    Dare to Dream: The Race to Eurovision 2019 (Part X: Malta, Lithuania, and Russia)

    Scott BolandBy No Comments5 Mins Read

    Since next week is Eurovision and I haven’t finished my predictions, today’s post will be another Eurovision post! I will be done by next weekend! This post features artists and songs from these three countries: Malta, Lithuania, and Russia.

    If you haven’t check it out already, please check out Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII, Part VIII, and Part IX of the series. Those three blog posts feature songs from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Montenegro, Belarus, Cyprus, Finland, Serbia, Poland, Slovenia, Australia, Belgium, Estonia, and Iceland, Georgia, Portugal, Greece, San Marino, Armenia, Ireland, Moldova, Switzerland, Latvia, Romania, Denmark, Croatia, Sweden, and Austria.

    Malta: Michela – “Chameleon”
    Michela is a brand-new singer who made her debut this year after winning the first season of Malta’s version of The X Factor. But, that doesn’t mean you should pass up “Chameleon”, especially the music video. The song is most spunky and unique out of the selections this year. I love the funky beat during the chorus when Miche; sings the song’s title in a unique way. Other critics have praised this song, saying that it is “strong”, “daring”, “full of color”, and “infectious”. You can hear these qualities clearly when you listen as Michela’s vocals are very strong, the beat will make you want to dance, and the melody is full of different vibes: from the colorful during the pre-chorus to the semi-dark vibe during the interlude.

    “Chameleon” will be a breath of fresh air for this year’s competition as it is unique and full of energy. It might not be as popular as Netta’s “Toy” (which was last year’s spunky song), but it will be a favorite of mine in this Eurovision as I see it going to the finals with a really unique performance.

    Lithuania: Jurij Veklenko – “Run with the Lions”

    This Eurovision isn’t the first one for Jurij Veklenko. The Lithuanian singer was part of the backing chorus for the song “This Time” in 2015. Though he has experience in this competition, I don’t think his vocals do. There are parts during “Running With the Lions” where you can see the weakness of Veklenko’s vocals as he is under pitch. I know the technique is trying to employ but it is more weak than strong when he tries to sing those higher notes.

    But, I have to say the “Running With the Lions” can be an empowering song depending on how you perceive. In one day, the song is about one partner encouraging the other to open up their feelings and love. Another way — the way I see in — is that you should be yourself: open up and be free.

    The song itself is empowering but not Veklenko’s vocal strength. And because of that, I don’t think the Lithuanian singer will make it to the finals.

    Russia: Sergey Lazarev – “Scream”

    Sergey Lazarev is an accomplished musician and actor who has been releasing music since 2005 as a soloist. He started off in the children group Neposedi — the same one where t.A.T.u’s Yulia Volkova and Lena Katina also belonged to — in 1991. Then from 2000 to 2004, Lazarev was in the pop duo Smash!! with Vlad Topalov. The duo was immensely popular not just in Russia, but also in Asia as their debut album Freeway sold over one million discs. After Smash!! broke up, Lazarev pursued a successful solo career.

    One of the things I love about “Scream” is Lazarev’s vocal quality: it is rich, smooth, and strong. His voice is the center of “Scream” as it entices the listen with its richness.

    The song is a basic song as there is not much instrumentation or melodic progressions. However, Lazarev’s vocals make the song enjoyable and the potential to be in the finals if performed right on the semi-finals stage.

    So what do you think, which song is your favorite? Comment below!

    And, since I have a lot of travel bloggers and readers from the world who visit this blog, what are your favorite memories or sites in these countries? Let me know in the comments below.

    Since this is an ongoing series, I am going to share my prediction scorecard at the end of each post. It is a way for me to keep track of my predictions and see if they came true in May.

    My Predictions!

    Semi-Finals First Round

    Country Standings at the Finals
    Belarus POWER PLAY SAVE – Finals
    Cyprus Eliminated
    Czech Republic Eliminated
    Finland Finals
    Hungary Finals – MAY WIN
    Montenegro Finals
    Poland Finals – MAY WIN
    Serbia Eliminated
    Slovenia Eliminated
    Australia Finals – MAY WIN
    Belgium Eliminated
    Estonia Finals
    Iceland Eliminated
    Georgia Eliminated
    Portugal Finals
    Greece Finals
    San Marino Finals

    I have edited the first half’s chart to add Belarus into the finals pool. The reason is that there should be at least 10 finalists in each half of the semi-finals in order to have 20 winners from the semi-finals and 6 pre-qualified contestants to make 26 entries in the finals.

    Semi-Finals Second Round

    Country Standings at the Finals
    Armenia Finals
    Ireland Eliminated
    Moldova Finals
    Switzerland Finals
    Latvia Finals
    Romania Finals
    Denmark Eliminated
    Sweden Finals
    Austria Eliminated
    Croatia Finals
    Malta Finals – MAY WIN
    Lithuania Eliminated
    Russia Finals

    Related Posts