It’s the time of year when the Post-Eurovision depression is in full swing, but there’s no better cure than to reminisce! Together with ESCDaily Editor, Dennis Van Eersel, we will be discussing each of this year’s competing nations – from their results to how we think they could improve in the future!
Germany
Predictions, Personal Scores and Results
Anita:
Prediction: Auto-Finalist
Dennis:
Prediction: Auto-Finalist
Results: 25th, Final
Did Germany live up to expectations?
A: For me personally, no. I think many people were expecting this entry to end up somewhere at the bottom of the table, and that came true, but I personally hoped for more. I can see why it ended near the bottom of the table, however. The vocal performance wasn’t great due to the fast pace of the song and the intense choreography. I actually really enjoyed the stage show, however it came at the cost of a good vocal performance. It’s also easy to see why this was considered a ‘joke’ entry, although I don’t necessarily feel that way.
D: It’s also a no for me. Based on his clips on his social media accounts I expected him to be fun and charismatic. This did not come across during his performance at all. The fun nature of the lyrics didn’t come across due to poor English and overall the act was just a bit basic, with the gimmick of a female in a middle finger suit. I expected more and better from Jendrik.
How do you personally feel about the song for Germany at Eurovision 2021?
A: The first time I heard this, I really wasn’t impressed. After the 2020 entry, it seemed like Germany was taking Eurovision seriously, however this year’s selection was a bit of a wildcard. The song did grow on me, and I really did think that it had the potential to really win over the voters if it was performed well. I guess that was a bit delusional on my part, and perhaps a bit delusional on the part of the broadcaster. While Jendrik was a star on social media, and a huge and very likable personality, it all comes down to the song and performance which didn’t hit the mark.
D: I thought Germany had a funny song with quirky lyrics, so there was some potential to do well. When I saw his live performances however, I had doubts if that would be something the viewer audience would pick up. It’s clear to say that they didn’t. And a jury would never be positive about such a mockery/gimmick song.
Could Germany have done anything different?
A: I think at its core, Germany probably should have selected a more serious entry. While it was nice to see something a bit more lighthearted (while it did have a serious message), in the line-up it was inevitable that this would be seen as a gimmick song. I think the broadcaster picked Jendrik based on him and his personality and charisma rather on the entire package. Even if they were to pick Jendrik, perhaps they could have worked with him on a different song as he has a lovely voice and great stage presence. The documentary piece they published before Eurovision also proved that he works really hard, and you could see that with how the group was dealing with the new choreography. With the right elements this could have yielded a better result.
D: Germany made a bold move, trading Ben Dolic in for Jendrik. He was selected because of his personality and nifty humour. And whilst that may be a very important factor for an artist at Eurovision, it always depends on the quality of the song and actual performance. Jendrik lacks the experience to deliver what it takes on the biggest music stage of the world and still has a lot to learn on how to make a good first impression within three minutes for those millions of viewers that don’t know him and his funny clips on social media yet. Germany tried to get for a strong personality, which is a move I can appreciate, but they clearly should have checked whether Jendrik could also show that side during a live televised performance.
What can Germany do to ensure success in future years?
A: Germany is in that strange position where you see the success of certain acts, such as Michael Schulte and you think that they are on the right track. But in reality, when you look at a broader context, Germany still struggles with what will bring them success at the contest. I don’t think they are in a place where they should host a national final again, history proves that it generally does not lead to success. I think an internal selection is wise, perhaps a multi stage process with different juries to try to eliminate the trash and ultimately find the treasure.
D: The Germans have never been a real powerhouse at Eurovision and often miss the mark when it comes to judging how the rest of Europe will look at their acts. Of course there was a brief period of time when they got it right and had great results in a row, but that has already been quite long ago now. Back then after many trial and errors it was Stefan Raab who was the mastermind of the German selection methods. The German broadcaster needs to look for another strong person behind the screens to guide and protect their clear strategy for Eurovision. Because right now, I can’t even see what their strategy to book new success is. It feels like they try something completely different every year.
Which was better, the live-on-tape performance or the actual performance?
A: The back-up tape is very similar, but there is one key difference. That is the vocals. Jendrik seems much more confident and at ease. Similar to the live performance, he occasionally loses his breath, but I think it was a lot less frequent in the back-up tape. Otherwise, I think the performances were much the same. Visually it looked great, actually one of my favourite visual performances of the night. While I think the back-up tape was better, I don’t know if it would have improved their results.
D: It was so nice to see that Germany was taking things seriously, despite the entry not being so serious. They rebuilt a stage in Germany, almost a replica of what we eventually had in Rotterdam Ahoy. This was really cool and something I could appreciate a lot. Obviously, the act itself was also a copy of what we all saw in May and that just wasn’t good enough in the back-up tape as well.