The Wiwi Jury — our in-house panel of music unprofessionals — continues to rate and review the 41 competing entries of Eurovision 2019. Next we look at Slovenia‘s couple Zala Kralj & Gašper Šantl with their song “Sebi”. Did we feel their message? Read on to find out!
Zala Kralj & Gašper Šantl – “Sebi”
“Sebi” reviews
Deban: Slovenia is serving cinematic, spellbinding contemporary electronica this year. At first glance, you may think that this unassuming couple aren’t competing — they appear to be a glimpse into the “Dare to Dream” musical programme. Introspective in delivery whilst unpacking a wide range of sensory emotions, “Sebi” is undoubtedly 2019’s dark horse to peak in the top quarter of the Eurovision Grand Final.
Score: 8.5/10
Angus: I won’t deny that Slovenia’s national final performance was visibly arresting. But part of the intrigue, and hypnotising quality, is that this plays against all the known rules of a successful Eurovision performance. And that’s where the problems lie with “Sebi”. The song has a very linear progression. Stripped of the performance the studio sounds cold. And because there’s virtually no eye contact with the camera, or between the couple or lighting on stage, it’s difficult to engage in. So while you can appreciate it from a distance, it doesn’t leave me with a great impulse to listen again or vote for it.
Score: 3/10
Antony: When listening to this song, you are taken on a journey. There is that spiritual electronic sound with the subtlety of Zala’s voice that carries you through, and the result is something unique, special and magical. It is the kind of performance that is divisive but also, it has not been seen before at Eurovision. If placed appropriately in the running order, this could stand out that it could well and truly be a sleeper success in the contest.
Score: 7/10
Ron: While I do appreciate this song’s qualities such as the lyrics, the melody and Zala’s special voice, it leaves me with no real impact (and I have listened to it many times). It’s nice, it’s pleasant and cute, but is it enough to get votes or for viewers to remember at the end of the night? It reminds me of Portugal’s entry from last year, which got a similar score from me, but it had much more impact and was much better. In addition to that, the national final performance of “Sebi” could have been much better and didn’t really do it justice. In that aspect, I was left disappointed as well, so I hope their staging in Tel Aviv will be improved.
Score: 5.5/10
Julian: I really like Slovenia this year. “Sebi” is such an intimate yet powerful song due to its simplicity. This song hypnotises me every time I hear it and I love the mixture of the modern electro sounds combined with only three chords which dominate the whole three minutes. However, I have fears that it might won’t qualify because there also will be people who find it annoying or just boring. And I sadly can understand those people even though I like it.
Score: 7/10
Robyn: “Sebi” is an intriguing song. Zala is right in there with her ASMR vocals (something that worked for Lithuania last year) and a pleasantly meandering melody. The song is rich and luxurious and holds so much potential. The key to it all will be the staging. The audience needs to be right there. The national final staging — where Zala gazed at Gašper as he played his guitar, twiddled with the synth knobs and rocked back and forth — isn’t focused enough for Eurovision. If Slovenia can get that right, “Sebi” could do very well in Tel Aviv.
Score: 7/10
In the Wiwi Jury we have 29 jurors but only have room for six reviews. The remaining scores are below:
| Anthony: 8/10
Antranig: 3.5/10 Barnabas: 6.5/10 Bernardo: 5.5/10 Calvin: 3/10 Chris: 7.5/10 Essi: 5/10 Florian: 4.5/10 Izhar: 7/10 Jack: 10/10 Jonathan: 5/10 Josh: 9/10 |
Kristin: 7/10
Lucy: 9/10 Luis: 9/10 Lukas: 6/10 Mikhail: 4.5/10 Oliver: 9.5/10 Pablo: 6/10 Renske: 8/10 Sebastian: 6/10 Tobias: 6/10 William: 8/10 |
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 3 and a high of 10.
Wiwi Jury verdict: 6.61/10
What do you think of this song? Share your own score and review below!
I still can not believe that they are so “well” positioned on bookmakers, I do not know why they have so much emphasized.
Hi! If you look back to the wiwi jury review of Portugal 2017 when Sobral win the competition you can see he get I believe 6.59 . So I think is still hope for Slovenia. Winner? Not. Top 10? In the final absolutley. Lep pozdrav!
The biggest part of the viewers(of the contest itself) will be so bored of this one, that they’ll be in need of going to toilet….so stop saying such big words about this “song”…
You are just dumb and don’t know anything about music so i have nothing to say to you than just to stop trying to be smart with words if you’re stupid…….
How is this not above a 7? I’m so sad ;-;
This is my biggest grower this year. My 10th place.
