Better late than never: Another five tracks you may have missed

Over the last while, between national finals and the contest itself, we’ve all been a bit caught up with Euro-fever and the goings on in Vienna. This has been to the detriment of certain past stars who were silly enough to gift the world with new music at the height of ESC madness – when nobody was listening to them. But since we love all our Eurovision contestants equally (well most of them), we’ve gathered up some of the tracks which got lost amidst the melee. Listen and enjoy.

Elena feat. Danny Mazo “Senor Loco”

At Eurovision she was a “Balkan Girl”, last summer she went all Italiano and now Romania’s very own daughter of a preacher man is channelling her inner Spanish señorita. Elena Gheorghe may flit between nationalities more often than Kitty Brucknell, but she can always be relied upon to bring us some frivolous fun – and “Senor Loca” is just that. The cartoon-style video resembles an explosion in the paint factory, and screams summer madness. The lyrics are equally barmy – “let me take you on a sexy aventura” and “I’ll make you feel caliente, caliente tonight”. This won’t be winning awards anytime soon, but as seasonal pop songs go, it’s perfectly acceptable.

Rok feat. Yohanna “Find A Better Man”

Iceland’s Yohanna certainly can’t be accused of playing it safe. The “Is It True?” singer has dabbled in everything, from bluegrass to the soft-rock sounds of her most recent track, a collaboration with Rok – “Find A Better Man”. It’s all very moody and sombre, the video is shot entirely in black and white, focusing solely on Yohanna and the band’s lead singer, Gudni Thor Thorsteinsson. You get the sense that we’re meant to be spellbound by the atmospheric rock ballad. Alas, it just passes us by. We’d suggest Yohanna ditch the Bono wannabe and come back to us, gurl doesn’t need the deadweight.

Nina Zilli “#RLL Riprenditi Le Lacrime (Take Back The Tears)”

After a brief flirtation with her dark side on “Solo” at this year’s San Remo, Nina returns to what she knows best – upbeat, soul-infused pop. Now, I don’t speak Italiano, but it’s easy to surmise that “#RLL” or “Take Back The Tears”, is a post break up song. Yes, we see Nina having a great time messing around with her friends in the video, and the chorus is a whole load of fun. However, the verses reveal a melancholic under-current. It’s not as sassy or infectious as some of her past hits, but we’ll never say no to a little Zilli in our lives.

Inga & Anush Arshakyans “Aprelu April”

For those who feared that Inga’s membership of Genealogy meant she’d abandoned Anush, don’t worry. The sisters who represented Armenia in 2009 are still very much together. Their most recent effort is “Aprelu April”, released to mark the centenary of the Armenian genocide. Unlike the similarly themed “Face the Shadow”, this is a much more stripped back tribute. It lacks the bombast of the latter, resulting in a much more touching piece. The video is simple, although, truth be told the montage of suffering victims may be a bit too much for a ballad sung by a pop-act.

Serebro “Kiss”

Only Olga Seryabkina remains from their Eurovision 2007 days, but Serebro are still going strong. They won “Best Pop Group” at the recent Muz Tv Awards, and when they’re producing tracks like “Kiss”, it’s easy to see why. Breezy, euro-pop – perfect for laying back on the beach. The video is full of sunshine too, and if you’re a fan of grown women frolicking about in varying states of undress, this is a must watch. They’ve kindly included a hot guy for the rest of us.

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