"Cake to Bake" by folk quartet Aarzemnieki will represent Latvia at the Eurovision Song Contest. Will this entry avoid the bottom of the scoreboard?
Country: Latvia
Song Title: "Cake to Bake"
Artist: Aarzemnieki
Semi-Final: First, Position 2
Last year's entry: "Here We Go" - PeR (DNQ - 17th Place, Semi-Final 2)
This is my fourth year of doing Eurovision Song Contest coverage. In the previous three years, I have actively disliked the entries coming out of Latvia. I think there is a national aesthetic I just do not respond to. Europe doesn't respond to the aesthetic either. Latvia has failed to qualify for the last five years, finish in last place in each respective semi-final three of those years. This year's entry "Cake to Bake" by Aarzemnieki is my favorite Latvian entry, though that is a low bar to clear. Since Ben's first listen, it sounds like the lyrics and melody have been cleaned up a bit:
This slightly revamped version probably won't be a disaster on-stage. The song reminds me of Finland's entry "Da Da Dam" from the 2011 Contest — a positive message set to a toe-tapping tune. That entry managed to sneak into the Final that year, while more interesting entries missed the cut. I believe only four or five entries in this semi-final have a near-guarantee of advancing. There will be weirdness to fill the other five or six spots—particularly at 9th and 10th place.
However, I think the Contest organizers have it in for this entry. Not only was Latvia given the dreaded 2-spot in the running order, Aarzemnieki follows Armenia, which is the current favorite to win the entire competition. Despite this being the former SSR semi-final((Seven of the countries used to be part of the USSR.)), Latvia's only Eurovision friend in the mix is its neighbor Estonia.
The good news is I don't believe Aarzemnieki will find themselves at the absolute bottom of the scoreboard this year. However, they still may be eating their cake at home as they watch the Grand Final on TV.