The Wiwi Jury — our in-house team of music unprofessionals — is reviewing and rating the 39 competing songs in Eurovision 2021. Next up, we turn to Estonia where Uku Suviste has “The Lucky One”. Did we think luck was on his side? Read on to find out!
Uku Suviste – “The Lucky One”
“The Lucky One” reviews
Jonathan: In studio cut, Uku is definitely bringing a more compelling song to the contest compared with 2020. “The Lucky One” has some drama and passion fuelling it that gives listeners a reason to stay engaged. However, the performance at Eesti Laul felt very impersonal. The grey overtone to all the lighting washed out much of the song’s emotion. If Uku is able to finetune things so that he retains the moody performance while still giving the audience at home something to grab their attention, then he’ll at least have a solid entry on his hands.
Score: 6.5
Sebastian: Genuinely, “The Lucky One” is lucky enough even to receive a score of 2 – and it simply does because they’ve tried to throw enough money at it make it look expensive. But frankly, “The Lucky One” is just a bad investment in staging, songwriting and artistry. There is very little redeeming features to what is just a terrible package. Lyrically uncreative and poorly delivered by what seems to be a competent singer in Uku, it’s really a cursed package.
Score: 2
Renske: Estonia has one of the most underrated songs this year. Yes, it’s perhaps not the most original composition in the competition. For some reason, “The Lucky One” connotates a type of fight song. For once, it’s about a man who notices that his lover is perhaps not truly trustworthy, showing a vulnerable side to himself. Surrounded by an addictive drumbeat, Uku Suviste delivers his best song yet. Being a New Wave bronze medalist and a The Voice of Russia semi-finalist, Uku stays one of the stronger male vocalists this year.
Score: 8
Robyn: Look, there’s nothing at all wrong with this song. Uku is a good singer and performer, the song is well written. And yet the overall performance ends up being a bit bland. “The Lucky One” will be up against other moody synth-pop tracks from Poland and Greece in semi-final two but it doesn’t stand out as much as those two. And while Uku received strong support at the national final from local viewers, it is worrying that international juries were significantly less impressed. However, there is room for improvement and Estonia usually manage to do something special with their Eurovision staging.
Score: 3
Ron: “The Lucky One” is a great dark pop song with amazing slick production. The song is so anthemic and powerful that you literally feel recharged with energy after listening to it, so you just want to listen to it again and again. While its live performances weren’t perfect it didn’t lose its strength and I actually enjoy listening to it live just as much as I do enjoy the studio version. I love the drama and the passion of the song and the rich sounds in its production. My favourite part is the backing singer (or is it Uku himself pre-recorded?) in the chorus repeating Uku and singing “better off alone”. Uku delivers a convincing performance with quite an impressive staging and you can tell he is feeling this song.
Score: 8.5
Uku Suviste – “The Lucky One” rankings
In the Wiwi Jury we have 24 jurors but only have room for five reviews. The remaining scores are below:
| Antranig: 5.5
Calvin: 4 Deban: 8 Diego: 6 Erdi: 3 Esma: 6.5 Jordi: 6 Josh: 6 Julian: 4 Kristín: 4.5 |
Lauren: 4
Lucy: 2 Luis: 4.5 Natalie: 2 Oliver: 5 Pablo: 6 Tobias: 5 Tom: 7 William: 5 |
We have removed the highest and lowest scores prior to calculating the average. This is to remove outliers and potential bias. We have removed a low of 2 and a high of 8.5.
Wiwi Jury verdict: 5.07/10
What do you think of this song? Share your own score and review below!
Admittedly better than his abysmal 2020 entry but it is still corny, generic and dated. Estonia had so many better songs to choose from this year.
This is my 23rd. I think it has no chance of making this final sadly.
Estonia 2/10 and definitely NQ
The wiwi jury is the same every year. The pop princesses will always do well while the majority of the male vocalists will be shoved to the back of the pack. It’s just really predictable.
With the greatest of respect to the whole team as everyone on the videos seems lovely. It’s just really boring when the same types of songs do well over and over again.
