The Wiwi Jury — our in-house panel of music unprofessionals — continues to rate and review the 41 competing entries of Eurovision 2019. Next we turn to Greece where Katerine Duska has “Better Love”. Were we feeling the love? Read on to find out!
Katerine Duska with “Better Love”
“Better Love” reviews
Sebastian: “Better Love” is the one to watch out for. Serving face, serving sass and serving a voice multiple octaves in range, Katerine Duska is by far one the most sublime vocalists in the contest this year. While obvious comparisons have been made with Amy Winehouse, her high notes rival an experience not to dissimilar to Jamala’s emotional high note in “1944”. And while “Better Love” is distinctly more pop than “1944”, it is also far more aurally accessible and memorable. Get the staging right, and we might be onto a surprise winner.
Score: 9/10
Anthony: Greece have once again crashed out and are seeking a response, but this feels like a case of déjà vu. Just as they did with Demy in 2017, they’ve wheeled out another radio-friendly pop song. Co-written with former Fame Academy winner David Sneddon, “Better Love” is built around Katerine’s unique, raspy vocals and really brings it out. Her live performance on the night will prove crucial.
Score: 6.5/10
Antranig: It’s good to see Greece mixing things up from what they usually send, but opting for a song which sounds like run-of-the-mill ninth place at Melfest? They can do so much better. The verses are fine but the chorus is generic and loses my interest. If you rhyme love with love, I’m not in love. Greece typically do better with the televote than with juries, so sending a song like this, which is major jury bait, is probably a good strategy. It should at least get them to the final but it won’t move mountains, despite the fact that Katerine is one of the most talented vocalists this year. I miss the traditional Greek flavour.
Score: 4.5/10
Luis: Heaven on Earth, welcome back to the game, Greece! After three not-so-good entries from the Greeks, they are taking us to Olympus with this piece of art. “Better Love” is a sophisticated journey in which Katerine’s voice takes you to the moon and back with her stunning vocals and frills. It’s delicate yet powerful, passionate yet elevated; elegant but also very catchy. Better love this, y’all!
Score: 9/10
Oliver: A professional and credible entry coupled with a unique voice, Greece have definitely changed their game plan for Eurovision 2019. The musicality and production value of this entry is something to behold and will definitely be appreciated by juries all over Europe. Will it resonate as well with the people? That remains to be seen. The chorus is definitely catchy but I’m not falling head over heels for this song as much as I was last year.
Score: 6.5/10
Tobias: This year Greece has stepped it up! The music video of “Better Love” feels very contemporary and lavish and so does the song! I am not totally sold on the song but it is something unexpected from Greece, taking a new direction from the typical Greek sound. I can see this do well in Eurovision. Katherine has a strong and powerful voice and I am excited to see what Greece will do on the stage.
Score: 6/10
In the Wiwi Jury we have 29 jurors but only have room for six reviews. The remaining scores are below:
| Angus: 7.5/10
Antony: 7.5/10 Barnabas: 6.5/10 Bernardo: 9/10 Calvin: 7/10 Chris: 7.5/10 Deban: 6.5/10 Essi: 7.5/10 Florian: 6.5/10 Izhar: 8/10 Jack: 8.5/10 Jonathan: 7.5/10 |
Josh: 9/10
Julian: 5.5/10 Kristin: 7/10 Lucy: 10/10 Lukas: 8/10 Mikhail: 6.5/10 Pablo: 6/10 Renske: 7/10 Robyn: 7.5/10 Ron: 8/10 William: 9/10 |
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 4.5 and a high of 10.
Wiwi Jury verdict: 7.41/10
What do you think of this song? Share your own score and review below!
1.- This was never going to win, or even finish in the top 5.
2.- However Greece was treated very harshly. 21st place, just above the earache that La Venda is?
3.- After a few years, I know I’ll be listening to this song. I already forgot the winning entry.
I love Greeces song this year .With a hood staging she will climb the top 5 in the final
Its a 10/10 from me
I would love to know your top 6!
hahahah 4.5 to greece and 7 to estonia??? antranig seriously you have to check your music taste and maybe your life too if music takes a lot of time of your life dude!!!
I like it, but I don’t see this winning. It’s different For Greece and will probably finish top 10 but it’s not among my personal favourites. 7,5/10
Really good!
I definitely favor my country’s beautiful entry this year!
