Yesterday afternoon the Wiwi Jury—our in-house panel of musical unprofessionals—hiked up Mount Vodno to take in the view over Skopje. Then we gathered round a laptop to review Tijana’s Eurovision 2014 song “To the Sky”. Did her song make us feel like we were flying? Or was it more of a nosedive with a very painful landing? Read on to find out…

To the Sky reviews

Zach: After Esma “graced” us with her presence last year, Macedonia could have sent anything and it would have seemed like a refreshing change. With Tijana and “To The Sky” they have done a complete 180 and have brought their A-game in every aspect of the word. During the first chorus it sounds a tad mellow and slightly dated, but the build up to the second chorus gets your heart beating, and then BAM! Tijana is fully unleashed, letting her rocker glam girl attitude shine through, belting out every note with amazing style and sass. By the end you feel like you were at the best party of your life, and you want even more. My new favorite entry from Macedonia I must say. One final note: the English version flows so much more smoothly than the Macedonian version I’m so glad they’re using it instead.

Score: 8/10

Padraig: I’m glad to see that someone within the Macedonian delegation has taken the time to read their Eurovision report card and taken the necessary remedial action. Because following the horrors of Kaliopi and Esma, I genuinely feared for my hearing. Thankfully, they’ve chosen Tijanna, who actually sounds quite pleasant and surprisingly shares no vocal tics with screeching harpies. “To the Sky” is not winner material but it’s a competent effort and ought to be enough for them to creep past the mid-point on the final leader board. After last year’s hot mess they should consider this a major victory.

Score: 6.5/10

 

Tijana Dapcevic to the sky

Vebooboo: Tijana asks us where do we go now?  I have an answer for you, girl. To the stylist and choreographer, because you need a major boost. I’m talking FYR Macedonian version of “Queer Eye for the Straight Artist”. Visual appeal aside, I actually really like this song.  It builds throughout, and it’s pretty damn simple. But my fear is that it will be relegated to the same group as titty-happy Sofi Marinova and our favourite American-turned-Slovenian Hannah…namely back home.  Girl, get to that stylist and give yourself a chance!

Score 5.5/10

Bogdan: I am a bit torn about this, because I like Tijana, but I don’t like her song. It may be a nice dance track, but it sounds like all the songs that you would hear on the radio…eight years ago. With Tijana, staging will be key, because she needs to draw attention away from the mediocre song to her radiant persona. She needs to make people dance and she won’t do it just by standing there (with the high heels and ‘do she looks like she’s eight feet tall, by the way). I’m curious as to what she’ll do in Copenhagen, but I am not optimistic. Anyway, a huge improvement over last year for FYR Macedonia.

Score: 5/10

FYR Macedonia, Tijana, 3

Katie: Yes! I am so excited to review this song! It’s definitely in my top 3 this year and it was love at first listen for me. Tijana is my dream Eurovision singer: super cool, super classy and super voice. Her stage presence is so great that she can grab any audience’s attention just by standing there. Tijana’s released some great songs in the past, and I knew from the first “oo-oo-oo-oo-oo” that she was about to release another one. Also, she has the hottest shoes! By the chorus, I’m doing the exact same rather strange dance like Tijana and I’m singing along. I reckon it will have us all jumping around in Copenhagen. I love everything about this song and I really hope it gets the placing that it deserves.

Score: 10/10

Patrick: First of all I have to say this for everyone to hear: I love Tijana. She’s just an amazing person and I wish her all the best in Copenhagen. “To the sky” is a masterpiece. When I first heard the song I was like, “Oh nice”. But now I really love it. You cannot forget her voice: it’s strong and full of energy, and it forces the song deep into your memory and your heart. I never thought that she would be one of my favourites, but now I’m proud that she is. Where do we go now Tijana? – To Copenhagen and maybe to the victory!

Score: 9/10

Deban: Tijana is an accomplished singer who is saddled with an outdated entry. This wouldn’t be such a problem if it sounded vintage cool. Unfortunately, it’s tired rock. The added difficulty is that I’m yet to see a video of her singing this track LIVE, and this fact is reflected in my scoring. As I keep turning my volume dial lower, ‘To The Sky’ still blares in my ears. Not a good sign.

