American reacts to Eurovision Explained for Americans

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  • čas přidán 18. 10. 2023
  • Thank you for watching me, a humble American, react to Eurovision Explained
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Komentáře • 1,9K

  • @lulaa123
    @lulaa123 Před 6 měsíci +4807

    It’s a SONG contest, not a SINGING competition.

    • @joannedelaney3866
      @joannedelaney3866 Před 6 měsíci +380

      Definitely not a singing contest! Ha ha! I watch every year for the NIL points … the glitz, the glam, the performances, the politics… love it!

    • @kennikitty
      @kennikitty Před 6 měsíci +268

      It's a songwriter contest, that's why the trophy goes to the songwrite(s) of the winning song, not the performer. Yes, they give the trophy to the performer on stage, but if goes to the songwriter after the show.

    • @ticketyboo2456
      @ticketyboo2456 Před 6 měsíci +68

      Thank you so much. David Bennett did not make this clear. SONG contest not SINGING contest ffs...

    • @PT_519
      @PT_519 Před 6 měsíci +9

      I was about to comment the same haha

    • @alihorda
      @alihorda Před 6 měsíci +17

      it was never a song contest but some weird political game for no reason. but had some fun or insane music here and there

  • @JamesLMason
    @JamesLMason Před 6 měsíci +2606

    If the USA got involved they'd probably take it far too seriously. It's not about who's best, it's about the spectacle, the camp, the process, the politics. It all sets it apart from your average singing contest. As someone else commented, it's a song contest, not a singing contest.

    • @soniquecat4745
      @soniquecat4745 Před 6 měsíci +190

      Yeah, we already have the UK throwing hissy fits when they don't get many points, we don't need another coutnry to do the same.

    • @KaiHenningsen
      @KaiHenningsen Před 6 měsíci +144

      @@soniquecat4745 Germany generally expects to not get many points. At this point, it's a meme popular enough to get talked about in the media.

    • @Mrsuperdestroyer
      @Mrsuperdestroyer Před 6 měsíci +37

      I mean it is for sure still a competition, it's just that hitting the sweet spot of being campy but not too obnoxious while still being catchy. Shitty vocals will be criticised and make you lose support.

    • @lizcollinson2692
      @lizcollinson2692 Před 6 měsíci +28

      ​​@@soniquecat4745hissy fits, it's the running joke at this point. Hit songs get nill points. 😂 And we still love it.
      But true the Americans would take huge offense.

    • @kroanius8808
      @kroanius8808 Před 6 měsíci +8

      The Winner of the esc ist everybody who does Not have to Host the Event the next year

  • @ely03cassandra
    @ely03cassandra Před 5 měsíci +362

    You can’t compare any casting shows with Eurovision. Casting shows are usually about finding unknown talent.
    Eurovision isn’t about the artists but about the song (which is why artists can participate multiple times). The artists can be newcomers or national superstars. And they have a whole team behind them for support.

  • @AHVENAN
    @AHVENAN Před 6 měsíci +787

    Makes perfect sense that the first hard rock/metal act to ever win was from Finland, since Finland has the most metal bands per capita of any country in the entire world, it is one of very few countries where metal isn't just some underground niche genre, there are metal bands who if they release an album will easily blow the biggest pop acts off the charts here in Finland! One of many reasons I am so proud to be a finnish citizen, we clearly have the best taste in music in the entire world! ;)

    • @t.a.yeah.
      @t.a.yeah. Před 6 měsíci +23

      That's why I love Finland without knowing much about it. 😂 And because of the ä's, of course.
      And the snow.

    • @bojo88
      @bojo88 Před 6 měsíci +19

      100% you do! I always look out for the Finnish entry, they have had so many good ones over the years! I also love metal and have made many Finnish friends. I particularly loved Hannah Pakarinin's entry and it is still on my playlist to this day. I am also a massive Nightwish fan too. There is so much to love about your awesome country!

    • @KaiHenningsen
      @KaiHenningsen Před 6 měsíci +1

      IIRC, they mostly won because they rallied their fans for the public votes, so you might say in this case it was less about the song and more about the band and their fans.

    • @kasperstergaard1592
      @kasperstergaard1592 Před 6 měsíci +6

      Germany is known for their metal scene. Fewer people outside the fans of the genre know that the Finnish metal scene is even more vibrant.

    • @AHVENAN
      @AHVENAN Před 6 měsíci +9

      @@kasperstergaard1592 I am aware that Germany is more known for their metal to the mainstream, but that doesn't change the fact. Hell, I'd even claim that Sweden has more bands that are internationally successful than Finland, even though we have more bands in total per capita

  • @Archphoenix1
    @Archphoenix1 Před 6 měsíci +826

    oh boy, he doesnt know that its watched by 200 million people for the finale alone. the numbers and production is insane

    • @kennikitty
      @kennikitty Před 6 měsíci +22

      It's nowhere near 200 million anymore. Turkey and Russia not broadcasting leads to a substantial drop in views. This year's final was at about 155-160 million I think.

    • @montrealbreakcore3241
      @montrealbreakcore3241 Před 6 měsíci +66

      ​@@kennikittythat's still pretty decent, and I doubt anybody else is going to drop the broadcast for the same reasons as Russia and Turkey

    • @ABC1701A
      @ABC1701A Před 6 měsíci +11

      @@kennikitty Russia do normally broadcast it though, heck they normally participate - who remembers the grannies who?
      Edit, sorry didn't finish the comment and someone has pointed this out to me, should have read ''grannies who took part''.

    • @mantailuaa
      @mantailuaa Před 6 měsíci +10

      @@ABC1701AGrannies did not win, they came second after Swedens Loreen with Euphoria.

    • @ABC1701A
      @ABC1701A Před 6 měsíci +11

      @@mantailuaa But that wasn't the point, they were different enough that you only have to mention grannies and EuroVision and people know exactly who you are talking about (while how many remember Sweden's entry that year, I certainly don't although I remember I didn't like it much), plus they were Russian which was more my point, Russia did used to take part.
      EuroVision is basically one huge party that is lots of fun and can be held in your own home 3 nights of the year. And in case you hadn't guessed, we watch it in my home, we even score all entries ourselves and then see who gets closest to the official scores (win's a bar of chocolate) while 9 times out of 10 my daughter actually picks the winner, no idea how she does it though.

  • @gamingtonight1526
    @gamingtonight1526 Před 6 měsíci +675

    It's the SONG that wins, NOT the band. Ryan, being American, goes straight for WHO'S singing!

    • @livb6945
      @livb6945 Před 6 měsíci +1

      Well, how do you tell the difference?

    • @dekjet
      @dekjet Před 6 měsíci +17

      It's the song that wins but it's the show and the artist and of course sympathy is what attracts the votes.

    • @isalablomma
      @isalablomma Před 6 měsíci

      Most songs are crap, written badly and if it's not in English or your mother language you don't even get any meaning. So performance is very important

    • @volatili
      @volatili Před 6 měsíci +32

      @@isalablomma "Not getting the meaning" isn't true for every country, by the way. In Finland, for example, there are Finnish subtitles for every single song. I wish more countries did that, too.

    • @isalablomma
      @isalablomma Před 6 měsíci +2

      @@volatili oh yeah that's nice 👍

  • @denewst01
    @denewst01 Před 6 měsíci +248

    I loved Lordi's performance & they didn't just win, they absolutely smashed it. Gotta love the Finnish metal scene.

    • @Templarofsteel88
      @Templarofsteel88 Před 6 měsíci +6

      One of the very few times i voted for a song, hoping that it would make sure we would get more harder songs for ESC.

    • @C-handle-r
      @C-handle-r Před 6 měsíci +1

      Aww yeahh! I've been watching Eurovision since 2008 and only discovered Lordi by doing my ESC homework. However, I've seen them live now four times. Now I am still waiting on Teräsbetoni to get back together......

    • @Sipu97
      @Sipu97 Před 3 měsíci +2

      The greatest winning song ever.

    • @Amalthea_1
      @Amalthea_1 Před 3 měsíci

      I was a little girl who loved almost only pop stuff at that time lol BUT Lordi was the best!!! and are still the best in my opinion! 🤟❤‍🔥

  • @tnightwolf
    @tnightwolf Před 6 měsíci +102

    i'm not even Ukrainian, but politics apart, their song was a really solid song tbh. Imo the song itself was definitely in my top-4/5 of that year.

  • @AlexGys9
    @AlexGys9 Před 6 měsíci +1583

    Well Ryan, we don't blame you for not knowing that Australia and Israel are part of Europe 😀 We didn't know either until they participated in Eurovision 😛

    • @neuralwarp
      @neuralwarp Před 6 měsíci +60

      There are lots of asiatic countries in the EVSC. Its about the broadcast technology not the EU.

    • @simongunkel7457
      @simongunkel7457 Před 6 měsíci +68

      Eurovision is run by EBU (the European Broadcasting Union), which is a collection of TV and radio broadcasters that can interchange content. Now broadcasters from anywhere in the world can buy into that content sharing system and become associate members. And all associate members can enter the competion, though only one per country (AFAIK on a "whoever applies first" basis), by paying a fee, which also allows that broadcaster to show the semi-finals and the final live. All the major US networks are associate members, so if NBC, ABC or CBS wanted to, they could send somebody and if interest in the ESC keeps rising in the US, somebody probably will. You get a lot of live TV with a sizable audience for a relatively low pice - unless you host of course.

