On the eleventh day of Eurovision…
We’re inching closer to the end of our journey, but before it ends, we make a stop off at Vienna, where the 60th Eurovision Song Contest took place after Conchita Wurst’s win the previous year. This was the second time Austria had hosted the competition, with the previous time back in 1967. The show was hosted by a trio of Mirjam Weichselbraun, Alice Tumler and Arabella Kiesbauer, and Conchita Wurst hosted the Green Room. The contest was held in Wiener Stadthalle, and featured a total of 40 nations, including the return of Cyprus, Czech Republic and Serbia. Unfortunately we saw Ukraine depart the contest for a year break, however what dominated the news was that Australia would participate as a legitimate entry, and we would be a part of the now Big 7.
Best staging
If we ignore the fact that Knez looks like the creepy uncle at the family barbecues, the performance put on by Montenegro is absolutely stunning. The backing screen for this performance are absolutely miles above the others, and the colours are mind-blowingly vibrant. The style of movements on stage by Knez and his backing singers is very Željko Joksimović-esque, which is never ever a bad thing. Not only is it a magical song, but it was displayed in a very magical way, and this deserved every point it got.
Best Costume
Since poor Austria came last in the final with zero points (a spot I personally reserved for the UK) I felt obliged to share some of the positivity with them. The boys had such a great song, and it was staged really well, but what I liked the most was their taste in fashion. The lead was brave enough to pull off a hat indoors, and it suits his longer hair. The black and white theme of their costumes is always a classic and sensible choice, and pops against the backdrop of a burning piano (yes, you heard me right). I really enjoy the casual but retro feel of their outfits, and I think they suit these hipster boys perfectly.
Additionally, I also really loved Lithuania’s choice in costume, which featured a nice grey suit for Vaidas and a super pretty blue and white dress for Monika, which had an incredible amount of detail.
Worst Costume
I probably could have gone with the obvious here and say Trijntje from the Netherlands but I’m going to go with Serbia for this one. As for Bojana, I think she could have done with something a lot more vibrant instead of a greige dress. Sure, it’s detailed but I just don’t think it looks that good as a viewer watching the performance. As for the backing dancers, they do reveal their clothes underneath when the dance bit of the song starts but they probably should have because they just looked so out of place. I get the whole, embrace that everyone is different vibe going but give them some nice dresses, even if a nice casual dress. It all looks so misplaced and underwhelming for a massive song like Beauty Never Lies.
Best Live Vocals
How do I not give this to the incredible Animata from Latvia? This is such a modern tune, sung by one of the best voices we’ve seen in Eurovision. With such a simplistic backing track, it’s up to Aminata to dazzle with the strong voice she has within her, and she definitely shows it off during the choruses of the song. Reaching the last third of the song, I’d say, there is no vocal rest for her, it’s just strong note after strong note, and she doesn’t falter the entire time.
Most Underrated
There were a whole bunch of songs which for me were really underrated, all for the same reasons. Instead of writing about each individually, I’ll group them all together. For me, France, Ireland, Belarus and Denmark were all really underrated. France obviously had automatically qualified for the final, however only ended up in 25th place despite an incredible vocal performance and captivating stage performance. As for Ireland, I think that song really deserved a spot in the final, and same goes for Belarus and Denmark who had good songs which just weren’t appreciated enough.
Best All-Rounder
The list is lengthy for this one, as there are so many acts which were deserving of the title.
I’ll start off with Israel, who was represented by Nadav Guedj and the song Golden Boy. The song begins slow, and seems like it’s going to be a bit of a bore, but then picks up into this incredibly catchy pop tune. The staging was well done with the backup dancers, and ultimately it got people up and dancing and clapping so it achieved the ultimate goal.
Next up is Australia, and yes, I will warn you there is some bias here, but I can’t really help it. Guy Sebastian is one of Australia’s most loved artists, and vocally, one of our best. The song was slightly repetitive but catchy nonetheless, and a true radio hit. The performance was polished and well thought out, and of course, the pièce de résistance was Guy’s incredible voice.
Last on our list goes to Belgium, who surprised us with the selection of Loïc Nottet, and surprised us even more with the choice of Rhythm Inside, which turned out to be (alongside Latvia) one of the most modern songs of the contest thus far. The song was edgy and perfectly simplistic, which was matched by the performance. His vocals, well, not much needs to be said here because he is an absolute star.
Best Gimmicks
Sweden wins this round, with a stage show that no one could beat. It was no surprise for us Eurovision fans that we would be seeing Måns’ little friend on stage but for first time viewers, I can definitely see the excitement. The interaction he has with the backing screens was quite revolutionary for Eurovision, and inspired a whole new world of staging options for future years. The song was a good one, but ultimately I think this staging gimmick gave the song something extra to be remembered by, which is critical come the voting.
Most Cringe worthy Moment
What really stuns me as an avid viewer of Eurovision is when the show isn’t produced all that well, especially come 2015. I remember watching this back in 2015 and thinking how bad the camera work was, from the angles to the random shots of random things which clearly weren’t meant to be there. As I watch the contest now, luckily one of those moments literally just happened, where after the Georgian song, the camera cuts to a lady’s cleavage. I’m relatively certain this wasn’t meant to happen, and if it was, interesting choice by the broadcaster. Mistakes like this are not only cringey to watch but they’re also quite disappointing as a viewer wanting to watch a professional television programme.
Best Hairstyle
The best hairstyle of 2015 goes to the baldest head I’ve ever seen from Romania. The lead of Voltaj borderline looks like he’s actually wearing a bald cap there is just shiny smoothness. But what is even greater about this is the facial hair that he keeps. I wouldn’t even know what you call that facial hair style, but it’s reminiscent of yet another creepy uncle.
Bonus Category: Best Meme Worthy Moment
San Marino’s song was a giant joke to start off with – I mean, having two 16 year olds singing such an outdated song was never going to be a great idea for a contest so modern, but there was that one moment we all remember from their performance (before we had a 3 minute bathroom break) and that is this moment:
It can be used in a number of situations but I enjoy using this meme to answer the question, ‘Did San Marino send a good Eurovision song in 2015?’
Here’s the song so you can relive the moment live:
The fun doesn’t stop there, however, with Spain offering us MORE meme worthy moments. My favourite would have to be this one though:
Watch the performance down below:
All credits go to the original authors.
Fun Facts about Eurovision 2015
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During Georgia’s performance, there was a malfunction with the smoke machine, and as a result Nina Sublatti temporarily disappeared on stage behind a cloud of smoke
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It was reported that the viewing figures reached a record breaking 197 million viewers, breaking the previous years’ record of 195 million
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The pedestrian traffic lights in Vienna were temporarily changed to feature same-sex couples holding hands or hugging to promise the themes of tolerance and inclusion
Quick-fire Top 5:
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Belgium
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Latvia
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Israel
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Australia
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Italy
Top 3 Guilty Pleasure Songs
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Lithuania
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Iceland
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Ireland