My opinion is practically the same as Robyn’s, so it’s pointless me repeating it. For the first time this season, it’s time for me to write: “Best of luck at this year’s contest.” 🙂
I like this song a lot, but I fully recognize that it feels old to anybody under 35. I’d call this a perfect update of a late-80’s radio hit. Somebody below name checked Bryan Adams, and that’s a great comparison. On one hand you can say it’s a bit anonymous and middle of the road, but on the other hand you can also say it has the common touch and it’s easy to like – especially if you hear it on the radio five times a day, like you would have in 1989. It has a fat sound, an unshowy… Read more »
While “The Lucky One” is better than his attempt last year, it is one of the worst songs this year. Pretentious, uninteresting and dull ballad with some investment behind and… maybe Kirkorov again? Certainly, it is suspicious how this song won in front of some other far better entries in Eesti Laul. This have nothing that grabs you. Nothing. It is just a filler in this year line-up and obviously it stands no chance of qualifying. I can’t believe it got a 5/10. 3.5/10 (at least it is listenable) Estonia falls down to my bottom 5: 6. Spain (7.5) 7.… Read more »
Wiwi Juries’ current TOP 16 Cyprus (7.45) Finland (7.34) Ukraine (7.32) Russia (7.18) Sweden (7.14) Azerbaijan (6.57) Israel (6.45) Latvia (6.34) Belgium (6.16) (=) Czech Republic (6.16) Serbia (6.09) Albania (5.89) (=) Norway (5.89) Spain (5.34) Germany (5.14) Estonia (5.07) My personal TOP 16 Ukraine (My 7th) Belgium (My 10th) Finland (My 11th) Estonia (My 12th) Russia (My 13th) Serbia (My 14th) Cyprus (My 17th) Czech Republic (My 18th) Albania (My 25th) Azerbaijan (My 26th) Israel (My 27th) Sweden (My 31st) Germany (My 34th) Latvia (My 35th) Spain (My 37th) Norway (My 39th) Opinion on EST: Ok, look, I know… Read more »
I can see this a shock qualifier.
This end up being my favourite song this year and they never end up in the final like Nrway 2016, N. Macedonia 2017, Belarus 2018 and Romania 2019.
The perfect definition of OK. Nothing here is outstanding, but there’s also nothing degrading about it. The staging concept looks professional even if I feel it doesn’t convey the message in the lyrics (which are not very inspired but… OK). The track is decently produced, with good use of the synthesizers as a complement without overdoing it. Uku’s live vocals could be improved though. Running order won’t help, but it’s the kind of safe entry that sometimes knocks something creative out of the final. 4.75/10
2/2 today. I mean, a 5 is a closest thing I could give, considering I don’t use quarters. If I did, I probably would have given it a 4.75 too, as it is closer to a 4.5 than to a 5.5 in my book. I agree that it’s just a really safe and predictable entry. The one which cannot be credited with being grating or captivating. It’s basically this year’s version of Dance You Off for me. A definition of a middle score indeed. 🙂
??? Try to find a single relation between Dance you off and this one…and I conclude that Estonia is closer to Sweden in comparison to the countries of the South.
I wouldn’t compare it with “Dance You Off” either , I would say it’s this year “Run with the Lions”. It has the whole package: cute guy, safe song, most people feel indifferent about. Benjamin left most people cold, but had the eye-catching staging and a song that ironically proved to be ahead of the trends.
I guess that Run with the Lions would be an even better comparison, yeah. And considering that this is in semi 2, it could sneak in as a borderline qualifier. It’s my borderline non-qualifier, but I wouldn’t be that mad if it goes through. However, I would rather replace it with three or four songs from semi 1.
I’m not counting it off yet, but I guess the running order won’t help his case, especially if Senhit delivers it. Estonia would be my second to last option on this semi though. And considering this is the weaker semi, it says a lot.
Why are Denmark and Estonia underrated this year?