    • @Nikioko
      @Nikioko Před 6 měsíci +31

      Every country which is a member of the European Broadcasting Union can participate in the ESC (NOT Eurovision. Eurovision is just the network that produces the ESC). This is a matter of membership, not geography. Israel is a member of UEFA and participates in the EURO, while Australia is a member of the AFC and participates in the Asian championships.

    • @Nikioko
      @Nikioko Před 6 měsíci +22

      @@simongunkel7457 And Eurovision isn't a show, but a broadcasting network. The show is called Eurovision Song Contest. Or Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson, if you prefer that.

    • @skye.editx_
      @skye.editx_ Před 6 měsíci +6

      kazakhstan, azerbaijan, morocco too

  • @HellDuke-
    @HellDuke- Před 6 měsíci +341

    It's not if professionals are allowed to enter, it's literally professionals that are entered most commonly because you want to enter the best thing you've got. And the song must be original (so no old songs) and be under 3 minutes long. Each country picks who to send. Specifically the national broadcaster gets to decide. While most commonly it's a contest, there does not have to be one.

    • @kennikitty
      @kennikitty Před 6 měsíci +2

      We see many casting show winners, too. And it's definitely not always the best what's sent. That depends if you actually want to give winning a shot and many countries don't even want to win due to the hosting issue.

    • @uztre6789
      @uztre6789 Před 6 měsíci +16

      @@kennikitty I can't believe how often that has to be said but nobody is forced to host and nobody is scared of winning

    • @tihomirrasperic
      @tihomirrasperic Před 6 měsíci +6

      you forget that many people come there just for promotion,
      and some from trolling the rest of Europe

    • @mari97216
      @mari97216 Před 6 měsíci +1

      @@kennikitty
      Norway often miss out with the public chosing their favorite 😅. So many great winner potentials or top 5 has been lost in the national finals.

  • @kullikullan
    @kullikullan Před 6 měsíci +523

    Ukraine's song was awesome and one of the favourites to win even before Russia's invasion.

    • @axelkjell2320
      @axelkjell2320 Před 6 měsíci +29

      It's a shame that so many songs were so great that year. I think Ukraine deserved the win, but I also think that all in the top-three deserved their each individual wins

    • @TheAlex29494
      @TheAlex29494 Před 5 měsíci +21

      Not the best one though. And the landslide victory means that there obviously was a consensus about making Ukraine win no matter what

    • @atropatene3596
      @atropatene3596 Před 5 měsíci +16

      Also they should've won the year before anyway with Go_A

    • @montimunchi7469
      @montimunchi7469 Před 5 měsíci +16

      Ukraine was very good this year and had a very original sound, they won well deserved. Also:
      The UK performance after Brexit was incredibly bad, just Germany (my country) was maybe worse. They deserved the bad ranking.

    • @kirstinevad347
      @kirstinevad347 Před 3 měsíci +2

      It was a great song which resonated with love and desperation. I didnt vote, but I really hoped it would win, and I stil remember it.

  • @patty1004
    @patty1004 Před 6 měsíci +72

    Fun fact: Jhonny Logan is no longer the only two times winner of Eurovision, Loreen recently won her 2nd eurovision contest in 2023 with the song tattoo.

    • @IncompetentPlayer
      @IncompetentPlayer Před 2 měsíci +17

      Yeah "won" 2023
      Crowd had was chanting something else xD

    • @irascible3753
      @irascible3753 Před 2 měsíci +15

      She shouldn't have won. The first time was deserved, but "Tattoo" was just not that good. It also happened to be the 50th anniversary of Abba's victory, def not a coincidence.

    • @LawrenceAkers
      @LawrenceAkers Před 2 měsíci +1

      Fun Fact: Johnny Logan was actually born in Australia. In Frankston, an outer suburb of Melbourne, to be precise.

    • @lemasander4932
      @lemasander4932 Před 5 dny +2

      He actually won 3 times, two times as a singer, one time as a songwriter (Linda Martin - Why me)

  • @lindseyproudley4224
    @lindseyproudley4224 Před 6 měsíci +1198

    If you do react to Eurovision songs, don’t just do the winners. There’s so many great songs that didn’t win. The band called ‘Go A’ from Ukraine did an absolutely banging song called ‘Shum’ in 2021.

    • @JannekeBruines
      @JannekeBruines Před 6 měsíci +55

      It is still my all time favourite ❤ I still listen to their music regularly and even learned to sing in Ukrainian. They are Absolutely Amazing.

    • @lena-ex7bv
      @lena-ex7bv Před 6 měsíci +43

      fun fact 'Go A's song was also the winner's of that year favorite song, every time they got asked in interviews about what other countries they liked Maneskin always mentioned Shum as their favorite

    • @isabellalengua921
      @isabellalengua921 Před 6 měsíci +6

      Yes,great song! 12 points from Italy🎉

    • @Summer_and_Rain
      @Summer_and_Rain Před 6 měsíci +7

      I did not like the song at first, but it grow on me fast! It is such a good song XD love when it comes up.

    • @NotesOfSky
      @NotesOfSky Před 6 měsíci +8

      Omg yes! I have been obsessed with that song since it came out

  • @nolasyeila6261
    @nolasyeila6261 Před 6 měsíci +549

    Australia was first invited to Eurovision in 2014 as "honorary Europeans". Eurovision has always been a bit of a big deal here, shown on our multicultural channel, SBS. It is a popular thing to dress up and have Eurovision parties at home while watching.. it's all about the glam and the quirky acts. This year was super special for people of Perth when our local synth-prog-rock band , Voyager, were invited. (Sadly, the lead singer has since been diagnosed with cancer.) It is called Eurovision Song Contest - more about the best song (though of course it doesn't hurt to have a great performer delivering it!)

    • @tuggaboy
      @tuggaboy Před 6 měsíci +28

      Not to mention the huge amount of people watching the show in the very early morning every year for decades.

    • @ABC1701A
      @ABC1701A Před 6 měsíci +7

      I liked your entry, it had a certain memorable quality to it though I'm not sure I can say what it was.

    • @wijnandabma5737
      @wijnandabma5737 Před 6 měsíci +16

      I've really liked the Australian submissions for the past couple of years, you really capture the idea of Eurovision very well

    • @guillemmartinez9958
      @guillemmartinez9958 Před 6 měsíci +13

      Omg nooooo, poor guy! I hope he can actually recover😭😭😭😭

    • @nolasyeila6261
      @nolasyeila6261 Před 6 měsíci

      czcams.com/video/aqtu2GspT80/video.htmlsi=GhGm_ruo50MHKOh6

  • @iliasodyssee9626
    @iliasodyssee9626 Před 6 měsíci +39

    I feel like maybe you haven't yet grasped the significance that this song contest has to Europe. The unity, diversity and joy of the ESC are very meaningful to a continent whose war-torn history and age-old rivalries seemed insurmountable not very long ago.
    So despite being a competition the ESC is about bringing people together and not your own country winning.

  • @LuffyL-ch1ku
    @LuffyL-ch1ku Před 6 měsíci +201

    Ukraine definitely had a great song in 2022, even before the war started the song was amongst the favourites

    • @susanaach
      @susanaach Před 3 měsíci +16

      Noo, sorry but no...

    • @StepAsR
      @StepAsR Před 3 měsíci +14

      @@susanaach Go_A Shum was an absolutely banger! Even better than 2022's song.

    • @omptt7057
      @omptt7057 Před 2 měsíci +2

      @@susanaachexactly, they got pitty votes! There were better songs that year

    • @Alltagundso
      @Alltagundso Před 2 měsíci

      I loooved this song and didn't even know it's connected to the Eurovision at first. ❤❤

  • @carstengram2700
    @carstengram2700 Před 6 měsíci +296

    Eurovision is a union of European broadcasters. Israel is part of that union. Australia is, as i recall, the country that has bought the show the most, that's why Australia got a chance to participate (i don't now if they now are a permanent participant).
    The big 5 is the Countrys that pays the most to the broadcasting union.
    Every country is having its own song contest (in Denmark 10 songs are competing to wind the place in the Eurovision).
    It is NOT a talent show it is a contest of the best song. The Eurovision is held over a week (semi-finals Tuesday & Thursday, Final Saturday)

    • @user-xi6nk4xs4s
      @user-xi6nk4xs4s Před 6 měsíci +21

      Glad someone is at least explaining some facts and not random nonsense. Thank you!

    • @mattsmith8124
      @mattsmith8124 Před 6 měsíci +14

      Not every country has a televised contest to choose a representative but a lot do.

    • @Markstubation01
      @Markstubation01 Před 6 měsíci

      Australia will most likely get kicked out this next year because the new Executive Supervisor hates everything good about Eurovision

    • @Dreyno
      @Dreyno Před 6 měsíci +1

      Israel should be in a broadcasting Union with it’s own neigh……..oh! 😉

    • @Hiforest
      @Hiforest Před 6 měsíci +1

      I know the UK has had some contests on the eurovision song choice, I never bothered watching them though. I don't actually care what song the UK picks.
      I love the spectacle. That different countries host most years, and will put their own spin on it. Plus it's gigantic! Surely the largest song contest in the world. Blows me away every year, I just love it!
      I thought it was funny in the movie Eurovision fire saga, they shot some of the scenes in Edinburgh and pretended the contest was held there. Scotland doesn't have any venues big enough for it, we only managed to squeeze 67k in for Taylor Swift, so we wouldn't be hosts, even if the UK won.

