The Wiwi Jury — our in-house team of music unprofessionals — is reviewing and rating the 40 competing songs in Eurovision 2022. Next we review Poland, who have chosen Ochman with “River”.
Were we flowing along with the vibe? Read on to find out!
Ochman – “River” (Poland Eurovision 2022)
Review: Ochman – “River”
Robyn: “River” gives me a nice nostalgic feeling, reminding me of the sort of songs that turned up at Eurovision in the mid 2010s. That’s not to say it’s dated, maybe more that we don’t get songs like this anymore. Ochman is a great singer, but I’m not quite feeling the lyrics. (All that talk of going down, down, down to the river reminds me of the sort of bad poetry I wrote as a teenager!) But there’s a lot of potential for a thrilling performance and Poland have what it takes to deliver.
Score: 6
Lucy: The first time I heard “River”, I immediately put a bet on it – something I never do. Ochman has given himself one hell of a song to showcase his insane talent. This is arguably Poland’s best effort in well over a decade, and certainly their best shot at top five. The meaning of “River” provides a feeling of wanting to cleanse oneself of wrongdoings or pain, and the song takes us on that journey through emotional piano melodies and falsetto moments. By the time we reach the climax of the song, the vocals we hear are belting out with passion, and it could very well be a winning moment.
Score: 9.5
Josh: Ochman’s vocal is one of the most captivating that we have this year (you could argue it’s THE most). You really feel the belief he has in the song’s message. There’s an almost haunting aspect to it, that keeps you engaged against the techno beats of the track. It’s just too bad that his voice is wasted while the message is never fully developed. WHAT IS THE MESSAGE? I’m still trying to figure it out, and I just can’t give more points to something that just ends up leaving me captivated, but ultimately confused.
Score: 4
Ron: There is something really special about “River” and its flow (pun intended). It evolves like a river indeed, and this river is so beautiful that you can’t take your eyes and ears off it. There is some kind of a mystical feeling in this song, a feeling that very few songs this year can give you. When you match that lovely melody with the lyrics and Ochman’s amazing vocals, you’re reaching to near perfection. This song really touches you and it feels so good. Its sophisticated production and Ochman’s voice are taking you to the most beautiful river you’ve ever been to.
Score: 9
Antranig: Let me make one thing clear – Ochman is a fantastic performer. Unfortunately, “River” does nothing for me. It almost feels too meticulous, as though every moment was carefully calculated. In doing so, parts of it don’t feel particularly genuine. “River” should take Poland back to the grand final, which will be a step up from recent history. However, this song misses a wow factor or a big moment to stand out. For me, it ends up being average and unspectacular.
Score: 5
Poland 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:
|
Angus: 6 Cinan: 8 Deban: 6 Jonathan: 6.5 Luis: 7 Natalie: 4 Oliver: 3 |
Pablo: 8 Renske: 7.5 Sebastian: 5 Suzanne: 6 Tom: 7.5 William: 6 |
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 9.5.
Wiwi Jury verdict: 6.34/10
What do you think of Poland’s Eurovision 2022 entry? Share your own score and review for Ochman’s “River” below!
I really don’t get the people not understanding the message or lyrics…like it’s Finnegans Wake or something. It’s a straightforward, beautiful ballad that hits me personally in all my feels, not to mention Krystian’s voice is stunning. I undestand it may not be to everyone’s taste, but it’s like your jury is seriously drunk….putting Ireland miles above this, w t f ?
So much low votes???
You dont have to LOVE the song, if you call yourself a jury then be objective at least!
This is so embarassing. I’m unsubsrcibing from everywhere!!
6.34 hahahaha. OMG. Czech Republic 8.4 ???????????
Ch?ci Republic 7.28. Sorry.
But Romania 17
Poland 18. What?
It deserved at least a 7…This score is unfair for the quality of the song
Whats wrong with Oliver this year? a 3?