I will just say that those songs don’t stand out. There is no chance to remember those songs after one year as they have nothing to show up (well, for Denmark, only singing in their native language is something that will be remembered)
Denmark is completely underrated (my personal top 2)
oooohhh, Bryan Adams is spot-on. Never have I met someone more born to do an overwrought acoustic cover of “Everything I Do” than Uku.
Its an ok song, i do find myself singing along to it when i hear it. I dont think there is much they can do with it staging wise to make it rise up in peoples ratings. I think its going to qualify but will most likely finish in the last few on final night.
Estonian song again is boring af, but this year almost every Eesti Laul song (apart from Jüri’s song maybe) was bad. Last year, Uku was my second favourite behind Jaagup in Eesti Laul. As a song I give this a 4.5/10
Estonia is one of my favourite countries at Eurovision. Their entries from 1996-2000 were all fabulous, and so were their songs in 2009, 2012 and 2015. This year, unfortunately, is a very different story. This boring and non-descript entry does stand a theoretical chance of qualifying, but only because it is in a very weak semi-final. 2/10
“The Lucky One” is one of those songs. You know the kind. The ones that hardly anyone remembers after 5 years. The ones that you’re surprised to hear again during the recap. The ones you neither hate nor love, that ones that talk about passion and hardship, yet you feel nothing at all. They’re like anaesthetics for your mind, leaving you numb and uncaring. If you stumbled upon them on Youtube, you’d be too lazy to turn them off, but you’d never search for them yourself. It’s a tall order to praise them beyond some polite platitudes like “the singer… Read more »
He might have a higher chance of qualifying if he sings completely shirtless.
Well, this is a Eurovision Song Contest not Europe’s Next Top Model
Well yeah but he can do both slay vocaly and look hot while doing it lol
Every year eesti laul has great and original songs and they almost never win.. This year is no different.
well estonians.. that’s what u get for not choosing Jüri
Jüri can’t sing, the chances of qualifying for Estonia would’ve been smaller with Jüri. At least Uku is the type of act similar to Nathan Trent.
Nathan is atleast charismatic Uku has no charisma.
The song in itself is listenable. The struggle that Uku had in trying to hit those notes in the NF wasn’t pleasant at all. I am not a fan of the song . I don’t see any scope of its qualification.
4/10 .
Finally someone said it. It’s not that he is a bad singer, he can do well, but there were indeed many vocal problems there.
I really like the song and I think he deserves to be in the final.
But let’s be honest, the running order is against him.
Uku Suviste is this year’s Nathan Trent (running order wise), he will surely go to the finale. He is in between two catchy dance songs, so it will surely stand out.
Nathan has charisma Uku has no charisma that is the problem with him.
dated and grating, nothing else to add the wiwi jury already panned it enough
Not gonna lie, it’s pretty boring; but since it’s pleasant to hear and it doesn’t include any annoying elements (to me personally), it gets a good position in my ranking (26th place). I don’t think it’s a qualifier tho.
I agree with Renske, it is the most underrated song (Australia is a close second), as Estonia is my 8th
19. Estonia: It’s just the typical song you would expect from the Dream Team. A solid but completely unimaginative song. It is pleasant to listen to and with some good visuals it could also produce a nice stage performance. Nevertheless it will struggle to qualify (and probably won’t).
Uku has a great voice and let’s also be honest, he’s a handsome lad. But song wise, this does nothing for me. Leaves me numb and cold. I’m sorry Estonia. 4/10
Deban 8 lol
OFFTOP: does somebody else have a lag when in the article’s preview there is wrong quantity of comments? What to do to fix it?
Yup , have noticed that many times
Is someone going to speak about the elephant in the room???? Aka that the song it is way too familiar with The Weeknd
I’m excited about Czech Republic, Iceland, Bulgaria, Greece and Switzerland, I’d be fine with Finland, Georgia, Moldova and Portugal qualifying and that’s it. It’s indeed a very weak semi… really reminds me of semi-final 2 in 2018 where I only liked Australia, Hungary, Sweden, Ukraine and the Netherlands..
