Germany’s Ann Sophie promised to drop a “surprise” yesterday and she did just that! Not only did she release a new music video, she also gave us a new version of her Eurovision song “Black Smoke”. The biggest surprise of it all is that this “remix” is actually a stripped down version of the fierce and fabulous song we know and love. This time we’re left with smoke — but also a piano and an empty tube of lip gloss.
The video is almost four minutes of Ann Sophie spinning on one of those rotating chairs you find in a photo booth, looking upset behind an off-white screen. Watch it for 10 seconds and you get the jist, nothing changes. That being said, she’s put a heartfelt twist and deeper meaning onto a song that we love for its sass and extravagant staging. This is how you mix it up.
We’ll never know whether this approach would have saved her from nil points at Eurovision. However, the remastering allows her flawless vocals to become the only focus and she describes this version of the song as “personal” and “[her] idea” of how it should have been created. (No shade intended, we hope.)
Are you loving it? Let us know below!
I love Black Smoke. It was in my Top 5.
I think it has the best lyrics of all songs this year. I went through this situation in a relationship & I am amazed how the lyrics captured my feelings. It could have been written about me.
Brilliant song sung by a very talented woman.
oop i meant countries not teams lmao
Just another good song that got trapped by the voting system *coughs* Ireland 2013 *clears throat* Then again the points were totally skewed for the top 5 so many teams were straggling at the bottom
She is amazing! I love even more this acoustic version! Congratulations.
I love this song sooo much. Sophie was in my personal top 3 in Vienna and I don’t get the 0 points, she was robbed big time!!!
The biggest injustice of this year’s contest if you ask me. Ann Sophie was indeed VERY unlcuky and the 0 points was catastrophic. I hope Ann goes on to be very successful. This video oozes class and the stripped back version whilst not living up to the high standards of the original, is a much more appropriate accompaniment to the video.
Good Luck Ann Sophie !
Still in absolute shock that poor Ann Sophie and Germany got the dreaded nul point, what was Europe thinking? :O The song was so good, the performance oozed sex appeal and Ann can actually sing. But nope, we had to give points to the flat Poland, because we felt emotionally and in favor of political correctness that we had to and we also gave points to Azerbaijan, Russia, etc etc because, well, it was Azerbaijan and Russia. Forget about about Italy not winning…Germany getting zero was the biggest outrage of the contest this year. IMO. Loving the new version, its… Read more »
Um…… What did they just do to this song? I loved the old version, in fact, it was in my top 5, but this? This is way worse, in my opinion anyway. I rather how the other song was catchy, and this is just …… wow …….. I don’t even have words of how bad they made this song.
@mario (not to be confused with #MarioVision): They (the Unser Song people, I assume you are referring to) didn’t decide that Ann Sophie would go; Andreas Kümmert chose NOT to go! Naturally, as with all things, the runner-up is ALWAYS the first choice available, should the winner either decide to withdraw or is disqualified.
I thought the song should have been performed more uptempo in Vienna instead the original snail pace which made it sound as if it kept dragging on in slow motion.
It would have narrowed the song by 20 seconds, but look what a difference 20 seconds can make:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p1bKK4KvyQ
This way it sounds more edgy with an attitude.
The new minimalist version literally strips herself bare and reveals her fragility in a very intimate setting. It’s brave and disturbing.
Germany deserved 0 points like nobody other and everyone agrees with this opinion. Very bad song for Germany, worst song in last 5 years. OMG, they had so many gr8 artists in national final, brilliant Andreas Kümmert won it, and they decided, she will go in Vienna. Everyone expected she will got 0 points. Worst song of ESC 2015 for everyone.
I don’t think this would have saved her at Eurovision, Maybe it would have even made it worse because it would be another balad and this year had more than plenty of them
That’s the first time I hve willingly sat through the whole song and loved every second. I loved it.
As for the video I think it’s really clever and well acted. It’s more than spinning on a chair of you consider the words, and what’s presented and what sometimes you just can’t say at the end of a relationship.
So rather than spinning chair in a photo booth as stated in the review, maybe stop and think of the art and creativity.
Nice work!
And I have to agree with @Huh too, because I saw an acoustic version of I’m Alive performed by Elhaida and she was great singing.
I agree with @Oostenrijk
Black Smoke was one of my favorite songs of this year, and she improved a lot. Ann’s performance was really good, while Elhaida sang out of the tune (what was sad, since I’m Alive is such a great song! I was hoping a top 5 for Albania before the show). Also, the guy from Azerbaijan, and Edurne (yes, guys), missed some notes.
Btw I loved this new version of Black Smoke.
Ann Sophie’s music video is pure and sincere, although similar to well-known mainstream ones. It is somewhat a good departure song (even if just an acoustic version) after her Eurovision experience. Let us hope she has something more to offer after Black Smoke.
As for Elhaida, she is still a great singer but her nervousness and fear (knowing EUROvision) conquered her on stage. She was defeated by that but it cannot erase the fact that she is still capable in singing.
Albania was amazing until she entered the stage. Absolutely disastrous. I enjoyed the Grand Final a lot, but Albania was an acoustic nightmare. I would not have guessed, that Elhaida is such an incapable singer, rather that Albania was in it to win it. Shame on FYR Macedonia for wasting 12 points on their neighbours. UK was enjoyable and fun as well at first, but the live performance was a mess and a very bad translation of the video. They also sang badly. However in the Jury Final Alex Larke had a wardrobe malfunction, when his lights didn’t go on… Read more »
I think qualitywise the worst of the worst this year were Albania and UK. If someone would have deserved nil points then them.
I fell asleep halfway through…..
However, Mario, a song that is your Number 23 out of 27 deserves nil points, like any other song that is out of your Top 10. You cannot award 3000 points to grant some pity points for all, only 58 points like every voting country does.
sounds more like abegg variations.
i like the old one better.
*Mario
I agree Marino, Germany didn’t deserve 0 and i have the, ranked 8th! But I think Albania beat Germany in both juries and televoting!!
Eurovision version was much better. The problem is her voice, in Vienna she was really comfortable with her voice and her singing was natural. This is not.
Ann Sophie definitely did not deserve to be the zero of our times… Her song was not bad at all & it was better than few others at least.. I had Germany ranked 23rd among the 27 songs of the final.. Anna Sophie had her own id & special unique character as singer artist & that is positive 4 her…I think that she would had done much better in the Vision of Vienna if she had went with her other song *Jump The Gun*.. If we count all the places then Germany definitely did not finish last…Managed to beat other… Read more »
Germany’s best song after Lena’s song. Ann is really talented and the song is perfect. Too underrated though.
Finally! It is still a great song. Today at my hotel in Turkey I heard Fairytale play. Maybe there is hope, for a comeback