My grade : 7,5/10
Ethereal, emotional and special while following the trend. I think we have never seen this Florence & The Machine sound before in Eurovision. Katerine’s voice is so deep and unique and her vocal range is impressive. Overall a very interesting and promising entry for me. Why has Greece need to sound Greek? Like Spain we can send what we want. If this song was sent by any other country like the UK, The Netherlands, Sweden, … nobody would be complaining. Anyway, as I said when “Better Love” was released, the live performance would either make it or break it. I… Read more »
And I guess Netherlands will get a 9,8 or something…The bias tho…
One of my favourites of this year! 10/10
7.41?!?!?!? Okay that’s criminally underrated, my favourite this year – 10/10
Yeah they probably prepare fast food pop songs like replay or better to say bad copies of ”fuego”
I’m sure Replay and She Got Me will receive very high scores here. (7.8 +) Probably both will be in Wiwi Jury’s personal Top 5.
Colin, agreed. And that’s a crime
Yes,totally agree with you Colin….It seems that a great song like ”better love” is not appreciated at all…it is shame! 10/10 !
“I miss the traditional Greek flavour” – Yes, and every single year, every single country has to send something “regional/cultural/typical” or what?? Get over stereotypes and enjoy the music!
so true!The important is to heve great music and ”Better love” is a great song!
Winner of semi 1, I think!
YAS! Love this song, so unique but so modern and radio friendly at the same time! This is going to do great at ESC 8.5/10
Something I like, current and will do well. Katerina, slay!
Greece is one of those countries the more “shi-shi” Eurofans love to dump upon. And, frankly, it’s sort of funny reading some of the comments, which are just nitpicking.
With a strong performance, this entry is a probable top 10. Likely top 5. Unlikely winner, but who knows? Bottom line: if she performs it well, it will do quite well.
One of the best songs this year and one of the best voices. If the staging is epic in Tel Aviv, I believe it can be a contender. Good Luck Katerine!
It’s probably the best chance of Greece to be in the top 5 of the last few years. I really hope that both the public and especially the juries pay attention to one of the best songs of the year: different, far from ethnic sounds, modern and still epic and anthemic. I’ll definitely vote for this one!
I want to like this song but it bores me to tears- the chorus is so non existent. 6/10
I also don’t get exited about this song, it’s pleasant but the chorus is very repetitive. A 6 for me.
Good song but hey, they had a good song last year. At least they did some of the pre-parties and know that she needs some vocal help to deliver this. They need to give her Demy-levels of backup and they should achieve a good result. Don’t be leaving it to chance now.
Not sure she needs much help if she was indeed sick. Regarding Demy’s backup vocals, I think 2 of the girls that supported Demy will be supporting Katerine as well.
Credit where credit is due. They were fantastic. “This Is Love” was definitely a highlight for me.
Antradig’s comment is the best example of how people use the word generic to describe something that is not ethnic. You can have a trashy dance song as long as it has something to do with identity and a traditional sound. It is basically nostalgia for what the contest used to be a decade ago. As a greek, I really do not remember a genuine representation of our “traditional” music in the contest the last 20 or 25 years. The female solo singer, ethnic bop is NOT what the Greek music industry produces. Those were songs capitalizing on Helena Paparizou’s… Read more »
Well said. Enough with the pseudo-ethnic demands already!
So some graded the song low just because it is not ethnic or doesn’t have Greek sound. This is absurd. People expect from Greece to send bouzouki and “opa” every year but the same doesn’t go for the other countries. None complains about the rest of the countries that never send a song with ethnic vibes but when Greece does then people get disappointed. As a Greek I hate this, I like the fact that you appreciate our music but Greek music is not only bouzouki. If this song represented another country none would comment on how they miss the… Read more »
I totally agree with you. What makes a Greek entry is the people who are behind it, not an ethnic element that doesn’t always have to be there.
I am pretty sure Sweden has its own language and ethnic sounds too yet none complains about them missing EVEY SINGLE YEAR. And if “better love” represented Sweden none would point out their disappointment at the lack of Swedish sounds and language and it would end up with an average of 8-9 the least
So well put kkar!
It’s so strange but I don’t like the song, it’s pretty down in my table… Does this song have any meaning or? Anyway, I don’t relate to the lyrics. And the vocals, chrous are not my taste also. Also I usually love Greece songs – ethnic, dancy, fun, female singers etc, but this I just don’t feel somehow..
