Eurovision Throwback: Paula & Ovi – Playing With Fire

Some label it as Romania’s best Eurovision entry in history, and to their defence, historically, this is Romania’s best result in Eurovision, on par with their 2005 results. With that said, what do I actually think of the song? Today’s Eurovision throwback is Playing with Fire which was performed by Paula and Ovi, and it’s been a while since I’ve listened to this tune, so it will be interesting to see if my opinion has changed over all these years.

Back in 2010, I think I enjoyed this song slightly more than what I do now. The song is catchy, especially the chorus which is particularly easy to remember and sing along to, even after the song is finished. It’s a simple melody that is sung by 2 very capable singers, potentially Paula slightly more capable, however in the harmonies it all blends together well. In the context of 2010, I think this was a good song, and I can see why it ended up in 3^rd place.

The staging for this is admittedly quite cool as well, having a dual sided piano which is totally clear with led lights. The fire bursts on stage are an obviously inclusion considering the name of the song, however there is one awkward part of the performance, and it’s Paula’s awkward leg. It’s just there, and I can’t ever unsee it while I watch the performance!

Overall, I actually can’t say I like this song all that much. Despite the positives mentioned above, I personally just don’t get along with this track. I can see why it did as well as it did, and in the context of their two Eurovision appearances, I’d still prefer this over Miracle. Even in the context of Romanian Eurovision performances, despite the fact that I’m not the biggest fan of this song, I still do think it is one of Romania’s best.

I’m going to give it a 6/10.