2016 Reviews – Lithuania – Donny Montell – I’ve Been Waiting For This Night

Lithuania is becoming the master of mammoth national finals, and after such a long process, we have another returning artist to Eurovision. Donny Montell was chosen once again to represent the nation, with the song I’ve Been Waiting For This Night. The last time he was in Eurovision was in 2012, so can he better his results from 2012?

I’ve been waiting for this night is a far more modern song than Love is Blind, and I think in general he and his music is sounding a bit more grown up and edgy. The song seems like yet another pop cliché love song but there’s something about this song that I really, really like. The verses are ok, but when it hits into that chorus, I can’t help but sing along. When that bass drum starts beating, the song gains intensity, and the melody is SO catchy! The end builds incredibly, and will show off Donny’s vocal ability.

Donny himself is a very capable singer, and certainly knows how to work the camera. One thing I’d argue is a risk is too much movement on stage – we know from 2012, and now from the 2016 national final that Donny likes to dance, he likes to flip, jump, hop and whatever else, but at the end of the day, he just needs to make sure that it doesn’t actually take away from the performance, which is a very real risk as sometimes his confidence almost comes across as arrogance.

I really hope we see an awesome stage show, or at least some variation between verse and chorus with the lights, for example. I think that will maintain the interest in the song – smoke machines or simple props would work, like in the national final, if they’re used in moderation, in the high parts of the song, for example. Some better backing singers would go alright, as well….

It’s interesting because this does sound like a winning song – but I don’t think this is the year. I think this is a radio friendly song, and has potential to be really successful in Eurovision. I think it deserves a spot in the final, and I think this is very achievable being in the second semi, and in the final it deserves a spot in the top half of the leader board (along with the other billion songs I’d like in the top half of the final leader board….). Overall, this is a song I love listening to over and over, and I really can’t wait to see how it goes in Eurovision – so I’m going to give it an 8.5/10.

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