Depi Evratesil — Armenia’s national selection for Eurovision 2018 — is making waves. Building on last year’s success, the show has become a major talking point in Armenian media. Reporters have covered each announcement and semi-final with bated breath, writing about everything from the favourite-of-the-day to various controversies.  In terms of popularity and viewership, the second edition of the show is pushing past local editions of international franchises like The Voice and X Factor. Those shows utilise a judging panel and depend partly on the judges’ personalities. But Depi Evratesil 2018 is all about the voices and original songs of its contestants. AMPTV is making music and the country is listening.

On Saturday evening the jury final unfolded inside the Meridien Expo Centre in Yerevan and we were on hand to take in all the action. Each of the ten finalists performed — and each of them upped their game from the semi-finals. In part they’ll want to thank the producers for giving them a setting that makes them look so good. The Depi Evratesil stage is recognisable from last year, but it’s been amped up with better LEDs and a more dazzling series of lights — from white strobes to golden flashing bulbs to its signature purple strips across the runway and stage floor. The graphic design elements on the LED range from supernova swirls to cartoonish fruit to in utero embryos (yes, you read that correctly, there is a fetus on one LED). From the serious to the outlandish, Depi Evratesil puts AMPTV’s ambitions on fine display. The show looks fresh, contemporary and somehow futuristic. It’s no wonder international Eurovision fans have been paying attention.

Depi Evratesil: Jury final review

1. Sevak Khanagyan – “Qami”

The winner of X Factor Ukraine is a big deal. He’s a judge on The Voice of Armenia and he’s packing a beautiful voice (and a very impressive six pack courtesy of his superhero body armour). Other acts rely on dancers and special effects to command attention. But owing to his enormous stage presence and big voice, Sevak can stand all alone and get everyone watching. His song title translates as “wind”, and it becomes an apt analogy for his ethno-tinged ballad. “Give me wings and I can fly,” he sings. Regardless of whether you speak Armenian, you can feel the weight and heft of his feelings and his message. I thought his LED featured stars, but he told me it’s actually a representation of his memories — perhaps like synapses in the brain. They ultimately lead to a the silhouette of a woman. It’s understated and touching, and it’s all buoyed by Sevak’s greatest strength: presence.

2. Gevorg Harutyunyan – “Stand Up”

Gevorg’s ballad “Stand Up” has a musical theatre quality. It’s dramatic, sweeping and comes with plenty of interpretive dance. At times Gevorg gets all ballet on us, standing on one leg while serving face and encouraging us to stand up for what we want. Let’s do this! The costumes are difficult to place in any time period — it could be Les Miserables of yesterday or Cirque du Soleil of tomorrow. Gevorg may look young and innocent, but his voice has a distinct gravely quality with a hint of smoke, which many people will enjoy.

3. Lusine Mardanyan – “If You Don’t Walk Me Home”

At just 16 years of age she’s the youngest competitor in the contest. But age really is just a number when it comes to Lusine, who happens to be one of Tamar Kaprelian’s students at Nvak. Depi Evratesil is her first professional stage show, but she managed to slay her way to the final with innocence and charm. In a sea of divas she is the charming outsider, and one so sweet you just want to pinch her cheeks. Her styling — hair slicked back, white blouse, fancy pussy bow — smacks of Old World class, which she gives modern edge. This song won’t light the house on fire, but it’s not supposed to. Instead it fills you with warm fuzzies, and who doesn’t like that?

4. Kamil Show – “Puerto Rico”

Kamil says that the rest of the acts are all about show business and that he is all about the show. It’s a simple but telling statement that conveys his love of entertainment and entertaining. He’s here to make you laugh and he does precisely that — with deliberately over-the-top make-up, Spanish-language lyrics, a trashy Ibiza beat, violent dancing, that split and a shout-out at the very end of his performance to Ronaldo (please follow Kamil on Instagram, darling). But this isn’t just a joke. His backing vocalists, who do most of the heavy lifting, can really sing. Choosing Kamil would showcase Armenia in a progressive light and would no doubt become one of the media stories of the year in the lead-up to Eurovision.

5. Amaliya Margaryan – “Waiting for the Sun”

She was a backing vocalist for Artsvik, but now Amaliya is ready for her moment centre stage. She starts her performance off blind-folded, perhaps to symbolise hopelessness and strife. But as a stunning LED sun rises behind her our girl starts to see. And when she finally removes the fabric from her eyes she sees lots of smoke and stunning graphics — purple spacescapes, trees beneath a lilac sky, a massive handprint and more. At the end of the performance she even sprouts some Sergey Lazarev wings! The performance went down very well in the arena, and plenty of Armenian Eurovision fans have whispered to me that she’s a dark horse.

