"Can Hungary keep building on the good thing they have going and make it to the ESC finals?
Country: Hungary
Song Title: "Origo"
Artist: Joci Pápai
Second Semi-Final: Position #8
Last year's entry: "Pioneer" - Freddie (19th Place)
It's not easy to pin down what a "Hungarian" song sounds like at the modern Eurovision Song Contest. In the past 7 years (since they sat out 2010), we've had your standard Eurodance tracks, a remix of an indie rock track((seriously. I still have no clue how this did so well)), folk songs, and, in last year's entry (Freddie's "Pioneer"), something that felt like it straddled those various lines. That did well in its semifinal, but got a little lost in the stronger field at the final, finishing in 19th. Can Joci Pápai's "Origo" bring the momentum they need to get further up that final chart?
I love this song and really hope it manages to resonate with the Eurovision audience. Joci's delivery and the song's style reminds me a little bit of Sting's "Desert Rose", but melds together folk music, pop, and a little bit of rap in a way that I look for in the competition. There's a real beauty to the melody line of the song and its delivery is strong.
Having watched the national final performance, for Eurovision I want them to take the various elements of it and bring bigger, better, more of all of them. With 3 people on stage, they have room for 3 more. I'd add two dancers to bring some symmetry to what the one currently on stage is doing, and a backing vocalist to give Joci's vocals a little more heft during the chorus to help this match the recorded version a little more. Hungary's great with presenting whatever they send, so all they need is to keep refining what makes their song great even more.