I was completely indifferent towards “Sebi” when it won the Slovenian national final.
My review: I love this song. Its so atmospheric and soothing. It sets a mood for me, and its a good mood. Even though I don’t speak Slovene, I still find myself singing along with the melody and the lyrics. This is in my Top 10 and my 6th overall. I hope they slay the staging in Tel Aviv and qualify for the final. After that, I don’t know where it could place in the final. I hope to God that it places somewhere on the left hand side, preferably in the Top 10. I will feel real anger and… Read more »
I forgot to add that I (personally) think the Wiwi Jury score for this song is too low. However, I can understand that for some people, it does not create a mood, or they find it boring.
(I also think that Angus’s score of 3 is too low, but I can somewhat understand his reasons)
It’s like a demo song for me and it doesn’t take me to anywhere.
In the words of the amazing Helena Paparizou:
“YOU ARE THE ONE, YOU’RE MY NUMBER ONE”
The fact that “Sebi” has a lower score than Romania or Russia here makes my eye twitch. I’m still hoping for a Portugal 2017 kind of victory, but knowing that won’t happen probably, at least a Top 10. The dark horse of the year! Hooked since they won EMA!
the melody is so forgettable
Who gives this a 3 has no understanding of contemporary pop music. This is simply a really good electronic pop song, probably the only song this year that would also get good reviews on serious music sites. It’s not Eurovision at all, but that’s the trend so maybe that makes it very Eurovision indeed 😉 The lyrics are also great… at least in translation. That’s the only problem this song has: it could have done a Common Linnets if it was in English. Now I’m afraid too few people will really connect to it, it’s way more understated than Amar… Read more »
This song doesn’t need an epic staging, the song is honest and the chemistry between these two is palpable. That’s why I think it will do well, but if it was in English it could actually have won.
My Winner. Its just so so good!
The more I listen to it the better it gets. Hope it can make an impact on the big stage..
i feel like thats the biggest problem with the song.. people that will listen to it only once or maybe twice if it gets to the final most probably won’t experience that magic that we do after more than 10 listens.. it’s a shame
SLOVENIA – Beautiful and touching, it calmly sucks one in it’s whirlpool of emotion and contemplation of what makes true love and connection. Speaking of, Zala and Gašper feel truly connected on stage, performing as one. There is something genuinely moving in their performance. Of course, one has to be in the mood to take it in. It’s a really slow and minimalist song, not something that could be described as a bop or a power ballad by any means. I find it special and lovely. It doesn’t need a climax, per se, but a slight variation in the final… Read more »
Today I am making an exception. I am sending my Slovenian review before my Croatian one. I will post the other one soon. Cheers, everyone!
I’ve been thinking about ways of staging this one and I would love if they tried something like starting with a sunset, going to a full black night full of stars and ending it with the sunrise. I think it would suit the lyrics, the vibe on their music and the flow of the song. Like those lovers were so connected, that the night just went by them without they even noticing the passage of time.
Amazing idea, Sabrina! The staging could bring some dynamism, while remaining calming to soothe this beautiful song. 🙂
Typical drama queens on wiwibloggs and in commennts to hate a modern song like this. Am i suprised? Not really. We cant have 41 divas, 41 Fuego or 41 Serhat. Slovenia will qualify and be on the left side in the final.
“Stay true to yourself; don’t tell me you are sorry.” And the prize of lyrics of the year goes to… Slovenia. Congratulations. The meaning and how all the syllables fit to the music; it’s all so beautiful. On top of that, add a real chemistry between the performers and a uniquely soft lead vocal – what we get is music that should be winning awards. However, I am struggling to see how this will all be effective at the ESC in terms of staging. Is it literally going to be three minutes of staring into each other’s eyes, like The… Read more »
Very much true. Those lyrics are full of beautiful metaphors, I guess my favorite ones are “I’m like a snowflake waiting for the spring” and “the leaf goes with the wind and resists it”, but there’s plenty of deep meaningful sentences to choose from. The text is poetic, but not nonchalant, more like a friend talking to you.
Interesting that you made the Netherlands 2014 comparison as that is the same one my wife made when she heard this (although, to be fair, Slovenia is her #1 this year). I feel that Portugal 2018 is the comparison I want to make. To make clear, I really do like the song. But, I liked it on the small EMA stage with the exact staging that they used. Much in the same way that I really liked O Jardim in the Festival Da Cancao SF stage. I worry about how they make this fill the Eurovision stage and I worry… Read more »
Underrated
Mesmerizing, genuine, beautiful. I love this entry, and it is in my top 4 with Italy, the Netherlands and Iceland.
same top 4 exactly
Yep, that’s also exactly my top 4. 🙂
It is like a flatline….and it is waiting to flop big time, literally flatlining.
