Earlier today the Wiwi Jury—our in-house panel of music unprofessionals—climbed the Matterhorn and then sat down to review “Hunter Of Stars”–Sebalter’s entry for Die Grosse Entscheidungsshow 2014. Did they leave us starry-eyed? Or did we want to smack them on the head with a telescope? Read on to find out…
Padraig: If you ask me, whistling is one of the most neglected musical forms. Luckily for us Sebalter is on a one man crusade to remind the masses of its charms. And it certainly helps that the overall song is so good, brilliant in fact. Hunting for Stars is an old fashioned toe tapper, yet at the same time it manages to sound fresh and modern. Even a case of Sinplus-itis in the vocals shouldn’t stop this from romping to Copenhagen.
Score: 8/10
Wiwi: In Switzerland’s roster of boring, completely predictable songs, Sebalter’s “Hunter of Stars” really stands out. It’s not that it’s particularly good. It’s the fact that the artists seem to have a pulse and a song whose melody you can actually remember when you close YouTube. I have no idea what they are singing about, and I suspect they don’t either: “Roar like a lion, roar like a lion, I feel your judgment, I feel your judgment, I’m so wet, wet and dirty…” But whatever. This group has spunk.
Score: 5/10
Bogdan: A real earworm, “Hunter Of Stars” manages to capture you and drag you into its universe filled with country guitars, clarinets, violins, hand clapping and whistles, and never lets you go. A great, catchy, real song in all respects, it commands our respect. It’s perfect, and it’s perfect for Eurovision. I cannot wait to see this live.
Score: 10/10
Sebalter performs backstage at the Swiss semi-final
Deban: Quirky, fun, but not to be taken seriously. I like the instrumental-heavy approach this song takes. The hand-clap bridge is refreshingly different, and a unique offering to the mother contest as a whole. It’s difficult to predict at this stage what path the staging might take. However, with the right production, this track could reach the top. Deservedly so. It’s light, and blends in well, particularly in a contest that’s potentially full of similar entries.
Score: 7/10
Anthony: “Hunter Of Stars” is an infectiously catchy entry, and the whistles trigger flashbacks of Monty Python’s “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”. The lyrics are well written, so kudos to Sebalter. My only concern is whether the standards of this entry are strong enough for Switzerland to do well with at Eurovision this year. Overall, it’s a good effort and one the Swiss may want to consider sending to Copenhagen.
Score: 7/10
Angus: Songs with whistles are my Achilles heel. No matter the lyrical deformities, vocal problems or instrumental headaches, a whistle smoothes out bumps in even the most pot-marked road. That said ‘Hunter of Stars’ is quite charming. The whistle is infectious, but Sebalter’s vocal fits in adding a fantasy feel to the piece. It’s the comedy song from any Disney musical, with folksy notes added in and the effect is actually pretty good – given time that is.
Score: 8/10
Wiwi Jury Verdict: 7.5/10
Final Ranking: #1 out of 6
You can read all of our reviews and rankings for Die Grosse Entscheidungsshow by clicking here. You can also keep up with the latest Eurovision news and gossip by following the team from wiwibloggs.com on Twitter @wiwibloggs and by liking our Facebook page.
Photo: sechuk.com
It’s a pretty good number. I like the clapping interval and that could be fun in the arena from a TV viewer’s perspective due to the audience being drowned out haha ;p Sets me in an old western tavern scene.
Great! Top 10 in final. Please please Switzerland, send this!
Actually, I just watched the video of the live backstage performance, and I’m going to throw my support behind Sebalter. These guys are real musicians, and they make an excellent case for bringing live instruments back to Eurovision.
One major concern I’d have with this song is whether the whistling will sound good on the live mic, but maybe I’m just paranoid. The other is that his pronunciation is awkward, though not as awkward as was that of Sinplus. I’ll agree that this is probably a good choice for Switzerland as long as he pulls it off live. I’m still a fan of 3ForAll too, of course.
Hands down this must win. Perfect combination of catchy and artistic (Together Forever being catchier IMO, but miles behind in craft, and Christian is very beautiful and artistic, but extremely forgettable). He does seems to have that Sinplus issue, but they got better and it’s not like Sebalter has that issue as bad as them. They may get a lot of votes coming in for them in that semifinal, so they better make it right.
This is definitely the best choice for Switzerland. It’s catchy, enjoyable and that whistle 😀
This really sound an Eurovision song. Very good. Hoppefully the audience choose it.
This must win in Switzerland! If this doesn’t win.. Switzerland has no chance at all qualifying. They’re in an easy semi-final.. don’t waste your opportunity Switzerland!