Azerbaijan tries to bounce back from last year's disappointing placement by bringing Eurovision alum Elnur Huseynov back with "Hour of the Wolf."
Azerbaijan found itself in very unfamiliar territory following last year's Eurovision Song Contest, falling out of the Top 10 for the first time ever and landing in a dismal 21st place.((They tied with Italy.)) To be fair, "Start a Fire" was a bit of a meandering ballad to nowhere with a stage performance involving more setting up and dangling by an aerialist than actual spectacle. This year, Azerbaijan tries to get back on top with Elnur Huseynov's "Hour of the Wolf"—let's take a listen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYsj1fFE1Xw
I guess Azerbaijan is blaming the aerialist rather than a meandering song going nowhere for last year's woes. Either that or they are hoping the alumni card will work in Huseynov's favor. He was one half of Azerbaijan's first-ever Eurovision act Elnur & Samir, who finished in 8th place in 2008. Granted, "Hour of the Wolf" is the opposite of "Day After Day", but at least the latter song had something to latch onto.
I've listened to this song three times immediately before starting this post and it has already fallen out of my head. There is no discernible hook, the lyrics come across slightly marble-mouthed, and there are enough depressing ballads in both semi-finals that "Hour of the Wolf" will have a difficult time distinguishing itself.
Could Azerbaijan's perfect final appearance streak be coming to an end?