As someone who had Yianna as my #1 she was a surefire qualifier until that performance. The vocals were underwhelming, the staging was nonexistent and that blue hand, what did that even mean? One of the best Greek entries ever if you ask me but it just didn’t come together on stage.
The video is outstanding. Obviously the live performances so far have asked questions, but I’m going to focus on the music instead. Musically the song is mainly locked into the following sequence: E-Flat, C-min, E-Flat, A-Flat. What’s unusual about the song is the lack of a dominant chord. While the B-flat is hinted at several times in the instrumentation, the chord that goes with it never fully materialises. Even the development bridge goes out of its way to avoid using the dominant chord – clever stuff. The song is trying to prove that there is a “better way” to write… Read more »
To be clear: I think this is a very strong entry and I hope Katerine does well for Greece. 🙂
This is one of the few songs this year that sounds like it is from 2019. I love her vocals and the progression in the song is great although the lyrics are a bit bizzare. It does have a good hook and coming from a person who tends to dislike Greeks for hijacking everything with ‘Greece is the best’ , this year I think they might do well. A 9/10 for me. A great running order adds a point and the support of people adds another point. Essentially this is qualifying 100%.
Yianna Terzi had the worst vocals of ESC 2018. What do you even mean?
‘She didn’t miss the final because she or her song was bad’ – False statement
Lol , no point in arguments here but facts remain facts
Facts: The song is anthemic,modern,epic and really great!It grows on you day by day!Katerine has one of the bets voices that have ever passed from the contest!She is a great mix of Adele,Amy Whinehouse and Annie Lennox,if the staging is in the same line with the video then i am sure that this will fly to the top 5!It will win it semifinal for sure!Eurovision needs art and quality,and this year’s Greece’s song offers all that,great!Good luck!
The voice of Jess Glynne! (That was what Consi said in the German check and asked if he is the only one stating this – no, you are not 🙂 ) I absolutely love this entry! And finally, no stereotypical Greece “folklore”, but a modern popsong. Love it, love it, love it!
Totally agree,great song and it is not that we need traditional greek sound each year,love this entry!
Jess glynne is one of my favorite singers. I hope she will represent the uk one day.
Her voice reminds me of Alison Moyet’s deep voice.
I don’t quiet get the hype yet. It’s starting to grow on me, and I imagine it will breeze through to the final but I feel like something is missing ( live this may change). 6.5/10
Fear there may be a chasm between video version and the live. Vocals are an issue.
The studio version is great. The only live version I have seen was far from great.
She was not okay but she will be in Madrid to show people she can sing. You should also check her rehearsals, she sounds great!
Good to hear! It ‘s a great song, and it deserves a good live performance
Katerine’s voice has qualities that few others can assemble. Her tone is rich, distinctive and silky. Which means that when she nails her vocals, she will make any song sounds more sophisticated. At the same time I regret she’ll sing something so mainstream, I understand that playing safe with the song choice is focusing on their biggest asset. “Better Love” isn’t groundbreaking, but well produced and ellegant. The final act, when the backing vocals join, is radiofriendly but also perfect for a performance piece. In terms of staging, I hope they’ll stick to the same lane of the video. It… Read more »
Thanks. About: “If she wakes up a little under the weather or nerves kick in, everything can fall apart.“ – That’s the same for every artist though. The particular issue with Katerine is how she has so far been unlucky with it on the “tour”, as it were. But this could all be a red herring, and things might be ten times stronger for ESC. Tough to predict.
True. But when the vocals are the selling point, any flaw will be potentialized. Of course, if she had killed in the pre-parties, we possibly would be talking about Greece’s increasing it’s betting odds. But we’ll have to wait to see the real potential of the entry.
I mentioned nerves, but I really don’t think it’s her case. I’m more worried of a cold or something like that. Her voice is a wonderful instrument, but also a delicate one. I’ll be rooting for her when the time comes.
Great song !!
8.5/10
Well as I see Greece seems to be the most hated country in Eurovision…whatever we send seems to be hated…we send an ethnic pop song you don’t vote for it…we send a ballad you don’t vote it…we send a modern pop song..everybody says why we don’t send a song with more ethnic elements…
I’m sick of all these things …I really hope we withdraw for good the next year!
Kisses!
