Yesterday the Wiwi Jury — our in-house panel of music unprofessionals — travelled to Belarus, where we stopped by the historic Nesvizh Castle. Deep within its dungeons we discussed IVAN‘s song “Help You Fly”. Did his song make us feel ready for take-off? Or did we want to run away? Read on to find out!
Ivan – “Help You Fly”
“Help You Fly” reviews
William: You could be forgiven for mistaking the howling wolf in the intro for a constipated singer. IVAN has the kernel of a good song here, but he never pushes it out. After the first chorus you’ve gotten everything you’re going to get. IVAN better hope the EBU lets him appear naked and with his wolves. The potential of them taking a bite out of his manhood is the only thing that could possibly make me pay attention to this in Stockholm.
Score: 2.5/10
Angus: I was always #TeamJacob, so the promise of lycanthropy should enthral me but IVAN still isn’t winning me over. The screens are straight out of a 2008 Black Eyed Peas video, the vocal and lyrics sound like a bad Kevin Rudolf song and that falsetto note teetering on the brink of meltdown. “Help You Fly” isn’t a bad song, but it isn’t spectacular either.
Score: 4/10
Padraig: At the risk of sounding like a broken record, IVAN is a poor man’s Nickelback. And no one likes Nickelback, at least not openly. Nonetheless, the band were confusingly popular about ten years ago, so I can see why IVAN has some appeal. In fact, as the Eurovision season has progressed, I’ve developed a grudging appreciation for “Help You Fly”. The heavy use of synth distinguishes it from other rock entries and it’s polished up nicely in the revamp. I’m still a long way from calling myself a fan, but it’s better than “Cheesecake”.
Score: 5/10
Bernardo: At the time of the Belarussian national selection I really hated this entry. A few months later, my feelings towards it are the same. I struggle to make a connection with his voice and the message of the song itself. The falsetto is really impressive but that’s about all that caught my attention in three minutes. Probably half a point is a very harsh judgment but in comparison with other entries, this appears as one of my least favourites. I don’t predict a bright future for IVAN in Eurovision, but the staging in Stockholm may elevate this a bit.
Score: 0.5/10
Chris: Lord help me, I used to think this song was good. Maybe, in essence, “Help You Fly” is a good song, but the huge elephant in the room is IVAN himself. With all these stories of staging gimmicks, it’s clear that the Belarussian team are trying to do as much to distract from IVAN’s vocal troubles as possible. The high notes at the end of the song really are excruciating. There’s some promise in that song, but unless IVAN’s improved massively, I can’t see this qualifying – no matter what gimmicks it has.
Score: 4/10
Bogdan: “Help You Fly” is one of those songs with good verses but disappointing choruses. Moreover, it reeks of mothballs, despite the modern production and revamp. The lyrics are tedious. Even IVAN’s vocals are jarring, nobody sings like that anymore — thankfully. No, I’m afraid it’s not my cup of tea, and the cardigan isn’t doing IVAN any favours either. (Although please, do put something on!)
Score: 3/10
Deban: This song is all about letting go. Taking these wise words into account, I found myself forgiving its shortcomings on first listen. Instead, I took a liberal approach to appreciating music. “Help You Fly” underscored that moment, and at its peak, I soared! The revamp grafts the original composition with ritualistic energy and wild nature sounds. Sounding primal at times, ” Help You Fly” bears echoes of ’80s rock, but its moral tale is timeless.
Score: 7/10
Liam: I’m fairly indifferent about this song. There’s nothing wrong with it, however it lacks substance and is overshadowed by entries that are simply more memorable. That’s the case with a lot of Belarusian entries, and this one doesn’t break that pattern.
Score: 5/10
Sinan: I like the chorus, but that’s all. I don’t think this song will qualify to the final in Stockholm. Last year’s song was better than this.
Score: 4/10
Luis: “Help You Fly” basically passes unnoticed. While it’s not exactly bad, there is nothing about this song that makes it worth having two performances at Eurovision. Which is a pity, because IVAN really feels what he is singing, and he’s overall a competent performer, if we except the shout in the end, which I found a bit cringy. Unless Belarus manages to throw a “wow” performance, this will not help them reach the final.
Score: 4.5/10
Maria: IVAN can hold a note really well and shows it off in “Help You Fly”, he can gaze head-on for the camera pretty well too, and went along with the decision to be filmed naked with wolves. I get that he’s serious as a competitor, but it’s just a shame that other than a catchy chorus, the song is fairly average. I’d like to see Belarus qualify this year. It’ll really boil down to how memorable the performance will be amongst the others.
