Over the weeks, we’ve been discussing the songs that didn’t quite make it to the Eurovision final. They’re often the forgotten songs, but we want to put the spotlight back on the performances to show that just because they’re lost to the semi-final, doesn’t mean they aren’t cracking songs! Today we’re travelling back to 2010 to discuss our Top 5 non-qualifiers!
5. Anna Bergendahl – This Is My Life
For Sweden, this song was quite a unique entry. Traditionally they go the dance-pop route, or occasionally a massive ballad, but this is neither. It somewhat represents a ballad type song but mixed with a bit of country pop vibes. It’s a cutesy song, one that you can’t be offended by, and considering the popularity of Sweden in the contest, it was surprising to not only me, but Eurovision fans worldwide that this didn’t qualify. Although this didn’t make it, it only missed out by a miniscule 5 points, which was the difference between Cyprus qualifying, and Sweden missing out. Sweden came back with a vengeance in the years following, with Top 5 results consistently after 2010.
4. Gjoko Taneski – Jas Ja Imam Silata
I battled with myself on this one, because I also really loved Finland’s 2010 entry, but I think this one perhaps slightly inched ahead for me. Plus, it’s a song that often doesn’t get talked about, but a song that I really loved. FYR Macedonia haven’t had a huge amount of Eurovision success, especially in recent years, but for me, many of the songs are ones that I love beyond the contest’s end. This is song I love for many reasons. First up, it’s a song in national language which automatically gains brownie points with me. Beyond that, I think it’s a well performed song that features a melody which for whatever reason really sticks with me. I like the little rap part, and I think it fits in really well with the song. It’s not a song I actively go and listen to, but I’ll never turn it off if it pops up on shuffle!
3. Kristina – Horehronie
It’s often labelled as the best Slovakian Eurovision entry of all time (well, I mean, there aren’t too many entries to compare it to!) and I tend to agree. I did really like the very underrated entry from 2009, although Kristina’s Horehronie offered an incredible amount to like, from the song itself to the performance. This performance was very culturally inspired from an instrumental and musical point of view, but also in terms of the unique forest-like performance. My only criticism would be that the song is quite repetitive, and by that last minute you’ve already heard it all. Regardless of that, it’s a song that fans still believe is underrated, and should have qualified to the final, but criminally, it finished in 16th place in the semi-final out of a total 17 acts!
2. Malcolm Lincoln and Manpower 4 – Siren
This might be one of those ‘controversial Eurovision opinions’ but this would have to be one of my favourite songs from 2010. It’s such a simple song, but something about it captivated me. I really enjoy the melody of the choruses, and I like that there’s such a delineation between verse and chorus. I like that they aren’t scared of using empty space within the song, as I find some Eurovision artists try to pack so much in their 3 minute songs that it becomes too overwhelming. I also really enjoy Robin Juhkental’s voice, and I have done since, with his (national final) songs since 2010. Although I love the overall performance, the backing singers were a bit hit and miss through the song, but not enough to make me not like this song!
1. Inculto – Eastern European Funk
It might be another unpopular opinion, but Lithuania’s entry for 2010 was absolutely one of their best. There’s something about the more jokey style entries that I find really interesting, especially if their lyrical content is contrasting to the comedy of the performance and song. The lyrics are a bit of a bite back at stereotypes, and interesting to read into, but lyrics aside, this is just such a catchy song. The awkward synchronised dancing yet another reason I love this performance, and of course, how could I not mention the sparkly reveal of the man panties! It’s an energetic song and performance that brings a smile to my face every time I see or hear it, and that’s why it’s my number 1!
So there are our Top 5 Non-Qualifying entries from 2010, and we’re going to assume that your Top 5 isn’t the same as ours, so make sure to tell us your Top 5 on Twitter or Facebook!
Read our previous posts about our Top 5 Non-Qualifiers here:
– Top 5 Non-Qualifiers of 2016
– Top 5 Non-Qualifiers of 2015
– Top 5 Non-Qualifiers of 2014
– Top 5 Non-Qualifiers of 2013
– Top 5 Non-Qualifiers of 2012
– Top 5 Non-Qualifiers of 2011
– Top 5 Non-Qualifiers of 2010
– Top 5 Non-Qualifiers of 2009
– Top 5 Non-Qualifiers of 2008
– Top 5 Non-Qualifiers of 2007