The Wiwi Jury — our in-house team of music unprofessionals — is reviewing and rating the 40 competing songs in Eurovision 2022. Next we review Cyprus, who have chosen Andromache with “Ela”.
Did we come to a positive conclusion? Read on to find out!
Andromache – “Ela” (Cyprus Eurovision 2022)
Review: Andromache – “Ela”
Angus: If one of the lessons last year was that authenticity can pay off in spades, Cyprus has taken the lesson to heart, producing an entry that ticks all the right boxes. Blending the modern pop style that fans have loved with traditional Cypriot influences has given birth to an infectious number, at once enigmatic and totally alluring.
Score: 9
Deban: “Ela” is a mesmerising bilingual track that fuses traditional and modern music. It glides smoothly like fine silk packaged for the dance floor. Andromache is compelling, relatable and easy to love. When heard on low volume, “Ela” sets a subtle tone. When you amp it up, it’s gasolina! Andromache gets five stars for fulfilling Eurovision 2022’s brief. Unquestionably, her submission is the sound of beauty.
Score: 8
Renske: Andromache’s Eurovision song is significantly different than the past few Cypriot entries, which have largely relied on one successful format. “Ela” is more dreamy, more of a memory of “Oniro Mou” than “Fuego”. However, in its dreamy nature, it tends to feel a bit flat after three minutes of listening to the entry. “Ela” is a song that is nevertheless more suitable than others for streaming, which has started to become more and more decisive at the contest.
Score: 6.5
Luis: Cyprus has decided to explore the whole spectrum of female pop bangers and this year they’ve gone for the chiller side of it. “Ela” is breezy, summery and delicate despite the heavy percussion it has. Andromache’s fine vocals fit perfectly with the song’s mood, and the music video rounds off the package. It’s weird how the chorus has a basic reggaeton beat, which feels familiar, but its slower pace makes it feel relaxing. I call it “chamomile twerking”.
Score: 8
Oliver: Andromache’s style of ethereal Mediterranean pop is one that ruled the Eurovision world in the mid-noughties. “Ela” shares similarities with tracks by Kalomira, Helena Paparizou and Hadise, who all sopped up huge numbers from the televote in their heyday. The otherworldly verses and dancefloor-ready choruses of are a gorgeous blend of musical ambrosia that has long been missing from the song contest stage. The track slopes into repetitiveness in the final 60 seconds; regardless, this energy is spellbinding, and should surely see Cyprus safely through to another final.
Score: 7
Cyprus Eurovision 2022 ranking
In the Eurovision 2022 Wiwi Jury, we have 18 jurors but only have room for five reviews. The remaining scores are below:
|
Antranig: 8.5 Cinan: 9 Jonathan: 6 Josh: 8.5 Lucy: 5 Natalie: 8 Pablo: 6.5 |
Robyn: 6.5 Ron: 7 Sebastian: 8 Suzanne: 3 Tom: 7 William: 7.5 |
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 3 and a high of 9.
Wiwi Jury verdict: 7.31/10
What do you think of Cyprus’ Eurovision 2022 entry? Share your own score and review for Andromache’s “Ela” below!
I might’ve surprised myself here but this is actually my favourite entry that Cyprus have ever sent. Since “Fuego”, I feel like Cyprus have slowly moved away from having songs with any actual Cypriot flavour in them and became increasingly Scandinavian in their production and presentation, to the point that last year, “El Diablo” didn’t feel Cypriot to me in any way whatsoever. It was a real low point. I’ve just wanted Cyprus to be a bit more low-key, a bit more subtle, and give me a bit more regional uniqueness in their Eurovision songs and then, “Ela Ela” came… Read more »
Rating: 8.0/10.0
Ela is one of my favorite songs of this year. It’s even in my personal top 10, though I think its ending could’ve been better. Anyways, I think it will not only make it to the final with ease, but it’ll get a better placing than the one most think atm
It should has more a higher mark
Cyprus – There’s just something so calming about this, which makes it special to me. Andromache is a great singer and I think if they keep the vibes from the music video going in the staging, I think it’ll do well. Cyprus sits just outside my top 10 this year. It’s lovely. Great job, Cyprus! 7.5/10
One of the worst entries Cyprus has sent. El Diablo was much better.