I watch Eurovsion since 2003 and after years of being tired and disappointed with the level of our entries I finally get from my country something that I really, really appreciate. Maybe River is not perfect but still very good. I like the overall vibe of the song, that ‘dark choir’ in the end of the chorus and the bridge which just delights me every time I hear it. And I’m glad this song shows how excellent vocalist Krystian is. However, I agree with some opinions about lyrics – I mean I understand metaphorical message about trying to find inner… Read more »
“Who’d wanna be a king” is my favourite lyric of the year
This attempt to humiliate a Polish song is completely unsuccessful. “River” is gaining more and more fans all over Europe – it is already very popular in Greece and other countries. Even sponsored content on Wiwibloggs won’t change that.
Lol
Considering all the love and attention that has been given to this song by Eurovision fans, I wasn’t expecting the juries to rate it this low!
I am very shocked to see that Australia wins the battle of the emotional male solo ballads.
Like how? Seriously?
The term “jury” should be applied very loosely
I do get why Josh isn’t sure what the message is. Not to worry, buddy – Wiwibloggs already explained the lyrics:
https://wiwibloggs.com/2022/04/23/river-lyrics-ochman-poland-eurovision-2022/271324/
Lol touché
Well, it’s not “Slo mo”. Shake your @ss, That’s The message!?
14.Poland – The song is epic, his vocals are amazing. A step up.
Next to Alicja back in 2020, this is the first time I actually have Poland high in my rankings. I wasn’t horny enough for 2014 nor emotionally invested enough in 2016. This though, combines a strong vocal with what I think is an interesting song. I think there’s roughly 42 total words in the song (not counting repeated ones) and there were several songwriters involved, so uhh… That’s a thing I guess. Still, it’s Ochman’s vocal that REALLY carries what could otherwise be another complete failure for Poland. I expect this to do well, I want this to do well,… Read more »
8/10 I think I can speak for a lot of fans when I say I have been on a journey with this song haha! I loved it when it won the NF (despite THAT staging), but I did slowly start to get a little tired of River- which in the end I think was a good thing as after Ochman’s amazing performances at the pre parties I am enjoying this entry again… yeah idk if that is normal lol. Oh and idk how anyone can say that this is a NQ, possibly with catastrophic staging but I doubt that’ll happen.
This is not an attack against Ochman in any way but can we all agree that the pre-chorus is SO much more listenable and beautiful than the actual chorus? I feel like the chorus is letting the song down with its super up beat/fast tempo, it just sounds rushed and Ochman’s vocals can’t stand out in the chorus.
Somebody said that this is the best song since 1994. I would say 1996. Anyway, it brings Poland back to their glorious years of the nineties but with a 21st century feel. It starts out perfect dark ballad, feeling like the best of Lana del Rey, but then the drums come in and the intensity is somehow lost and Ochman feels lost, despite his excellent vocal skills. It’s a pitty that Poland chose to give extra stimulus to the song, that didn’t need it and undermined what could have been perfect. 8/10
PS: I see that the wiwijury did not appreciate the song so much as expected. But don’t forget the year of 2017…
Ochman is one of the most hated contestants this year. All the condescending and arbitrary opinions of Eurovision fans make me laugh. Anyway – The Polish song will achieve more than all the „smart” critics would like.
I don’t agree at all. He is very much appreciated and rightly so!
Michael, Subwoolfer & Citi Zeni enter the chat.
He’s just to good, it hurts?
Scores are whack this year! This is massively under scored.
Best Polish entry since 1994
I feel weird about River. It has one of the best vocalists of the competition, possibly the best verses in a song of this year, some reallly nice strings and good production. BUT. I can’t stand the chorus for whatever reason. Can’t figure it out yet. Also, I can’t understand how he manages to have a complete lifeless expression while singing it. It needs a much better staging in order to achieve a Top5 result, as many wish for.
Rating: 6,5/10 (23rd)
I can’t stand the lyrics are so depressing and I don’t understand why people like this song it is just overall depressing.
Top-5 on my scorecard at the moment. I will not be surprised if it finishes that way on the show!
This song isn’t a masterpiece but it deserved for more than 6.34… You are not serious.
