We are getting close to Belarus’ national selection for Eurovision 2016, which takes place on January 22. In recent weeks the Wiwi Jury — our in-house panel of musical unprofessionals — has been listening and reviewing all of the songs. Next up is NAVI with “Gyeta Zyamlya”, bringing us the energy and spirit of a Belarusan soul. Did we catch the fever of it? Read and find out!

NAVI — “GYETA ZYAMLYA”

https://youtu.be/My1pyGcTcl0

“GYETA ZYAMLYA” REVIEWS

Mikhail: This is song is happiness and joy, something that makes you forget about everything and go woohoo woohoo! This bright song warms up my cold Siberian soul and it puts a huge smile upon my face. When I listen to this song I imagine myself running around a field of golden wheat, with someone to share all the joy. NAVI’s performance can be improved, but they have a lot of time to do it. Until then, I will enjoy “Gyeta Zyamlya” in my playlist.

Score: 8.5/10

Denise: It’s sweet but it’s going nowhere. I already forgot about this song while I was still listening to it. Of course, this is the first time they’ve sung it for a jury, but they really need to work on their chemistry. It looks like two solo artists instead of a duo.

Score: 5/10

William: Their romance is about as believable as one between Nicki Minaj and Nelson Mandela (and yes, I realise he is dead). They “hey” around 2:27 is cute, but smacks of desperation. That said, this has a happy vibe that I can get behind. In Belarus’ dire national selection, you have to cling onto what you can…

Score: 5.5/10

Robyn: NAVI’s lack of chemistry is really noticeable. They look like two strangers who have suddenly been put together for an X Factor bootcamp challenge, rather than an established duo. It could still work – the song is sweet, with a modern folk-pop sound and a catchiness that carries the Belarusian lyrics.

Score: 6/10

Sami: The song might be little boring at first, but I love how it grows towards the end. I’m also very happy that there actually is a song in Belarusian. They might need some backing singers to join them in the final performance, though.

Score: 8/10

Edd: This entry sounds the most professional of the lot, as the Belarusian language bypasses Eurofest’s most prevalent issue  – poor English. With a couple of added goodies to make the song a bit more exciting (xylophone, banjo, whistling, etc) and some hipster staging, this has massive potential. The winner, in my eyes.

Score: 8.5/10

Luis: This is quite average. It reminds me of “This Time” (Lithuania 2015) and “Coming Home” (Malta 2014), but this sound is already getting old-fashioned. Moreover, the ‘uh-uh uh-uhs’ are kinda annoying. The only nice thing is that they sing in their own language.

Score: 4.5/10

Cristian: Just… no. Everything is so mediocre and kitsch in this ultra sugary duet. Thank God I haven’t got any tooth decay at the end of the song. It feels bad to say so, but I feel bothered listening to them.

Score: 1/10

Antranig: This is fun and mildly catchy but it gets absolutely nowhere. The female singer has so much energy but the male singer looks a little bored until the last 30 seconds. The best that can be said for it is that this is definitely not the worst entry in the field.

Score: 5/10

Bernardo: Their audition is the perfect example that a decent tune can almost be destroyed by the lack of chemistry of the pair. The song itself? One of the best ones in the preselection. “uh-uh-uh-uh” sticks in your head like Portugal’s Suzy “ua-ua-we-ua-we”! It is a happy, simple song. That could be a positive sign for the national final. Sometimes, simplicity is everything.

Score: 6/10

Anthony: Broadcaster BTRC seemed to have kept their promise of a Belarusian language song at EuroFest, but whether the televoters will go for it remains to be seen. Song-wise, it’s a catchy, sweet pop song but lacks impact. And NAVI ought to have lessons from Estonia’s Elina Born & Stig Rästa when it comes to chemistry as a duet.

Score: 6/10

William C.: I applaud BTRC for putting a song in Belarusian – a language we do not hear enough of at Eurovision – into the final 10. However, I facepalm at this song. The male singer completely detracts from the song, and ruins it. Their voices do not blend well, and the lack of proper chemistry is showing. Unlike some others, I find the “hey” in this very annoying, and overall this song is just alright.

Score: 5.5/10

The highest and lowest scores are removed before calculating the final score. We have dropped a low of 1 and a high of 8.5.

WIWI JURY VERDICT: 6/10

FOR OUR LIST OF BELARUS 2016 RANKINGS, CLICK HERE

FOLLOW ALL OF OUR BELARUS EUROVISION NEWS HERE

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D
D
8 years ago

My favourite <3

DenizNL
DenizNL
8 years ago

For me the best of the bunch! They can sing and bring happiness to me.