Cyprus will flop this year, maybe a non qualifyer.
Fully agree. Would take all the minus votes as a compliment.
El diablo was a big crap…
Bruh, you can’t be for real! How on Earth could a Bad Romance ripoff be better than this!?
Better well stolen than badly invented.
Don’t like this song at all. It’s success in the SF will depend on the support it will get from other South-East European nations.
As a Greek I find this too generic and middle-of-the-road radio friendly song. It’s nice but I don’t think it will do very well, sorry brothers.
This song is quite a nice professional two-minute song. The sweet ornamented melodies and the Chorus melody are the best parts of the song for me. The harmony is very step-by-step and entirely predictable. But after two minutes, there is one minute of recycling, showing the song’s lack of development. With good choreo, this could work, but without it, some listeners will lose interest. I hear than an all-female choreo will be provided for this song, so of course it will have its fans. 🙂
My sleeping pill.
I like this and could see a world where this does reasonably well. I love the ethereal, enigmatic ethnic sway to it, it gives me a “making daisy chains and maypole dancing” vibe. My only concern is the lack of peaks and troughs could place this in the middle-range-of-death category where people may see this as just “pleasant enough”.
Considering Cyprus’s record of playing it very safe in recent years, I appreciate this effort to go slightly off the beaten path. It’s not much, but definitely something that’s easily noticeable. I like the sound of the song as well, and both the instrumental and vocal have equal appeal. If Andromache can sing this well live, this could very well finish higher than what most people think at the moment. I’m honestly kinda shocked some see it as a potential flop. For me it’s a 7/10, but there’s plenty of room for it to grow on me.
I appreciate the Greek language and its distinguishable local flavour. However, it is too in the middle of the road to produce any kind of impact, positive or negative. It is relaxing and pleasant though. As I see it, Cyprus is aiming for the 7-10th spots in its SF. Wouldn’t be a shock if it gets stuck there. Cyprus stands in my 23rd place: 3. Denmark (7.75) 5. Portugal (7.75) 6. Australia (7.5) 9. San Marino (7.25) 12. Serbia (7.25) 13. France (7) 15. Armenia (7) 17. Austria (7) 18. Germany (7) 20. Ireland (6.75) 21. Belgium (6.75) 23. Cyprus… Read more »
I like this song very much, it ‘s beautiful
Ela is my 3rd favorite overall song of ESC 2022. I really like it.
I’m Arab so I already am familiar with these types of music and I love it every time. This entry is not different. I’m absolutely in love with the melody and it works SO WELL with the key and Andromache is perfect for the song. In such a strong year this is my 9th place. 9/10 and honestly little offended this got lower than Ireland lmaoo
37.Cyprus – A Despa-Fuego but emotionally sad. A specific vibe.
Memorable sound, easily something that many Greeks and Cypriots would listen to. Great vocals by Andromache as well, the song fits her good. This is a massive improvement from Cyprus that finally (?) decided to stop sending mainstream cheap songs. Will they be rewarded with a qualification?? Hope so!
Rating: 8/10 (17th)
I saw some comments about people ranking certain songs low across the board, so I thought I’d do the math so we could see the average ranking of each reviewer for all the songs (as of this posting) so you can judge for yourself (no shade or anything to any of the reviewers, it is just math lol): Name – Ave Score Angus – 6.07 Antranig – 6.45 Cinan – 7.07 Deban – 6.45 Jonathan – 6.18 Josh – 5.98 Lucy – 6.07 Luis – 7.14 Natalie – 5.77 Oliver – 5.43 Pablo – 6.09 Renske – 6.79 Robyn –… Read more »
Also another interesting detail:
Highest Standard Deviation: Natalie
Lowest Standard Deviation: Tom
Thanks for that!
