Europeans are very familiar with the attention focused on the Eurovision contest each year. This year wasn’t anything different. Since last year the whole world had to take a break for a while, this time around everyone was even more excited to be back in the concert arena or in front of the TV screens at home, impatiently anticipating Europe’s newest music creations. Some songs didn’t quite catch the public’s eye, but others brought the audience to their feet.
“Russian Woman” – Manizha
Russia’s entry song is a piece of art like nothing ever seen before on the European stage. Manizha is probably one of the very first artists at the Eurovision contest to sing about the empowerment of women, particularly of Russian women, and their transformation from a helpless peasant girl to a powerful modern female.
The mix of Russian tradition, culture, language, and music makes the song both authentic and truly representative of the nation. You needn’t understand the lyrics to understand the message. It’s enough to watch Manizha’s performance which will give you the chills. Although it didn’t win the judges’ votes, it certainly did win the public’s hearts.
“SHUM” – Go_A
I am not a big fan of electro, however, after watching Go_A perform, I might as well have become one. They nailed their performance at the Eurovision contest and placed 5th at the grand finale. The name of the song stands for noise or forest and tells the story of an ancient ritual performed in the spring months to wake up the Earth from the long winter. The combination of electro and Ukrainian folk music is what makes the song unique and modern.
“Zitti E Buoni” – Måneskin
The big winner of the night was the rock band Måneskin. Their win left everyone with their jaws dropped to the ground as word around Europe was that Switzerland was the favorite choice to win the 2021 Eurovision and bring home the trophy. After the countries had voted there was no doubt that Gjon’s Tears had the win in his pocket. Nevertheless, the public voted quite differently.
It seemed like Europe was yearning for something else and it wasn’t another typical slow and emotional song. I do love these kinds of songs as well, but a little change wouldn’t kill anyone. Maneskin shook the audience to its core in the best possible way. A long time ago Finland’s Lordi had done the same and it was about time for another rock to set the stage on fire.
