"Can Hovig help Cyprus fly high in semi-final 1 of the Eurovision Song Contest, or will they be sunk by their own "Gravity"?
Country: Cyprus
Song Title: "Gravity"
Artist: Hovig
First Semi-Final: Position 15
Last year's entry: "Alter Ego" - Minus One (8th Place)
I have to say, I was shocked at how well Cyprus did with last year's "Alter Ego". I thought the song was just okay, but the stage performance they put on really elevated it and made use of the resources available to make a good show. That seemed to be enough to do the job - they finished their semi-final in 8th place, though they petered out in the final, finishing in 21st of 26 overall. Is this year's entry, Hovig's "Gravity", more likely to succeed?
As Mike noted in his first listen of this song, Cyprus has wisely paired again with Thomas G:son, who generally turns out some quality Eurovision writing year after year, this song included. There's something that feels Mediterranean in the beat and instrumentation of the song, which mixes with the pop-rock vibe to a good effect.
When this song was announced, it was in the middle of selection season, with over half of the field still to be revealed. Now that we know that it's in (a fairly stacked) Semi-final 1, I still think this has what it takes to make the final. In the back half of the first Semi, Cyprus is performing between the Czech Republic and Armenia, neither of whom really stood out for me. In the larger view, it's also near Slovenia, another male-led mid-tempo song that it easily outpaces. It still feels too early to tell if they're a lock for something like the top 10 of the competition, but I think Cyprus has what it takes to nail the finals and out-do last year's performance.