That’s really interesting! I wonder if a song has ever been rated 10/10 or what the highest overall score has been.
The highest score I believe is Arcade with an average of 9.15 overall by the wiwi jury. There have been members who have individually gave 10’s to songs. Last year tout l’univers, Viola, Je Me Casse, discoteque, Zitti e buoni, growing up is getting older, and a few more all got 10’s by at least one reviewer
Be careful with the orthographe of “Voilà” haha, “viola” is the past conjugaison of.. “to rape” in french xD
Suzanne is a mess as usual
My favorite Cyprus entry ever. Never liked their recent songs (too manufactured, too commercial, too repetitive, …). This one feels so much more authentic, and I find it very soothing and dreamy. In my top 5 this year!
My winner ??
The question marks were an heart emoji
I would love to see what does Susanne really like this year
At this point, it’s probably better we don’t get to know what she really likes. I’m scared…
I’m so confused by Suzanne. Does she really like Eurovision? Or even pop music at all? I’m quite interested to see her elaborate on her reasons for giving 2 or 3 to almost all entries.
I assume for now we just haven’t seen her favourite. In the order of the songs released im sure they will come.
Well, I strongly dislike this year so I can understand. I’m not hyped for the contest, I literally started thinking about just not watching it at all because there are just few songs I like such as Ela, Sekret and Halo. Idk
Don’t you guys think music is subjective? Anyone can like or dislike any song in any level…
I’m sure none of us really share the exact same taste in music…
I do too feel like these scores are quite low (not just hers, I feel like the Wiwibloggers aren’t quite digging this year xD) but like, it’s her opinion and there’s no right or wrong here :\
So many comments here in these Wiwi Jury posts are sort of angry or hating on the Wiwibloggers because of their scores and it’s just not fair nor right…
I just posted a comment about the math of the reviewers so far and Suzanne actually has the lowest overall average of the reviewers up until this point. If you want to know, her highest score (7.5) was given to North Macedonia and Germany. Her lowest score (2) was given to Georgia, Latvia, and Lithuania
Bronze star.
It’ll be interesting to check how Cyprus will do this year, because this entry can show us if Eurovision’s viewers left some predilections in the past, or just needed to take a breath. “Ela” reminds me of ethnic entries from a recent past, but at the same time follows the structure and production values of the pop songs the country was sending year after year. Though there’s nothing inventive here, it’s familiar territory for many fans, done in a very pleasant and respectable way. If Andromache can pull off the dreamy vocals live, I’m in. 7.5/10
I originally had this as a 7.5 before bumping it up by a half point. Really glad you’re liking it, Sabrina!
One of my favorites this year!!! Great song there’s nothing more to say about this one!
Vladana from Montenegro released finnish version of her song
She’ll get to my language eventually, I guess. XD
It definitely fits in this year’s ESC theme
10/10. My third place this year, I simply love it!
Mine too.. ??
Wow. She’s my third too
I really like this entry, Cyprus gives me an ethereal feel! Her live vocals are pretty good, and I hope the staging is good! I’m not sure what will happen, La La Love in 2012 had a great music video, but the staging wasn’t amazing.
