Can Donatan and Cleo's ode to Poland's "Slavic Girls" make the Eurovision Grand Final after two years away?
Country: Poland
Song Title: "My Słowianie (Slavic Girls)"
Artist: Donatan and Cleo
Semi-Final: Second, Position 5
Last year's entry: Did Not Participate - Welcome Back, Poland!
Poland is back in the Eurovision Song Contest after 2 years! It's easy to understand why they took some time off - a bad slot in the semi-finals meant their last entry, 2011's "Jestem", was the cherry on top of a sundae of 3 years worth of poor finishes. A few years later to recharge, and Poland's back and playing to its strengths with a viral entry, Donatan and Cleo's "Slavic Girls". Mike mentioned in his First Listen that the song's viral origins may make for a strong re-entry. Let's take a look at the original video and see if he's correct:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQp7z8yYZUI
The video definitely shoots for the viral video/eye candy demographic, and on both of those counts it's successful((The video has a number of attractive ladies in it and I'M NOT MADE OF STONE)). I can see why this entry's getting attention, but I'm actually more drawn to the way Cleo's taken traditional slavic iconography and given it a modern twist in her own look, rather than the other girls (who seem more like props than anything else). The song still feels a little like a travel ad that's desperately trying to be hip, but it at least seems to be a little tongue-in-cheek with its presentation.
It's this tongue-in cheek aspect I'd most want to see replicated in the stage performance. This song is in the vast middle of the running order, but it's also a burst of energy after the more somber Norway and the campus quad jam session that is Georgia. The Eurovision audience still hasn't warmed to hip-hop's influence in the competition (and I can't see the juries loving this one either), but a fun, memorable performance could be enough to get them through to the grand final. I think the song's a little too region-specific to take the crown, but if Poland's willing to play with its image, it may have a happy return to the competition that shows it can do well.