It’s almost time to wrap up on day seven. The last three Eurovision 2021 second rehearsals to go ahead today are for the acts from Latvia, Switzerland and Denmark. Will we see any major staging changes? Let’s find out…
Eurovision 2021 second rehearsals: Latvia, Switzerland and Denmark
Latvia’s Samanta Tina “The Moon Is Rising” — Eurovision 2021 second rehearsal
Oliver: Of all the acts rehearsing today, this is the one that needed the most changes. Unfortunately, it’s more of the same. The gold backdrop looks slightly brighter than last time and there’s some purple lighting providing a nice contrast, but Samanta and her dancers are still looking tiny and out of place on the stage. Even stellar vocal delivery doesn’t make up for the visual void. We wanted a full parade from Latvia. Instead, we’re getting a single parade float.
View this post on Instagram
Padraig: The visor-wearing backing singers. The molten gold. The crowns of hands. There’s a whole lot of crazy on show. Yet oddly, it all feels a little tame. This should be barnstorming. If only they could borrow Spain’s blood moon. Still, we get a great vocal from Samanta and she is indeed the queen of the stage. The LED coordinates nicely with both her movements and the beat, with reverbs of light filling the screen at all the right moments. There’s also a spectacular overhead shot of Samanta spinning around on the highly ornate LED floor. Overall everything is crisper.
View this post on Instagram
Switzerland’s Gjon’s Tears “Tout l’univers” — Eurovision 2021 second rehearsal
Oliver: Strong vocals? Check. Interesting visuals? Check. A slick and professional run? Check. Indeed, the Swiss act has a lot going for it. But it’s lacking connection. Any meaning to the song is completely lost behind a wall of outlandish high concept pretentiousness. The distracting abstract movements remain and they’re just as confusing — and even more erratic than before. Switzerland reclaiming the top spot with the bookies’ any time soon looks increasingly unlikely.
View this post on Instagram
Padraig: Switzerland has put on an excellent show. The song, the vocals, the staging, they’re all spellbinding. There wasn’t much that needed improvement, but anything that needed to be fixed has. The dismantlement of the props is smoother (at least on camera) and Gjon’s movements are more fluid. There’s an abundance of dry ice which coupled with clever lighting and LED sets a stirring atmosphere. However, it doesn’t grip me like France or Bulgaria.
View this post on Instagram
Denmark’s Fyr og Flamme “Øve os på hinanden” — Eurovision 2021 second rehearsal
Oliver: No changes for Fyr og Flamme, except on Jesper’s hairstyling. His curls are more buoyant and it adds to the playful boyish charm. The choreography in the final section feels less rushed as well, for an overall smoother performance. Say what you will about the compositional originality, but this is a fantastic show closer. The Danish duo bring a the party to the Rotterdam Ahoy stage and it will go down well with viewers at home.
View this post on Instagram
Padraig: The two Danes bring their unbridled exuberance to the stage once more, for what’s a much tidier rehearsal. Everyone had their marks and the performance was able to run without any interruptions. It’s all wonderfully dated and brings the semis to a close in a fabulously camp fashion. Its chances of making it to Saturday night remain low though.
View this post on Instagram
Read more Eurovision 2021 rehearsal news here
Photos: EBU / ANDRES PUTTING / THOMAS HANSES
It looks shambolic tbf…
latvia was epic (based on the 2nd rehearsal snippet).
the song + the visual staging = perfect symbiosis!
any questions?
bitch rules! 🙂
I think Switzerland’s weird dance moves could help Denmark’s chances. Denmark has a fun 80s song that could light up the mood after Latvia Suisse Bulgaria. I think it’s a dark horse to qualify.
I like Denmark, too
Some people being very rude about Switzerland in here. No need to laugh.
My thought : The staging has some good and bad moments, but this is a song contest, and Switzerland has one of the best songs this year, and one of the best singers. DONT rule him out yet.
I agree 100%. By the way, this must be the first Eurovision ever where not a single entry will embarass me and make me conscious about sharing the performance with someone outside of our bubble. Sure, I don’t like a few of them, but the overall level is very high.
Bravo Una…
Ah yeah, ah yeah, ah yeah FIRE !!!
