It’s the uplifting anthem that placed fourth at Melodifestivalen 2017. Now “A Million Years” by Sweden’s Mariette has gone on to win the OGAE Second Chance Contest. In the annual competition, OGAE fan clubs vote for their favourite song from the season’s national finals.
“A Million Years” was a fan favourite in the run-up to Melodifestivalen 2017. While it was seen as a potential winner, it ended up placing fourth in the grand final.
But the OGAE Second Chance Contest has given Mariette the victory she missed out on in March. This year’s contest was hosted by OGAE Poland, following last year’s win by Margaret with “Cool Me Down”.
Second Chance is only open to countries who held a national final, and this year that meant 22 entries. They are voted on by OGAE members from around Europe, and the winner is determined using the traditional Eurovision “12 points” voting system.
It was the favourite of the Wiwi Jury, with an average score of 8.27/10. Juror Jordi commented, “she radiates excitement while owing strong and sublime vocals. It feels heavenly. I wish it would last more than three minutes. What a gem!”. While Josh said, “The bungee dancers are an original and well-thought staging choice and the chorus has such a clever hook. I could just about listen to this for a million years. LOVE. IT.”
In second place was Italy, with Sanremo finalist Paola Turci and her song “Fatti Bella Per Te”. Third place went to host country Ukraine, with their national final runner up Tayanna and her song “I Love You”.
Rounding out the top five was Slovenia’s EMA runners-up, BQL in fourth place with “Heart of Gold”, and Lithuania’s Eurovizijos atranka finalist Greta Zazza with “Like I Love You”.
At the other end of the points table, things weren’t looking so good for Georgia (selected by OGAE Rest of the World) and Portugal. Georgian national finalist Maliibu only earned one point for her song “We Live Once”, as did Eurovision 2017 winners Portugal. Festival da Canção voters evidently made the right choice by picking Salvador Sobral over Pedro Gonçalves with “Don’t Walk Away”.
Earlier in the year, we asked wiwibloggs readers to vote for their favourite in Second Chance. Your favourite was Estonia’s Kerli with “Spirit Animal” with 14.19% of the votes, though Mariette was second with 12.99%. OGAE runner-up Paola Turci wasn’t such a favourite with wiwibloggs readers — y’all ranked her 14th with only 2.53% of the vote.
OGAE Second Chance Contest 2017 — official results
- Sweden: Mariette – “A Million Years” (329 points)
- Italy: Paola Turci – “Fatti Bella Per Te” (209 points)
- Ukraine: Tayanna – “I Love You” (196 points)
- Slovenia: BQL – “Heart of Gold” (189 points)
- Lithuania: Greta Zazza – “Like I Love You” (135 points)
- Spain: LeKlein – “Ouch” (124 points)
- Norway: Ella – “Mama’s Boy” (119 points)
- Greece: Demy – “When the Morning Comes Around” (104 points)
- Iceland: Daði Freyr – “Is This Love?” (86 points)
- United Kingdom: Holly Brewer – “I Wish I Loved You More” (80 points)
- Estonia: Kerli – “Spirit Animal” (72 points)
- Albania: Dilan Reka – “Mos Harro” (44 points)
- Denmark: Ida Una – “One” (43 points)
- Hungary: Gabi Tóth & Freddie Shuman feat. Lotfi Begi – “Hosszú Idök” (39 points)
- Belarus: Nuteki – “Take My Heart” (32 points)
- Malta: Janice Mangion – “Kewkba” (32 points)
- Germany: Axel Feige – “Wildfire” (30 points)
- Poland: Carmell – “Faces” (26 points)
- Finland: Zühlke – “Perfect Villain” (14 points)
- Latvia: My Radiant You – “All I Know” (9 points)
- Georgia (OGAE Rest of the World): Maliibu – “We Live Once” (1 point)
- Portugal: Pedro Gonçalves – “Don’t Walk Away” (1 point)
What do you think? Was “A Million Years” a worthy winner? Should Mariette return to Melfest? Share your thoughts below!
