With her stripper in a hamster wheel Eurovision routine, Ukraine’s Svetlana Loboda appeared to kiss her musical credibility goodbye. Very few could survive being dragged across a stage by near naked gladiators while singing “because I’m crazy BOM”. But Loboda nimbly avoided a seemingly inevitable career as a soft-core musical dominatrix and instead established herself as one of Eastern Europe’s foremost popstars, offering us impressive floor fillers such as “Under the Ice” and “Forbidden City”.
Her ever increasing star wattage can be evidenced on her latest single “Look At The Sky”, which features Azeri pop heavyweight and Eurovision 2012 interval act – Emin Agalarov. The track is rather timid compared to Loboda’s usual standards, starting off slow before building to a somewhat dramatic climax. However, the sound harks back to American boybands of the 1990s, and feels a little dated. You’d expect a bit more from 2 of the Russophone world’s leading luminaries.
The accompanying music video makes up for some of the song’s shortcomings. It’s a cinematic affair, and looks like a monetary sinkhole. The result is a short film depicting Emin’s anguish as Svetlana shacks up with another man. She offers him little comfort, and instead gives tauntingly seductive glances, driving the poor man to insanity. And of course, the clip couldn’t have the Loboda seal of approval unless it had a few risqué elements. Sure enough, matters turn strictly PG 13 in the latter stages of the video.
The duet may not be trail blazing or even career defining, but it continues Svetlana’s upward trajectory and makes for a nice footnote to her bulging back catalogue.
Oh dear. Smoking, arson, vandalism. This is bad propaganda for our kids.
2009 was a decadent guilty pleasure. Loboda Libido still needs to free her inner hamster!