Samanta Tina because that song is fire
Whoever made Switzerland’s staging is ruining his winning chances. His hand moving and weird gestures make him look weird and ridiculous… He’s slowly losing positions in the betting odds, just like it happened after Malta’s rehersal and her strange outfits. Small details always matter…
SJB is stage director for Switzerland and Malta. She ruined TOP 2 favorites on betting odds and OGAE voting by ESC fan, their chance for win the contest with bad staging.
Latvia: Unfortunately, this seems too chaotic and not in a good way. The running order brought it a lot of problems too.
Switzerland: Gjon sounds great and the whole thing looks good on camera, but those contemporary dance moves are so unnatural and are distracting me from the song. The staging concept itself is very cool and matches the vibe of the lyrics. What makes me worried is the execution.
Denmark: This is actually pretty enjoyable. I wouldn’t count they out yet.
Swiz. The song would be a worthy winner however the dancing and the unflattering costume do this performance no justice at all.
Stunning vocals though,
I don’t rate the other two here.
Switzerland – They really did a mistake not going for an emotional performance but going for weird and avant garde instead. Oh well.
Now after watching the clip of Gjon again, I don’t know if I should cry or laugh, when seeing the beginning of the choreography. Afterwards I like the movements, but not the hip hop style moves. =(
Can I just say I love Denmark – so much fun!
Switzerland is actually really unique and engaging – I much prefer that than something predictable.
And I wish Samanta was singing Still Breathing on that stage but all in all not too shabby.
what has happened to Switzerland and this staging!! It looks like amateur night with the performer moving to a different song at a bad disco everyone else is listening too. Quick someone get him a piano please and a calming cup of tea. Restore the power and feeling of the ballad
I don’t want him behind a piano because then we’ll just call him Arcade 2.0. I think the only thing wrong from what I saw in the snippet is the choreography. He needs to not shake and move so much on stage. He needs to tidy up his movements and be less herky-jerky. Have moments of stillness so when he does move it’s more impactful.
The song IS arcade 2.0. Staging is Mans 2.0
On a second look, I actually kinda love the Swiss performance lol. It takes guts to do this. France is just standing there and Bulgaria is cheesy af. So props to u Gjon.
Lol no
2 days ago people were cheering that he won’t be by a piano, but this is just over the top in a bad way, it feels like a rushed made up melodifestivalen performance which just doesn’t work, some people like Gjon are made to express their emotions not to dance on stage while singing a really beautiful song which I am sure that he would have handled even better if the performance was laid back i simplified. All and all Sascha destroyed one more very good song with a lucklaster staging…
swiss im begging you please stop acting cool and be authentic
Samantha had like 3 ready staging concepts within music video and decided to go with “I stand in the front and 3 backing singers on my right”? Really? Dress is amazing, voice is fine, staging is not
It’s clearly recycling the “Still Breathing” staging. They should behind Samantha in a diamond formation.
Switzerland looks horrendously ridiculous
Sasha jean Bastiste managed to destroy both Malta and Switzerland
I give it to her, takes a special kind of talent to do that
She ruined the staging for Bulgaria 2018 as well.
The song is still the most important, so yes he is a winning material.
I know I’m gonna be downvoted to the pits of hell for saying this but I liked Switzerland’s performance. It would have been SO easy to put GJON in a piano with a pretty universe as the background, instead, the Swiss delegation took a risk and I think that’s pretty brave. Gjon has commented in several occasions that he is a very artsy and creative person (not in a condescending way) and he loves 20th century art like cubism, so it makes perfect sense that his performance had this beautiful deconstructed structure that resembles a statue. You know what this… Read more »
I have said since day one that I like the theme of the staging with the construction and deconstruction of the monument. I find it to be an amazing symbolic idea. But these hand moves are out of place. And I don’t like his costume either, something simpler would have worked better. I would keep the theatrical movements but not these hip-hop movements and I would also change the outfit.
The cubes are not the problem tho… the dancing moves, the camera angles, the transitions… those are the problems.
I’m happy someone thinks this way tho :)He’s my favorite and the performance surprised me maybe not in such a good way, I just imagined it way different and I think the song doesn’t need this “pretentious” staging and quirky moves cuz it’s distracting from the emotion the song gives, but it’s interesting to see this perspective.
You mean Escher, Dutch artist.