I made the mistake of reading the comment section before reviewing. That took me a long time! Oh well, let’s get into it. Most competitive Polish song for a long time. They’ve definitely got themselves a proper vocalist here. I don’t think he’s put a foot wrong in any of his live performances, like even a little. The consistency, considering what the song asks him to do, is incredibly impressive. His stage presence is pretty good, too. He looks like he’s in constant pain and I would usually find this a bit of an issue but honestly, the song calls… Read more »
Rating: 7.0/10.0
This is another really well elaborated review. I also feel like this song calls for a more pensieve state when singing, so Krystian’s posture isn’t out of place. I understand that the “trip-hop chorus”, as Purple Mask explained it’s called, isn’t for everyone, but in this particular case, it does it for me. The juxtaposition in the rhythm in the chorus vs the rhythm in the verses keeps it so interesting for me. For instance, what you described here bugs me about Belgium (the “nah” parts in the chorus are “meh”, but the verses are good, and the intro-outro are… Read more »
Ooo…Purple’s onto something there. I do hear a bit of Trip-hop in it…don’t know if it’s completely all the way there, or at least for what I consider trip-hop but it’s pretty close. I don’t think it entirely fits but I think they deliberately wanted to avoid giving Ochman just a piano ballad, so I can understand the thought process, it just doesn’t work completely for me. Belgium is a good comparison for the reasons you’ve said and I do think they have a similar issue with their chorus not sitting quite right. However, with Belgium, I don’t think the… Read more »
I shuffled my top five around a little bit yesterday and don’t know if it’s 100% settled yet but…
Heehee. The Netherlands are currently my 6th place.
I knew I wasn’t getting you onboard for Norway or Portugal though. XD
You know I am on board, though. 🙂 Slovenia is the lowest ranking one here for me, but as it is a 7, I still consider it a song I really like.
My top 5 are Poland, Estonia, Norway, Netherlands, and France, but the order is still being shaped. Your unreviewed 5th is my unreviewed 6th. My 7th is also yet to be reviewed. My 8th is Serbia, 9th UK, and 10th Greece. Those are ones over a 9. Then we continue with Lithuania and Portugal as the closest ones with an 8.5. Ukraine follows, as it’s the song I deeply respect, and have warm feelings over it being here. Then it’s another unreviewed song which I consider to be the gold standard of a genre that usually gets overhyped by so… Read more »
Ok, how is this rated so low but songs like Ireland so much higher?
In a year full of entries that could be considered jury-bait, I believe Ochman is the one with more vocal tricks to show. This song basically covers all of his impressive range, from the gloomy vibe of the verses to the acrobatics of the bridge. I don’t see a problem with it, but the lyrics are quite dark for Eurovision standards, so there’s a chance this will be more respected than loved. Unfortunately, that’s how I feel, but because the parts with the piano work better to me than the parts with the beat. 8/10
I am really glad you like it. On my part I love it, but I do see a lot of people giving it respect regardless. I can see a hopeful message within its dark setting, but it’s a possibility that some see it as too dark. Even so, some of my all-time favorites include Monster Like Me and Birds, so I can go dark with my favorites. 🙂
I remember commenting during one of the first “Which is your favorite Eurovision entry so far” polls that I’m not crazy about it, but I think it’s objectively good and I’ll stand with that. As you know, I love dark music, so what stops me loving it is the trip hop beat, as Purple Mask described it. L’oiseau voiced well how I feel about it.
I’m not saying the vocals alone will guarantee him a good jury vote, but I think the song has other elements that also tend to play well with jury professionals. It has that universal well produced sound that many times they go for. A question mark is if juries are capable of giving Poland some love, of course.
Poland flopping lol i so saw this coming
not a huge fan, but the truth has to be told…river >>>>>>not the same
Gorgeous, beautiful and absolutely mesmerising…..and that’s just what I think about Ochman <3 my future husband.
Songwise, this is by far Poland’s best ever entry at a Eurovision Song Contest. So we’ll produced, so emotive and img with perfection (but Ochman is perfection personified anyway).
Definitely get winner vibes, alongside Ukraine (though I think Ukraine has this) Poland could be gearing up for its best ever result. Poland and Ukraine are in my top 2, but in fact they’re both my first place.