  • @lorettabes4553
    @lorettabes4553 Před 6 měsíci +279

    Historically, the song contest was set up after WW2, iirc, to make Europe be united again. The big 5 donate so much money and keep the show running every year, so they get to be in the finale :) It's kinda expected for certain countries to send in an entry. It's like the Olympics. Everyone is here unless there is unrest somewhere, like Russia.

    • @laurajones2307
      @laurajones2307 Před 6 měsíci

      It was actually set up as it was cheaper programming, though I think there was some truth in them wanting peace.
      Also the Big Five set up because Germany once didn't qualify for the final in the early 2000s. They complained that the block voting was political. Theu threatened to withdraw EBU membership. Eurovision introduced the Big Five so they had better odds so they don't lose that funding.

    • @ssantelha
      @ssantelha Před 6 měsíci +7

      Yeah, the goal was to keep Europe united, except when it comes to Russia, they're always looking for reasons to mess with the russian act, like what they did to the wheelchair girl, or just prevent them from participating. Explain to me what does a military conflict between 2 countries have to do with a song contest?

    • @skaq7294
      @skaq7294 Před 6 měsíci +15

      @@ssantelhaIt’s politics, all of the other countries are currently having embargos and cutting diplomatic ties with Russia so it makes sense

    • @ssantelha
      @ssantelha Před 6 měsíci +6

      @@skaq7294 No it doesn't, let the diplomats do their thing, what's that got to do with a song contest?

    • @sofiyau8413
      @sofiyau8413 Před 6 měsíci +16

      ​@@ssantelhaWhat happened with the wheelchair girl was not good at all. But it was bad only because Russia knowingly put her in that situation. She broke the law of Ukraine by visiting Crimea some time before the competition. So she was banned from visiting Ukraine. Russia made a bad guy out of Ukraine because of that one. And Eurovision is important, I agree. For me as well. But it is not exactly above the local laws.

  • @hakanbengtsson7073
    @hakanbengtsson7073 Před 6 měsíci +24

    "why do you pay a lot of money for a contest you dont want to win?" and "why would you buy a huge pickup truck if you dont intend to haul stuff?" have the same answer "status"

  • @andreaborselli568
    @andreaborselli568 Před 6 měsíci +94

    I still listen to a lot of Ukrainian songs ,so i guess that song made me fall in love with the ukranian language and actually learned it and also visited ukraine during the war facing the risk to die during the trip. Слава Україні !

  • @joannedelaney3866
    @joannedelaney3866 Před 6 měsíci +165

    It’s not about the winning, it’s the taking part ❤

    • @scipioafricanus5871
      @scipioafricanus5871 Před 6 měsíci +2

      Is that why they're handing out participation trophies?

    • @whattheflyingfuck...
      @whattheflyingfuck... Před 6 měsíci +5

      you must be british

    • @joannedelaney3866
      @joannedelaney3866 Před 6 měsíci +7

      @@whattheflyingfuck... For Eurovision I am European ….. it’s a time of fun, craziness, singing, dancing and sparkle where we all come together and throw parties, support each other and just be happy 🤷🏻‍♀️

    • @t.a.yeah.
      @t.a.yeah. Před 6 měsíci +8

      ​@@joannedelaney3866So ... German?
      No, you're right, same here. :D I just love it since I remember, and I feel so European then. In want the act I like most to win, and not the country I live in. It's just amazing and I'm already looking foreward to may.

    • @joannedelaney3866
      @joannedelaney3866 Před 6 měsíci +1

      @@t.a.yeah. Ha ha! No I’m British, but country/background really doesn’t matter, it really is about the fun of joining in….. even the nil points are all part of the fun…. 🥳🎉

  • @herrbonk3635
    @herrbonk3635 Před 6 měsíci +212

    6:15 Abba did not start "as a eurovision", Björn and Benny had played together since the 1960s, and had worked also with Agneta and Frida for about four years at the time. But Eurovision was their chance to make the English speaking world aware of them.

    • @bojo88
      @bojo88 Před 6 měsíci +10

      Exactly that! When I watched them perform in Brighton that night in 1974, I immediately became a fan and I followed them avidly until they parted ways in 1982. I continued to follow the music of Benny and Bjorn after that and hope to travel to London to see their Abba Voyage show next year. My musical tastes are very diverse now and I much prefer heavy rock/metal these days but I still love hearing an Abba song played! 🙂

    • @herrbonk3635
      @herrbonk3635 Před 6 měsíci +7

      @@bojo88 Thanks. And me myself prefer jazz, fusion and ethnic music, but also appreciate many Abba tunes.

    • @alexioverdo5225
      @alexioverdo5225 Před 6 měsíci +2

      @@bojo88 You simply got a good taste man......

    • @ravenrey7225
      @ravenrey7225 Před 2 dny

      sure they didn't start at esc, but they became famous because of esc, and there's nothing wrong with that, dunno why you all get mad when its said a big singer or band became famous thanks to the contest and the song they entered there, because like it or not it s true thats how it happened. Without esc nobody would ve ever known abba beyond sweden, or celine dion beyond canada or the states at the most...that's just a historical fact.

  • @zuzannatruba
    @zuzannatruba Před 6 měsíci +40

    Yup, the song that Ukraine won the contest with last time, was very good, you can find it on youtube. For example, one of my colleagues is an avid Eurovision fan, he still listens to it on repeat and says it's one of two best songs ever submitted to the contest - that's subjective, of course, but it's a widely held opinion that it more than deserved the award.

  • @stephanspielmann240
    @stephanspielmann240 Před 6 měsíci +50

    Ukraine did the best song in the year before when they won in my opinion. Another big song from Ukraine was "lasha tumbei" which was said to sounds much like "Russia goodbye" and now they sing it with that phrase.

  • @dandelionhood4508
    @dandelionhood4508 Před 6 měsíci +528

    I don’t think Ukraine won in 2022 "only" because of politics. I'm sure it played a part, but the song was awesome! It was so emotional and the instrumental was absolutely on point, it's a banger. Might not be everyone's cup of tea, but nobody can deny that it's high quality. I'm pretty certain it would have ended up in the Top 10 even if Ukraine hadn't been invaded. So it was absolutely not an undeserved win!
    Edit: So far the replies to this comment have been relatively respectful, but I just wanted to remind everyone that people have different tastes in music and that's completely fine. It's one of the things making this contest so special. Please be respectful to someone who likes other songs than you do and have a nice rest of your day!

    • @nimander5483
      @nimander5483 Před 6 měsíci +63

      I would also credit them for writing/performing a song in Ukrainian that still sounds great even if you don't understand the language.
      Singing in English is safer, but can end up sounding generic.

    • @SpiritDragoness
      @SpiritDragoness Před 6 měsíci +67

      Also an interesting fact. Kalush purposely didn't release the video to their song "Stefania" coz they didn't want any pity points.... The video is a tear jerker for sure. They released the video only after Eurovision song contest was over. Another interesting fact is that this song was written before the war as a tribute to his own mother Stefania.... But because of the war, the songs meaning morphed into something much much bigger, tribute to all mothers of Ukraine...

    • @Beliefish
      @Beliefish Před 6 měsíci +5

      yeah, that song was actually really good. if it would be a bad song and they would won it would be only because of the war

    • @EmVee.
      @EmVee. Před 6 měsíci +21

      Let's be real, the current situation Ukraine is in right now was the big factor why it won. In a regular year it wouldn't have ended 4th with juries and not come close to 400+ Televoting point. It would still end top 10 tho

    • @shelleyjackson8793
      @shelleyjackson8793 Před 6 měsíci +9

      Sam Ryders ‘Spaceman’ was better though. Fact.

  • @magnusnilsson9792
    @magnusnilsson9792 Před 6 měsíci +175

    It's a SONG contest, the SONG is what competes, not the artist.
    Many countries have a national contests to determine which SONG gets to compete in the ESC and sometimes the song changes language when going international, usually from native to English, but there are exceptions.
    Like the song sung in Swahili (an african language) or even made up languages.
    When a song is first sung in a national competition it's already out and can be heard on radio etc, but there is a date somewhere 1-3 months before the actual ESC.

    • @hw2508
      @hw2508 Před 6 měsíci +2

      "It's a SONG contest, the SONG is what competes, not the artist."
      Don't think that is true anymore.
      It is a big party and much more than only the quality of the song is important. The whole performance and the charisma of the performer. ESC became a big show and the quality of music decreased in general.

  • @hulda4ever
    @hulda4ever Před 6 měsíci +36

    I voted for Ukraine when the war started and the song is a banger. It was my ringtone for a year

    • @lemasander4932
      @lemasander4932 Před 5 dny

      It was already good in the betting odds before the invasion. I had it in my personal top 3. it was a great song. So I was glad for them winning. It would have been bad, if they had won with a disastrous song (think of jemini-cry baby level 😅)

  • @soniquecat4745
    @soniquecat4745 Před 6 měsíci +56

    YES, the Ukrainian song was kickass, mix between traditional ethnic tune and hip hop... and it was dedicated to one of the band member's mother. Just look it up.