Quite surprised for Iceland coming 8th in pretty much vanilla voting
What is it with people taking OGAE voting that seriously? You did it when they voted for the ESC songs, you complain now. It’ not meant to be serious. It’s only a bunch of people voting for songs they like, nothing more. Stop pretending it is something bigger than it is and have fun..
Before you all scream rigged, I can think of some reasons as to why the results are as they are (focusing on Sweden and Estonia in particular, but others as well) 1. Fan recognition: Mariette (as are most returning Mello acts) is well known in the ESC community. She was entered as Sweden’s OGAE representative two years ago as well. If you vote for the artist, you’re more likely to vote for her than anyone else as a typical ESC fan. Kerli was only known in the alternative scene and not too many ESC fans were familiar with her before… Read more »
Expected some braver results. Iceland, Hungary or Estonia should have done better. Nothing exciting in that top five at all.
And this, ladies and gentleman is another proof that the OGAYs have no taste at all
For sure only you has a taste.
Nice try, but the portmanteau username gives it away.
1.5/10
BQL should’ve won. And Portugal and Hungary should’ve been much higher. 🙂
Just bcs none of you knows Paola doesn’t mean the song wasn’t good. I personally liked it, it was my 4th place in this contest. Also, I think Mariette’s victory is justified, she was my second place after Iceland :p And just because Sweden (almost) always wins (they haven’t won in 2015 and 2016), doesn’t mean they shouldn’t win if they have a good song tbh. My personal top 10 would’ve been:
12pts: Iceland
10pts: Sweden
8pts: Lithuania
7pts: Italy
6pts: Latvia
5pts: Slovenia
4pts: Ukraine
3pts: Greece
2pts: Belarus
1pts: Estonia
i’m sorry? this has to be rigged, or the ogae is just a complete flop. italy 2nd? are you kidding me? paola was a complete bore that nobody cared about. i mean i guess you can put gabi in 2nd, but i totally agree with william when he said in the top 3 video that mariette was overrated. kerli totally deserved to win over that giant flop that tried to be iconic. i mean mariette could do good in eurovision, because this year was a flop, but here? nuh uh hunty.
What use does it have to rig a contest for fans? 😛 You know this is just a game, right? What about… they just liked those songs more than the others…? Kinda happens too in ESC, that fan favourites flop.
i added on that ogae might just be a complete flop. i’m just saying that the top 2 deserved top 10 but like mariette 6th and paola 10th. i mean, paola was just a floater and a bore because nobody knew about her. i guess ogae just dont get the 2017 aesthetic taste.
I absolutely love that song!
BQL and Tayanna also in the top 5!
I have to say I wanted Slovenia to win. This song is just great.
Estonia should have won hands down.
i agree
The spirit rats are at it again! That’s like, the worst song in Kerli’s discography, let it go.
I fully agree, Polegend Godgarina (I love the username btw), Spirit Animal was not her best song, but it still deserved at least top10 in my opinion…
Many people said that Kerli would have made it to the finals if she won Eesti Laul instead of Verona but I’ve always been quite skeptical about it and this result looks life a further proof of it… Estonia is a very underrated country at Eurovision but at OGAE SecondChance too, it seems.
Mariette was one of my winning candidates this year, so I’m happy she at least won this:)
it is a bit repetetive but it’s a good song. I think she could have done just as good as Robin, if not slightly better!
And it did not flop. It was one of the most performed and played songs this spring. She’s been everywhere Mariette
Deserved though.
Mariette was good and all, but come on, it’s like a Swedish song finishes in the top 5 minimum every year, how predictable, it did not deserve to win by this much. What was wrong with the voters to rank Hungary and Estonia out of the top 10, but to put generic schlock like Lithuania and Slovenia in there. I don’t have a problem with Italy at 2 and although Ukraine’s song was generic, I’m not surprised to see it so high. Poor Poland and Malta too.
