It wouldn't be Eurovision without a song about everyone just getting along. Enter Iceland's Pollapönk with their punk-infused track "No Prejudice." Will audiences get along with this song?
Country: Iceland
Song Title: "No Prejudice"
Artist: Pollapönk
Semi-Final: First, Position 5
Last year's entry: "Ég á líf" ("I Have a Life") - Eyþór Ingi (17th Place)
Iceland's entry "No Prejudice" by Pollapönk is arguably the most Eurovision-y entry in this year's Eurovision Song Contest. Let's go through the checklist:
- Song about peace/love/world unity: Yup.
- Lyrics that are borderline preachy: Check.
- Potential for goofy costumes: Check-plus.
- Invitation to clap along: Uh-huh.
The above list can be inferred from this video:
http://youtu.be/r28YI88KejE
The problem with the above checklist is that in only predicts Eurovision-y-ness. It does not predict success or failure at the Contest. "No Prejudice" is a song that could be a total wild card in the results. The song itself is a bit too simple, so getting points from the juries will require a strong stage performance. However, if the stage performance gets too weird, televoters could be turned off. The song is not strong enough to support a pointy-hatted performance (a la Moldova's 2011 entry((One of my favorite Eurovision entries ever.))), but pushing the superhero motif could result in a revisit to Czech Republic's 2009 entry.
Pollapönk also finds itself in a precarious location in the running order. The group is sandwiched between Sweden and Albania—two songs and singers that are the opposite of punk rock. On the other hand, the style of "No Prejudice" is unique not just to this semi-final but the entire Eurovision field, so there aren't a lot of options for creating a smooth flow. The only spot that would have been ideal for this entry would have been first position, but I can understand stylistically why the producers chose Armenia and Hungary to bookend the show. Sitting fifth in the lineup means Iceland could possibly end up being a "bathroom break" entry.
This is a tough one to predict. My guess is it will take at least 60 points to get into the Final. Sweden and Denmark—two of Iceland's best Eurovision friends—will throw points to Pollapönk. I would be surprised if this earned any 12s, but middling marks from enough countries could push Iceland through. Although this isn't my favorite entry to come out of Iceland, I think "No Prejudice" could be enough of a crowdpleaser to sneak into the final.((That should make Ben happy.))