Score: 6.5/10
Robyn: “Help You Fly” is a decent pop-rock track but it gives me a very strong feeling of Eurovision 2012 and I’m not sure I’m ready to feel nostalgic for four years ago. As experienced as IVAN is, he and Belarus will really need to lift their game beyond the “Heroes”-inspired wardrobe and black and cyan graphics (and by that I don’t mean a naked IVAN and real wolves). There’s a lot of potential here and I’m hopeful that Belarus will realise it.
Score: 7.5/10
In the Wiwi Jury we have 40 jurors but only have room for 12 reviews. The remaining 28 scores are below.
Anthony: 6/10
Antranig: 8.5/10
Cristian: 8/10
David: 1/10
Dayana: 6.5/10
Denise: 3.5/10
Diego: 3/10
Edd: 7/10
Forrest: 2/10
George: 4.5/10
Gökhan: 6.5/10
Jason: 4/10
Josh: 2.5/10
Judit: 5.5/10
Kristin: 6/10
Marek: 7/10
Mario: 3.5/10
Max: 2.5/10
Mike: 2.5/10
Mikhail: 1/10
Patrick: 2/10
Renske: 7/10
Rezo: 1/10
Sami: 6/10
Steinunn: 2/10
Tobias: 2/10
William C: 3/10
Zakaria: 5.5/10
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 0.5 and a high of 8.5.
Really good entry. Anything on the rock ~spectrum~ is always underrated (Slovakia 2012, Finland 2007). I doubt he’s going to qualify without a lot of their neighbours but who knows, cheesecake did and it was pathetically awful.
@Alex: Aye. He’d better have a parachute handy if he falls fast. My #37 after my first evaluation.
4.5 / 10
This song hooked me from the first listen & it has not let go. I know it is not a fan favourite but I found it instantly catchy. It may surprise people & do well in Stockholm. I hope so.
I think too many people are judging the song by Ivan’s appearance.
I rank “Help You Fly” 18 of 43.
news on another Belarusian singer – Uzari. he just got defeated in his first song and leaves the Voice Ukraine project.
https://youtu.be/uszv6W9uMRI
Loved it at first but kinda fell flat after all the other songs came out until… The remake! Breathed life into a near dead entry. Will it be enough for Stockholm? IDK But it’s enough for me in qualifying confidence.
The naked wolf performance could kill ot though unless the televote is enough like Poland in 2014. Juries put them dead last be the televote had Poland in the top 3.
I liked his performance in Amsterdam, he’s a charming guy and has a strong voice!
This is middle of the road dross. It’s not bad and it’s not good. I don’t hate it but I can’t get through the whole song without hitting skip..
Good luck Belarus!
I think a point from Luis is really important when evaluating songs…is the song deserving of a second viewing and performance on stage at the biggest live music event in the world?
Cheesecake and Time were much better than this song, sorry. At least it’s easier to listen to than Solayoh. But the bookmakers give it virtually no chance of making the final, and with good reason. I don’t remember how Ivan was live, but I doubt there’s much he can do to save this song.
Also, William’s review is just >_>
When the song was first selected back in January, I thought, oh this is nice, but it got boring quick. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not the worst song in the world. I just think that there are better songs in the competition. I don’t expect this to qualify but this is Belarus and they have qualified with much worse (cheesecake) and if the staging is going to be what is planned (naked with Wolves) it shall be hideous. I don’t expect it to qualify but it’s an ok song regardless. 4/10 not good, but not bad with Belarus 🙂
This is another example of a song this year having far too simple a chorus and displaying lazy, lazy songwriting. It is a shame as through the verses and the bridge, it does feel like it is building up to something. Ivan’s voice is not the best but through the revamps, they do seem as if they are at least trying to cover this up. The style of music does seem to suit him, however and potentially, with some interesting staging, this might come across as ok. I do not see it qualifying from its semi-final but it will not… Read more »
Quite meh song and a cringy vocals at national finals. One can only hope the final product is so cheap that it’s ‘so bad it’s good’.
2/10 from me.
Really good entry. Anything on the rock ~spectrum~ is always underrated (Slovakia 2012, Finland 2007). I doubt he’s going to qualify without a lot of their neighbours but who knows, cheesecake did and it was pathetically awful.