Did I say I am in love with Ochman yeah? Feels like I didn’t express that enough.
From this review, I get that you like the song. Tell us what you really think about Ochman though.
Polands best ever results is 2nd so that means ochman would have to win to get their best results. Do you really think that’s possible?
Good luck Poland
Good luck Ochman
River win eurovision
cesar sampson wasn’t exactly the embodiment of charisma and stage presence though
Yes he was. He had charisma and voice. He had no staging and the song was so so but his charisma and voice got him those jury points.
Listening to River, the lyrics always make me think of Virginia Woolf, sitting on that bench before the River Ouse. It’s a beautiful song beautifully sung by Ochman—and surely, hopefully, will get Poland back to the GF and achieve the best Polish result since Michal Szpak. I could see it winning the televote (if not Ukraine, who I reckon will break a record), but I’d rather not have a song with themes of suicide as our 2022 winner. Oddly, Greece might do that instead.
Subwoolfer are the best bet for the public vote winner imo. I think Ukraine’s televote will be high but I feel like it will be 113p or something and not over 200. I can’t see Poland scoring top 3 with the public. 10 maybe, but not 3.
Yeah, I can see Subwoolfer as a potential televote winner too. It’s a wide open race.
Exactly. If Michal Szpak can come third with Color Of Your Life in 2016, which was a vintage year, I think Ochman and River can at least match that or do better amongst the crop we have in 2022.
Then again, maybe we’re just assuming too much about all of this, Aria.
Why would Norway be the best bet for the televote winner? Are people over the age of 12 not allowed to vote anymore this year?
These comments are so stupid. You know many adults love this entry but you say only kids do, to make yourself look more mature and make you feel above others. You’re not above anyone for not liking a fun song about bananas.
I don’t claim to be, just don’t want something as cynical and calculated as the banana song doing as well as it’s predicted to, there are plenty other entries infinitely more deserving of the kind of hype they are getting.
I’m not assuming anything…I just feel they are the most likely option at the moment. I could also see them only getting 100 something points.
Y’all assuming too much about televote… Ukraine I can see doing well. But Sweden, Italy, Netherlands, UK and even Spain will probably do much better than Poland, Greece and Norway who are all relatively niche…
That’s assuming a lot, pmsbm.
I think the same one of these or Ukraina are the possible televote winner. I believe less in the UK or Netherlands than Sweden, Italy or Spain. One of last three is going to be the winner.
If not someone else is going to give a spectacular performance. Like France or the UK. So far they have not convinced me. Greece I am unsure about. The song is a kind of depressive, but maybe that is what people will go for. I prefer Netherland with a mile that have a similar vibe.
What is Damiano but handsome?
Tbh I don’t think Poland deserve such a low score. Ochman’s deep smooth vocals are superb and impressive, his tone is very particular annd outstanding. The song itself isn’t a masterpiece but it’s probably the best male ballad along with “Not The Same”. It’s also interesting how the fast paced beat keep the song from getting boring or too slow or instrumental, giving it an extra which makes it more modern and accesible. I hope Poland has reworked the live peformance for Eurovision as it was a complete mess in the NF. Dated, cheap and tacky. Poland lies at the… Read more »
Judging by all the furious comments, the Wiwijury is at least doing its best to raise some nice ad revenue, if not find a consensus amongst the fans. Now I’m wondering why Eat My Salad didn’t get a perfect 10.
A well singed, well produced and well made song scores a 6.34.
Come on people…
That’s part of the problem with this song though. It lacks something. It’s just bland, average and goes nowhere.
Yes, the vocalist is amazing. But that’s all…
I don’t think “River” is a bland song by any means. And I’m not talking only about the vocals: the song is good and it deserves more than a 6.34.
The tinny sounding beat in the chorus that turns the song from a ballad to a midtempo kills the vibe for me personally. If this stayed slow and purely orchestral throughout, this would be so much better. 6/10
Yes it has cheap production </3
His voice is great, but in my opinion he overuses it. This is like a cake with the best tasting chocolate chips in the world. If you put too many of them in the cake, it won’t make the cake taste good. His technicality is over-stretched to the point that it becomes whiney.
