William: Polina’s staging was already stellar (and, given all the stars and comets, intersellar). During today’s second rehearsal it was more of the same and we weren’t disappointed. The aerial shots over her dress seem to be closer this time around, and they really show off the LED projections on her dress. When the bright white lights sparkle on her oversized train, she looks like a glamorous jelly fish. But we are happy for her to sting us. From the voice to the swirling LED to her commanding stage presence, this retains its Top 5 potential. Well done, Russia!
Russia’s second rehearsal at Eurovision 2015
Padraig: This just gets better and better. Russia are definitely on track for a top 10 placing. Polina is just too good. At times the stage is a mish-mash of ideas, one moment it’s uber classy – her dress, the next it’s a cheese overdose – her backing band and the globe. But with vocals like those, Polina can get away with just about anything. A class act!
Polina Gagarina: Reviews and Reactions
Coming soon!
YOU CAN READ OUR REVIEWS OF ALL OF THE REHEARSALS BY CLICKING HERE.
Photo: Andres Putting (EBU)
This really upsets me. In the real world Russia spreads hate about Ukraine, Europe and USA, but at Eurovision they sing about love and peace at Eurovision. What hyprocrisy! Look at what Irina Umanskaya here writes. She really believes the nonsense in Russian media about fascists and nazis and banderas!! Of course European TV doesn’t show it. Because it is not true. Chinese TV doesn’t show it. American TV doesn’t show it. Japanese TV doesn’t show it. Because it is not true. Only the Russian government tells it people that we in the west are nazis and fascists. We are… Read more »
@Irina Umanskaya
I really don’t know why russians say that they don’t hate immigrants. Foreigns from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and other Caucasus countries and from Central Asia, former Soviet republics, disagree about that. Foreigns from other countries too, like black students from Africa in Moscow that “aren’t allowed” to go beyond than the city center or take Moscow Metro to keep them safe and alive. Even tourists are advertised about this. Or “non-white” tourists in Saint Petersburg, threatened by neo-nazi rats are all around the city.
I don t know how powers in some countries of europe can support in goverment in ucraine people who support Bandera. Bandera who in the time WW2 killed familes of polish, jew, and many others with especially cruel, cutting organs. The main awful that in european tv it is not show and powers in europe don t say about it.we are same! Not nacionalism and fashism sll over the world.
People in Crimea did not want to live with fashists! You don t know the history of Crimea. Crimea is always from Ekaterina II supported Russian empire. Read the history Crimea. People in Eastern Ukraine don t want to live with fashists and nacionalists. If in Europe want to live with them, please.
@Arrombado: I agree to an extent. I notice that a lot of people say that you can not blame her for what her country is doing, it is just a song contest and should be about the singing etc.
At the end of the day, she is a human with presumably, a semi-functioning brain and as soon as she was presented with the song, she should have thought to herself, “This is just a little inappropriate, right?” and refused to do sing it as it is.
It’s a little bit curious see Russia sending an humanitarian song, telling “we all are equals” when the government and russian people are the most disgusting in the world because they hate all immigrants, gay people, black people, caucasians and any other that aren’t “pure russian” and its country is a “new nazi-germany” in this age.
About Polina, she sings well, she’s beautiful and talented. But this song is a little bit hypocrite.
Russia, go home and stop the war, you startet. Buuuuuuuuu
“If she has to sing this 9 times before the final, she may not have any voice left.”
The excessive rehearsals on top of all the interviews is not right. It is too hard on the contestants’ voices, and it also ruins a lot of the surprise by already showing the staging repeatedly (even if they are holding back a bit in the rehearsals).
Wow, the chorus sounds so much better with the backing vocals!
My winner, together with Spain (and possibly Italy) 🙂
I hope this rubbish doesn’t get to the final.
Douze points pour POLINIKA – 12 points so far for all SEMI FINAL REHEARSALS
for best Staging & Performance & LED’s & of course good Vocals.
For me it’s “La musique de haute couture” pure Entertainment
Ehhh… the Aliona Moon-esque gown looked so underwhelming…
I like her first rehearsal performance even more.
Thanks Eugene for that video. I must say that I wasn’t a big fan of the stage… until now. I wasn’t sure about it, I knew from the start it had potential, but I wasn’t sure I would like it as much as I liked Copenhagen’s, thanks Vienna for shutting my mouth! It looks stunning now that I’ve seen it fully functioning! even if in a low quality video.
Same for Polina, I’m still not a big fan of the song itself, but the staging is amazing and most importantly, fitting for the song.
Monica Lewinsky’s semen-stained dress…?
Yack…
I found this… underwhelming? It feels like she’s holding back or something, I was hoping she’d move around a little bit, just watching her standing there singing while some pretty lights are projected on her dress feels kinda dull… I hope this will have more power on the night, if it doesn’t top 5 seems like a long-shot for me 🙁
This has a stunning stage that looks amazing on screen, the song is anthemic and the staging fits it perfectly. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before but very effective and polished. This should finish top 5.
BORING! She should not even be in Top 20
Something feels wrong here. It’s a beautiful staging. No doubt. But I don’t understand what the band is doing there?? They are so wrong! And the fact that she just stands there while the band is jamming is also wrong. I wished she could move and go a little bananas or something! But Russia might win the first semifinal I think.
Well the projections on the bridal dress work well and I love how everybody wears white. The background is so-so but it gets better as the song progresses.I hear too much of the backing vocals towards the end which I don’t think was intended for.
It will qualify of course but it will not do better than russian entries of the past two years.
Well, Davaiiiiiiii, Daveiiii ozem harascho POLINIKA,
Well performed, nice staging & nice voice.
Besides politics this is really
“La musique de haute couture de ESC”
The backdrop looks like a Windows 95 screensaver. I was worried we were going to get images of Russian soldiers hugging children or something. The song is still dull but she sings it well. Top 5 seems optimistic. Top 15 would be where it should be aiming for.
Hmm, I’m hoping she’s resting her voice because that didn’t sound as great as I’d hoped :/ But the staging is spectacular – always love a projection dress done right, and this achieves it <3 I still think it has Top 5 potential, as long as her vocals are on point!