Score 2.5/10

FYR Macedonia, Tijana, 2

Angus: It’s really difficult to put in words quite what I like so much about ‘To The Sky’. It’s a bit like Kati Wolf in 2011 in that it’s dark, moody and rocky. There are kookaburras that open the whole shebang and should definitely be represented in the staging in Copenhagen. Perhaps it’s the fact that even though there are two similar entries, having something moody and rocky is a nice reprieve from all the folk songs and ballads. It also helps that Tijana looks amazing and the song is Macedonia’s strongest for years, perhaps even ever.

Score: 6.5/10

Billy: Finally: FYROM has chosen a good entry! Unfortunately this has little chance of proceeding to the final. The song is in a low register and likely very difficult to sing, which means that Tijana is going to have work very hard. I like the chorus and the music, but it’s like I’ve heard this a million times before. She also needs to improve her hand movements…

Score: 3/10

Wiwi: There are many girls at Eurovision, but Tijana is a woman. Her voice exudes a sultry sophistication born of experience and depth. Something in her sound suggests that she has felt pain, and her voice channels the struggle of drag queens, refugees, forlorn lovers, and other displaced people. When I first heard the song in Macedonian I was a bit lukewarm. But the English version brought it to life for me, and the positive message about going loud and living your life wrapped around me and is still holding me tight. As we saw at Eurovision in Concert, Tijana can perform. The song is strong and her personality is stronger. Fellow contestants beware.

Score: 7/10

All 19 members of our jury rate each song. However, we only have room to share 10 written reviews. Here are the remaining nine scores.

Anthony: 6/10

Francheska: 7.3/10

Mario: 8.5/10

Mike: 4/10

James L: 7/10

Maxim Montana: 7/10

William: 6.2/10

Sami: 6/10

Ramadan: 8/10

The highest and lowest scores are removed before calculating the final score. We have dropped a low of 2.5 and a high of 10.

The Wiwi Jury Verdict: 6.5/10

You can check out our latest Eurovision 2014 reviews and rankings on the Wiwi Jury page. You can keep up-to-date on the latest Eurovision news and gossip by following the team on Twitter @wiwibloggs and by liking our Facebook page.

26 Comments
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Rogie
Rogie
9 years ago

Angus says its like Kati Wolf, no no What about my dreams was a great memorable track, this sadly is not. Her lipsync on the vid is awful, hope she can sing live better. Hope she has the backing vocalists on the stage with her and she may just get away with it.
Dont think will be seeing this in the final

MoMo
MoMo
9 years ago

Dunno what it is but there’s something very flat about the song and delivery.

2 words; flat coke.

ESCaddict
ESCaddict
9 years ago

I have liked the last two entries from Macedonia and this year I love their entry. To the Sky is in my Top 3.
I think the challenge will be to put in an exciting performance on stage. Tijana just standing there, no matter how good her shoes are, won’t cut it. This is an awesome dance song that should stand out from the pack. Take it too the sky!!!

CookyMonzta
CookyMonzta
9 years ago

So much better (by far) than last year’s clunker. This should make the final and finish in the top 20 easily.

Alex
Alex
9 years ago

Yeah, not sure how Kaliopi was a horror. Actually, hers was my favorite performance of Eurovision 2012. Esma and that backing track did not fit each other last year, at least not live. I loved the studio version, but they really should have ignored the people that were complaining about the first song. Tijana’s song has completely grown on me, and it’s great that she can sing it well live. The jury’s out as to whether she can both sing and dance live, or dance at all, but is it really necessary for her to do that? Let her dancers… Read more »

Trebinium
Trebinium
9 years ago

Find Macedonia in MY TOP 37:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPJEzLFh5_I

Thiefo
9 years ago

This is one of those songs I couldn’t care less about. It’s not bad, and I wouldn’t mind if it passes to the final, is just that I wouldn’t mind if it doesn’t either.
It’s nice, it just lacks something, for me Tijana is a strong woman with a weak song. It is true, however, that is great improvement from last year, because Pred Da Se Razdeni was such a mess! (I second Z24, Imperija was a lot better) So, good luck Macedonia!

