I have to say, I really didn’t think I’d see Valentina Monetta at Eurovision again, yet here she is, for the fourth time. In 2014, which was her third attempt at that time, she (and San Marino) qualified for the first time in Eurovision history, and we all thought that she would leave on a high, coupled with the Eurovision icon status. This year she will be joined by American artist Jimmie Wilson and together they will be singing Spirit of the Night, once again composed and produced by Eurovision legend Ralph Siegel. Will San Marino return to the final for the second time?
Upon release, I was really surprised, because I really liked this. Out of her 4 entries, this was up there with Crisalide, despite the two being very different songs. I think the duet between really works, as Valentina has a jazzy voice in a higher range, while Jimmie has more of a soul tone to his voice that harmonises well with hers. It has a catchy melody, and obviously the style of tune just captures what Eurovision is… or should I say, was…. About 10 years ago. I do think the beat behind the song is a bit cheap and dated, but at the same time, it’s a song that I don’t really mind. It’s like a guilty pleasure. Plus it features the Eurovision favourite, the key change, so it ticks that box!
What I do really like is the vibe in the film clip. Finally something somewhat modern looking, especially if we compare it to Serhat’s disaster of a song and film clip last year. I like the neon lights, and I think that would look super cool if they kept that vibe for their on stage performance. I suppose the more they can make this stage performance feel like we’re in a disco, the better.
Overall, I do enjoy this song, but it just gets lost amongst the songs I love more. In any other year, this would have been a qualifier, but the first issue is that it’s stuck in a year of great songs, PLUS it managed to get stuck in what I think is the most brutal semi-final this year. I don’t think this will be seeing the final, simply for those reasons, which yeah, sure, is a shame, but I’d rather see my favourite 10 in those spots. For me, it’s a 6/10.
