Despite favourable reviews from Eurovision fans, Greece’s bet on an ethnic-sounding offer in Yianna Terzi’s “Oneiro Mou” went down as the second non-qualification in the country’s otherwise stellar Eurovision resume. And recently Yianna expressed her take on the latest Greek drama.

As reported by OGAE Greece, the “Oneiro Mou” singer appeared on the show “After Midnight” hosted by Eleonora Meleti and spoke out on the experience, all the way from the beginning.

Apparently the Greek team’s support system wasn’t bulletproof.

“The Greek Delegation did not go with complete support,” she said. “It didn’t’t mater who did it! It’s a whole story that I choose to leave behind and concentrate on how much the public and the media supported the song. It was unexpected! There is a story concerning our non-qualification in Lisbon, but I do not want to discuss it. The song influenced the souls of the Greeks and I do not want to spoil that feeling.”

Her route to Eurovision fell on the less conventional side.

“I took part in Eurovision unexpectedly, there was no plan. We composed some other non-Greek songs and we decided that we could give them to a singer for Eurovision. Then there was ERT’s announcement and their decision to take part in Lisbon with a Greek song. My colleagues and I decided to take our chances and let me try a Greek-language one.”

Yianna recalled that the development of Greece’s first fully-Greek song in twenty years was unusually quick. “The composition of the song lasted only 40 minutes. All this happened out of the blue! We sent the demo and I had not even decided [to participate] yet. I had faith in my song. After all it seems my feeling was right! In just two days after the song was officially released, it became a top hit in all platforms.”

It rings true, as Greece placed in the top 10 of the televote portion on a very cutthroat semifinal, but only placed 16th with the juries. Yianna says she is open to returning to the contest, but under conditions that are less haphazard, but could be either singing or composing a song for someone else.

What do you think? Do you think the Greek team could have handled or staged their entry better? Or do you love Oneiro Mou as it is? Let us know in the comments below!

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Ern
Ern
5 years ago

Yianna has a beautiful voice and she writes good music, but lack of “complete support” is NOT why she failed to qualify.

She should have passed “Oneiro Mou” over to a singer with more stage experience, and she should have remained the writer (and maybe a background singer).

Princess Peregrine
Princess Peregrine
5 years ago

I discovered this song when performed in the semi. Under-whelmed by the terrible staging and weird blue hand I forgot about it until a month later when it re-appeared in my head. I downloaded it and realised it was probably my favourite song of this year’s contest. So beautiful in the studio version. I’m glad Greeks took it to their heart even if Eurovision didn’t. Amazing song.

Alex
Alex
5 years ago

The song was one of the best Greek entries of the last decade. However, it was poorly performed by Yianna who didn’t give her 100% and she looked dull. She was alone on stage doing nothing. I don’t know who’s to blame, i assume it’s the whole team and especially ERT.

I just can’t get over how beautiful the song is and how poor the performance was. I think a different singer could’ve pulled it better (even alone on stage). Maybe it’s the case that you should give the songs you write to ‘more talented’ singers.

Jo.
Jo.
5 years ago

When you start with drama, you end with drama.

srulik
srulik
5 years ago

I thin Yiana did her best, there ia bo baliming her for the non qualification. ERT’s team went cheap, built a boring staging, had bad relations between Yiana and her backing vocals and the worst thing – had that blue hand. No one understood the meaning of it, it looked weird, it distracted viewer’s attention from the song and it all floped. I hope she returns cause she deserves being in an ESC final.

Polegend Godgarina
Polegend Godgarina
5 years ago

Greece’s non-qualification this year was one of the hightlights of the contest, honestly. The pretentiousness of ERT in looking for a song that essentially had all the elements of Amar pelos dois, the fact that they gave the ticket to whoever paid the most, the way it was clear it wouldn’t qualify but Greeks got brave saying they’d win, the disastrous performance… whew what an embarrassment.

Esc1234
Esc1234
5 years ago

Take a chill pill Felicia, your hate towards Greece is obvious. Do something more interesting with your life

Polegend Godgarina
Polegend Godgarina
5 years ago
Reply to  Esc1234

*criticizes one Greek entry* OmG You haTe gReeCe!!!1!11!

