On Saturday we reported that the Tolmachevy sisters will represent Russia at Eurovision this year. The adorable duo, who won Junior Eurovision back in 2006, are all grown up. That’s evident from their more sophisticated look and their entry “Shine”. You can listen to it below.
The song has two heavyweights behind it. Philip Kirkorov, who represented Russia in 1995, composed the song along with Dimitris Kontopoulos, the Greek composer behind several successful ESC numbers.
The lyrics were written by Gerard James Borg, together with John Ballard and Ralph Charlie.
The Tolmachevy sisters are the second set of twins competing at Eurovision this year, with France’s Twin Twin being the other. The last time two sets of twins competed at Eurovision was in 2011, when Slovakia’s TWiiNS squared off against Ireland’s Jedward.
Click HERE to learn more about Tolmachevy sisters.
What do you think of their number? Can they become the first pair of twins ever to win Eurovision? And are you relieved that we’re not going to Russia in 2015?
Tolmachevy Sisters – Shine lyrics
Verse 1
Been looking at the sky
wishing on a star
waiting for a brand new start
Living on the edge
closer to the crime
cross the line a step at a time
Now maybe there’s a place
maybe there’s a time
maybe there’s a day you’ll be mine
Now something’s got to give
make a brighter day
all we got to say
Chorus
Shine into my darkness
shine into the night, my rising sun
drive away the madness
Can you be a masterpiece of love
Sending out a message out above
Telling all the world to show some love
No one’s gone bring me down, bring me down
You are my rising sun
Verse 2
Keep looking up ahead
riding like a wind
open up your heart, let me in
My life is on a string
when I see you smile
our love will last a thousand miles
Now maybe there’s a place
maybe there’s a time
maybe there’s a day you’ll be mine
Now something’s got to give
make a brighter day
all we got to say
Related Posts
- READ: Russia is the country you would most like to kick out of Eurovision
- READ: Wiwi Jury reviews Dina Garipova’s “What If?”
Mario Saucedo contributed this report from Croatia. Follow the team from WiwiBloggs.com on Twitter @wiwibloggs. And while you’re at it, like our Facebook page to stay up-to-date with the latest Eurovision news and gossip.
Greetings from Russia! Dear europeans, what do you know about Russia, Putin and Ukraine? Have you ever been there? Have you ever spoken to anyone from there? I’m a gay and I’m totally ok! Who told you that we are punished here? Yes, our parliament prints silly lows every day, but that laws don’t work, they are needed for getting backing from a conservative part of the country. And about Ukraine. Have you read its history? When it appeared? Why it was included into Russian Empire? How it was called that time? When western regions came from Poland? When eastern… Read more »
OMG! How could that happen that in the 21st century Europe (along with the US) lost their brains? SHAME!!! DON’T stuff your heads with things you don’t understand. I just wonder whether this is disinformation or sth else that make you judge in this way about Russia but let God protect you from your own error!
I know that it is suppose to be Euro ‘Vision’ – that may have been idealistic a couple of decades ago but no country should be allowed to enter if they are not actually part of modern day Europe.
Anyway cute as they are the songs crap.
Part of the “Shine” chorus goes as follows,
Sending out a message out above
Telling all the world to show some love
Gee, I don’t think “Macho Man Putin” is listening, for he’s being for a long time doing the opposite both at home & abroad. This one, 2 points for bare-faced cheek.
The Ukrainian song on the other hand “Tick-Tock” …is very catchy & I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the “Winner” . This one gets my “Twelve points” for sheer class.
Hmm. Isn’t this Russian entry a little political again? I just wonder why does Russia send these kind of songs every year? I mean the songs, that force the world(?) to show some love or unite and come together as one? Quite a political – or very hypocritical – message from Russia, I think.
I loved this song the furst time I listened to it, it touched me a lot, it kind of takes me back to the 90s and the time of my teenage life, it’s sad and happy at the same time. Also I’m so happy to see two russian girls who are so innocent and serious, not the usual provocative sluts we are used to watch in eurovision. Way to go girls! Good luck. I hope you shine.
12 points go to Russia. In total. Those stray points will come from former Sovjet republics, as always.This song is so mediocre and forgettable so it doesn’t deserve and I hope it doesn’t get any more points.
Russia Goodbye!
What utter heart-sinking, ear-bleeding dross.