I agree with most of your favorites for Semi 2. I wouldn’t call it weak, though. Only weak-er compared to the first one. I can easily pick nine songs that deserve to go through: Switzerland, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Iceland, Finland, Moldova, San Marino, and Albania. The tenth spot is open, as all eight remaining songs have some issues.
Czech Republic and Albania Could possibly not qualify and even Bulgaria isn’t looking like a televote qualifier. They need jury support and I’m not entirely sure what criteria the jury goes for.
24) Estonia –
I was part of the minority last year for liking What Love Is, and I feel almost exactly the same this year. I actually really like this song, though when I heard it live I wasn’t really sure. I do think it suits Uku’s voice quite nicely, but is it enough to qualify for the final? That I do not know, but I find it more memorable than some of the others I’ve bunched as being solid. 6/10
As a synthesizer player myself (sorry, if I called the instrument wrong on English) I want to make a little correction of Robyn’s review. The song is NOT synth-pop and it’s not even close it. It’s just a pop with synth. Not every pop-song with the instrument is synth-pop. Uku’s song isn’t a part of the genre for a bunch of reasons. If you’d want to, I’ll explain why. But , please, make a correction. This is not synth-pop.
I miss Elina Nechayeva.
Uku has only beautiful face, that’s all.
16. Estonia – Uku Suviste – The Lucky One – 7/10 – this song is quite old-fashioned and not particularly ground-breaking, but the splashing drums and discrete electronica are everything in this song, building power throughout to generate surprisingly engaging emotional content. Uku seems much more suited to the song this year and gets across the message very well.
28th: Estonia. A big improvement over What Love Is, to be sure. The Lucky One is…..fine. Just fine. There isn’t anything horrible about it. It’s a decent slice of 80’s-revival pop. In fact, when I listened to it outside of the context of Eesti Laul (which had about 12 better songs), I found that it wasn’t as bad as I thought. But this is still a weak song, and it won’t be in the final. I sincerely hope he never comes back to Eesti Laul because he will basically be guaranteed the win from the Estonian televoters. Current Rankings: 4.… Read more »
ESTONIA – Congratulations to Uku for winning Eesti Laul twice in a row. I can somewhat understand why. He has a great voice and a good stage presence. Songs he chooses to compete with aren’t necessarily remarkable, but he sells them well. The Lucky One is a mild upgrade over its predecessor, as it tells a more meaningful story, and the production isn’t as dated in comparison. Men taking a more active role in a break-up is a fine topic to speak of. Still, there is some unspecified vacancy of a deeper connection here. I can’t put my finger on… Read more »
For me, this is the lowest and weakest song of this contest. The melody had been heard thousand of times, his voice is totally average, the lyrics are boring and empty. I cannot like or even dislike the song as there is absolutely nothing. The guy is just hot…But this is not Mister Europe election so….
I hope that a lot of people disagree with me and like it as every artists deserve to find their own public.
I think this is similar to Lithuania in 2013. People will vote for Uku for his looks. You can’t deny that he is handsome. Heck, Victor qualified 2 years ago with several elements of his performance being incorrectly fleshed out. I think Uku has a better chance at qualifying than most people think. It’s obviously not a winner, but it won’t finish dead last at all.
I would disagree on Uku’s appearance. I don’t find him f$ckable( sorry for the word, but it describes my feelings the best way). He’s too sweet probably. Of course, it’s only my opinion and I’m not trying to discriminate him, but that’s the way I feel about it. Personally, I would agree with on Austrian gay guy who enjoys Ukrainian boy( sorry, cannot remember nickname)
Yeah, Victor was really charismatic. And I totally agree with his track’s quality. I wonder, does it works with women? Is there qualified female singers that done this way only because of sexuality?
Go to 2000s section, look among top ten finishers which are bangers about seduction, and take your pick. A lot of them fit that description to some degree. For instance, I doubt that Qele, qele finished 4th *only* because it’s a flawless track.
For me, Victor is amazing and charismatic, but I also love his song in its own merits. He just connects with it so well. 🙂 Totally different case than with The Lucky One, which just leaves me cold.
So Uku can have good grounds to be optimistic?!