Latvia: Wiwi Jury reviews Katrine Lukins & Markus Riva

Our time in Riga has come to an end and our Supernova 2017 Wiwi Jury needs to as well. Over the past two weeks, we’ve reviewed 20 of the acts in Latvia’s selection. Today we end with the final two acts who will be participating in tonight’s second heat.

The acts in this review are Katrine Lukins and long-time favourite Markus Riva. Will it be fourth time lucky for Markus, and what does our jury think of his chances? Find out below!

Katrine Lukins — “Silhouette”

Chris: “Silhouette” is an inoffensive pop song with a good progression. It doesn’t sound dated and there’s a fairly good singer behind it. That’s…kind of it, though. It’s not a standout in any way — it’s just too generic. If Katrina’s dancing in the lyric video is an indication for the stage performance, I doubt this will blow me (or anyone else) away. She’ll need a lot to qualify.

Score: 6/10

Robyn: Yep, this is a by-the-numbers Eurovision entry. The song structure is good, the production is good and Katrine is a talented singer. But there’s no magic. There’s nothing about “Silhouette” that makes me want to listen to it again, none of the “OMG” feeling from a stand-out Eurovision track. It feels like it’s here to make up numbers.

Score: 5/10

Jason: Latvia! What is the point of having so many filler tracks at Supernova? At least half of the 22 entries should  could be cut before the heats begin. Quality over quantity baby. “Silhouette” does not stand out for any reason. It is bland, forgettable, uninspiring etc etc — next please!

Score: 4/10

Josh: Another formulaic electro-ballad from Latvia. Why am I not surprised? Katrine has a beautiful voice with a lovely tone but it’s let down by a frustratingly predictable instrumental, which, much like a lot of other entries in Supernova 2017, makes the song forgettable.

Score: 5/10

Kristin: If there was a safety instruction pamphlet about what is suitable for Eurovision, this song would be on the front page. It ticks all the boxes. A beautiful singer with a smooth voice, inoffensive lyrics, modest beat and a catchy chorus. “Silhouette” is as safe as a babyproof room that has been covered in bubblewrap, disinfected multiple times and with fire exits on all sides. Bless their hearts!

Score: 5/10

Luis: Katrine’s song may be the safest thing ever. “Silhouette” follows a recipe, but stand out songs are made by experimenting. The song isn’t bad, but there’s nothing memorable about it. She sings well, her song is fine. Congratulations, you’ve created a perfect song…for Youtube’s free use library.

Score: 4/10

In the Latvian Wiwi Jury, we have 15 jurors, but room for only 6 reviews. The remaining scores are below:

Before calculating the average score, the highest and lowest scores are dropped. This is to remove outliers and reduce potential bias. We have removed a low of 4 and a high of 6.

WIWI JURY VERDICT: 4.96/10

Markus Riva — “Dynamite”

Chris: Less of an explosion, more of a quite pop. “Dynamite” is a huge improvement on “I Can” from 2016, but that’s not really saying much. Unfortunately, the song just starts to run out of steam by the end. It’s far from a lyrical masterpiece as well, but Markus may be able to lift it up with his stage performance. Right now though, I can see much better entries for Latvia.

Score: 5.5/10

Robyn: “Dynamite” is easily better than Riva’s disappointing 2016 entry “I Can” — but it’s still not as good as his 2015 entry “Take Me Down”. “Dynamite” is full of drama, and it’s highly enjoyable to hear the instrumentation build and intensify, delivering even more drama. The chorus doesn’t quite deliver though. Hearing Riva repeatedly sing “dynamite, dynamite” doesn’t give the killer drama the song needs.

Score: 7/10

Jason: “Dynamite” is a another solid entry with instant appeal from Markus Riva. However, much like his previous efforts, this lacks something. Right now he’s coasting, but to do really well, more is required: more passion, more drama, more meaning. Take everything up a notch Markus, and then you’ll be where you want.

Score: 7/10

Kristin: Supernova without Markus Riva is like toast without cheese. You settle for it, but deep down you know it’s all wrong. “Dynamite” is a solid tune and the kind of song that should definitely win, but probably won’t. But damn it, I like this, and I wouldn’t mind if Markus finally takes the trophy and represents Latvia. It’s his time — give Markus a chance!

Score:8/10

Antranig: In the past I have always enjoyed Markus Riva’s entries, but found them to be lacking in substance. They have all been completely fine without ever being great. Unfortunately for “Dynamite”, it’s much the same. Sending Markus would never be a bad choice for Latvia, but he’s yet to find the amazing song he deserves.

Score: 7/10

Zakaria: I never got the hype around Markus Riva and still don’t. His voice is nothing exceptional and the song is very repetitive and boring. It’s hard to remember anything from the song other than “Dynamite, dynamite…”. I wouldn’t even put this in the race for the win but seeing the hype around him (and not the song) this year, I fear this might be Latvia’s entry in Kyiv.

Score: 3/10

In the Latvian Wiwi Jury, we have 15 jurors, but room for only 6 reviews. The remaining scores are below:

Before calculating the average score, the highest and lowest scores are dropped. This is to remove outliers and reduce potential bias. We have removed a low of 3 and a high of 9.5.

WIWI JURY VERDICT: 6.85/10

See all of our Supernova rankings here

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