About lie from Russian selection on Eurovision!!! https://www.facebook.com/antonzolotnik
Look the wall.
Geez. Their 2010 entry was better. This sucks.
I found this link on youtube for Russia Official Video Eurovision 2014 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1RnHEa6YeQ
Apparently, the Russians started deciding who would represent Russian since May 2013
Ha ha ha what a crap song!
This will qualify for sure. But, in the final, 12-19th
horrible, but who cares? We KNOW they have ALWAYS their place in the final and probably top 5.
This clip was made by a teenager
Crying at how bad this sounds. Geez – fire the music producers/mixers!!
Here’s hoping Russia tanks hard this year.
screw all the haters- love the song, no matter what’s going on in the country
This is not the quality of song I’m used to hearing from Russia. This sounds like a song out of Eurovision in the 1990’s or early 2000’s. Back then it may have won, but the pop-ballad genre has moved on. Even though it is a bit dated, it isn’t bad, but it isn’t great either. This is certainly not a winner and they will struggle to get points from countries outside the soviet-bloc, meaning they will most likely be around 10th – 15th in the Final. Despite this song being fairly weak and Russia’s political position, I still think it’ll… Read more »
“Closer to the crime” What? LOL It’s another good song from Russia, at least apart from the lyrics. Pleasant, difficult to object to other than for being completely inoffensive. This sounds like it’s straight out of the year 2001, though. Also, as an unrelated side note, this is the fourth year in the last six years that we have a song called “Shine.” I have to agree with Charles that it’s tough for me to disconnect this with the country it comes from. With the new scoring system, this could actually fail to qualify if the juries politically vote it… Read more »
Back to the conspiracy-oriented (fear?) of “boycott” some people have been voicing in diverse media… I don’t think “boycott” is the word, maybe not letting a dubious regime get away with whatever they want. Personally, I am not European, I do not live within the EU or the USA or any country directly affected, nor do I have a direct stake in this. What I see is what affects me and what I consider above and beyond a country’s interests, and it is human and individual rights. Thus I complain against interventionism, imperialism, world-police syndrome; I am verbal against the… Read more »
This photo is false. Actually they look much better.
I’ve not ‘music ear’ but even I hear this young twins cannot sing! Also the song is very bad as the recording! Shame Russia! Shame songwriters!
So … fan video made from a demo tape?
The song is indifferent.
I have the impression the twins persued a B-celebrity entertainment path rather than make any serious commitments to music. They know enough not to embarrass themselves.
Unless they dazzle with high production values, the juries might actually have to make a dent in their qualification chances.
I don’t expect Russia to try very hard this year, but I do expect them to improve this enough to ensure a no-news qualification and middling-high final place.
Russian would’ve sounded better; English just makes it too gooey.
Out of 37 songs, at the moment I have 5 songs I like the most but that may change in a month. I don’t think the 5 that I like will be the 5 that make up the actual top 5 at ESC. Here they are:
1. Spain
2. Armenia
3. Sweden
4. Romania
5. Ukraine
@bav – I really hope you didn’t make any bets on either Ukraine or Russia, neither one of them is going to win. Your top 10 is a mess, I’m sorry.
Really mediocre, I was expecting so much more. They should’ve sang in Russian, as it would’ve stood out more and I’m not convinced their English skills are too good. The verses are ok but the chorus is really disappointing. Of course it’ll qualify as it has almost all the other Ex-Soviets in its semi but I can see it flopping in the final. TWiiNS remains my favourite Eurovision twin act 😛
@bav: My dog is also a serious dog … your point is?
This is actually quite average and reminds me of how average it was 2013’s Azerbaijan’s entry. This is getting mixed reviews from all of us because it’s not a really outstanding recording. And I don’t know at all if these girls can be vocally good live and if their English is again in need of a translator. Still even if the song was any good, which I’d be more than happy to say it, I have a hard time in separating it from the country it comes from. Because while Dhani, a Dane himself is tired of seeing Eurovision near… Read more »
FINAL PREDICTION:
1. Ukraine
2. Estonia
3. Russia
4. Finland
5. Ireland
6. Azerbaijan
7. Denmark
8. Romania
9. Albania
10. Switzerland
11. United Kingdom
12. Sweden
13. Norway
14. Hungary
15. Italy
16. Portugal
17. Greece
18. Macedonia
19. Lithuania
20. Armenia
21. Malta
22. Poland
23. Netherlands
24. Spain
25. Germany
26. France
I’m a serious man. This is serious prediction.