10/10 this is great song. I love it! I wish them win. It’s on repeat. I must drop hard pill to swallow – Italy is like cats mating under the window – just unsingable. I can’t listen that song more than 20sec. UK is too Deja Vu ( Britain has great musicians but they do not go to ESC), and Greece is just “I wanna cut my veins” vibe, Ukraine is just mess song… I don’t get how they are favorites, but guess it’s up to personal taste. I guess I like some rythm in songs – France, Serbia, Ireland… Read more »
I love how you slam about ten different songs while praising this one. :3
Finally, the Greek language makes a comeback in Eurovision! (ironic that Cyprus made the decision before my country X) Enjoyable melody from a realky nice mid-tempo entry with various ethnic and modern elements. And Andromache’s voice sounded almost perfect in her stand-in video appearance in the spanish PreParty! At the same time however, the song does have some hints of experimentation between different sounds and with a couple of quiet moments to create the preffered atmosphere and it may drag some people off the rhythm of the entry (aka, me, I find it in some parts to be kind of… Read more »
If Andromache qualifies, she’ll have to do it on her own, with Greece in the other semi. If this becomes too reminiscent in the ears of many to Yianna Terzi’s “Oneiro Mou” (Greece 2018), she could be in trouble.
Borderline for me, pending my final evaluation.
7,5/10 A clear improvement from recent Cypriot entries! I have only heard the studio version, and hopefully the live version will be equally pleasant.
Boring, predictable, disturbing sound and voice. Maybe 10 yrs ago but not now. This is not contemporary music. Esc fans love it maybe, but viewers wont. NQ
Are you sure your listening to the same song dear? I know we all have different tastes, I respect that, but what is disturbing about the melody of eh song and her sweet voice? I’m intrigued to know the ‘what?’ and ‘why?’.
10. Cyprus – Andromache – Ela – 8/10 – some lovely strings and a floaty vocal instantly transport me to a dreamy, other-worldly realm, where I can relax and slow-dance to a welcoming beat. There is a mystical edge in the quieter moments which break into the uplifting quality of the chorus, the song succeeding in its lyrical ambition of taking the pain away. This reminds me of warm, sultry nights sipping cocktails to the sound of busy crickets. There is a vulnerable and yearning quality that suckers me right in.
I just came back from a vacation driving around the islands here and I played this song so much. It’s perfect for blue seas and sandy beaches. It’s a mood.
Same rating, Kosey. We need to do this more often!
Most definitely a summery sound with this one- I really like the flow of the lyrics with this track. I just hope the staging and costume is classy and tasteful.
Suzanne hates Eurovision 2022 😀
A little bit strange that Cyprus has an lower score then Ireland.
My Points: 8.5/10
Suzanne generally gives women low scores as I observed this year…
After being my favorite entry last year, this year’s song from Cyprus was underwhelming at first, but it has become one of my favorites. I love the greek chorus and I hope she would surprise in the live performance.
I’m now convinced Suzanne hates Eurovision. What are those points girl, have some respect.
I like how Cyprus is changing it up this year. HOWEVER, compared to other entries, this lacks impact for me and stays at the same level, like Iceland’s song. I feel like this review makes the song a little bit overrated. There needs to be a bigger impact in the song for me to like it more and there haven’t been many live performances to give me hope. I’m sure she’ll do well though.
8/10 I remember when this song was released there had been a few not great entries released on the days before so listening to this was refreshing also because I love that Cyprus are sticking with a female bop (kinda?) track but now with more folk elements + some Greek!!! This reminds me of Better Love a little, hopefully the staging will be better than that though.
The song is a Swedish music industry product. So much for that authenticity.
The day has arrived for one of my hugely unpopular opinions I guess. I have to say that I haven’t been a fan of any of the pop diva entries that Cyprus has sent to the contest these past few years, but I might prefer them to Ela. I am one of these people that doesn’t like most of the ethnic songs we Greeks have sent to the contest (with the exception of our 2013 entry which I found extraordinary and a bright example of how we should serve our ethnic music) . But on to the review of Cyprus’… Read more »
OPA!!!