Pretty low scores for entries in overall this year compared to other years, but hopefully Sweden and Italy will get 8. or over.
People tend to forget that ESC is not a solely voice contest
People forget that good songs aren’t just schematic productions from Sweden.
And yet we still end up getting them
Probably Poland will withdraw from Eurovision if it does not reach the Top 10. Lack of success causes less and less interest in Eurovision. Pity.
Frankly all their last few entries were terrible and this year is only slightly better. To bad of they withdraw, but you cannot just send crap and hope to score good results…
Too bad if they withdraw, sorry!
It is good that Poland will follow Slovakia’s example.
Ok, If this song is terrible, what’s wrong with your taste?
OK maybe i wasn’t paying attention but this wiwi score caught me totally off guard, I thought this would end up in their top 3 for the year?
I do think it’s one of the standout songs of the year – absolutely Top 5 material – but he does need to spend some time with Monika Liu or Ronela Hajati to learn how you command a stage; and the NF staging was horrible, I really hope they scrap that whole concept and start from fresh.
People here should understand that everyone doesn’t like the song as much as you guys do and that is fine, HOWEVER, the score doesn’t match the quality of the song. It deserves to be higher.
You literally just contradicted yourself in that one sentence
No, I DONT contradict myself.
Is this my favorite esc 2022 song? No
Is this my taste? No
Those this song have quality? Yes
Does Ochman have the best male vocal in esc 2022? Absolutely.
Does this deserve 6.4? Absolutely not.
I try to see it from my subjective side (my taste of music) and the objective side (Quality/vocals).
You might think that everything is black and white but it’s not and there’s a grey-zone.
So no I don’t contradict myself, I just see things from different perspective.
Summary: I think this song deserve at least 7,7-7,9.
Wiwibloggers aren’t professional juries… They’re normal people giving their opinions about ESC entries. They are not more qualified than you or I to talk about these songs. If they rank a song a certain way, that is the way they like it, not feel the deserve to be ranked on a more professional basis.
That’s understandable.
And everyone is allowed to have an opinion and here’s we’re the diversity comes
I shared my opinion on what I thought it deserved and what I’ve read, based on my subjective and objective side. And the Wiwi’s juries might not judge the same as I do.
I more curious on how people judge and why.
What do you think of this song?
I left my comment on it earlier I’ll just copy it here:
I’ve wondered if Poland could actually win and I don’t think they will. Might not even place in the top 5. Ochman is a flawless vocalist but he needs stronger stage presence IMO. Personally, I feel the song should have been revamped, primarily by making the final chorus different than the other 2. “River” is lyrically quite interesting but I wish the production and the structure of the song was stronger.
But wouldn’t a 7.7-7.9 average put this in the top five? I agree with you that 6.4 is probably too low but if they honestly don’t like this song all that much, something above 7 is probably justified for the quality alone.
Perhaps, but usually it’s a top 10. Usually, there are 5-ih songs over an 8. I don’t expect it this year, though.
Not sure if I am just surprised or also disappointed by your score. Guys, honestly I know this is not the greatest song ever or a favourite to win, but 6.34 is a bit of a joke. I agree with most people in the comments below. His vocals are flawless, at least appreciate his music workshop.
Silver star.
The judging committee were torn over this one, seriously considering a gold. In the end, they decided that if they needed to think about it, gold it could not be.
Heart over head.
Admirable sense of reasoning and self-reflection from the committee.
why do you talk about yourself in plural
Are you suggesting that you’re not a committee?
Some respect, please. If you’re not careful, the committee will rescind your invitation to the star-giving ceremony at Konserthuset Stockholm.
Negotiations are ongoing, but there is a chance she will give us her version of “That’s Rich”, which I know you will be pleased to hear.
wiwibloggs you are such a stupid joke. How can this masterpiece be ranked lower than the Irish poor trash song, with a silly woman who can’t even sing.
And why exactly is the Irish singer to be blamed and disrespected for Wiwipeople opinions?.
Bit harsh. How is this score Brooke’s fault?
Probably another polish angry fan
I thought we Spanish fans were the worst of them all… It seems we are being dethroned.
