Bulgaria is one of those Eurovision nations who don’t often seen the top of the results table, nor do they often qualify to the Grand Final, however last year, Poli Genova gave Bulgaria their best result ever with 4th place. This has revived the interest in the contest, and Bulgaria are really putting that extra effort into selecting their entry. This year, there was an extensive bidding process which featured a long list of requirements, but the result of having such a detailed submission process was a well prepared, carefully selected artist and song. Bulgaria waited right until the end of the national selection season to reveal their act and song, but of course we now know that it will be Kristian Kostov singing Beautiful Mess. So, is it beautiful, or just a mess?
If Bulgaria was going to win Eurovision, this is the year. This song is absolutely stunning, and for me, it was love at first listen. The song opens with quite an ethnic sound, and sets the tone for the song. We’re then faced with Kristian’s incredible voice which in the verses is deep and so beautifully carries the emotion of the lyrics. As the song progresses into the chorus, he begins to really show his vocal range, and it’s just absolutely magical. Throughout the song, we hear the ethnic sounds come out again, specifically in the breaks between chorus and verse. I can’t quite put my finger on what that sound exactly is, but whatever it is, it adds this atmosphere to the song which not many of the other 2017 songs have. I also find that even though they lyrics aren’t complex, it doesn’t sound cliché a la Running on Air.
Although the song is absolutely flawless, what excites me more about this is knowing how well Kristian can sing, even at the tender age of 17. He’s had experience on televised singing competitions, including the Voice and X Factor, and upon watching some of his performances, I am highly confident that this song will be performed beautifully at Eurovision – which really makes me think that this is a package that could really win Eurovision this year. Additional to that, the teaser to his official music video (which will be out probably by the time you’re reading this) looks absolutely stunning. Only basing it off the teaser, it looks like they’ve put a lot into the production of the music video, just as they have with the song. With such a thoughtful production of the song and music video, I can predict that the staging for this song will really round out this performance.
Overall, I’m incredibly hopeful for this entry. It would be fabulous to see a country who hasn’t yet won Eurovision finally top the table, and although If Love Was A Crime was an absolutely fabulous song, I think this song really has what it takes to win, and I ain’t mad about it. An easy 10/10 for Bulgaria.