While I like this song, I totally understand your standpoint. While outsiders will likely be drawn to ethnic-sounding pop music they don’t often get to hear, locals are more likely to have a defined taste when it comes to accessing the genre. Same thing with me and locally popular turbo-folk. When I hear songs like Hasta la vista, I pass on them. So, I understand! Also, I respect anyone who rates songs and not countries. 🙂
It is exactly like that Colin. And yes it often happens that one can judge songs from genres he is familiar with one way or another or genres he doesn’t like in a more harsh way. And also yes I am always trying to view Eurovision songs objectively and judge the song and only the song: regardless of which country has sent it. As a sidenote I also was never a fan of Hasta la vista or Loco Loco. But I always like good Balkan Ballads that are often sent by Serbia, Croatia or Montenegro. Do you like such songs?
In general, I love well construced Balkan ballads (Molitva, Lijepa Tena, Vukovi umiru sami, Inje, Adio, Oro, Moj svijet, Bistra voda, Nije ljubav stvar, Lane moje, and Lejla are all really well rated on my annual lists. Some are even among my all-time favorites.) I also have no issues with some uptempo pop songs. For example, I really like the Croatian version of Tick Tock. Turbo-folk, however, is a genre that rarely does it for me. I mean, I do realize that something like Loco Loco or Bomba is better than something like Samo lagano. Still, it’s not my style.
I like every single one of the Balkan Ballads you mentioned and most of these are in my top 10 of their respective years. Tick-tock was never among my favourites unfortunately although I have to recognise that it was among the catchiest songs of the year, which means that I did play it a lot. I haven’t listened to the Croatian version of it but given that the Croatian chorus was my favourite part of the song, I think I might give it a listen. Still Albina deserved to qualify much more than Azerbaijan, Norway and Israel in my opinion… Read more »
It’s hard to evaluate when you don’t like the genre of something. This song isn’t competing against other Greek radio songs though, it’s competing against 39 very different songs. I guess there’s always some level of personal preference when it comes to genre in Eurovision but honestly, I’d like to think that there’s few genres that I can’t appreciate good music in. I think this has televote potential though. The vocals sounds very promising and there are some good instrumental choices made throughout. It does well in creating a mood, too. These are all things that other songs this year… Read more »
Stuck in the middle of the second semifinal, I can see this getting lost. It’s my pick for the surprise NQ that everyone will be crying over.
Would not be a shock. Cyprus can end up as high as 5th in the semi but as low as like 14th if they stage poorly.
I can see that happening as well, I’m hoping the staging won’t be too boring but we know she will have dancers. So hopefully it won’t be a Greece 2018 part 2
this is a strong entry. while it could be an album track from any greek pop girl album from the past 15 years, it’s something unheard of in recent eurovision editions, and it’s objectively a very well made song. even though i usually dislike bilingual entries, this one is very smooth with its switching between english and greek.
So much better that this crap last year with ethnic sound and Greek language
CYPRUS – Continuing their tradition of ”diva pop songs”, Cyprus still gave their new entry an extra ingredient that makes all the difference – authenticity! The hypnotic beat and the Greek language feel very natural in bringing this song to life. The thing I admire the most is their ability to pack this mid-tempo song as a ”banger” due to its traditional instrumentation and rhythmic choices. The callback to the (mostly) Eastern European hits of the 2000s is done with a twist and still feels fresh and current. The lyrics are very comforting, and while the melody is gentle, it… Read more »
Same rating, Colin!
We’re using a lot of the same adjectives, too. It’s nice to be on the same page.
Im sorry buy Cyprus having a worse score than Ireland is so tasteless! Y’all are losing more and more respect from me every day….
They are not musical experts. Yes clearly Cyprus has better musical structure than Ireland. They are just fans ranking songs in mysterious ways lol
when will readers stop being pressed about the scores and realize that they’re reviewing based on their personal taste and not from a music critic point of view lmao (and lbr most of them – and of us – know little about music theory, but it doesn’t stop anyone from having an opinion on the enjoyment of a song)
This! Thanks, Polegend.
Man, relax! While I don’t agree on certain stuff with them either, it’s just their opinion and they’re not even trying to make it seem objective, it’s just them having fun