Not long now until the September 1st deadline passes, and we can start looking forward to listening to some of the potential Eurovision 2015 songs. Until then, we have the latest ESC Insight Newsletter to keep you up to date with all the Eurovision news.
Of course we’re going to lead off with the confirmation of Vienna and the Stadthalle as our venue for the 2015 Contest (booked your hotel or AirBNB yet?), but there’s a lot of planning going on behind the scenes. Newsletter Ben Robertson has been at one musical event in Sweden that might, just might, be the first step towards Melodifestivalen and Eurovision for Erik Toro (That is “Eric The Bull”, yes? – Ewan):
SVT need convinced that the people that get on stage are a safe pair of hands. With Melodifestivalen being such a big show they are looking for people who are going to keep the ratings high and generate the media interest. Erik looks the part, with his well-built body, slicked back hair and his shirt unbuttoned to near his belly button, he is already acting like a little diva superstar in the making. I was surprised based on this impression that his music video was a slow and sentimental ballad but then not surprised to hear he would raise the tempo with his prospective Melodifestivalen entry which he revealed would be in a gospel-style.
When SVT receive their songs, they will go through the backgrounds of each singer and songwriter that has entered. They will take notice. Yes the Marie Lindbergs will squeeze through (a tokenistic guarantee of one wildcard place in the final 32 for a previously unreleased artist) but overall the jury system isn’t this fair beckon of anonymous equality. And even if he misses the jury, if the name is big enough SVT can push a specific selection into the line-up.
Whether or not Erik does make it to Melodifestivalen this year or the next year is anybody’s guess. The purist in me would hope that if he does make it through it is purely on the quality of the song alone. However this whole exercise was evidence to me to show how it was much more than that. This was a cynical approach to boost Erik’s profile so that more eyes would be on him and his personal background would be the carrying point over the finish line into one of next year’s deltävlingar.
That’s Roberston’s Reflection for the current newsletter, which should be in your email inbox now, or you can read and subscribe to it online.