Wow, 4.32?My fears have come true. I think it’s a bit underrated, this song is one of my favs (5th), I know that the singer nor the song are perfect, but it could have a 6’5/10 perfectly. I’ve never been tired of this song since I heart it in the live auditions. ‘Help you fly’ has some potential and the staging could elevate it (nudity aside) and that will be determinating. IVAN is a good singer too, the fact that you don’t like the voice or don’t find it appealing, don’t make him a bad singer. In fact, you can… Read more »
Hey Wiwibloggs! I understand that you can’t publish all reviews, but why didn’t you publish the one of Antranig? Would have been interesting to know why he gave 8.5 to a song that all the others are killing. 🙂
Same for other reviews, you should at least publish the “extreme” scores or the ones that are not in line. Always interesting to read.
6.5/10
16/43
Oh Ivan.. Ivan… Ivan… Surely they should have been able to find someone better than Ivan for this song. Ruined.
Is it wrong to have this song on a replay since a week ago? #feelingawkward
I like the beginning of the song and the chorus. Especially instrumental. That’s all.
Underated.
3/10
Singer with not strong vocals, repetitive and annoying chorus. The same about Georgia last year.
I don’t think that the description bellow the article should be a negative comment from the reviews…. I am not a fan of Ivan, the song is OKish but it really not necessary to bash him.
A song this year I actually don’t like. 2/10
The verses is good
But I just can’t stand those choruses…. His voice isn’t match with the chorus, I thought.
currently 41/43
Bonsoir Stockholm,
Pas mal je trouve 6/10. J’ai lu beaucoup de commentaires négatifs sur cette chanson et pourtant elle a quelque chose de spécial. Pas la meilleure mais peut-être un peu sous-estimée par l’ensemble des observateurs…
Attendons de voir Ivan chanter tout nu avec des loups !!! On va bien s’amuser !
15e/43
Cordialement,
Maxime
This song is not that bad, but to me he’s one of the weaker performers this year, if not the weakest.
This weakness should be penalized in the semi.
4.5/10
This barely qualifies as an NNM song but when ranked against the rest, this doesn’t stand strong. The first verse and chorus are nice to listen to, with the electronic sounds in the background giving off an 80s vibe. After that, it’s just repetition. The staging for this will be a stand out, assuming that what Ivan wants to have on stage will be on stage. That may not be a good thing, but it will be noticed.
The song is trash, but I met him in Riga, and believe me, he is this year’s hottest guy! Forget about Amir, Sergey or Donny,… Ivan is 1,90mtrs tall, handsome face and great body! but I agree, he is going to stay in semis…
IT IS MY FAVORITE AHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHA.
NVM SAN MARINO IS BETTER.
The Belarussian selection this year didn’t really have many better songs to offer, therefore I was not that negative towards IVAN’s victory some months ago. I kinda liked it even. With all 43 songs out now though, it’s just annoying and definitely one of the weakest of the year.
Well, this song is better than yu-yu-yu ye-ye-ye and all that. Hope he’ll qualify
I agree that the song sounds like a Nickleback B side, but it’s my guilty pleasure this year. I find IVAN’s awkwardness on stage and his look strangely endearing and his vocals fit well with the song. It’s not a work of art but it is a catchy number that’s really grown on me over the last few weeks. Having said that, it didn’t grab me on the first listen so I’m not holding out hope for the final. 7/10
The verses sound promising and then the chorus kicks in. I’m underwhelmed. I also do not want to see him naked on stage with live wolves. It’s inappropriate, dumb and does not match the song. It’s not a horrible song, but leaves me unimpressed.
40th
What’s wrong with wolves on stage? Azerbaijan already has a ‘yowling cat’ on stage.
0 point
I’ll give it this- the chorus is cool and catchy, so that’s why its above so many others, but this is a weak song. Everyone knows its a weak song including Ivan himself, which is why he’s constantly pushing himself forward in the news with all this WILL HE SING NAKED WITH WOLVES bullhonkey. In fact… singing naked with wolves totally sounds like a Florida thing. NEVER go full Florida people, no matter how desperate you are to qualify for a singing competition. Just wear a loincloth and rent the wolf-people from last years Azerbaijani entry, dude. It’s not gonna… Read more »
Have I gone completely crazy because I actually like this one ??
With another singer and without wolves it can be a masterpiece but now just a wasting opportunity. Between Israel and Serbia – both of them are good singers no chance to qualify.
3,5/10 – I don’t understand the hatred for this song! It’s catchy and unique, there’s nothing more to it. The only thing that puts me off is the whole wolves situation. Look, I’m far from any animal organisations, but it just rubs me off in a bad way. He shouldn’t bring live animals to the stage.
3.5
Thus is painful to listen to due to his AWFUL voice, but the song ain’t bad.