  • @maozedong8370
    @maozedong8370 Před 6 měsíci +325

    To be fair, Ukraine's song was a banger.

    • @Frahamen
      @Frahamen Před 6 měsíci +52

      It might not have won without the political context but it was definitely good enough to deserve the win

    • @rain-cy6ve
      @rain-cy6ve Před 6 měsíci +9

      I didn t like it

    • @maozedong8370
      @maozedong8370 Před 6 měsíci +17

      @@rain-cy6ve That's... fine... Everyone has different tastes.

    • @Jorgerally35
      @Jorgerally35 Před 6 měsíci +1

      it was top 8 only IMO

    • @tmdosu
      @tmdosu Před 6 měsíci +6

      It was pretty good, but nowhere near the best. And getting twice the votes of the 2nd best, was pure bullshit politics.

  • @danielw.2442
    @danielw.2442 Před 6 měsíci +551

    Ryan, actually you should watch the whole song of Conchita Wurst. It wasn't about her 'uniqueness' alone. Her song was EPIC.

    • @MaryRaine929
      @MaryRaine929 Před 6 měsíci +96

      I just watched it again and it still gives me shivers. I always thought it would be a perfect „Bond“ song. Absolutely fabulous!

    • @JustJokes-bw4fs
      @JustJokes-bw4fs Před 6 měsíci +35

      I agree. I loved Conchita's voice and it was a great song.

    • @ryanwuzer
      @ryanwuzer  Před 6 měsíci +87

      I will see if I can react to it without getting blocked!

    • @ezr3dx806
      @ezr3dx806 Před 6 měsíci

      There is actually a video out there of the internal qualification in Austria where Conchita/Tom performed 'My Heart will Go On' by Celine Dion, pretty remarkable as well. czcams.com/video/WfaqZIo_4ts/video.html

    • @MaryRaine929
      @MaryRaine929 Před 6 měsíci +1

      @@ryanwuzer
      There are some reactions to the original eurovision video already, even from US youtubers, so I don‘t think there will be a problem with it.
      czcams.com/video/SaolVEJEjV4/video.htmlsi=LdchkoZo_Fep59Dp
      Looking forward to yours.😊

  • @davelemmens1396
    @davelemmens1396 Před 6 měsíci +23

    "She lookes a lot like the girl from Grease", haha. I almost lost it right there and then 2 seconds later you figured it out. Haha

  • @emmabrissman
    @emmabrissman Před 6 měsíci +53

    They did do an American version of this last year called American Song Contest. It was hosted by Kelly Clarkson and Snoop Dogg. Each American state and territory was represented by a song. There were Swedish producers I believe. There were both known and unknown artists representing the states. Michael Bolton represented Connecticut and Jordan Smith represented Kentucky for example. Don't thinkt it was overly successful though so I don't think a season two is in the works.

    • @liliaeth
      @liliaeth Před 6 měsíci +20

      I think the main problem with it, from what I saw of it, is that all contestants were picked by the same group of people, and then put to represent a state. So there was no real build up with each state getting to feel a closer connection to their own song. To me, It felt far more like a national final, than like Eurovision itself.
      (well that and they spent too much time focusing on each artists backstory. Like one of the many things I like about Eurovision, is that at most you get a single line about the artists by the national commenters, but there's no interviews where the artists tell their sobstories, or crap like that. If you want to know about the artists backstories, you have to go into fandom and look into it, it's not part of the show itself)

    • @ellasamuelsson
      @ellasamuelsson Před 6 měsíci +14

      The ASC was a typical American contest within the framework of ESC. The biggest problem was the size of the event, it was to small. When my friend and I saw the size of the stage and audience we where so surprised. Little Sweden can do bigger contests for our national contest and that's a 6 week ordeal. They simply didn't have the budget to put together something for the USA.

    • @morganmeadowes6861
      @morganmeadowes6861 Před 3 měsíci +6

      It’s also a horrible idea in the first place. If you look at the history and politics of Eurovision you can’t just take the concept and make it American. And then to have it be the USA only is so typical. If they’d wanted the spirit of Eurovision they would have had to make a contest of different countries from the American continent compete against each other. Comparing European countries celebrating diversity and peace with different US-American states trying to imitate the hype actually infuriated me so much when I heard of this.

    • @MsLarrythegreat
      @MsLarrythegreat Před 3 měsíci +5

      ​@morganmeadowes6861 Yes, an American Song Constest needs to have American nations a contestants, best case probably would be all 35 from Chile to Canada. Up to 43 countries (2008), I believe, at a time have taken part of the ESC. One needs different nations in order to have the (music-)olympic atmosphere that makes this event.
      (Tbh, I can also see it being cathartic for continental relations within the Americas, as it has beein for Europe.^^)

  • @ryttyr14
    @ryttyr14 Před 6 měsíci +76

    Professionals are definitely in it. This is the equivalent of the OLYMPICS in terms of song contests after all. Many of the countries participating takes Eurovision really seriously and genuinely sends the best of the best songs and singers the country has to offer each year.

    • @kroanius8808
      @kroanius8808 Před 6 měsíci +2

      But very offen Not the very very best, because they are afraid of underperforming:D

  • @pucktholinder3692
    @pucktholinder3692 Před 6 měsíci +209

    In the 2023 final, Loreen received the most votes from the jury, but Käärijä received the audience's vote. You should listen to them and say which one you think would have won. They are both very good, in their own way.

    • @hanes2
      @hanes2 Před 6 měsíci +24

      Interestingly enough, since then, Loreen been killing it on streaming services just crushing the others , so in the long run, it seems the audience liked Loreen’s song as well…

    • @agnesmeszaros-matwiejuk8783
      @agnesmeszaros-matwiejuk8783 Před 6 měsíci +54

      @@hanes2still, her song was boring and very similar to her previous one.

    • @pucktholinder3692
      @pucktholinder3692 Před 6 měsíci +6

      @@hanes2 yes, that's why she got the most votes totally.

    • @Allie83829
      @Allie83829 Před 6 měsíci +34

      @@hanes2my person opinion and thought on the final of esc 2023, is that Loreen mostly won and got points from the jury bc she did already win in a previous year, I think 2014 or so. So it felt like „we need to give loreen points“. Song wise imo the song from Finland (Cha Cha Cha - Käärija) was way better. Loren’s song was good but not that good

    • @peterrabbitn787
      @peterrabbitn787 Před 6 měsíci +10

      Omg people still not over it... both songs were popular. But I personally as it is a song so test would rather give a meaningful song a point than a party song singing about drinking pina coladas
      Edit: and it's not the first time a song won because the jury gave a song more points...

  • @elviratje1997
    @elviratje1997 Před 4 měsíci +20

    Ukraine was actually my fav when it won, the song was also my fav in its national final, to still see people calling it an undeserved win kinda hurts, but i get it

    • @Alltagundso
      @Alltagundso Před 2 měsíci

      I do not get it, they use it as a stupid excuse as to why other songs didn't win.

  • @kindnessasgreatasthesea1158
    @kindnessasgreatasthesea1158 Před 4 měsíci +40

    Stefania by Kalush Orchestra (Ukraine) was fucking great, one of the best beats Eurovision has ever produced!

  • @sirnh1
    @sirnh1 Před 6 měsíci +128

    Just wanted to add that the whole "the countries send in bad songs because they don't want to win" isn't all that true (although people keep saying it). Countries have to pay a lot of money to be allowed to participate. Countries spending a lot of money and then sending in a mediocre at best entry just so they won't win doesn't make much sense.
    Like if you don't want to win at all, then why would they spend a lot of money on participating?
    I think the confusion is partly created by 2 types of songs that tend to enter. Some songs focus on getting as much points from the (professional) jury as possible while other songs focus on getting points from the public. The (professional) jury usually is made of mostly 50 year old pop lovers, meaning the jury tends to give most points to the type of pop songs you hear everyday on the radio. Meanwhile the public tends to favor other stuff.
    This year sweden won because they got the max. amount of points from (almost) all of the jurys, while finland was the public favorite.

    • @reinhard8053
      @reinhard8053 Před 6 měsíci +7

      If you have a contestant more people will watch the show which means more money from advertisement and more material to show.

    • @sirnh1
      @sirnh1 Před 6 měsíci +17

      @@reinhard8053 There is no money from advertisement as the host country is not even allowed to add any advertisement breaks (Advertising and other commercial messages are typically not allowed in this contest).
      On a sidenote: Eurovision is a non-profit event, and they get their money from a fee from each participants, broadcasters, ticket sales, televoting and things like merchandise.

    • @uztre6789
      @uztre6789 Před 6 měsíci +6

      @@sirnh1 Some broadcasters do have advertising. There are breaks which are filled with some timewaster videos or on-stage skits which they use as ad-breaks.

    • @uztre6789
      @uztre6789 Před 6 měsíci +5

      @@sirnh1But I agree with your original comment. It's definitely not true that anyone ever sent a bad song, so they don't win (although there have been intentionally bad songs). That becomes an especially absurd concept when you factor in that it's not mandatory to host the next year, the winning broadcaster is just asked first (and they usually also do it). But if you're financially incapable of hosting, you definitely don't have to.

