Montenegro haven’t had the best of luck when it comes to Eurovision, but when they hit their high, they really impressed. Both their qualifying entries from 2014 and 2015 were great Balkan ballads, however this year, they’ve internally selected Slavko Kalezić with a song called Space, which is so not a Balkan ballad! With its upbeat nature, will there be space for Slavko in the Eurovision final?
Let’s start this off by saying I really hope so. I was really highly anticipating Slavko’s entry just because I knew it would be totally uplifting in the most flamboyant way possible, and he did not disappoint. Instantly, you know this song is going to be three minutes of fun, and although this might be a song that is hit and miss with the fans, this is a song that is a huge hit for me. Musically, I think this is well produced, and there are a number of positive elements within the song. The beat of the song builds towards the chorus, which is definitely my favourite part of the song. I really love that you listen to it thinking the chorus is over, but then he repeats back into the chorus in a way that makes it feel less repetitive. Yeah, sure, the lyrics are a bit cheesy in the Space theme, but ultimately, this is a song where the clichés are just part of the fun.
This song has the essence of what many Eurovision viewers tune in to watch. It’s over the top, it’s dramatic, it’s upbeat and incredibly flamboyant. Doing a general visual survey of how Eurovision fans have reacted, it’s not the biggest display of positivity, however we do also have to remember that so many of the viewers just tune in once a year to see the show, not necessarily to fall in love with the songs as much as to fall in love with the performances, and that’s where Montenegro really has its advantage over many if not most of the acts this year.
We can be assured that the performance on stage is going to be absolutely wild. There’s a certain artistic nature of the official video that I think will be transferred to the stage performance, and I honestly can’t wait to see how they decide to stage this. For me, as long as there’s a few whips of the braid I’ll be happy.
I’m super happy that Montenegro is in the first semi-final because I am going to vote for this like crazy. I think there are still a few uncertain qualifiers in the semi-final, and I hope Montenegro scoops up a qualifying place into the final. Its biggest chance is to win over those viewers who are watching Eurovision for the fun, as I can’t imagine the juries loving this as much as I do. I really wish Slavko success in Eurovision, and with all that said, I’m going to give Montenegro a 9/10.
