Four acts have already made it through to the next round of Latvia’s Supernova 2017, but another eleven are yet to perform. So the Wiwi Jury, our in-house team of music unprofessionals, turns its eye to the acts taking part in the second heat of Supernova. Will UP, Laura Lo & Chris Oak and Miks Galvanovskis shine bright like a supernova? Or is this more a case of a falling star? Read on to find out…
UP – “One by One”
Chris: Latvia does First Aid Kit and I am IN LOVE. This is easily one of the standout tracks of the national final season so far, let alone Supernova 2017. The vocals have an ethereal aggression behind them which really lifts it up. This is a case where simplicity will hopefully fill the stage. Perhaps the song loses pace towards the very end, but it’s still well clear of the competition.
Score: 8/10
Robyn: There’s something very interesting going on here. “One By One” has taken a traditional folk ballad format and blended it with sassy R&B style lyrics. The mix of the modern and traditional brings a slightly uneasy feeling, in a very clever way. But ultimately it feels a bit too small, too enclosed to work as a Eurovision entry.
Score: 7/10
Jason: “One by One” gives me life. Fresh, interesting and lyrically clever, it is unlike most Eurovision songs I have heard. Don’t get me wrong, I love ballads and dance stompers, but something about this just grabs me. It could totally be the theme-tune for a hip new Netflix series! This style of entry has done very well for the Netherlands in the past few years, so for Latvia to chose UP would not be a huge risk. Good work!
Score: 10/10
Josh: I am all about this entry. “One by One” is poetic, dramatic and tells a story that is easy to follow. UP combines elements of Nancy Sinatra and a dash of Kylie Minogue & Nick Cave’s “Where The Wild Roses Grow” into a memorable Eurovision song. If the staging is original and memorable, this could be a dark horse in this year’s competition.
Score: 9/10
Zakaria: This is like Björk meets Nancy Sinatra, with a pinch of Lana del Rey. In other words, “One by One” is amazing! Unlike most songs in the Eurovision bubble, the lyrics actually tell a story, which can cleverly be translated on stage. I can totally see this going to Kyiv and even contending for the win, providing that the staging is done perfectly. Something animated would be perfect.
Score: 9/10
Andy: Someone let Björk’s evil sister out of her cage made of birch branches and starlight! I can’t decide whether to run away or worship at her feet. Clearly a song with a message — yet I have no idea what it is. Quite frankly, I don’t care, either. The folksy yet hip-swinging story lends itself to a fireside singalong, where everyone stands and sways to the steady beat of a tambourine.
Score: 7/10
In the Latvian Wiwi Jury, we have 15 jurors, but room for only 6 reviews. The remaining scores are below:
Antranig: 10/10
Bernardo: 6.5/10
Dayana: 10/10
Jordi: 7.5/10
Forrest: 7.5/10
Kristin: 8/10
Luis: 7.5/10
Renske: 7/10
Sami: 4/10
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 10.
WIWI JURY VERDICT: 8.0/10
Laura Lo & Chris Oak — “Little Weird”
Chris: A lovely song with some of the weirdest (and vaguely stalker-ish) lyrics I’ve come across. But then again, it’s a song called “Little Weird”. All I know is that I really like it. Laura and Chris really shine here. It’s instantly charming and would surely go down well at Eurovision.
Score: 7.5/10
Robyn: This is adorable. A really sweet, romantic duet that uses its electronic sound to bring a sweeping cinematic feeling. It works because the trendy electronica works in service of the singers. Laura and Chris are allowed to be the stars. All that’s left is to see if the live performance can expand on things, perhaps with some killer chemistry between the two.
Score: 7/10
Jason: Cute and sugary, “Little Weird” would be the perfect soundtrack to any tween’s summer romance. Laura and Chris sound nice together and the track is very well produced. It would not sound out of place on any pop radio show. However, for me it borders on bland. I could see this getting stuck in the semi-finals unfortunately. Sugar is good — but I like some more spice!
Score: 6.5/10
Antranig: It might be called “Little Weird”, but there is nothing weird about it. This feels like very conventional pop, which is certainly not a bad thing. Not only that, but you rarely find a duet where one performer doesn’t outshine the other. Laura and Chris are a perfect match. While this isn’t pushing the boundaries of creativity, it’s a respectable effort with plenty of staging potential.
Score: 7/10
Luis: You know you’re doing things right when your song has all the elements to be a cheesy act…and it’s not that at all. Laura and Chris bring a lovely duet that could be the soundtrack of any teen movie. Hopefully, they’ll add chemistry on stage into the equation and take this to another level. There’s a contender here!
