The Wiwi Jury — our in-house panel of music unprofessionals — continues to rate and review the 41 competing entries of Eurovision 2019. Next we take a look at Belarus‘ act Zena and her song “Like It”. And did we? Read on to find out!
Zena – “Like It”
“Like It” reviews
Anthony: Having missed out twice at junior level, Zena finally goes to Eurovision with the grown-ups and I seem to “Like It”. A guilty pleasure bop of a song, Zena’s one-sided win didn’t come as a surprise with an improved performance at the national final. However, as the Belarusian juries had the final say, it will be a massive gamble, as Spain found out in 2017.
Score: 8/10
Florian: Belarus has always had a special taste when it comes to their own entries. Ups and downs come and go with every year. Unfortunately, this song just doesn’t connect with me. There’s no personal connection nor does it come by with any sort of original touch that brings something new. The only thing that can really uplift the Belarusian entry this year is the live performance. With excellent staging, there might still be hope for them.
Score: 2.5/10
Luis: Well, you’re gonna like it but are you gonna love Belarus enough to vote for it, Europe? That’s a bit more complicated. Zena is likeable, youthful and has so much confidence despite her young age. All those are great assets, but it is not certain they will be enough for Belarus to pop and make people vote for Zena. This is a low-key banger, which will need to have a much higher impact than the national final performance to make it to the Eurovision grand final.
Score: 6.5/10
Pablo: Good God, girl, take a breather! It feels like Zena doesn’t stop singing for three minutes straight, making “Like It” feel like a barrage of words thrown at the listener. I enjoy the upbeat girl-pop style Belarus is offering, but this feels rushed in more than one way. This one will be extremely fun to perform at karaoke parties, I just know it. Fun and current, but hurried, I’m not sure of Zena’s chances to sell the package and qualify.
Score: 5.5/10
Sebastian: Swedish pop-by-the-numbers and delivered by a teen-something early pop star, “Like It” is exactly that – likeable, safe and friendly. While a hook is there, it doesn’t provide anything revolutionary – more like a B-side track that you’d see by the likes of Zara Larsson or Ava Max. Zena, however, knows how to work a stage and look expensive at the same time. While this won’t win Eurovision, we might be seeing this fast-food pop number do well in light of other non-pop entries which dominate the landscape this year.
Score: 6.5/10
Tobias: “Like It” is probably one of the more memorable choruses in the this year’s Eurovision Song Contest and that is because Zena sings “Like It” no less than 35 times! Thirty-five times to make me like it, but sorry to say I am not going to like it. Even though the chorus is catchy the song itself feels very cheesy and it falls out flat and I suddenly forget about the song after it has been played.
Score: 3.5/10
In the Wiwi Jury we have 29 jurors but only have room for six reviews. The remaining scores are below:
| Angus: 5.5/10
Antony: 6/10 Antranig: 7/10 Barnabas: 4/10 Bernardo: 4.5/10 Calvin: 3/10 Chris: 6/10 Deban: 6/10 Essi: 7.5/10 Izhar: 4.5/10 Jack: 5/10 Jonathan: 7/10 |
Josh: 4/10
Julian: 5.5/10 Kristin: 5/10 Lucy: 4/10 Lukas: 6.5/10 Mikhail: 4/10 Oliver: 9/10 Renske: 6.5/10 Robyn: 8/10 Ron: 7.5/10 William: 4.5/10 |
We have removed the highest and lowest scores prior to calculating the average. This is to remove outliers and potential bias. We have removed a low of 2.5 and a high of 9.
Wiwi Jury verdict: 5.59/10
What do you think of this song? Share your own score and review below!
Meh. I get the idea of having a fun dance song without very impactful lyrics but 1) other countries are doing that much better this year and 2) as much as I think the lyrics shouldn’t be over-considered in that type of song, WOW that second verse makes no sense at all. Add to that that the chorus is very repetitive and even though towards the end, and you get my overall feeling towards this song. A little plus for the pre-chorus (the ‘karma’ part) that I don’t dislike and is even kind of a guilty pleasure for me. Still,… Read more »
I don’t actually hate this. I think it has some similar elements to the Belarus JESC entry this year (in the verses anyway). It does have a 90s feel to it with the guitar. The chorus is a bit horrendous, especially lyrically. From what I’ve heard so far, Zena hasn’t sang this particularly well yet.
It’s more interesting than the boring songs this year but I can’t give it much more than that. Non-qualifier.
Masterpiece 10/10!!!!
Just kidding, 3/10 because I feel generous today.
It is probably one of the most average and impersonal upbeat pop songs this year. But it is enjoyable so I kinda like it. The problem here is that while you like it, you don’t love it. You know what I mean? It could go home or it could sneak into the Gran Final as a borderline, but I wouldn’t expect too much of it. Just enjoy and goodbye. Belarus is my 26th. 13. Armenia (7) 14. Austria (7) 15. Hungary (7) 24. Latvia (6) 26. BELARUS (6) 28. Finland (6) 29. Serbia (6) 30. Russia (5.75) 32. Poland (5.75)… Read more »
It’s criminally underrated…her staging is really interesting and the song really catchy.
It may be a basic pop song but 2019 is lacked of them.
She will go high in my opinion.
7.5/10
awful lyrics that make no sense n flat vocals, but the song issa bop
BELARUS – Belarus had some of the worst NF songs of the season and the most fascinating thing is that they picked a song which probably wouldn’t be in their bottom 20 and still managed to hit the bottom of the barrel. It’s shouty, repetitive and quite annoying. No, saying I’ll like it for over 30 times isn’t going to pursuade me otherwise. It also feels quite cheap and without much effort put into it. Most other weak songs at least have some message behind them, while this is about a teen girl playing a hotshot to impress a guy.… Read more »
My polite comment didn’t make it. So you’ll all have to guess if i like it or not.
