Following their first non-qualification at Eurovision last year, Azerbaijan are hoping to be reborn. And the Land of Fire has called on 28-year-old Chingiz Mustafayev to help the nation rise from the ashes.
The singer, songwriter and guitarist from Baku comes with the Caucasus banger “Truth“. It’s a seamless blend of contemporary pop and traditional Azeri instrumentation, and has already garnered critical acclaim from the Eurovision fanbase. The “Truth” lyrics portray a man in denial about his relationship going sour.
Chingiz wrote the song alongside Borislav Milanov with Trey Campbell, Bo J, Hostess and Pablo Dinero. Borislav is, of course, the Bulgarian songwriter known for composing Eurovision favourites including “If Love Was a Crime”, “Beautiful Mess”, “Bones”, “Dance Alone” and “In Too Deep”, while Trey Campbell was one-fifth of Bulgaria’s 2018 act Equinox, and one of the other songwriters behind their song “Bones”. There’s plenty of experience here, and it’s been put to good use.
The “truth” behind Azerbaijan’s 2019 song
As Azerbaijan’s press team made clear in a statement sent to wiwibloggs: “‘Truth’ is about a dishonest, toxic relationship. The song explores the story of one partner who betrays the other, leaving them with a difficult choice: accept deceit or break free from false illusions.”
The theme of accepting deceit carries through very strongly throughout the song. The first verse is about staying close to the relationship despite knowing about the partner’s infidelity: “Keep it together, be cool under pressure, because she wants to break you…Drink to forget, she’s onto the next”. The chorus shows rather clearly Chingiz’s preference to avoid hard truths: “It’s just too hard to hear, so shut up about it, shut up about it”.
Bottling it up is never good, and the second verse sees Chingiz’s feelings boiling into hatred: “Gotta remember, she is a killer, with that freaking perfume, girl it’s too soon”. The final verse has him accepting his own denial: “I don’t need, I don’t need the truth”.
There have been plenty of songs about unhealthy relationships at Eurovision, this seems somehow more sophisticated. The raw, potent lyrics set against the awesome bass line and the beautiful Azeri instruments make it seem real.
“Truth” lyrics — Chingiz
I’m in the mirror
So freaking bitter
But I’ve gotta get through
I’m gonna get through
Keep it together
Be cool under pressure
Cause she wants to break you
She wants to break you
Drink till I forget
She’s onto the next
And when the ghost starts screaming
Right when they resonate
Hear my heart confess
It’s been so hard to bear
So shut up about it
Shut up about it
It’s just too hard to hear
So shut up about it
Shut up about it
Oh, oh, oh
Shut up about it
Shut up about it
Out of the mirror
It’s getting clearer
Then out of the blue
She crashes the room
Gotta remember
She is a killer
With that freaking perfume
Girl, it’s too soon
It’s been so hard to bear
So shut up about it
Shut up about it
It’s just too hard to hear
So shut up about it
Shut up about it
Oh, oh, oh
Shut up about it
Shut up about it
Oh, oh, oh
Shut up about it
Shut up about it
I don’t need, I don’t need the truth
I don’t need, I don’t need the truth
It’s been so hard to bear
So shut up about it
Shut up about it
It’s just too hard to hear
So shut up about it
Shut up about it
Oh, oh, oh
Shut up about it
Shut up about it
Oh, oh, oh
Shut up about it
Shut up about it
Amazing song
Best of Luck Azerbaijan
It might age the same way as Bones – better at first listen then becoming too average in the end.
Azerbaijan and their love of toxic relationships
#I’mASkeletonssssss
hard to grasp that this entry isn’t in the bookie’s top 10… i really love it
Because they are too busy with overrating Russia and Sweden!
monika marija’s the truth outsold
In my top 3 overall
I love it!! One of my favorites this year.