6. Nemra – “I’m a Liar”

They’re a young band with an exploding fan base: Following the jury show I thought I might be stampeded by the deluge of teenage girls waiting for them at the barrier and shrieking. The band ooze a detached charm. In a nod to Salvador Sobral their LED says “NO SHOW — ENJOY THE MUSIC” and they back that up with a simple but memorable melody that captures teenage / early 20s angst. Some may expect the song to be flat. But it progresses in its own way, with an extended guitar riff, the use of a magnifying glass, some simple hand claps and some dum-do-da-dum tongue gymnastics. The charm continues until the final seconds where the lead singer mixes it up with some tongue rolls, which, as you can hear above in the semi, also elicited screams. If teenage girls vote — and I am pretty sure teenage girls do vote — this could do very well indeed.

7. Mariam – “Fade”

Her dress is a cool shade of turquoise, but Mariam is definitely bringing the heat vocally. A confident woman with precision control, she doesn’t seem remotely daunted by the occasion as she stands centre stage belting out note after note. Her beautiful LED features lightning, clouds and a supernova swirl, all of which draw you in. Mariam can sing. But something about the melody isn’t pleasant and doesn’t showcase all she has to offer. The song fades from memory soon after it stops.

8. Mger Armenia – “Forever”

Mger Armenia wants to live forever. And his eternity includes off-kilter — yet totally memorable — staging. The act opens with a woman apparently lost inside of her bed sheets. But she soon casts them off to dance before an LED of an embryo in utero. You see the fetus’ tiny hands and feet, and at times he clasps the umbilical cord. Meanwhile Mger’s dancer has an iPad strapped to her belly which also displays a fetus. Put it together and it’s about the cycle of life and how we all live on forever through our loved ones and children (or something like that). Mger has a strong voice. And regardless of what you think of the song or staging, the hook gets stuck in your head. I’m singing it right now!

9. Robert Koloyan – “Get Away With Us”

Robert, a famous Armenian photographer, isn’t just good a snapping pictures. He’s also rather good and creating his own visual identity — which in this case is all about monochrome sci-fi realness. Wearing black and white — and backed by four dancers, also in black and white — he belts it out in front of white strobes and spotlights and a very Matrix-like backdrop. The colourscape continues through the dizzying  use of a chess board, which comes to life with shattering pawns and exploding queens. His voice — deep, melodic, instantly recognisable — fits well with the song. Interestingly, this is the song I heard other contestants humming while sitting in the green room. Looks like his rivals are also his fans. Checkmate!

10. Asmik Shiroyan – “You and I”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Snk7GHcbaA

She’s a veteran of this contest and she’s grown stronger with each performance. And it seems Asmik is peaking at the right time. During the jury final she was confident and in control, working her elevated staircase before hitting the runway where she put on a leggy display, replete with some fancy footwork. Her dancer flits across the stage wearing a mask: She wants him to be a blank canvas so he can represent that special someone in your life. The song is difficult to place geographically — you could hear it in the U.S., U.K. and beyond…which likely reflects its all-star songwriting team who have worked with Louis Tomlinson and Kelly Clarkson, among others. Will Armenians buy into it? Or are they looking for something more “local”? Dunno. But I do know Asmik sold this rather well on Saturday.

Who has impressed you the most so far? Which tracks are you going to download? And who do you want to see at Eurovision? Let us know down below…

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Janro
Janro
6 years ago

I want Robert Koloyan to win.

josh
josh
6 years ago

Kamil would be so hilarious, I don’t expect it to be chosen but if it did, it will go viral. Mark my words

ESC 4ever
ESC 4ever
6 years ago

Puerto Rico is a mess. Why do people even like this? Y’all don’t have taste.

Mark
Mark
6 years ago

Armenia has disappointed me

Kvazar
Kvazar
6 years ago

Kamil will win. Perfect song. Ahead of all. No one better. Right choice. We say yes to Kamil.

Héctor
Héctor
6 years ago
Reply to  Kvazar

It seems you don’t like Eurovision.

Dan
Dan
6 years ago

Nemra has my favourite song, but with Asmik Armenia might have a chance to see the final in Portugal. I don’t like her song.
Kamil.I don’t find the song or the show funny.

Shavarsh
Shavarsh
6 years ago

Sevak or Hasmik, I’ll happy if either of them goes to the ESC

esc freak
esc freak
6 years ago

If Mger wins I am DONE with Armenia. I want Asmik or Sevak.

Phary
Phary
6 years ago

Has the sound quality improved? It was pretty painful in the semis :/
Sevak has a good song and managed to sound okay so I’m rooting for him, plus Armenia has never sent a song fully in Armenian.

Nicola
Nicola
6 years ago
HH
HH
6 years ago

Sevak for the win! His vocals are just amazing and the song touches me in a big way! I need a power ballad now ”cuz we haven’t seen an one so far!

SARA
SARA
6 years ago
Reply to  HH

esh esh durs mi tveq

SARA
SARA
6 years ago

KAMIL WINNER!!!

Kris
Kris
6 years ago

Who’s the backing vocalist for Kamil? Choose her internally for next year already

Khav
Khav
6 years ago
Reply to  Kris

Lilit Hovhannisyan

SARA
SARA
6 years ago
Reply to  Khav

idiot

Kris
Kris
6 years ago

Best song is You and I
Best live performance is Puerto Rico
Best song which has any sense of belonging to Armenia is Qami.

