Yesterday the Wiwi Jury — our in-house panel of music unprofessionals — travelled to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and paid a visit to the town of Mostar. While trolling over the town’s Old Bridge, we discussed Dalal & Deen feat. Ana Rucner and Jala and their song “Ljubav je”. Did we feel the love? Or did the song spark other emotions?
Dalal & Deen feat. Ana Rucner and Jala with “Ljubav je”
“Ljubav je” reviews
Mikhail: Oh, that marvellous sound of cello, and the epicness of the drums. The melody of “Ljubav je” is amazing. I fell in love with it after the first listen. At first I didn’t appreciate the rap part, which shook the utopian picture in my mind, but then I started to like it somehow. It brought some spice. Also, I want to note that great scream iiihaaa during the rap, it is amazing.
Score: 7.5/10
Angus: “Ljubav je” is just tedious. For three minutes we’re taken on a tour of Bosnia & Herzegovina’s greatest “hits” at Eurovision without anything new being brought to the table. There’s no hook to remember nor standout instrumental to will you into voting when lines open. The rap is the eye-roll icing on the cake.
Score: 1/10
Anthony: This sounds like as if they tried to create their own version of San Marino’s “Crisalide”: two-thirds ballad before the transition of the final third. The Balkan ballad section becomes familiar territory and it’s something I’m used to at Eurovision. However, the rapping feels random when plonked in towards the end of the song. Sorry Jala, but Bosnia and Herzegovina could do without the rapping section.
Score: 7/10
Bernardo: This could be an 8 for sure, but the rap part of the song is anti-climactic for me. With a strong Balkan influence, “Ljubav je” is the dream of every Balkan ballad fan. Dalal and Deen carry most of the song with a secure performance. Good harmonies and strong vocals make this a mid-table finisher for me.
Score: 7/10
Bogdan: By the sounds of it, Bosnia and Herzegovina thought they should mix every musical genre they could think of for their return to Eurovision, and the end result is an indigestible hot mess. I don’t mind rap, but aggressive rap barked in a language I don’t understand, abruptly breaking an otherwise inoffensive pop-rock ballad, is very off-putting, and I expect this will be the reaction of most viewers in May. Despite the fans’ effort to rig our polls, I’m afraid the jig will be up when “Ljubav je” will fail to qualify.
Score: 2/10
Deban: Fusion is good, but only when it works. Bosnia and Herzegovina mark their return to the contest by showcasing its breadth of musical heritage, and the heavyweights behind it. “Ljubav je” is a song in three parts: instrumental, singing and rap. I’ll take the first two. You can leave Mr Brat at home.
Score: 5/10
Padraig: I’m still baffled as to why one would recruit Disco Deen to perform a Balkan ballad, but at this stage I’m willing to suspend my disbelief. The track starts promisingly, with the drums and cello creating a great sense of drama and place. Deen and Dalal keep the momentum going… initially. By the halfway point the song begins to lag, with Jala’s arrival saving it from entering monotony. However, as an overall package it feels like they’ve thrown too many elements into the pot. As individual segments, everything works well. But together they lack cohesion. Given Bosnia & Herzegovina’s track record, I’d expect this to qualify and then suffer a similar fate to Armenia’s Genealogy in the final.
Score: 5.5/10
Robyn: There’s something unexpectedly compelling about “Ljubav je”. It’s not until Jala bursts in with his obnoxious rap that the song really feels like it’s found its place. Having said that, I can’t quite see this song having much appeal outside the Balkans. The combination of Balkan ballad and a sudden rap is going to be a lot to take in even for Bosnian speakers, let alone those who don’t understand the language.
Score: 6/10
Steinunn: I’m so glad to have Bosnia and Herzegovina back. They always bring something interesting to the Eurovision table. I have a serious thing for dramatic songs sung in one of the Balkan languages — you could call it a fetish. Since there is no real Balkan ballad this year (Macedonia’s entry is debatable), Bosnia and Herzegovina sure give me this year’s Balkan fetish fix. I find the mix of different type of music styles and musicians very interesting — I mean, who would have thought a melancholic love song, a cello and Balkan hip-hop would be such a good mix? You could maybe describe the song as a bit unusual, but there’s something about it that appeals to me.
Score: 8/10
William: It may have four letters, but EDIT is not a dirty word. And it would have done wonders for this number, which starts off beautifully but goes off the rails when Jala decides to crash the party. Dean and Dalal, master vocalists who harmonise beautifully, could have easily added the discord the songwriters sought. They don’t need a fast-talking urban musician to do that for them. If I had my way I’d highlight Jalal and press delete.
Score: 4/10
Zakaria: C’mon, why is everybody complaining about the rap section? I usually don’t like rap but for this one, I believe it fits really well! The fusion of pop, rap, classical and Balkan ethnic sounds makes the song very remarkable among all the very corny pop/dance songs we have this year. All they need are strong vocals, a creative stage presentation and this is going straight to the final!
