Latvia's bringing an experimental edge to their Eurovision entry this year - will the gamble pay off?
Latvia hasn't made the Eurovision final in 7 years. In fairness, they have a track record of picking songs which I've previously compared to the soundtrack to an abstinence pep rally or a group of street performers accidentally wandering into the studio. They seem happy to march to the beat of their own crazy drum, whether the rest of Europe agrees with them or not. Let's see if this year's entry, Aminata's "Love Injected", seems likely to continue that trend:
If Belgium is aping Lorde with their entry, the closest analogue I can come up with for Aminata's sound is a more pop-focused FKA Twigs. There's an experimental electronic to the edge in the verses, but when the chorus hits, it's all Eurovision. Much like FKA Twigs (for me at least), there's something that rewards repeated listens of the song - with the right performance, this could be a dark horse to do well in the finals, not just the semi-finals.
As far as the staging, I'd like to see that improve - Aminata's a singer and songwriter, but it seems like she may not be a dancer. Which is a shame - a truly creative and compelling performance that pushes this song's unique energy would only be a benefit here. Belgium's the type to tweak their song/performance to get things just right - here's hoping this isn't the year they forego that crucial step.