Score: 7/10
Andy: A bubbly breath of fresh air. I’m in love with this song — it could also be that it is like nothing else in Supernova. A sweet radio-ready pop duet with flavours of Ellie Goulding and colours of Olly Murs. Get this, too — the lyrics actually make sense! The song could be a mainstream crowd-pleaser, though I don’t expect it to go to Eurovision. The challenge will be in the live performance — whether the vocals can match the size of both the song and the arena.
Score: 8.5/10
In the Latvian Wiwi Jury, we have 15 jurors, but room for only 6 reviews. The remaining scores are below:
Bernardo: 7.5/10
Dayana: 10/10
Forrest: 7/10
Jordi: 6/10
Josh: 7/10
Kristin: 8/10
Renske: 7.5/10
Sami: 6.5/10
Zakaria: 6/10
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 6 and a high of 10.
WIWI JURY VERDICT: 7.15/10
Miks Galvanovskis — “Runaway”
Chris: “Ugh”. That was my reaction about a minute in to the song. The sound is more dated than throwback and the whole thing feels sleazy. It’s not terrible, but it’s just not enjoyable and it certainly isn’t suited to repeat listens. You’d probably have to pay me to do that.
Score: 3.5/10
Robyn: The success of this song will depend on whether you buy the fantasy of a guy in a bar, circa 1986, trying to pick you up. I like the old-fashioned seductiveness of “Runaway”, how he’s throwing out all his best lines in an attempt to find a baby who’ll run away with him. I’m feeling generous. Miks is welcome to buy me a wine cooler.
Score: 7/10
Jason: “Runaway” is certainly not one of my favourites in Latvia’s selection this year. The dated, cheesy vibe just doesn’t appeal. I think I would rather run away from Miks. Latvia missed six finals in a row between 2009 and 2014, and if it wants to add to the collection, then “Runaway” is definitely the way to go.
Score: 1.5/10
Kristin: Would I let Miks buy me a drink at the bar, without analyzing it for Rohypnol first? Yes, no, maybe, yes? I honestly don’t know! “Runaway” is a tricky song. I really like it, but at the same time, I feel like I should despise it. To hell with it: I like this song and Miks can buy me that drink! The runaway part will be up for discussion soon.
Score: 8/10
Luis: I understand this song is what Knucklebone Oscar and the Shangri-La Rubies wanted to get. This is how you actually do it. Miks keeps it classy and manages to bring the first truly seductive song of the year. It’s a very nice mix of the 80s and the current pop scene. “Runaway” ticks all the right boxes, y’all!
Score: 7/10
Andy: I can’t tell whether “Runaway” is cheesy or classy retro. Perhaps somewhere in between? After just a couple listens I’m bored and really don’t want to listen to it again. I think there is a great foundation and could benefit from a reworking. The funk vibe ruins it for me. It reminds me of a slightly more bankable version of Serhat’s “I Didn’t Know” — but only slightly. This song could benefit from an update and a revamp.
Score: 5/10
In the Latvian Wiwi Jury, we have 15 jurors, but room for only 6 reviews. The remaining scores are below:
Antranig: 3/10
Bernardo: 5/10
Dayana: 5/10
Forrest: 3.5/10
Jordi: 6.5/10
Josh: 4/10
Renske: 4/10
Sami: 3/10
Zakaria: 4/10
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 1.5 and a high of 8.
Let’s just hope that Agnese will improve her live vocal skills, so One By One could be magnificent performance, and (hopefully) take one of the spots in semi final, by beating Miks Galvanovskis (who is quite popular between Latvians who like cheap schlagers) and Markus Riva (who does not deserve a place in semi final this year)
OMG, “One By One” is horribly overrated! What is there to like in that boring and annoying song?
“Runaway” is cringeworthy.
“Little Weird” is the only decent one here, it’s very cute and appealing.
@Poet….I agree completely. Strange to read that the jury found LITTLE WEIRD to be stalker-ish, but ONE BY ONE’s chasing someone down with a gun doesn’t. I agree that ONE BY ONE would make a good opening credit song for a new Netflix drama. But not Eurovision. I imagine the staging all in red or black and someone tiptoeing around with a gun. I hate the gun imagery.
Interesting reviews. I was surprised to see so similar reviews for the first two songs. I like them as well, but didn’t expect such a consensus among most of the jury.
There is something sweet, but nicely sweet in ‘Little Weird’.
I’m struggling to like ‘One by One’ although it would be a great background music.
I thought wiwi jury’s gonna give low marks to one by one! As they only love eurotrash pop
Wigs flying at both UP and Laura Lo + Chris Oak. Both outstanding productions. One by One’s lyrics are so damn well-written, also.
Can’t say the same about Miks. He sounds like Juri Pootsmann got drunk and recorded something. Extremely cheaply-produced song with the worst lyrics I’ve ever heard. It takes a certain ability to make “tonight” rhyme with “night”… Lord have mercy!
Whew @ the universal acclaim for One by One – the reviewers were truly as snatched as I was by the perfection of that tune.