Wiwi Jury Romania: Blue Noise with “Love Won’t Run Away”

Ahead of Romania’s Selectia Nationala, the Wiwi Jury (our in-house panel of music unprofessionals) is reviewing each of the twelve songs. Next on our list is Blue Noise, whose a cappella number “Love Won’t Run Away” has divided our jury. Find out why below…

Blue Noise — “Love Won’t Run Away”

Deban: Outdated and overcooked, this a cappella isn’t palatable and it’s arrangement lacks direction. The lead vocalist keeps chanting “our love won’t run away”.  Unfortunately, listeners will.

Score: 2/10

Francheska: “Blue Noise?” More like “White noise!” This is boring. The a cappella schtick is so Belgium 2011, and the beatboxer has the capability of a six year old pronouncing “sassafrass”. I can’t believe I interrupted my Netflix binge for this bore!

Score: 3/10

David: This starts off with some gimmicks (seconds of silence, weird sounds) that do get your attention. And again part way through we’re back to weird sounds, pauses, etc. It’s different, but not in a way that’s going to win. You’re often not even paying attention to the actual singing, which is, in itself, pretty good. So basically, you’re left with a complete mess of a bunch of random sounds that leave you wondering “What was that?” — and not in a good way. But credit for trying something different.

Score: 7.5/10

Iñaki: Wow! Gloriously harmonious! A different proposal that combines rhythm and amazing voices. I absolutely love it! From the beginning they create a magical atmosphere with just their voices. Delicious!

Score: 9/10

Josh: Remember when a cappella groups were all the rage in 2010, due to the height of the ‘Glee’ franchise, and then about two years later the show just got repetitive and frustrating to watch? This song is frustrating. I can’t find much in this song that is very endearing.

Score: 2/10

Kristín: Oh my, this just goes on and on and on, and yet it doesn’t go anywhere. The singers are like hyperactive hamsters, squeeky and over the top, and I just got reeeeaaaaaally tired after a while. Maybe love won’t run away from them, but I most certainly am running for my life and sanity.

Score: 3/10

Louis: The hype over this sort of music as seen in ‘Pitch Perfect’ and ‘Glee’ has come and gone. It’s something different and exciting but not sure on the dubstep mouth percussion. The emphasis on the word ‘listen’ also irritates me — it’s a word you should’t use in that context in a song. I might be picky, but you need to be when picking an act to represent your country.

Score: 6.5/10

Luis: Mmm. A vocal group again. Their ability is really impressive, and they sound way more modern than Witloof Bay or Cosmos, but I’m not sure whether they would do a good job in Vienna. Yes, it’s Romania and they would surely qualify for the final, but certainly Romania could look higher this year after four middle-of-the-table results in a row. Still, one of the best attempts in this selection.

Score: 6.5/10

Max: If Ellie Goulding and a group of beatboxers were locked in a recording studio overnight and had to make a song with a gun against their heads, this would be it. Something that sounds like it was made under pressure, five minutes before the submission deadline. Why is there an electric guitar? What is it with adding unnecessary instruments to try to save something that is already dead in the water?

Score: 3/10

Patrick: In the first second it sounded really promising – strong voice and good beat. But just a second later it ended up in a mess. Beatboxing in Eurovision? Sounds like traffic noises during the busy morning in Bucharest! In short, it’s a mess.

Score: 0/10

Robyn: I’m not a fan of a cappella choirs, as made famous by Glee and Pentatonix. The problem with “Love Won’t Run Away” is that even though there’s a good song at the heart, this performance sounds like another novelty cover. But then, in 2011 Belgium was only one point away from qualifying with a performance in this style. Maybe Blue Noise will have better luck.

Score: 5/10

Sami: This isn’t the best a capella I’ve heard, but it’s still a nice song. Her voice is very pleasant and I’m sure she’ll sound nice live, but knowing the history of a capella in Eurovision, I think this wouldn’t be the best choice for Romania.

Score: 6/10

Sopon: A cappella often has a cheesy feel to it, but I’m starting to realize that often times, it might be more the song than the style that evokes that. With groups like Pentatonix and films like Pitch Perfect rising into popular culture, a cappella is becoming more than barbershop, old man music. It is adapting a modern feeling that Blue Noise is capturing perfectly in “Love Won’t Run Away”. My only fear is inadequate staging for this song, it should be subdued yet energetic.

Score: 8/10

The highest and lowest scores have been removed before calculating the final scores to avoid bias. We have removed a high of 9 and a low of 0.

The Wiwi Jury Verdict: 4.7/10

You can read all of our reviews and rankings for Selectia Nationala 2015 by clicking here. You can also keep up with the latest Eurovision news and gossip by following the team from wiwibloggs on Twitter @wiwibloggs and by liking our Facebook page.