Guess you won’t like it!
Guess you won’t like it!
For being too dull!
Guess you won’t like it!
Guess you won’t like it!
I think that’s your view!
Guess you won’t like it!
Guess you won’t like it!
Purple, repeat my review! 🙂
Well I politely said the song wasn’t to my taste. But best of luck in the future, to the artist.
Absolutely! Zena is a gifted singer and with a proper song, she could be a future top 10 potential.
Huh, so even my reply was filtered.
At this point it would help to know what the filtered word is.
I actually quite like this entry I mean it took me a while to understand what she was singing, therefore searching for the lyrics and learning them all, but I don’t think it’s bad I would of preferred Champion but I also like Like it (wow ok) anyway yep from me and she deserves to go to Eurovision after trying to go to JESC. 7/10
This song is not to my taste, but best of luck to Zena for the future.
Bops always have some space to grow when hitting a big stage and this one can improve a lot since the performance in the national final was energetic, but messy. The song doesn’t help though. It’s OK to have “casual lyrics” (“Friend of a Friend” is a perfect example), but these are just rambling.The bridge seems like a product of a bad online translator. Though I must say I think the “tam-da-da-dun” is quite charming. It will be important for Zena to show more control on her voice, especially during the chorus, which is annoying by default. 3.5/10
Again, we are in agreement here, with ratings with less than a point away. Just for curiosity sake, will there be a lower rating ahead, or is this as low as it comes this year?
There’s just one lower rated song in my book…
I’m guessing it’s Croatia or Montenegro. Possibly Georgia…
You mentioned my 41st and my 39th!
I hated the NF performance but, looking at last year, Alekseev’s NF staging was 180 degrees different to what he presented at ESC.
In terms of performance, it’s one of the entries with more room to grow. This could be a nice element of surprise for Belarus, taking attention from how weak the song is.
I wouldn’t rule this out yet, I think it will and should qualify. ZENA is a great performer and the song is one of the like 3 catchy songs in the first half of it’s semi. This is so unbelievably catchy that I don’t care that she won a probably rigged NF. A very solid 8/10
Basic song, basic choreography, average vocals.
The song is disappointing and sounds a bit dated, but Zena knows how to perform well at only 16 years old, so I’m adding a point for that. 5.5/10
Giving a score of 9/10 for this crepe confirms my beliefs that the Wiwi jury is rubbish.
Isn’t everyone entitled to their own opinions? Who are you to judge others’ taste?
Not a bad song , the performer is charismatic and has decent vocals. Some enunciation issues though. I don’t hate it. A 5/10. Got a good running order , so adding a point but lack of support reduces 2 points. I’d guess it to have a 40% shot at going through
I enjoy your predictions but don’t you think that adding a whole point is too much based on the running order? I believe the running order is not that important in the semifinals…
Actually running order does matter for borderline entries ! This is clearly one and the place where it is in the running order , its the only uptempo song in a run of 10 songs from Montenegro to Georgia , so yeah it’s a really good spot for Belarus.
There is not much I find memorable about this song. It does not stick in my head, does not make me want to dance, or laugh, or cry, or whatever. Just leaves me mainly cold. It looks like not much effort has been put in composing this and it won’t be remembered for long. Belarus is my number 29 this year and one of my three sure non-qualifiers of SF1. 8. Russia (7.5/10) 11. Hungary (7.0/10) 16. Ireland (6.5/10) 17. Armenia (6.5/10) 20. Austria (6.0/10) 21. Denmark (5.5/10) 27. Finland (5.0/10) 29. Belarus (5.0/10) 31. Serbia (4.5/10) 39. Latvia (2.5/10)… Read more »
I don’t think this is a certain NQ. Unlike Montenegro, Finland and Georgia
Well, of course nothing is certain but, as much as I dislike “Look away” I would give it a tiny little bit more chance of qualifying than “Like it” (might be wrong, though).
Completely agree with you about Montenegro and Georgia.
The song is pretty decent , but Sebastian’s vocals seem to be the worst of the lot of singers that I’ve heard this year .
Very curious to see who goes through!
How this surpassed Austria and Latvia?
I love Austria and Latvia.
They are boring songs. Like it is repetitive but at least you move on your feet.
bland, unoriginal, could’ve easily been a entry for melodifestivalen, for alcazar i guess
0.5/10
If Sweden sent this the fans would be crazy about it.
For me this song is amazing, one of my favourite Belarussian entries since 2015 🙂
Sweden wouldn’t send it, that’s the thing :p
Are you planning on putting up a review video for this or the other six reviews without corresponding videos yet?
It’s not a good song, I know. Repetitive, unoriginal, bland and gibberish at times, yet I like it. Zena is a really good performer, bringing some youth energy to this year’s contest, and, when nobody’s watching, I often sing to myself “is he gonna like it, is he gonna like it”. It’s a hard one, so I give it… a guilty pleasure/10.
Hahahahaha
The real lyrics are ‘Yes you gonna like it’, but it REALLY sounds like she’s singing ‘Is he gonna like it’.
If it was Sweden sending this song, it would be 7. something.
This is the standard comment used for under average eurovision songs now. We get it: you really don’t like sweden and you feel like it’s overrated by the juries.
Did I say I dislike Sweden…no. I just think no matter what song they send, it’s always overrated. They could send a puking cat and still get into the top 5!
Of course people feel that way after 2015. Italy won the televote, but got robbed by the juries who handed the victory to Sweden, who only came third in televotes.