    • @dkinclonberne
      @dkinclonberne Před 6 měsíci +7

      I'm Irish and that's not true, we sent a turkey one year because we definitely did not want to win. The winner hast to host and costs millions 🤷🏻

  • @montrealbreakcore3241
    @montrealbreakcore3241 Před 6 měsíci +166

    I'm not that strong in American culture, but I imagine you could compare Eurovision to something like Superbowl, just for music. It's a really great social event that brings people from the entire Europe together. You always get either some great music or decent memes out of it. Also, I'm Ukrainian, and our song last year (as well as in 2016, the one with the glowing tree, and 2021) definitely was great. I recommend you to check those out as well as other countries' performances. It's a very diverse contest and you'll definitely find something to love!

    • @fetzie23
      @fetzie23 Před 6 měsíci +25

      The Superbowl got 110M viewers, Eurovision 160M in 2023.

    • @tommasodalmaso
      @tommasodalmaso Před 6 měsíci +4

      SuperBowl is nothing like Eurovision. It's a standard sport match just the final of the finals, that's why it's important. It shows the best of the best (sometimes). At the end of the day, it's a standard 60minutes game with a cool (sometimes) halfshow

    • @mfcq4987
      @mfcq4987 Před 6 měsíci +3

      A gay Superbowl...

    • @elleglenn
      @elleglenn Před 5 měsíci

      I loved Shum by Go_A in 2021. They shoud have won that year, the performance was SO beautiful

    • @olgatrotsenko2153
      @olgatrotsenko2153 Před 5 měsíci

      @@elleglenn I also liked Shum better than Stefania but I think it's for the best that Go-A didn't wone that year. When I think of Ukraine spending money on hosting the Eurovision instead of arming itself against russia I shudder from inside.

  • @nellitheretrogamer8666
    @nellitheretrogamer8666 Před 6 měsíci +26

    As for why there are not many rock songs in Eurovision: the competition has always been meant to be "family friendly". Rock bands tend to make music that is "edgy" and the lyrics are not always suitable for very young viewers, and elderly viewers might simply hate it. It is a much safer bet for countries to enter the competition with a light pop song, or something like a French chanson or German schlager. The song also has to appeal to people from lots of different cultures, and this has resulted in a large number of songs with lyrics like "la la la" or "ding-ding-a-dong".
    Personally, I don't think that the music in Eurovision is very good (with some exceptions), but the show is always worth watching. More that 50 countries have only 3 minutes on stage to make an impression, so the stage show is always carefully planned. The key is to be memorable.

    • @fortuna7469
      @fortuna7469 Před 6 měsíci

      Check out Hevisaurus. Metal music can be totally family friendly! Been listening to metal (and all kinds of music) with my kids since they were born. All the best from Helsinki!

    • @durabelle
      @durabelle Před 6 měsíci +5

      I'll add that the contest rules ban for example swearing in the songs. The contestants sometimes change a line or a word to enter, like Måneskin did in Zitti e Buoni. (But then they sang the uncensored version after they'd won, so sometimes the system may fail 😆)

  • @mitchthepower
    @mitchthepower Před 6 měsíci +36

    The Ukrainian song that won was actually pretty cool.

  • @liliaeth
    @liliaeth Před 6 měsíci +61

    It's actually more of a disadvantage that 'the big five' go right through to the finale. Not only does it make it harder to get goodwill from the public, but also less people have heard the song.
    Though admittedly that of the big five, the country that tends to have the most regular success in the past decade or so, is Italy. In huge part because unlike the other countries, their selection for Eurovision, tends to be the winner of the Sanremo music festival. A music competition older than Eurovision, which was actually the template for Eurovision.
    As for the artists, most artists who compete in Eurovision are already established artists in their home country. The ones that aren't, often won, or ranked highly in talent competitions in their own country, or they somehow managed to win their national final. It's not really a show for amateurs, where you watch the singer grow throughout the competition.
    And it's actually not a competition for 'the best artist' (though sending a good artist definitely helps), it's a competition for the 'best song' (which includes the performance).

    • @araceli2827
      @araceli2827 Před 6 měsíci +1

      True, Spain only won twice (1968 and 1969) and we had some good songs

    • @G0ld3n3k
      @G0ld3n3k Před 6 měsíci

      All songs are known before competition and are on the Eurovision yt channel, so it's nor really like less people can hear them :)

    • @liliaeth
      @liliaeth Před 6 měsíci +6

      @@G0ld3n3k Sure they're known, and Eurovision fandom will check out all the songs regardless. You just have to remember that the grand majority of viewers are not in the fandom, and have never watched, or listened to any of the songs before the semi finales.

  • @jorgecandeias
    @jorgecandeias Před 6 měsíci +63

    Thanks for the belly laugh regarding Olivia Newton-John.
    As a compensation, here's a bit more info. Nope, they don't just sing the song twice (or once). Each participating country selects its song typically through a Eurovision-style national competition, so songs tend to be performed at least a couple of times months before the actual contest takes place. And now, with youtube, everyone interested (I'm not, but I'm European, and you can't really escape the whole shebang if you're European or living around here) can know pretty well all the songs and artists well in advance of the actual thing.

    • @ABC1701A
      @ABC1701A Před 6 měsíci +1

      This year they actually made a point of featuring them all before the competition. It was good because I actually missed the semis this year and otherwise wouldn't have known the other songs I missed.

  • @adrianacernochova
    @adrianacernochova Před 6 měsíci +17

    omg I really thought you were joking when you said Olivia Newton-John looked like Sandy 😂 that timing was perfect

  • @scarlett8895
    @scarlett8895 Před 3 měsíci +5

    I laughed my arse off when he paused to say Olivia looked like Sandy from Grease only to hit play and have the narrator say exactly that 😂😂😂

  • @MaryRaine929
    @MaryRaine929 Před 6 měsíci +33

    7:40 Ryan, THIS (among many others) is a reason why your channels are so much fun to watch! 😊
    Not cutting every little bit out that doesn't portray you in a perfect light, makes you funny, approachable and even more adorable.☺️

  • @Ferdawoon
    @Ferdawoon Před 6 měsíci +52

    If you are starting a deep-dive into Eurovision, I can recommend the compilation videos such as the ones that list all Winners of Eurovision. It is very interesting to see how it started in black&white, almost no choreography, how the style of music changed, etc. I know many reactors have been using videos from the channel "SchlagerLucas".
    I can also recommend the Eurovision-introduction done by the channel "Geography Now", as well as the two videos "Six Reasons Americans Should Watch Eurovision" and "The Four Ways Eurovision Gets Political" by the channel "Overthinking it". They also have a third video which is a bit older but still relevant called "Intro to Eurovision 2013: What Is Eurovision?"

  • @Le7emeChat
    @Le7emeChat Před 6 měsíci +17

    The grease ref/part was hillarious, thank you for that 😂

  • @tnightwolf
    @tnightwolf Před 6 měsíci +5

    Why (as an European) do i like Eurovision? Because despite being cheesy af, Eurovision is actually like a melting-pot of cultural experiences and interpretations of many different things, for better or worst!... and, at the end of the day, that's actually just Europe at it's best imo: discovering, experiencing, learning and trying to make sense of many different things all at the same time!

  • @Ferdawoon
    @Ferdawoon Před 6 měsíci +18

    3:00 - Epic Sax Guy became the meme after this performance. He then returned a few years later for a second time at which point loads of people knew him from the meme.
    3:30 - Yes they are all Original songs. There are rules that the song cannot have been performed earlier than a set date before the finale (some countries have their own national trials and the Swedish trials last for 5 or 6 weeks) but you cannot send some song that already made the charts a few years ago. There's nothing stopping a well known artist from participating, but the song must be fresh.
    12:43 - The Tiebreaking rule is that if two entries get the same number of points.
    During voting, the Jury gives 1-8, 10 and 12 points. So when there's a tie whichever artist got the most 12-point votes from the Jury will win. If two or more had the same number of 12-point votes, they go by 10-point, then by 8-point, then 7-point, etc. I am not sure exactly what happens if two entries had the exact same points all the way through but nowadays the Jury gives 50% of the votes and a televoting (or via the app) gives the remaining 50% of the votes. So say the Juries across all participating countries add up to 400p, the Televote will give another 400p, and if you get 50% of all televotes that means you will get 200p from the televoters.
    18:00 - America should participate.
    THere actually was an American Song Contest last year (or was it this year?) where each state would compete. The number of watchers was apparently not that great so we'll see if they keep it going to eventually build a following or if they scrap the idea. Many of the things that are in the rules for Eurovision (such as all participants must be on sage, including the artist, dancers and background singers but there can only be a maximum of 6 people on stage) were not part of the American version so some acts had like 20 people on stage..

    • @Jebu911
      @Jebu911 Před 3 měsíci +1

      I think run away aka epic sax guys song got robbed that year with such low points. Alltho i guess the winner satellite is a massive earworm song too

    • @yourgalastral
      @yourgalastral Před 2 měsíci +1

      I think if two entries have the exact same number of points it’s based on the actual voter number, and if that is the same…coin flip?