Of course a generic song had to won. Fans voting for a song that Swedes didn’t like and flopped hard in their chart and Spotify.
Well, should we have juries to make up for the public’s tastes at Second Chance too? ?
This is the expected result coming from the OGAE. Diva w/generic song and screams lovers. Mariette isn’t that bad, but didn’t deserved to win the Second Chance.
Paola who?, Tayanna, Greta Zazza, Leklein, Demi, … So glad the OGAE fans don’t choose Eurovision contestants. BQL should have won the whole thing and Pedro Gonçalves should be higher too.
“A million years” was the only one that could have won over Salvador…
Not when it’s as generic as I Can’t Go On but without an interesting performance.
That song from Mariette couldn’t be more generic sigh I guess that’s what really appeals to the ogay’s
Don’t really think this is a deserving winner. Maybe in 2012 it would’ve been, but it’s just so cheesy. Didn’t like it in Melodifestivalen and don’t like it now, but this is the kind of winner I’d expect from OGAE. G:son should just retire.
The OGAYs having no taste and voting for the most generic song in the bunch (surprisingly from Sweden). What a shock.
Should we have juries to make up for the public’s tastes at Second Chance too? 🙂
I love Mariette, and A Million Years was a great song, but seriously… Sweden wins almost every year., making this contest predictable. Ukraine or Estonia should have won.
The winner is great and I’m really happy about the surprisingly good result for Iceland! Anyway I also think many mediocre songs did a bit too well, for example Italy (which I actually really like but 2nd place, really? ?), Spain (OUCH!!!!!!!!) and Greece. Also Georgia, Latvia, Malta, Belarus and Albania should’ve done better in my opinion. My last place probably would’ve been Ukraine (I know I’m going to be the most hated person here after saying this but I just can’t stand this completely unoriginal, predictable and boring entry. Sorry to everyone who loves it ?) My Top 5:… Read more »
How boring, seriously. And how predictable Eurofans are… I’m glad they are just a small part of the real Eurovision contest.
Really underrated:
Denmark Hungary Estonia Malta
Grossly overrated:
Italy Ukraine
OY! Kerli, Gabi AND Janice all getting a raw deal here. 🙁
i mean…. ok then, the song was pretty basic & Estonia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Malta, Poland, Italy, Hungary & Slovenia had better songs but…. whatever.
Estonia Malta Slovenia and Ukraine all are better song than Marietta to me
I also don’t get how my country ( Italy) arrived second,I mean I like that song but is it so good to arrive second ? I don’t think so
Wow Estonia and Hungary flopped…
I’m tired of people who don’t understand Eurovision, and the fun part of it. To have the sense of humor an also self-irony is the secret of being intelligent. Silly anti-esc videos come from usa, as if they understand anything. The ESC trophy is made of glass (GLASS…not gold or crystals) because Europe is like that. Have unpretentious fun, you fool.
Estonia and Hungary – super underrated.
Spain and Italy – super overrated.
Otherwise good results.
I’m surprised to see my country Italy up there. That song is truly nothing special and no one cares for Paola Turci here.
I agree, I don’t hate the song, but 2nd place like what?
329 points is a new record, and the winning margin of 120 points is 29 higher than the previous record set by Empty Room in 2008.
I only like Pedro Goncalves and is hard to forget that he was slaughtered by jury just because he was modern and in english. I’m not saying that he had the ultimate masterpiece, but jury slaughtered him for the wrong reasons, this is why I say that Festival Da Cancao is not really reformed, but it was just lucky in 2017.
The song was just weak song. Even Pedro’s vocals could elevate it because it sounded no different than any generic pop song you on the radio.
The song was nowhere near modern. Imo Pedro was so so awful.
To be fair, “nowhere near modern” still made it about 50 years ahead of all the other FdC contestants.