AlvaRito_Spain
AlvaRito_Spain
9 years ago

I have in my top very well placed to Macedonia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UGVOVZgeUaU

Chesco
Chesco
9 years ago

It is a catchy tune, I can see myself dancing this in a disco, apart from that, there is little else to say.

Armond
Armond
9 years ago

Yes. Kaliopi is one of the best singers of Balkan. And she’s such a sweetheart. Not to mention Crno I Belo which was a masterpiece.

Zach
Zach
9 years ago

I love the song and Tijana but I actually prefer the Macedonian version. We are bring Macedonia back to glory flowing in Kaliopi’s footsteps.

Francel
Francel
9 years ago

l adore Tijana….She is a good Singer and she deserves to will be in my Top10.
Greetings from Spain.

Stefan
Stefan
9 years ago

Horors with Kaliopi?! :O Are serious? :O:O:O

Z24
Z24
9 years ago

‘Horror’ that was Kaliopi? She was the moral winner of 2012. That note will hardly be forgotten.

And very unfortunate that they changed songs last year, because then, thye would’ve shone and Esma wouldn’tve been relegated as a joke. Very unfair for her.

As for Tijana, hope she can inject some personality and spunk (which I’m sure she has lots) into an average sounding song. This was a bit of a chance to go through, so they better step it up.

5/10

Leon
Leon
9 years ago

Didn’t work for me. Overall product – staging, delivery, lyrics, was too hard and uninviting. Combine that with two awkward silent gaps during the song meant it doesn’t deserve to get qualify to the next stage for me. 2/10

Marcus
Marcus
9 years ago

Let’s get one thing straight: few things in the history of Eurovision can top Esma’s divine performance from last year? Heck, she could’ve just stood there silent for three minutes and she would still be my winner!

And also… How DARE you badmouth Kaliopi! Shame on you! 😛

Nathan
Nathan
9 years ago

It’s so hard to compare this entry against others, as this seems like a private party with about 20 people in attendance and there is no life in this song. I think the song is a bit outdated. Having traveled to Macedonia and thoroughly enjoyed myself, I can’t see how this is reflective of its country. I just find this entry very bland, and I can’t help but feel this slightly on the drag side. Nothing against drags or Conchita. This entry isn’t bad, it isn’t exhilarating – I just feel like this is one of those nice greeting cards… Read more »

Frank Les Pays Bas
Frank Les Pays Bas
9 years ago

I am not sure if her liver had to work hard in Amsterdam but of course I meant her live performance:-)

Frank Les Pays Bas
Frank Les Pays Bas
9 years ago

She looks and sounds more like a man to me than Conchita Wurst. Her liver performance at Eurovsion in Concert wasn’t that good …..

Fan
Fan
9 years ago

8/10

Amber
Amber
9 years ago

It´s funny to see that the Balkan countries get a lot higher rate from the WiWijury… firstly Montenegro, now Macedonia. 😛

Armond
Armond
9 years ago

I don’t think anyone from Macedonia can beat the amazing Kaliopi for me. Her voice is sick. As for Tijana & the song, it’s too overrated by the wiwi jury. My Score (5/10)

Timselvision
Timselvision
9 years ago

I am one of those people who doesn’t like the song XD I always like the Macedonian entries (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011 were in my top 15) and even 2013’s entry is a song that I like. But this one? Meh. I dunno. I simply don’t like it and it’s not in my final. Such a shame. In my opinion the worst Macedonian entry ever, actually.

Dhani
9 years ago

sorry macedonia, 2/10

Dan RO
Dan RO
9 years ago

Do “I get the feeling that I want to go wild”?. Well, if I do, it’s certainly not because of this song! And her performance, as far as movement and overall presence is concerned, is not very wild at all – in fact, it’s the opposite! Static and awkward. She needs to improve dramatically on that before Copenhagen! I’m shocked that the reviewers like this entry much more than The Netherland’s. It’s a matter of taste, I reckon, but as far as this one is concerned, what’s supposed to be energetic and high spirited comes off as just bland (and… Read more »