I was watching Chingiz and Husniye, the head of delegation on a local talk show. Husniye said they chose the song with the help of a website for professional mucisians. Apparently there is a website where professional mucisians (she said including Rihanna’s and other stars’ teams) rate songs before they are released. They put a bunch of songs on that website and the Truth won by a very big percentage. She also said that they are working on the staging. She said it’s going to be something incredible. I know Husniye, she’s very critical. If she says this, it’s indeed… Read more »
Countries that release later look like the ones that release early.
bdsm – Tamta and Chingiz (inspired by who???)
merman – Chingiz (inspired by who ???)
Belgium 2019:
“Don’t want your lies, don’t want your lies, I need truth”
Azerbaijan 2019:
“I don’t need, I don’t need the truth”
I honestly really like this song. The concept reminds me of one of my own better songs. 🙂
People are sleeping on this in the betting. Only 15th? Really?
This is Top 3 for me
Is it just me or are more and more songs ignoring obvious titles given their lyrics? 😉
No, it’s not only you. Many 2019 songs have titles which are mentioned only in the verses, bridge, only once or not at all.
On a Sunday – only twice at the very beginning.
Limits – never mentioned.
Wake-up – once in the verses.
Kruna – once in the second verse.
That Night – never in that form. (“It was a lonely night”)
Also, several NF songs had this format. For example, Frida (Hungary) and Le Petit Nicolas (France) were named after people who inspired the song, but were never named in it.
I remember when I started creative writing, I used to get very annoyed when reviewers used to ask me: “Why is the title of the poem/song about something totally different to the words?” I just used to very sternly say to them: “Because it is a creative title, and YOU have to figure it out.” The more challenging the title, the more creative discussion, yes?
Limits was mentioned in the first verse of the song. Listen carefully.
You are right. She says it somewhat sporadically on 0.27 of the video.
I am generally not a huge fan of Azerbaijan’s entries, but I really enjoy this song.
I like the modern sound, and the chorus is simple yet good…but the verses are too cheesy.
Azerbaijan is great at staging, so I expect this song to be a Top 10 contender.
yes, the lyrics of the song were specially chosen to be light so that, like in the rest of the songs, people did not seek secretive philosophical thoughts) In a word, everything was done clearly and concretely without any underground hints)
For a second I thought…. Yes another article on the fabulous Duncan Laurence.. but it’s the other swimming participant haha 😉 #LoveAzerbeidjan2019
Why the F would anyone vote this down when I”m being positive.. #Hateful
Because some people are simply unable to be or speak positively, Robert. Don’t bother
Despite different visual concepts to express two different narratives … Netherlands being far more poetic than Azerbaijan in my humble opinion … for the common ESC fan that is unable to use ears to fully grasp music outside of visual impression, the fact that the singers of both entries are male and nude underwater speaks far more volumes than the meaning in their songs … shallow the approach, but it’s Eurovision. What else could one expect?
I just wanna say I’m so thankful for this series, as I often get the impression, that lyrics are the ignored part of songs + for me it was kinda hard to understand what Chingiz was singing ( like “mumble mumble gotta get through mumble muble shut up about it). That being said, it’s a typical “femme fatale” kind of story. I wonder why is it called “Truth” tho, is that because the relationship is based on a lie? That would make this song lyrically similar to “Lie to Me” in a way, almost like a sequel – girl is… Read more »
Well I think it’s about drowning out the situation with alcohol, music and other distractions, basically. He is telling his conscience to shut up about it cos he doesn’t want to lose the relationship. I think that’s right. One of the songwriters will hopefully correct me if I’m wrong.
And then I see what his Instagram post, shown above, says. But I think you’re right. With mirror being a metaphor of illusion he’s in.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought about “Lie to Me” when I paid attention to the lyrics. Though the same feeling is also behind “Nobody but You” (and millions of other pop songs). Sadly, “Truth” lacks both the sassiness of Mikola’s song and the soul searching of Cesar’s. Not a bad song though, just a simple one.
Very simple indeed, but still I like its beat and rythm. It makes me wanna dance 🙂
It’s a enjoyable song indeed. Very spotifyable, I think it will do well in the charts.