  • @frankygiannoni2294
    @frankygiannoni2294 Před 6 měsíci +27

    Australia participate in the Eurovision as a guest because the ESC since the 80's attracted a strong viewing audience in that country. In 2015 the European Broadcasting Union invited Australia to compete (it was planned to be a one-off event), but finally Australia was allowed to participate to every edition.

  • @montimunchi7469
    @montimunchi7469 Před 5 měsíci +7

    Zitti e buoni just was the very best performance and song ever. And it was so special and different from other Eurovision-Songs: Rock and in Italian! 🤍

  • @hitbyfrozenfire3824
    @hitbyfrozenfire3824 Před 6 měsíci +13

    A few facts on the ESC that weren't mentioned in the video:
    Theoretically It's exclusively for members of the European Broadcasting Union. For the non-europeans countries: The Aussies get kind of a special guest treatment because for some reason it turned into something really huge down under over the years as they broadcasted it since the mid eighties. The first time 2015 they were set for the final but meanwhile they have to go through the semis such as most other countries. Israel does because as one can sadly see right now again, participating in anything together with those countries they are geographically most related to would be ... well ... kind of tricky so they are typically included in European competitions (Israeli football clubs also play in the UEFA Champions/Euro/Conference league if they manage to qualify).
    Johnny Logan is no longer the only one to win it twice... Swedish Singer Loreen won 2012 and 2023.
    You are NOT allowed to vote for your own country for obvious reasons and that half jury half people system was introduced because many countries -- especially those that pay the majority of the cost for the event-- got kind of p!$$ed off that primarily the Balcan, the Scandinavian or the former Soviet countries voted "too systematically" for their neighbours.
    The ESC meanwhile is a mega event for the LGBT+ community.
    The fact of Ireland having won too often and it getting too pricy was brilliantly parodied in the Irish comedy show Father Ted (czcams.com/video/Nxf6ECuRcWM/video.html)

  • @stuartfaulds1580
    @stuartfaulds1580 Před 6 měsíci +19

    They've actually added in the last Eurovision a R.O.W.(Rest Of World) vote, so you could have voted. They also had a web link international viewers could watch it via a stream.
    Possibly thrice, once to get selected, in the semi finals and finally in the finals.
    They also now have a Junior Eurovision contest, this years is set to happen in France on the 26th of November.

  • @anneedwards664
    @anneedwards664 Před 6 měsíci +12

    Don't knock Eurovision. It is tradition. It is fun. We watch on our TVs and some have special parties - in pubs or at home, and we dress up. Don't take the mickey!!

  • @mkitten13
    @mkitten13 Před 6 měsíci +26

    Ukraine's song last year was one of my favourites, actually. Not my very favourite, as that was Portugal, but in my top 3 (along with France). Obviously a portion of the points came from people being supportive, but many really loved the song, too. You should check it out.

  • @uikonimi
    @uikonimi Před 6 měsíci +4

    One thing all americans need to understand is that Eurovision was created to unite Europe. The contest is all about unity and celebrating together.

  • @Goddybag4Lee
    @Goddybag4Lee Před 6 měsíci +25

    Johnny Logan with the song "Hold Me Now" is still one of my favorites. His voice is one of the best in Europe of all times.

    • @irenejohnston6802
      @irenejohnston6802 Před 6 měsíci +1

      Watch Johnny Logan's "Just Another Year" my absolute fave. The quirky euro ones are off the wall. The whole shebang was held this year at Liverpool's Dockside. ✨️

  • @Debg91
    @Debg91 Před 6 měsíci +17

    12:20 'Alemania' is Germany in Spanish

  • @ilregulator
    @ilregulator Před 4 měsíci +3

    1. It's a song, not singing, contest
    2. It's not really all over the world. It's Europe, respectively the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Israel, Azerbaijan etc. are members (so is actually Morocco eg. but they haven't participated in a long time). The only odd one out is Australia which is just an associate member. They could be a precedent for other associate members to take part in the future. However, this would cause the main spirit to be lost. The US, China, Brazil, Iran are just some examples of other associate members.
    3. Professional artists are allowed, however it's kind of tradition that you don't send stars. (Ans also since this is a tradition, if you do do that: 50% of the score are from televoting and the people tend to not like that and so those artists rarely get a lot of points. Flo Rida for example, they ended up 22nd (out of 26)

  • @BeingTheHunt
    @BeingTheHunt Před 6 měsíci +17

    You haven't lived until you've heard Cha Cha Cha by Käärijä

  • @Maedhros0Bajar
    @Maedhros0Bajar Před 6 měsíci +11

    7:35 Olivia Newton John literally is the actress from Grease
    It's one song for the entire competition. You sing it once in your semi-final. And if you reach the final, a second time in the final. Lastly, the winner sings the winning song at the end once more

  • @jarkkolahtinen7441
    @jarkkolahtinen7441 Před 6 měsíci +27

    It is definitely a disadvantage to go straight to the finals. Less times you hear the song, the less it can get stuck to your head. Also people have resented the big 5 for going straight to finals and never voted for them before lol, but I'd say that has shifted now. 😁

    • @Niki91-HR
      @Niki91-HR Před 6 měsíci +6

      Yeah, but the big 5 also didnt always have great songs except Italy after their return in 2011. Since they came back they delivered every single year....what you couldnt say for the rest, at least not being consisted.
      Although this year Germany for example didnt deserve the last place or one of the last places.

    • @Asa...S
      @Asa...S Před 6 měsíci

      It's big advantage that they don't risk getting eliminated already in the finals, like 10 of the other countries every year, and their songs are always played during the semifinals, just like those who compete in the semis, so their songs can get stuck in people's head just as the rest.

    • @gonzo2495
      @gonzo2495 Před 6 měsíci

      @@Niki91-HR GB is always good for a laugh too.

    • @Niki91-HR
      @Niki91-HR Před 6 měsíci

      @@gonzo2495 thats true

  • @martarlopes
    @martarlopes Před 2 měsíci +2

    Eurovision season 2024 has just started!! if you want to react to it, some songs have already been announced and other national selections are still ongoing! The semi finals are on the 7th and 9th of may and then the final is on the 11th.

  • @sandrawinther8286
    @sandrawinther8286 Před 2 měsíci +3

    Eurovision was started by Marcel Bezencon in 1955 as he felt Europe was divided after two world wars. In 1956 the first contest was arranged and if im not mistaken the big five (Germany, Spain, France, Italy and great Britian) were big contributers at the start and have worked alot on the contest as a whole, which is Why They qualify automatically to the finals. Some countries Even have separate contests to find the one who will represent them at Eurovison. And countries such as Australia are allowed to compete as the general rule for joining Eurovision is the country has to be a member of the EBU which Australia is. It is an amazing show where anyone can enter and make a memorable performance🎉 its super fun to watch every year.

  • @chrisbrandt9334
    @chrisbrandt9334 Před 6 měsíci +13

    Finally some Eurovision content 🎉🎉🎉

  • @inalarose7875
    @inalarose7875 Před 6 měsíci +13

    The songs aren't meant to be a surprise as they are generally chosen from a competition to decide which song will be entered. Of course most people outside the country of origin don't hear the songs till the competition, and mostly only if they make the final.
    It's been around so long we've just grown up with it here in Australia and it remains really popular. Eurovision is also the place that saw the global launch and fever for Riverdance (if you know what that is).

    • @durabelle
      @durabelle Před 6 měsíci

      Except of course the ESC superfans who watch every single entrance as soon as they're published, and often know the lyrics to quite a few of them too by the time of the actual contest. There are whole CZcams channels dedicated to the contest, reacting to and taking apart every song well before the semifinals, and compiling lists of best/worst/most entertaining etc. songs from previous years in between the actual competitions.

  • @TheRawrnstuff
    @TheRawrnstuff Před 6 měsíci +45

    This year there was a bit of a controversy when Finland's _Cha Cha Cha_ lost to Sweden's _Tattoo._
    Cha Cha Cha got 41.7% of audience votes compared to Tattoo's 15.4% of audience votes, but lost the votes from the judges.

    • @imeandmyself525
      @imeandmyself525 Před 6 měsíci +4

      You need to review the arithmetic, unless you made a mistake writing down the percentages each country got

    • @juliav601
      @juliav601 Před 5 měsíci +3

      ​@@imeandmyself525yeah that can't be correct, I looked at the scoreboards after the final show because I was curious to see how big the difference was (and also because I wanted to know how the public vote from my country was split) and while I can't remember the exact numbers I distinctly remember that Tattoo got the second most votes from the public after chachacha.

    • @miepmiep2274
      @miepmiep2274 Před 4 měsíci

      Loreen was very good i just don’t like the same person winning twice.

    • @Sipu97
      @Sipu97 Před 3 měsíci

      @@juliav601 We can't really get accurate percentages of the actual number of votes (points is a different story) because EBU doesn't like being transparent. It would be very interesting to know how many individual votes each song got.

    • @Phalaenopsisify
      @Phalaenopsisify Před 3 měsíci +3

      As a Swede I have to hand it to you guys, your song was way better.