Sopon, we’ll just have to wait and see. I believe Russia is one of a few nations that is constantly corrupting the Song Contest and because of its vastness and its Russian speaking minorities in over 20 countries, it is bound to succeed more than it’s worth: this is a built-in situation that isn’t going to fade away just because Russia is in the headlines now: People who are attached to Russia culturally will vote for Russia in solidarity no matter what year or which song is sent. This year’s song is a cliche, but it’s a ‘middle of the… Read more »
@Sam "Sopon" where did you hear that? If it’s true, that’s fantastic news.
Expected much more from them since they got Kantopulous and Kirkorov as composers of the song. But this is just bad.. There are better songs in 1st semifinal that deserves to qualify instead of this, but I am almost sure that we will be hearing this song in the final.. I wish that Austria will do better than Russia, anyways 🙂
My qualifiers for 1st semi (in random order)
Hungary
Armenia
Sweden
Azerbaijan
Moldova
Belgium
Montenegro
Albania
The Netherlands
Ukraine
Erin, Russia is losing that army. Putin screwed his country out of getting a good result this year.
In other news, Poland made a great decision and will not be singing a bilingual version of the song. It will now only be in Polish. So now we have five countries singing 90%+ in their native language.
I don’t like it, this shouldn’t qualify
Russia will do very well again because it’s Russia. It has not much to do with the song it sends, but rather with all the significant Russian speaking minorities in the former Soviet Block, Eastern Europe, Germany, Israel etc.: That’s at least 20+ countries which will grant Russia at least 7 or 8 points if they don’t get the top score. Now you can do the math for yourselves. Remember when Russia sent Peter Nalitch in 2010 with his unique brand of music entry ‘Lost and Found’? people back then thought it would come last but it ended up at… Read more »
To pre-hate a song simply because its government makes discriminatory laws is beyond me. Those that don’t like the song, that’s fine. But at least base your decision on taste. It’s a song contest, not an equality contest.
Boring song, but the vocals are nice. It’s average. But with the whole Ukraine thing, I think they might not qualify this year.
I just don’t dig it. Sorry. There are better options.
I expected a lot of hate on the russian song just because its Russia. But oh well, talking about the SONG ITSELF, I don’t think is that bad, yes, certainly not the best of the 37 and most probably won’t give Russia its best result, but at least personally, is not in my bottom 10. I think the thing here is that Russia didn’t have much time to prepare its entry, they wanted a national selection but since the material they received wasn’t “good enough”, they needed a plan B and ended up rushing things and coming up with only… Read more »
This can’t possibly be the finished version. Aside from sounding like a demo (and it REALLY DOES sound like a demo), the video itself is extremely amateurish.
Would the real Tolmachevy Sisters need to use fuzzy low-resolution JPEGs in their music video? Of course not!
This is either an unauthorized release of a demo track, or else a complete hoax. Whatever you may think about Russia, you KNOW their Eurovision entries have much higher standards than this.
A top 5 song. They just need to sing it better.
The music is very good, the chorus is catchy the lyrics are memorable.
The only thing that needs a lot of improvement is their singing. But ok, they are young, not professionals and they only had a few days to learn the song from what I understood. I think that with a good staging and a better performance this one will do very well.
Shame, shame, shame!
P.S: F.U.C.K Homophobic laws at Russia. And the lyrics are what, propaganda
“Telling all the world to show some love
No one’s gone bring me down, bring me down
You are my rising sun” – this must be dedicated to PUTIN for sure
@florent Yes I think this sounds as a demo done by amateur school studies. Maybe by the twins schoolmates !
Not very good. And because they are homophobic at Russia, and they are again starting a czar nation, BOOOO.
This has been summed up really well. Russia has no allies in Europe anymore other than Azerbaijan and Belarus, but only Azerbaijan is in their semi. They made a crap song of the same quality of a fourth-grade school chorus. This will place 9th or lower in the semi.
A shame for Kirkorov! Poor little girls with that Boring song!
1. Ukraine
2. Estonia
3. Finland
4. Denmark
5. Russia
the mix is horrible, we can notice that it was recorded during a few hours
I think Armenia will give some points, but not so high, because I don’t think that Armenian juries will give high points to song written by Kirkorov