Donny Montell is the latest Eurovision alumnus to join the party in Stockholm, as "I've Been Waiting for this Night" will represent Lithuania at this year's Contest.
Donny Montell is no stranger to Eurovision, having represented Lithuania back in 2012 with his disco ballad "Love is Blind." Montell has grown up quite a bit((#Swole)) and modernized with his latest single "I've Been Waiting for this Night." Over the weekend he won Lithuania's selection marathon and will be headed to Stockholm with the same song:
The song originally came out in December and fits in perfectly with today's pop landscape. "I've Been Waiting for this Night" is very 2015, which could be Montell's biggest obstacle in the Eurovision Song Contest. I would not describe the Contest as a tastemaker, but I think there is the hope that the process is forward looking in where music can go. There is a timelessness that connects some of the more notable Eurovision entries, but this song is firmly rooted in this six month period.
The other potential issue: this song and performance is wayyyyy over-produced. The backing track is relentless, the fog machine is an unnecessary touch((I know this is Eurovision, which means it must be a big problem if I'm bringing it up.)) and Montell's styling is a bit too coiffed. The above video is from Lithuania's semi-final, but catching his performance on Saturday my immediate reaction was that Montell looked like a cross between David Silver from Beverly Hills, 90210 and Bill Pullman's character from Ruthless People.
The production and performance problems can easily be fixed in the next two months. As for the longevity issue, that's a question that can't be answered until next year.