Ron
Ron
6 years ago

MY TOP 10: 1. ASMIK SHIROYAN – This is not my favorite song, but this will produce the best outcome for Armenia. (Final, Top 15) 2. KAMIL SHOW – I love this song. But, this can be a hit or a miss in Lisbon. (Either Top 10 or No qualification) 3. AMALIYA – This is my personal favorite song, but it may not do very well. (Final, Bottom 10) 4. SEVAK – Great song, great vocals, but a little dull at some parts. (Final, Bottom 10) 5. ROBERT KOLOYAN – This is a pretty good song, but definitely won’t qualify… Read more »

Ron
Ron
6 years ago

@David – so happy to hear that. Fingers crossed either for Asmik, Kamil or Amaliya.

Steve
Steve
6 years ago

It will be so sad to watch the show without Tamar. I see only Sevak and Asmik winning. Please, don’t vote for Mger who was given the best place. Pushing this through and giving him the best place for being better remembered by televoters screams corruption. Also, Mger’s song is plagiarism, it shouldn’t even be allowed to advance to the semis.

Ron
Ron
6 years ago
Reply to  Steve

@Steve – Tamar performed 8th in her semi. What do you have to say about that?

GoodMorning
GoodMorning
6 years ago
Reply to  Steve

Actually Tamar’s performance was well remembered by televoters. The next morning all Armenia was speaking about just how awful her vocals had been. I’m waiting for the split statistics on televote/jury. My guess is that Gata Band were in top-5 by televoting and Tamar 7th or 8th.

Steve
Steve
6 years ago
Reply to  GoodMorning

Guys, Tamar was 8, but that was a semi. It’s different. Also, the sound was terrible for her. She sang well tho. Remember Sirusho screaming and shouting but still in top 5? Remember Hadise not singing in top 5? She was really great, but the National TV made everything not to let her be in the final (they adjusted sound in such a way that I hardly listened to the music and could here every single movement of her lips). Especially when she sang in English you could hear explosive sounds (like p, b, s). Armenian part sounded smoother, as… Read more »

Ron
Ron
6 years ago
Reply to  Steve

You are dilusional. She just couldn’t sing. I have nothing more to say.

khav
khav
6 years ago

Kamil will win

Charli Cheer Up
Charli Cheer Up
6 years ago

Hoping for Asmik

beccaboo1212
6 years ago

Lusine or Asmik.

Ron
Ron
6 years ago

This running order is very very odd. Sevak opening? Mger 8th? Asmik closing? If we follow the Eurovision trend, it could mean that Asmik and Mger won their respective semis and Sevak and Kamil did not do as well as predicted. Maybe I’m reading too much into it….but, in my opinion, Amaliya has the best voice and I love the overall feeling her song gives. Asmik’s song is missing something; Sevak’s song will get lost among 42 other songs and Kamil could either do really well or really bad (like Boom Boom bad)

Kaz
Kaz
6 years ago
Reply to  Ron

The girl from Slovenia performed first and won and Alekseev performed second and won too. The thing with 10 songs is I do think it has too much of an influence, the best song will stand out hopefully. Sevak has gotta win imo.

Ron
Ron
6 years ago
Reply to  Kaz

@Kaz – yes, but Belarus and Slovenia did not have semi finals. I’m saying from the view point of producers. Normally, producers tend to give the best spots to the acts that do well in semis. Then again, youtube views should predict Kamil’s victory. He has more views than all other acts combined I think.

Kris
Kris
6 years ago
Reply to  Ron

Umm….Slovenia did have a semi

Edgar
Edgar
6 years ago
Reply to  Ron

I think that the running order does’t matter, when there are just 10 songs, and producers know it. So I don’t think that the producers followed the eurovision trand putting the semi-final winners in ”favorable” positios.

Lourdes
Lourdes
6 years ago

Isn’t the beginning of Asmik’s song very similiar to ‘Can’t stop the feeling’ of Justin Timberlake? ?

Matt
Matt
6 years ago

I’m not making full judgements on those because I only watched the first minute or so of like half, but that was the first time I head Kamil’s Song, it’s not funny, and for someone who’s all about the show she just looks like part of a band with those backing singers; she’s just gone a little awol

Asmik on the other hand could have used much stronger backing vocals, her voice was fine but the song sounded empty. Sevak I liked the most from what I heard, but is the opening position gonna be an issue?

schuyler
6 years ago

tbh if Tamar really is gone (I’m in denial), only Asmik could rightfully take her throne

Joe
Joe
6 years ago

OK, I’ll admit it: Kamil is growing on me. Still like Asmik best, but Kamil wouldn’t be a terrible choice either. Wouldn’t call her as funny as Verka, but she puts on a fun show. Could either be a fun act for the final in the same vein as Romania last year or crash and burn in the semis.