Greece seems guaranteed to "Rise Up" in the second semifinal - how high will Freaky Fortune fly in the Eurovision finals?
Country: Greece
Song Title: "Rise Up"
Artist: Freaky Fortune ft. Riskykidd
Semi-Final: Second, Position 13
Last year's entry: "Alcohol is Free" - Koza Mostra (6th Place)
Let's get this out of the way: Greece is going to be in the final. From one year to the next, whether you like their song or not, Greece has enough of a voter base throughout Europe to ensure a placement in the grand final. Since the introduction of the semi-final system in 2004, they've never been out of the grand final, and with one exception (Eleftheria Eleftheriou's "Aphrodisiac" in 2012), they've consistently placed somewhere in the top 10(("Watch My Dance" was top 10 material? Really? Reeeeeeeally?)). Taking a break from their usual formula of sending an attractive-but-middlingly-voiced singer, Greece has chosen to send Freaky Fortune and Riskykidd's EDM-inflected "Rise Up".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8QIbL9i2MU
In a way, I'm a little surprised it's taken Calvin Harris-style EDM this long to make its way into the ESC. I don't think Freaky Fortune have created the best example of the genre (and it seems like backing music you'd hear in a "club" scene on an episode of Law and Order), but there's enough use of traditional greek ((sampled)) instrumentation to remind you what country sent the entry. If there's one weak point in the song, I'd say it's the lyrics. Riskykidd's raps are generic money/party/fun material, and without them the song's just a series of beats with an occasional "Rise Up" thrown over the top. I think juries are likely to ding this one, affecting its final position where televotes may not.
Someone in the group of producers must really like the song, though - they've been given a prime spot near the end of the second semifinal. A big performance from Greece may not wipe the memory of other high-energy performances like Romania from viewers' minds, but could completely destroy any chance a more folksy performer may have (sorry, Switzerland((not actually sorry, Switzerland))).
Greece seems like a lock to rise up and make the Eurovision Grand Final this year. It's up to the voters to decide how high they fly.