Seems like it
You are still your best at being the most toxic fanbase. Nobody is threatening you.
You are threatening them. Your comments are all over this post
I’m not as perfect at feeding on toxins as you are.
It’s funny that you try to dethrone Polish fans by the way. Your sense of superiority is really not justified.
I’m not Polish but I completely agree with Sof. Yes, the comment is a bit harsh but it’s true, the Irish song is a complete trash. I just cannot understand how such song can be rated with 7.41 while Poland was ranked that low. It’s just doesn’t make any sense to me.
The very same people calling Ireland’s song “trash” will probably vote for Subwoolfer or something….because they clearly don’t actually know the definition of thrash. Smh.
Why be so rude and unkind? It’s 18 opinions and a collective score. Deal with it you sad person.
13. Poland – Ochman – River – 7.5/10 – a very interesting piano-led opening (which reminds me of the Gary Jules’ version of Mad World) which flows into an all-together more orthodox, but nonetheless, powerful presentation. The vocal chops of Ochman increase the emotional impact of what might have otherwise been a stale metaphor. There is a nice contrast between the sparseness of the verses and the explosive chorus. There is lots to appreciate in this entry.
I am happy that you enjoy this entry, Kosey. 🙂
Or not.
Appreciated from a distance? Your review sounds like you’re a little detached from the song. Is that fair to say?
Yes, spot on Briekimchi, my 11-20s are what I would call my “like” category. I have not been hooked and absorbed by them, but they are enjoyable listening experiences with some appeal. I think with “River”, the concept is a little too stale and not fully accessible to me as for example Portugal is. For me, these slower songs need to pack an emotional punch, otherwise I can find myself drifting off into pleasantness but not full-on love if you know what I mean?
I like this song however I find a bit annoying to listen to it because imo some verses have too many words specially the chorus. I would label this song as blues/soul and whereas those kind of songs usually use short verses where notes are extended, in this song it feels as if Ochman is rushing to sing all the (too many) words in the verses thus losing all the emotion that the intro seems to be building up.
Cannot wait for the Wiwibloggs interview Ochman in Turin and tell him he slays, yasss queeen realness, serve mama and all that sh”t.
What a bunch of two-faced morons.
There is a difference between not enjoying a song and not liking an artist.
The problem is they’d still go “Oh I loooove your song “
So according to you they should start their interview to Ochman like: ‘Hi Ochman, do you know your song kinda sucks dont you?’
No, they should at least stop saying things they don’t mean.
I have never seen any wiwi interview where the interviewer is drooling over the song of the person interviewed.
Oh please, your feelings are hurt. They are just being polite. Imagine if they went to interview an artist and told them that they don’t like their song, it would be rude
it’s not a question of hurt feelings, it’s their opinions and that’s perfectly fine with me.
but, if you interveiw an artist and you previously gave their song a low rating, then just be professional and stop pretending you actually love it. Just watch old interviews with Micha? Szpak, Monika Kuszy?ska or Tulia and you’ll know exactly what I mean.
Is there any wiwi interview where they say to the person interviewed “I/we love your song”?.
They might be cheerful because they want to do a positive interview but this might not necessarily mean they personally love the song.
do your own research, honey. I’ve notived that hypocrisy quite some time ago.
And if you are so sure they underrated this song, there is nothing you should worry about, it’s just their opinion
Typical wiwi . You sum it up well
You make a fair point. There have been times that the Wiwi approach to interviewing after writing the reviews that they do, has been a little off.
However, over the last few years, the main interviewers have kinda toned down the language used in their reviews so that it’s not quite as awkward when they’re interacting with the artists. I remember when Wiwi first started out that William could be SAVAGE in his reviews. It was kinda brilliant.
I’ve wondered if Poland could actually win and I don’t think they will. Might not even place in the top 5. Ochman is a flawless vocalist but he needs stronger stage presence IMO. Personally, I feel the song should have been revamped, primarily by making the final chorus different than the other 2. “River” is lyrically quite interesting but I wish the production and the structure of the song was stronger.
On point
Finally a realistic score for this outdated ballad