  • @streips
    @streips Před 6 měsíci +7

    I live in Latvia, from which Marie N won the contest in 2002. I worked for Latvian Television as the announcer of the show for the television audience -- wherever it was, I was in a little booth at LTV narrating away. You asked whether professional singers can take part. Absolutely. The year it was in Riga (because Marie won the previous year), the contestant from France -- her day job was singing all the female roles in all Disney musicals that had been translated into French. The group from Slovenia had learned not just their own song, but all of the songs that were in the final that year and could sing them in four-part harmony. Yes, the show is enormously cheesy, and quite a few of the acts are far less than professional, but as noted, Celine Dion won one year for Switzerland, and ABBA won for Sweden. So the pros take part, as well. Thanks for your video!

  • @klarasee806
    @klarasee806 Před 6 měsíci +15

    The Eurovision Song Contest is soooo much more than just finding the best song.
    Although politics is not supposed to play a role according to the regulations, the score usually represents a fairly accurate picture of the political mood.
    Overall, it's very much about representing your own country and celebrating the diversity but also the similarities in Europe. Even though we are competing against each other, Europe is actually moving closer together at the ESC. So it's basically an event for peace.
    Objectively speaking, the crazy, shrill, colorful entries are often not the "best songs", but they are actually exactly what makes the ESC what it is, what all ESC fans celebrate very much and what also makes the ESC very popular with the LGBTQ+ community .

  • @Dr_KAP
    @Dr_KAP Před 6 měsíci +26

    Absolutely professionals are in it. Remember how you loved Guy Sebastian when you reacted to him? Well he put Australia on the Eurovision map so to speak. He was the first Aussie to be invited and it was supposed to just be a one off thing. He came 5th overall and impressed them so much they decided to continue to allow Australia to participate!

  • @andyjenkinson5070
    @andyjenkinson5070 Před 4 měsíci +3

    Usually the singers did not write the song. Arguably this also applies to ABBA as the main singers were Frida and Agnetha but Benny and Björn wrote Waterloo.

  • @clawa1970
    @clawa1970 Před 6 měsíci +6

    Australia has a long lasting relationship with the ESC, since the Australian television is broadcasting the show since 1983. Because of the big interest there, Australia was 2014 for the first time allowed to attend the ESC. This was meant as a one time thing, but then it was decided, that they can attend from now on every year. An other reason, why countries which are not in Europe can attend is, that they have to be either an active member of the EBU or a member state in the Council of Europe. The songs performed at the ESC have to be original songs. In a lot of countries there is an extra show months before the ESC, where the public can vote, which song will represent their country at the ESC. The current voting system works like that: 50% of the votes are coming from expert juries (of all participating countries, not just the ones who made it to the grand finals) and 50% of the votes are from the public. Since 2023 everybody in the world can vote, before you had to live in one of the participating countries. You can not vote for your own country. The ESC always takes place in May. The next grand final is on the 11th of May, 2024

  • @Kurukuu
    @Kurukuu Před 6 měsíci +12

    Eurovision is an international audiovisual (radio and television) corporation, and it's more than the song contest, that's why the big 5 contribute to it

  • @bolle1947
    @bolle1947 Před 6 měsíci +12

    Hi Ryan. Your video about an American reacts to Eurovision song contest was really interesting.
    Let me clarify some things for you. Yes, other countries that are not European can enter but they have to apply to enter. When it comes to Israel. I’m not sure why Israel is in this contest. When it comes to Australia, the deal is that they have been following our Eurovision song contest for years and they just love it. So they applied to be in this contest and they’ve been doing really well.
    The segment that your are reacting to you must be really old because in 2023 Sweden won the Eurovision contest with Loreen. That makes us tie with Ireland so in 2024 Eurovision song contest will be in Malmoe, Sweden. This contest is so big in Sweden it makes the whole country stop. Watch the 2023 Eurovision contest and some CZcamsrs react to it. You’ll see how big this is in Europe.
    You don’t have to be from a specific country to perform a song, that’s not the contest. The Eurovision song contest is about the writers of the composers. They are the one who competes in this competition. The artist/singers are the ones who just perform the original song. Good that you take an interest in this.❤If you want to have your mind blown, look up a Swedish composer called Max Martin, and see how much he has influenced the American music market.
    Proud to be Swedish.

  • @wilvin2627
    @wilvin2627 Před 6 měsíci +21

    Ukraine's win was partly because of the war but I think it was mostly because it was a very good song. I personally think it was the best song that year, the other top songs were okay or even good but the Ukraine had the best song that even though you did not know the language you could feel the emotions in it.

  • @blackletter2591
    @blackletter2591 Před měsícem +2

    The participants are from ccountries who are members of the European Broadcasting Union, the world's foremost alliance of public service media. Israel and Australia are both strong members of that, with major public support.

  • @Elfo_
    @Elfo_ Před 6 měsíci +17

    Ryan should stream a reaction to the Eurovision 2024 live on youtube or twitch. So we can watch it together with him.

    • @bojo88
      @bojo88 Před 6 měsíci +1

      That would actually be a lot of fun! 😃

    • @GarmonboziJANA
      @GarmonboziJANA Před 6 měsíci

      And he could not stop the video that often, which to me is really annoying…

  • @jenniferharrison8915
    @jenniferharrison8915 Před 6 měsíci +31

    Yes please note that Australians compete in Eurovision, as important guests, but America has never been invited! 🇦🇺 It is so crazy! 🤣 Olivia Newton John was Sandy in Grease, she was also Australian! 😁 We've come 2nd! 👍

    • @klarasee806
      @klarasee806 Před 6 měsíci +10

      Australia and ESC =
      Match made in heaven ❤
      You Aussies live this contest, and from my point of view, you probably deserve it more to be part of it than many European countries.
      I really, really hope to see Australia in Malmö next year! Fingers crossed!

    • @jenniferharrison8915
      @jenniferharrison8915 Před 6 měsíci +4

      @@klarasee806 Thank you, I think it's time we won! It's unfortunate we cannot hold the event here though - what a mega party that would be! 🎉

    • @elinahamalainen5867
      @elinahamalainen5867 Před 6 měsíci +11

      For me also Australia has deserved their spot just because of how many fans and passion they have for the show! When compared to Americans most of whom have never even heard of it. Love from Finland! 💚

    • @jenniferharrison8915
      @jenniferharrison8915 Před 6 měsíci +9

      @@elinahamalainen5867 Yes, Australian's fully embrace the spirit of Eurovision! 🤗

    • @robynmurray7421
      @robynmurray7421 Před 6 měsíci +3

      Olivia Newton John was born in Britain and I don't think she ever gave up her UK citizenship as it would have been professionally useful when she preferred to live and work in the UK or the USA. I think she was Australia only when it was professionally useful, like when there was some event that might get her international interest (Oprah visiting Australia, or the Olympics). Then she would fly in from the USA and pretend she still lived in Australia.

  • @ninagolubovic1230
    @ninagolubovic1230 Před 6 měsíci +6

    I love how concerned you look , it's killing me 😂😂😂😂😂😂

  • @indrajukame
    @indrajukame Před 5 měsíci +3

    Ryan, it is so much fun and pleasure to watch how many new discoveries and revelations you are experiencing in only one video! 😂

  • @Songfugel
    @Songfugel Před 6 měsíci +7

    The semi-final/final advantages even out pretty well enough that they don't seem to affect it much
    The songs oftrn first compete in their own countries before being selected as the Eurovision entry, then in the competition there are the semi and Final performances.
    This whole process last a really long time, and the songs have a music video made as well, so people can hear these songs a LOT before the actual voting event.
    Käärijä's entry Cha cha cha in particular was already a massive hit and fan favourite long before the actual Eurovision competition event. They absolutely shattered all the viewer vote records, but due to jury points going all to Sweden, they ended up second

  • @Ruinwyn
    @Ruinwyn Před 6 měsíci +7

    The big 5 are big contributors to European Broadcasting Union (EBU), that organises the Eurovision Song Contest, but that isn't only thing they do. It's a Union of European public broadcasters and they do lot of behind the scenes work.

  • @margemelloww
    @margemelloww Před 3 měsíci +1

    As an Australian who has woken up at 5am every year to watch this since I was a child, a big reason we’re in it, apart from continual financial contributions to it for decades, is only 3% of our population is indigenous- most of our population is built up of European migrants. People who are truly “Australian” by heritage are not white, but the picture most people have of an Australian is someone who looks like me- that’s because we’re all European (my mums first language was Greek haha). We were invited as a one off guest to say thanks for the continual support in 2015, and then because we did well they gave us a return contract which ended last year- but it seems we’re back again this year- but there’s always an aura of “this could be temporary” with our participation. Also, because we have no political “friends”, we struggle with the televote (the voting is split up, half is the public (televote), and half is a international “jury of experts”). Historically, the jury are very kind to our acts, but the televote aren’t. I think the danger with America entering would be it would be “Americanised”- part of what is beautiful about Eurovision is it is unashamedly European. That’s a vibe that Australia embraces and respects, but I think some people fear because America is a global powerhouse and dominates the global music scene, they could change that. With all of this said, whilst USA aren’t in it, they CAN vote as of last year- last year they introduced a “rest of the world” televote, which gives every country the chance to get involved ❤️.

  • @abismith5668
    @abismith5668 Před 5 měsíci +4

    They don't only sing it twice. As well as all the local performances and promotional performances, there are a total of nine actual Eurovision shows. Semi final one, semi final two and the final are all preceded by their equivalent jury show (when the juries vote) and the family show (an afternoon performance).