Well, most people really dig this song, including me. Betting odds put you first at the semi. Hardly hated. Of course, every song will have naysayers, but Better Love is praised by majority. Imagine if you were Latvia, Moldova or Georgia.
i don’t want you guys to withdraw, you guys if going for song with ethnic elements, go for a fun bop then like you had in OPA or alcohol is free
oniro mou was a lovely ballad, but in the end traditional greek music does better in fun bops at eurovision than in ballads i think
The issue last year was that she couldn’t sing (that specific song at least) and the presentation was off. You can’t be singing a mourning/dramatic song and smile at the camera (imagine if Jamala did that for example). Also, even with all that in mind, last year, Greece did well in the televoting. I probably agree that fun ethnic bops are better suited to Greece than ethnic ballads (leave that to Serbia who are THE masters). The problem is though that fun bops won’t probably appeal to the judges as we’ve seen with OPA or alcohol is free. So, I… Read more »
Her singing was totally not bad. But I agree for the presence of her and the staging. It was clear that her mind was off, she was dissapointed of the technical problems and just gave up I assume.
“which sounds like run-of-the-mill ninth place at Melfest” – probably the most frustrating comment I’ve read in Wiwi lately. I never understood why every single country and song has to be compared to Melfest. Especially, in the last few years where they have good songs but as other people have said most of them have quite repetitive sound etc. Otherwise, I agree with people saying that it will all come down to her voice in the night of SF and is natural for people to be worried following last year’s performance. Personally, I expect Katerine to sound a bit worse… Read more »
Antranig has a tradition of writing…funny comments.
Melodifestivalen wishes to have such a song, as Better Love.
Hopefully, she will not be sick during semifinals.
Greece… When I got to know that Katerine will go to Eurovision, I was intrigued. I checked out one of her song… hey, pretty cool. I checked another… oh, it’s even better! I ended up listening to the whole album multiple times and “Won’t Leave” all week on repeat. I was super super hyped. And then came the song… It was pretty good. Didn’t match my expectations tho. Kate’s vocals are amazing, we all know that. Song’s production is also on the highest level. I didn’t expect that English pop radio song, yet it’s very pleasant to listen to. For… Read more »
Nicely put, Tibor. It’s a great song, with Katerine’s unique voice being it’s greatest asset. Fun fact – it’s currently sitting just outside of my top 10, at 11th spot, but considering how I always re-check everything before writing a review, it’s not hard to imagine Greece being a part of my final top 10. 🙂
love the song, i am in love with Katerine’s beautiful unique voice, she got the beauty and the talent
fun fact, david sneddon co-wrote baby get higher for our dutch singer VanVelzen 9 yrs ago, and he’s now on her composer team, Leon of athens is a good artist himself as well, i saw on YouTube comments people loving it he teamed up with katerine to make this great ballad bop
my score: 10/10
Finally an entry I can be positive about. I fell in love with “Better love” at first listen. Sure it sounds very Annie Lennox (reminds me of “No more I love yous”) but… what is the problem with that? The comparison comes mainly because of Katerine’s voice, which has that same rich undertone, but that is not a bad thing at all, and the song is just good enough to stand out on its own merits. The song is very smooth and every part fits in it perfectly, taking me on a flight without turbulence to a nice, balanced final… Read more »
Fun fact: That’s the highest score a Greek entry has ever achieved with the Wiwi Jury
Just your ordinary love popsong. They tried it in 2017. 2/10
Greece didn’t qualify last year despite Cyprus being in the same semi. Hoping for another boring staging and surprise NQ. Dont bother leaving a reply to tell me off I won’t read it anyway. You’ll still do it for the upvotes, I know.
“Don’t bother replying I won’t read it anyway”
Well aren’t you just the most rational, pleasant person to be around?
No one cares about you Felicia, bye
I think it is one of the best studio cuts of the year. 7.41 does not do any justice to the song. As a Turk, I am saying well done neighbors.
GREECE – This year, they are bringing us something very different from their usual, heavily ethno-influenced formula. With a title like ”Better Love” I was expecting something generic, but surprisingly, it turned out to be an interesting song with a calming atmosphere, yet some cool dark undertones. Katerine’s voice is very special and creates a certain ”trust in me” vibe, with being both reassuring and a bit unnerving. This entry has something to say about love and equality and does it slowly, with sophistication. It doesn’t properly climax at the chorus, but the final chant with Katerine and all the… Read more »
Yass! Go get that first place, gurl!
robbed
She wrote on her Instagram that she was robbed of 100 Pounds from her purse while in London.
Yeah that’s realistic. 🙁