Score: 8/10
Kristin: Some people have completely demolished this entry, but others, like myself have taken quite a shine to it. It’s a weird song. It starts off as the oh-so-lovely and powerful Balkan ballad, but all of a sudden, a rapper appears out of nowhere! Wuut?? But somehow, I find it appealing. There’s just something about this classical Balkan/rap fusion. Don’t know how Europe will react to this, but I’m totally on board. Welcome back, Bosnia and Deen — please don’t leave us again.
Score: 8.5/10
In the Wiwi Jury we have 40 jurors but only have room for 12 reviews. The remaining 28 scores are below.
Antranig: 7/10
Chris: 8/10
Cristian: 4.5/10
David: 9/10
Dayana: 7.5/10
Denise: 8/10
Diego: 5.5/10
Edd: 4/10
Forrest: 7/10
George: 8/10
Gökhan: 3/10
Jason: 4/10
Josh: 5/10
Judit: 8/10
Liam: 9.5/10
Luis: 7/10
Marek: 7/10
Maria: 7.5/10
Mario: 6/10
Max: 5/10
Mike: 5.5/10
Patrick: 6.5/10
Renske: 4/10
Rezo: 1/10
Sami: 7/10
Sinan: 7/10
Tobias: 5/10
William C: 6.5/10
The highest and lowest scores are dropped prior to calculating the average score. This is to remove outliers and reduce potential bias. We have removed a low of 1 and a high of 9.5.
This could be a toss-up. In my first evaluation, I have it 12th on my list in the first round, barely missing the Grand Final. The stage performance (as opposed to the vocal performance) will decide if they stay for Saturday or get sent packing on Tuesday night.
It seems you don’t like anything that is new or different.
First most of you was complaying about the tempo change in Agnete’s song, now is about the rap in B&H’s song.
I like the rap part, it makes the same balkan ballad that we see every year different and unique.
Although isn’t my favorite song, and there is only 5 songs of SF1 that I really would be pissed off if they don’t qualify (Estonia, Croatia, Netherlands, Iceland and Cyprus), I would give a 7,5 for this song. I’m sure they will bring an excellent performance.
4,5/10 – It’s not bad, I like the ethnic vibe to it. Unfortunately, Deen just doesn’t match this song imo. Whenever I see and, more importantly, hear him, I think of shiny disco balls. And I don’t like this kind of balls.
Bonsoir Stockholm,
Mon vote : 6/10
Classement 14e/43
La partie instrumentale est magnifique avec le morceau de violoncelle ou contrebasse (je ne suis pas expert). Ensuite la partie chantée est également très harmonieuse et énergique à la fois. Le rap à la fin gâche un peu l’ensemble pour ma part et l’empêche de figurer parmi les meilleures chansons. A noter un des rares pays à ne pas chanter en Anglais et rien que pour cela, j’espère la qualification. Llubav Bosnia Herzegovina.
Maxime
I like rap- as long as its done well. This isn’t, and its completely out of place in the song. If its an attempt at fusion, we have a meltdown on our hands here. The vocals are bland and unremarkable, there’s two saving graces- the string arrangement is actually quite beautiful- and the chorus kinda sounds like they’re singing Doo-bob yay… which makes one think that they’re singing an ode to the Netherlands performer but couldn’t quite remember his name.
RANK: 39th
It’s Bosnia returning after 3 years with an unconventional, but still recognisable Balkan ballad. They’ll do well, especially as most will compare the song to Greece- and whatever your thoughts on “Ljubav je”, nearly everyone will acknowledge that it is better than “Utopian Land”
7/10
I actually love that the rap is in this song. It adds another texture to what is a good Balkan ballad, which makes it better. The main vocalists, the violinist and the song are good, but without the rap it wouldn’t stand out as much. To be honest, it’s the part that makes me remember the whole song.
Deen and Dalal are wonderful together. They are dramatic and sing well. The chorus on this is quite catchy..
Then this song is irrevocably destroyed by Jala. ExYu rap barely works at all for me on the best of days and here it just disrupts the song and changes it from a well sung dramatic Balkan song to something I have to click next on.
On a side note the way Jala is up in Ana Rucner’s face makes me think Sanja should break in and start singing shelter..
*for too delicate gay TEENAGERS and straight girls who are fans of ESC, i mean.
**from the USUAL narrowminded fans themselves? (whcih seem to be vast majority, i see)
Just so you know, i’m gay myself, so, no, this was not an homophobic nor sexist attack at all.
it’s incredible how ESC fans ditch rap in general, rap is as valid as any other genre out there, i don’t get why so much distaste for rap in general, is it too much ”straight and manly” for too delicate gay and straight girls who are fans of ESC?
Or is it just typical tantrum from the narrowminded fans themselves?
Bernardo writes this song is the dream of every Balkan ballad fan. What Balkan ballad fan wants rap? I am a Balkan ballad fan & this song is a nightmare.
I have loved many B&H songs but this is dreadful. It is supposed to be a love song but all I hear is yelling. The rap is the best part & it sucks.
