Representing Romania: Corina – Overdrive
If you liked SOS by Kazakhstan’s A-Studio ft. Polina, which was a reasonable dance hit last year, then you may be equally pleased with this new Romanian (I think – details are hard to find) dance single, currently number 3 in their charts. It has some nice “ah-ah”s and tinkly sound effects, but it could just as easily have been a hit 5 years ago – think French Affair or Wamdue Project. Dance music really doesn’t evolve very fast, does it? The video is quite cool, anyway, with a sort of new-rave zombie look, and a hot Dima Bilan look-alike in a boxing outfit.
Representing the Netherlands: Floortje – Starts With Goodbye
You’d be mad to expect something amazing from the description “Idols contestant releases a ballad”, but this isn’t too bad. It’s boring most of the way through but picks up towards the end and she’s got a likeable voice and sound. It’s a little bit country in a Faith Hill/LeAnn Rimes sort of way, and certainly better than A Moment Like This or whatever that Shayne Ward one was called. A pleasant listening experience but not something I’d choose to put on my CD player personally.
Representing Norway: Lene Alexandra – My Boobs Are OK
This is sooooo bad! I was expecting some female empowerment, it doesn’t matter what size or shape you are, type of thing, but no it’s just disgusting nonsense. Lene is a glamour model and that’s basically the subject of her song. She may well be perfectly nice and intelligent (believe it or not, one of my best friends at college, who was indeed very clever, went on to be a glamour model!) but there’s no excuse for this rubbish. It’s so unfair that this is popular, when the other Norwegian poppet named Lene (Nystrom, ex-Aqua) failed to gain much success with her amazing single It’s Your Duty.