Esc1234
Esc1234
5 years ago

You are pathetic

Ern
Ern
5 years ago

Without fail, we get an anti-Greek screed from Polegend Godgarina.

josh
josh
5 years ago

The song was great and I actually liked the staging. The issue was the sound, and the way the song was vocally performed on the night sadly. It happens

Rasmus
Rasmus
5 years ago

At first i could see a greek qualification but when the live rehearsels came it was over for me. The blue hand i think was just a typical greek media trick. Some countries always do media trick. Bulgaria, Russia,Greece and of course Armenia that ALWAYS choose their song last so they can see whats missing…..

Henrikh Mugosa
Henrikh Mugosa
5 years ago
Reply to  Rasmus

Don’t forget Sweden, of course. Remember how Loreen choke on a snowflake?

Rasmus
Rasmus
5 years ago
Reply to  Henrikh Mugosa

haha that was not a trick. It was the swedish media

Polegend Godgarina
Polegend Godgarina
5 years ago
Reply to  Rasmus

I called the non-qualification since the beginning. Such a flat song with no elements that would lead anyone to vote for it. I don’t get how most people thought it’d make it? Was it because Bulgaria, Cyprus and Albania were in the same semi?

Rasmus
Rasmus
5 years ago

There are countries who have had all their neighbours in and still didnt make it. I like when people are voting for the song and not the country 🙂

Jo.
Jo.
5 years ago
Reply to  Rasmus

It happens when the SF is very competitive. If it isn’t very difficult to qualify, the neighbouring/diaspora vote will still play a key role.
For example, this year Russia still came 11th with the public, even though the performance was a complete unsalvageable mess.

Pablo
Pablo
5 years ago

For real?
I recalled Greece and Denmark always having extra rehearsals. Denmark due to #snowgate, and Greece for “technical difficulties” that were never stated

Sabrina
Sabrina
5 years ago
Reply to  Pablo

I remember some people were saying that the entry possibly would have some kind of augmented reality effects and that maybe they weren’t ready yet, and that’s why they were having extra rehearsals. Now we don’t know if it was suppose to happen something else or if people were just hoping that this something else would happen because they couldn’t believe the performance was so uneventful!

123
123
5 years ago

Greek Doris Dragovic was the true victim of no led screen in Portugal…imagine if she had some images of the greek landscape or something. It wasn’t that interesting or powerful the way it turned out

Polegend Godgarina
Polegend Godgarina
5 years ago
Reply to  123

Doris Dragovic, sweetie, I’m so sorry…

Henrikh Mugosa
Henrikh Mugosa
5 years ago

What was the meaning behind the blue hand? Anyone knows?

Joe
Joe
5 years ago

Greece, Belgium, and Russia were all classic examples of their delegations dropping the ball when they normally excel. Oneirou Mou deserved so much better than what it got, and if they tightened it up a bit I have no doubt it would’ve been an easy qualifier.

Sabrina
Sabrina
5 years ago

I still think her song has one of the best studio versions of this year’s Eurovision. Yianna’s performance was good, but the staging was very bland and hasn’t helped her at all in the bloodbath semifinal. Her very gracious remarks tend do confirm the impression that something went wrong or the Greek delegation simply hasn’t put the necessary effort on it.

Roy Moreno
Roy Moreno
5 years ago

The Greek delegation handled it all quite wrong…
No pre parties to promote the song (and Yianna herself), awful staging, not the best backing singers (not that they’re bad, they just didn’t match with Yianna’s voice)
The song is not the best one of 2018 but it was a very strong entry which could have potentially qualified to the grand final
I hope they learn their lesson for 2019 and go full power this time to return Greece to their glory days of the early 00’s

Briekimchi
Briekimchi
5 years ago

Loved it. Nothing wrong with how she performed, either. They just didn’t support her in terms of staging or presentation.

Henry
Henry
5 years ago

Oneiro Nou was probably the strongest song along with Toy and Bones. Greek delegation just sucked at doing their job, just like Spain’s

Alex
Alex
5 years ago

Greece was and will forever be my favorite non winner of 2018.