I can’t decide if this mess is worse than San Marino’s unfunny joke. For now I rank B&H 42 of 43 but it could easily hit the bottom.
This scored over 6? YIKES. Terrible entry that should NQ
The rap part leaves me cold but the cello part makes the whole mixture better. Difficult to qualify for the final. 4.5/10
The song is not that good. Both the vocalists are pretty poor and are not adept to the point that they could carry a mediocre ballad. The song is actually saved by a strong instrumental and a surprisingly good rap section. If only they could have made the rest of the song a bit more interesting!
5/10
Actually the rap is the best part of it and if it wasn’t for that then it would be another forgettable and old-fashioned balkan ballad…
The song makes you think like you have heard of it in past decades. This is not a favorite of mine this year.
You are so kind scoring this 6.11. This is by far the cheesiest and worst song this year. Totally outdated.
No no no no no!!!!!this is terrible, I just cannot listen to the song, there is too many different things happening at once here. While Dalal and Deen sing a nice Balkan ballad, I’ve grown tired of them, as there is always at least one every year and they are starting to sound the same. The rap is also abysmal. This does not deserve to qualify! You’re welcome back Bosnia & Herzegovina but I’m afraid your return will end in the semi final. Bring back Laka next year. 2/10 🙁
This will look overworked. Mark my words.
Less is more.
This is not the best song from Bosnia, but also it’s very underrated. This song creates a lot of space for a strong stage presentation. Rap part is totally fine since is comes at the moment when the song becomes boring. Ana is absolutely the highlight of the song and there was somebody really smart in the Bosnian national broadcaster because she brings such a nice and sexy stuff to the song – that instrument and herself. 😉 Dalal and Deen are both good singers, although Dalal is definitely more dominant so I wouldn’t mind having only her here. Overall,… Read more »
This will certainly qualify. Dalal and Deen sing amazing. Ana rules that cello. People will remember the song because of the rap. It will be spectacular live!
WTF?! This is bottom 5 for me; I find it really strange to find it rated over FYROM (just to keep it among former Yougoslavian countries). I am sooooo tired of these Balkan ballads, they all sound the same!
worldclass song, epic rap with Violin Woman
10/10
definitely will be qualifying 🙂
idk where to put this but
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjTUKNhoQ58
Gabriela Guncikova with 2 other vocalist covers 65 rock songs! Listen to her voice singing in other genre! That’s awesome guys!
(and I wonder why nobody reports this)
Omg, above 6, are you kidding me??? Higher then Macedonia and Belgium, almost as high as Serbia? This one is almost the worst one, such a mess. Hope it stays in the semis.
1/10 from me.
The cello part is indeed great but unfortunately the rest is just ok and does not really keep me interested in the song. It’s neither catchy nor emotional. Just an average Balkan rock ballad and the rap part completely ruined any of the feeling the song may have ever tried to express. However I still prefer it slighly over Dona. Alter Ego / Play / Say Yay: 9,0 Ghost / Pioneer / Slow Down: 8,0 What’s the pressure?: 7,5 Goodbye: 7,0 Icebreaker: 6,5 Colour of your life: 6,0 Blue and red, Ljubav je: 5,0 Dona: 4,5 Falling Star: 4,0 Soldiers… Read more »
Romania, Greece and of course Bosnia & Herzegovina are bound to exiting in the semis. It is more likely than not despite their flawless record. It would be an upset if all three of them pass to the finals.
I like this song. It’s underrated by most fans.
I really like this, but I think this will be the first time they won’t qualify.
4.5/10
34/43
If you break the song apart into many pieces, each one of them would be a quite qualitative song. When you mash them up like they did, it becomes a giant pile of feces. Of course, I am over exaggerating a little, 4.5/10 is still acceptable to the ears.
Current standings in OGAE Germany vote
1. France 12 pts
2. Austria 10 pts
3. Latvia 8 pts
4. Germany
5. Australia 7 pts
6. Russia 6 pts
7. Spain 5 pts
8. Cyprus 4 pts
9. Iceland 3 pts
10. Sweden 2 pts.
11. Italy 1 pt
Looks like Germany is not completely buying into the hype of YATOO
Rap is the best part. Without it it would be average and boring Balkan ballad, which we know many from last years. And this drama queen gay singer, wtf? But the rap part makes it interesting (we want more rap and hip hop in ESC omg, it is contest for every styles) and modern. Jala, you could represent B&H alone, you are the best.
Not my cup of tea. Strange mixture of old fashioned singing and rap.
6/10
Nothing special
The cello saved me from going asleep though. It’s amazing.
I don’t usually like rap in Eurovision but this one works very well. The violin solo is incredibly beautiful and I love Dalal and Deen’s deep, seductive voices. This is like a cross between Eminem and Kaliopi, and the best thing about it is that it turns out WELL.
Well, I don’t get that the average of Bosnia & Herzegovina is higher than Belgium. Just saying, I’m not a fan of Bosnia & Herzegovina this year, too dramatic for me