I’m a HUGE fan of this song but can see a lot of negative reaction. We need a re-set here. Not a change from the production team, but to step aside and let him perform the song the way he wants to. He’s got to be true to himself..(a Swiss “Destiny”!) I am sure he would rather come third by doing it the way he wants as an artist, than doing some super safe performance and winning. It is his song.
Well said, Mark. As much as l want him to win, this might be a better Eurovision experience for him as an artist. Even if he doesn’t win, he will stand out.
Switzerland managed to make Latvia seem understated.
GJon moves are so cool !!! He just needs to change the song and it will fit perfectly !!
I am unfair, I still love this song so much !!!
What has Switzerland done????
🙂 good answer, guy 🙂 like it 🙂
I must say y’all are being harsh on Gjon. I find it so much more artful than the drivel we keep getting served by Barbara.
Sasha Jean Baptiste’s glory days are over. Cyprus 2018 was her peak moment, now it’s time to leave Eurovision, give other stage directors a chance and do something else. Switzerland’s staging is by no means bad, it just feels forced and it doesn’t fit the song. I don’t see Gjon’s vision in it.
Switzerland is my favorite but the choreography looks like he’s doing a rap song and the staging is distracting. :/ Why are they even paying Jean Baptiste this year, she ruined it for everyone.
Wtf was that another Malta plot having payed twiced SJB to sabotage Switzerland.
Sorry, Switzerland’s choreography just doesn’t reflect the song. This is no longer a contender to win the contest for me.
At least now that Switzerland is out of the odds, I hope the haters will leave Gjon alone and move on to greener pastures (France and Italy I assume). It would be so funny if after people fought over Switzerland and Malta the whole season, none of them actually win.
I think the choreographer of Gjon sabotaging Switzerland. There is no other explanation for that mess.
Gjon seems to be trying to be someone he isn’t. The same problem as Malta 2019.
SJB wan’t Malta’s stage director in 2019…
Same as Malta 2021 you mean
I have a feeling Gjon’s hip hop dancing was just to troll the fans — he will not seriously do that in the main performance, will he?
Don’t give me unrealistic hopes…
I liked some elements of the Swiss performance like the theme of construction and destruction, the vocals of course and the lighting, but the dance moves are soooo unnecessary. It’s okay to be theatrical but this is just too much. Remove the hand movements keep some theatricals but DON’T overdo it. Oh and change that damn outfit Gjon. You are my fourth place this year but this staging has some issues to be fixed.
Switzerland tried to give ‘Loic Nottet’ and artistic vibes with their performance, and I respect their effort, but I’m not sure it fits the song 100%. I was hoping for something more modest. The staging is definitely a visual spectacle though, just not necessary.
Switzerland, “avant-garde”? Trusting you guys was a mistake. Wiwibloggs and the press in general overhyped a really bad staging. The dance moves, the facial expressions, the fast camera transitions… this is not good.
Oh no Switzerland, what have they done to you? That outfit and the dancing? It pains me to see my fave pre-rehearsals staged like this.
I like the swiss song very much but that staging is just awkward, would have been better off just with a piano like duncan did.
Switzerland : Give me the Barbara Dex Award please 😉
What an awkward dance from Switzerland. Movements doesn’t fit music at all. Another pre-rehearsals favorite out of the victory race.
I wouldn’t bet on Switzerland for a win. Based on the clip the camera work ks really good, but I find the “dancing” unnecessary. Still, they will for sure qualify and easily squeeze into the top 15 at least, if not 10, but I just can’t see this winning
Switzerland falling in the odds, as expected…
SJB is doing really well this year.
Woah! Iceland has suddenly overtaken Switzerland in the odds (not that it matters that much.) Interesteting, though. The odds usually effect an entry positively after a rehearsal. Not in Switzerland’s case!
The handmovements Sacha makes her act do are consistently terrible, year after year…
Why does Gjon look like Mr. Penguin here?
Edit: Please delete 🙂
Samanta SLAYED! This is how you do it, I absolutely love how perfect is the sync between camera cuts, beats and her movements. The best preview I saw so far, I watch Eurovision for performances like this. Authenticity, great camera work and a damn good performer. More of this, please!
The superfluous dance was not needed by Switzerland. He should move around but not do that dance!
I saw the video of latvia’s performance and tbh it’s good !! Hope to see samanta in the final she deserve it !
Yeah, it`s not that bad actually!
Never paid much attention to Latvia – but the staging isn’t as bad as “critics” give impression of!