In a spectacular showdown of twenty-six nations during which each nation bestowed a fleeting three minutes to win over both judicious panels and the voting masses, Britain proudly rolled out the red carpet to host the grand finale of Eurovision on Saturday night. This honor befalls the nation as a representative of last year’s unequivocal victor, Ukraine.
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Adorned with a myriad of tattoos and donning whimsical plant pot hats, the iconic Kalush Orchestra snagged the much-coveted glass microphone trophy in the previous contest with their distinctive fusion of hip-hop and folk music in the track “Stefania.” However, Ukraine’s aspirations to host the extravaganza and welcome the international cavalcade of Europop enthusiasts were dashed following Russia’s invasion, compelling the organizers to scout for an alternate venue.
Answering the call, Liverpool – the cradle of The Beatles, titans of global music, and the birthplace of Atomic Kitten – graciously stepped in. The northwest England city was transformed into a vibrant panorama of yellow and blue during the week-long build-up to the event. “As the world’s gaze is fixed on Liverpool this weekend for Eurovision, our hearts will be synchronously beating for the people of Ukraine, who are valiantly battling for their sovereignty and survival,” remarked Britain’s Culture Secretary, Lucy Frazer.
“In an ideal world, this grand finale would be unfolding in Kyiv. Nonetheless, we are deeply honoured in the UK to host this momentous event on their behalf and to extend a warm welcome to the legions of fans and media,” she added.
This year, Ukraine will be represented by Heart of Steel, a pulsating electro-pop track by the band Tvorchi, which draws inspiration from the siege of the Azovstal plant in Mariupol. During last year’s contest, Kalush Orchestra’s lead singer Olef issued a heartfelt plea from the stage, “Please help Ukraine, Mariupol. Help Azovstal right now.”
However, the odds-makers do not foresee a consecutive triumph for Ukraine in the competition.
Heading into the thrilling culmination of a week brimming with jubilations and preliminary rounds, Sweden’s Loreen is tipped as the favorite, captivating audiences with her piece Tattoo. Loreen, who previously triumphed in 2012, stands on the brink of joining the elite company of Ireland’s Johnny Logan as the competition’s only other double victor.
Close on her heels is Finland’s rapper Kaarija, whose track Cha Cha Cha, has been hailed by the BBC as “a mesmerising concoction of industrial metal and hyperpop.” A victory for Kaarija would mark Finland’s first triumph since the enigmatic horror-themed heavy metal band Lordi stormed the stage with Hard Rock Hallelujah in 2006.
No Eurovision contest would be complete without a touch of extravagance. Croatia’s flamboyantly moustached group, Let 3, would unquestionably clinch that title, if such a category existed. Their song Mama SC, a thinly-veiled critique of Russia’s Vladimir Putin and a commentary on “human stupidity,” has been applauded by the British gossip site Popbitch as “an absolute cacophony (in the best possible way).” From beneath their leather-peaked military caps, the band proclaimed this week, “We are the soldiers of love, donning the uniform of the army of love.”
The grand finale, set to unravel before 6,000 ardent fans at the Liverpool Arena, was marred on Friday by a political imbroglio surrounding a proposed appearance by Volodymyr Zelensky. The European Broadcasting Union declined an invitation for the Ukrainian president to deliver a message, citing concerns over politicising the event, despite the provocative undertones of some of the performances, and the perennial grumblings about strategic voting.
This decision sparked a backlash from the UK government. “The ideals and freedoms that President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people are defending are not mere political issues, they are fundamental,” the official spokesperson for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak asserted to the press. “Eurovision themselves acknowledged this last year when they appropriately suspended Russia’s participation in the contest.”
With AFP