  • @kajsa78kajsa
    @kajsa78kajsa Před 6 měsíci +8

    I would love it if you reacted to some more Eurovision content!

    • @Nikioko
      @Nikioko Před 6 měsíci

      Like Wetten dass?

  • @JustJokes-bw4fs
    @JustJokes-bw4fs Před 6 měsíci +6

    Why was Australia invited to join Eurovision:
    Australia's invitation to participate in 2015 was intended as a one-off, in recognition of how popular the contest was in Australia. At that time, Australia probably constituted one of the largest non-European audiences.
    The reason the country has continued to enter the competition is down to TV rights, as Australia's host TV broadcaster SBS, is part of the European Broadcasting Union - and that's a qualification requirement for entering the Eurovision Song Contest.

    • @NineBerry
      @NineBerry Před 6 měsíci +1

      SBS is not a full member of the EBU but only an associate

    • @JustJokes-bw4fs
      @JustJokes-bw4fs Před 6 měsíci

      @@NineBerry I just got it off Google

  • @mathias_u
    @mathias_u Před 6 měsíci +3

    For the record: Each country decides independently which song it wants to send. In Europe, hardly anyone notices this except the inhabitants of the country in question (and sometimes the neighbours, such as Austria-Germany or Sweden-Norway). The song must never have been released before October of the previous year - so it is an original. Each country has to choose an artist and the song with which it wants to take part in the contest within March. This has to be done because the stage and everything around it have to be prepared by May. The final takes place around 10 May (always on a Saturday). In the same week on Tuesdays and Thursdays the semi-finals).
    So in the end, each song will be performed a maximum of two times - in the semi-final and then in the final. And it's not a competition to see who can sing better, it's all about the entertainment and which song you like best.
    And by the way: It is not called European Contest, but Eurovision Contest. “Eurovision” is the name of an association of many television stations in and around Europe. They usually exchange TV material for news, etc. Morocco or Libya also belong to Eurovision, but they do not take part in the contest. The countries are free to do so. And Australia is part of the contest because their fan base has grown so much over the years that they were given the opportunity to participate for the 60th anniversary.

  • @livb6945
    @livb6945 Před 6 měsíci +3

    David Bennett's channel is one of the best on CZcams for musical knowledge!!
    Having said that, this video seems more like a way to create interest than actually explaining what Eurovision actually is

  • @marionowens8852
    @marionowens8852 Před 6 měsíci +7

    Sweden won, so they will host it next year. What a coincidence that next year it will be the 50th anniversary of the Swedish Abba winning with Waterloo ....

  • @JordiVanderwaal
    @JordiVanderwaal Před 6 měsíci +8

    I hope more Eurovision reactions are to come. This video (the original) wasn't bad, it was kinda helpful if you want to know what Eurovision is. But it missed a lot of stuff and didn't fully explain other stuff. But with more ESC reactions I think you'll get the gist of it.

  • @MrPaulMorris
    @MrPaulMorris Před 6 měsíci +3

    16:30 "Doesn't it give the big five an advantage... that their song hasn't been heard yet?". All the songs will have been heard to some extent in advance of the final; not only will they all have been seen and heard (in their glossiest and most pitch perfect videos) in the preview shows normally airing a week before the final itself, but all the competing countries (so far as I know) have some sort of public selection process to choose their entries. Commonly, this will be a show running over some weeks with telephone voting for the song to compete in the final (got to squeeze in both as many hours of programming content and as many pennies of premium rate telephone votes as possible in order to make it all pay).
    Incidentally, this is one of the reasons why it is pretty much impossible to attract established performers to the competition nowadays; they are basically required to 'sign the dotted line' blind as they don't know when signing the contract what the song they will have to perform--and a number of artists have publicly stated, after the event, that they loathed the chosen entries and thought them ill-suited to their style.

  • @petraberger3894
    @petraberger3894 Před 5 měsíci +2

    Australie is in the last couple years the reason is that Eurovision song festival is very popular there. Israel that have to do with second war

  • @Devillunar
    @Devillunar Před 6 měsíci +13

    Eurovision was pretty popular in Australia before they participated. They were invited in 2015 as a guest country to participate in once. But that year they were liked by the people in the other countries as well so they stayed.
    In the US, Eurovision is not that popular to join. I think if it was very popular there, the US would join as well since the televoting from a country with so many people would mean a big revenue for Eurovision. It is somewhat known in the US, so that they made a spin off version called American Song Contest in 2022 with the participants being the 50 states, 5 territories and Washington DC.

    • @ryttyr14
      @ryttyr14 Před 6 měsíci +3

      Plus (from what I've heard) the amount of money Australia has paid over the years to get the rights to send Eurovision in their country is equivalent to what one of the big five pays each year, which is why they were allowed to be guests in the first place.

    • @Nikioko
      @Nikioko Před 6 měsíci +2

      Guys, Eurovision isn't a show, it's a network run by the EBU. The name of the show is ESC.

    • @ryttyr14
      @ryttyr14 Před 6 měsíci +5

      @@Nikioko True. But most people shorten Eurovision Song Contest to just Eurovision.

    • @Nikioko
      @Nikioko Před 6 měsíci

      @@ryttyr14 But that is wrong. Eurovision is the name of the network, not of the show. Eurovision has quite some more multinational shows, like Wetten dass in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Or broadcasting the European Championships.

    • @ryttyr14
      @ryttyr14 Před 6 měsíci +3

      @@Nikioko I'm aware. But shortening Eurovision Song Contest to just Eurovision is something so commonly done and widely accepted I don't see why you're getting all annoyed about it.

  • @CaptainFirefred
    @CaptainFirefred Před 6 měsíci +5

    As a german I can tell you we really tried hard the last years, but failed deservedly hard every time.

  • @jonnajois
    @jonnajois Před 6 měsíci +3

    Most countries has their own contest to choose a song to send to Eurovision. Here in Sweden it's huge. "Melodifestivalen" is the contest called, and has 4-5 prequalifying shows and then a final. The people vote.

  • @Phalaenopsisify
    @Phalaenopsisify Před 3 měsíci +2

    Christer Björkman, our Swedish Eurovision superstar organiser did in fact try very hard to make American Song Contest become a thing but it flopped miserably. As Loreen won last year we're hosting this year's edition in my city, Malmö. It's just a few weeks before the election to the European Parliament too!

  • @MaryRaine929
    @MaryRaine929 Před 6 měsíci +23

    ❤“I’m (still) in love with a fairytale“ (Norway 2009), because I really liked this song. It was such a sweet melody and the young guy, who performed it, was so positively charismatic, that I fell for it even though I‘m more the rock music type of girl.

    • @timmysvensson4902
      @timmysvensson4902 Před 6 měsíci

      Iam Eskimo brother with him 😅😅😅

    • @MaryRaine929
      @MaryRaine929 Před 6 měsíci

      @@timmysvensson4902
      Interesting. I mean the term, not the fact. In Germany we call it „Lochschwager“ which literally means „hole-brother in law“. 😂

    • @timmysvensson4902
      @timmysvensson4902 Před 6 měsíci +1

      @@MaryRaine929 we have other word for it also, but i thought that was the American / English term for it. 😅

    • @timmysvensson4902
      @timmysvensson4902 Před 6 měsíci

      @@MaryRaine929 and yeah it is quite weird thing to say, but i find it odd when seeing a famous person like him on YT etc and know we both shared a moment with someone. Weird feeling with it is a famous good looking extremely talented guy. ( Iam not in his rooster at all 😅 )

    • @MaryRaine929
      @MaryRaine929 Před 6 měsíci

      @@timmysvensson4902
      Now I wanna know! What do you call it in (?) Norway?

  • @frolleinpunkt
    @frolleinpunkt Před 6 měsíci +9

    In my opinion Ukraine had the best Song in 2022

  • @onomatopoetisk
    @onomatopoetisk Před 6 měsíci +3

    I think it’s a lot about creating a hype beforehand nowadays, which leads to more people listening to your song before the competitions starts. Some songs need more than just one listen to get stuck in your brain. Ukraine was one of the countries who did that in 2022, partly because of the war of course. It was a surprise that they even managed to send a group midst of a war. In 2023 Käärijä also managed to create a big hype and won a lot of votes due to people giving the song a chance after seeing his charm and Tik too friendly dance (and a flawless and quirky national final performance).

  • @Jinty92
    @Jinty92 Před 6 měsíci +5

    It's only been in recent years that Eurovision has a semi-final and then final. It only used to be the final. You should check out Eurovision and Riverdance. It's from Eurovision in the 80's in Ireland and was the Interval Performance and it became a massive item in itself. It's a modern take on Irish dancing by dancer and choreographer Michael Flatley an Irish American. I have seen other Americans react to the spectacle of Riverdance on CZcams. I remember watching it live and it was revolutionary, mesmerizing and a breathtaking performance and propelled Michael Flatley. It was the first time that an Interval Segment made history in its own right. It spawned Riverdance the stage show, Lord of the dance, etc. Amazing. Still gives me chills any time I rewatch it.

    • @Gajol1000
      @Gajol1000 Před 5 měsíci

      Recent years. Well….in 2024 it will be 20 years since the first semi final.