Since becoming an automatic qualifier at Eurovision, Germany has often struggled to find their groove at the contest, with more often than not, results towards the bottom of the table. Last year was a refreshing change for Germany, having finished in 4th place with the moving entry, You Let Me Walk Alone. This year it will be the duo S!sters representing the nation with the song aptly named Sister. Will this match last year’s result, or will Germany be making their way back to the bottom?
Song + Vocals
Germany’s national selection has seen some improvements over the last few years, especially when it comes to giving the participating artists a chance to create or at least co-create their entries. This gave last year’s entry a strong feeling of authenticity, and I credit this to their Top 5 finish. The same format was used this year, however the results couldn’t be further from the success of last year.
The quality of music in the national final overall really doesn’t showcase the best of German music, and this song certainly doesn’t scream success. It wasn’t my personal top pick of the selection, and I would have much preferred Wear Your Love which had much more potential as a song and as a stage performance, but alas, this is the song we were dealt with – unfortunately.
I have framed this in a way that you probably think that I strongly dislike this song. That’s not necessarily true, as at times I have enjoyed the song and the meaning behind it, but Germany have missed the opportunity to really capitalise on their previous success and learn what does or alternatively does not make for a successful Eurovision. This is a decent ballad with redeeming elements, but overall, as a package it runs the risk of being forgotten.
What I do enjoy about this song is the way it builds over the three minutes, and the noticeable change in how it builds after the first chorus. To some degree, I think the chorus is a bit of an earworm, and will admit that this has been in my head on various occasions. The pair are decent singers, although not the strongest of the competitors this year, and with a song that doesn’t quite stand out, there is no real focus point on this song.
Act + Performance
The national final performance of this song was decent, but not spectacular, but even still, I would prefer this over their choice at Eurovision. Mind you, I have only seen the short rehearsal clip, but it seems that they don’t have a very clear vision of what they want to highlight. Using faces on the backing screen can become very generic, so I think more focus could have been put on the stage performance of this at Eurovision.
Conclusions
There’s something about this entry and the stage performance of this song that feels incredibly budget. After such a good result, you would think that the nation would try bring something of similar quality to the contest, but they just aren’t reaching that level this year. I don’t expect a high result for this entry, sorry Germany.
Rating
6/10
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