It’s my no. 5.
An 8/10, hope the camera angles do them justice!
Sorry not sorry, Sebi has been sitting at the very top of my ranking since Zala and Gasper won their NF and never moved from there. I already spent a thousand words about this song here and elsewhere so I won’t repeat myself and just say I LOVE the whole package, I just hope they’ll survive semi1 so I’ll be able to vote for them in the grand final even if I’m afraid it’s not winning material (for Eurovision standards).
(I meant to say ESC standards are pretty questionable, just to clarify. Getting ready for Switzerland to win this year)
Making the final should be doable for them. I certainly hope they do!
I had 3 degrees of appreciation for “Sebi”. When I listened to it for the first time, I liked how it has an impeccable flow. It lasts 3 minutes, but could last 3 hours and I would still be engaged, it holds me inside its world. Plus, it’s extremely ellegant, contemporary and soothing, capturing the essence of Zala’s voice. Then I watched the live performance and I could sense the understated chemistry between them. Finally, I read the translated lyrics and they’re pure poetry. Possibly too subtle and linear for most Eurovision viewers, but a gorgeous work of art. 9.25/10
Wonderful review.
fabulous review thanks. This grabs me so much, its like I’m way back besotted and totally with my first love, all those feelings come back, I was about their age too. An amazing almost hypnotizing song like a comfort pillow.
Thank you, Anita and Keith. 🙂 This one feels indeed like a first love song. I think everybody could relate to those lyrics. Too bad that many viewers won’t ever get to know what she was singing about. I wish more people paid attention to lyrics in Eurovision.
Well, I always try to translate them, even for national finals. That’s why I got a bit underwhelmed by the fact that Latvian team never gave any translation for Bušu tepat, Tautasdziesma or Smaragdi un pelni. I actually phonetically partially translated Smaragdi un pelni’s chorus just to get a clue.
Of course, there are instances when there are *large* national finals consisting mostly or solely of national language songs and then I usually don’t bother.
When I like a song in a national final I always try to find translated lyrics when I don’t know the language (remember when I asked you about “Kruna” and “Moja bol”?) or use Google Translator, but sometimes I can’t find even the original lyrics to do that. I believe someone translated “Sebi” here in the comments right after EMA (or maybe ir was before?) and that was how I found out that the song is even more beautiful than I was expecting it to be.
It’s a grower, but can totally fall flat for being too monotonous.
Overall, it’s a good song.
7.5/10
Yawn
Slovenia made the best choice they could this year. I really like the laid back and soothing vibe of the song. It sounds fresh in a good way . The only little drawback is that the song doesn’t have a progression . The message behind the song also doesn’t really come across with the performance in the NF. A 7.5/10. The running order isn’t great , so reducing half a point. Slovenia doesn’t necessarily have the biggest televote support and unless a lot of people want the contest to go in a more modern sound direction it might not get… Read more »
While I liked Raiven’s entry more at first (Zala & Gasper were my 2nd), I’ve realised “Sebi” has a lot potential and likeability. The strenghts of this entry lay on their chemistry, the athmosphere and the mood it generates and the simplicity and fragility it conveys. Some people may find it dull and her voice uninteristing, but some others, like me, will find the package captivating, even if we don’t understand a single word. Sure it is divising, but certainly a lot of good songs are. I don’t really now how the casual audience will react to Slovenia as it… Read more »
Raiven ka song was chaos and not Kaos.
You know your pun makes little sense since the words literally mean the same thing.
Nope, Kaos is a meaningless word in English. That’s the whole point.
truly a song for intellectuals, locals are seethin
2. GRE (9.0)
5. AZE (9.0)
8. RUS (7.5)
9. NMC (7.5)
10. EST (7.0)
11. HUN (7.0)
12. ROM (7.0)
16. IRE (6.5)
17. ARM (6.5)
18. ALB (6.0)
20. AUT (6.0)
21. DEN (5.5)
22. NOR (5.5)
23. SLO (5.5)
27. FIN (5.0)
29. BLR (5.0)
31. SER (4.5)
33. CRO (4.0)
34. ISR (4.0)
35. GER (3.5)
36. MOL (3.5)
37. LIT (3.5)
39. LAT (2.5)
40. POL (2.5)
41. POR (2.0)
it took me a while to realize ‘nmc’ is north macedonia sjkdakj it’s always been mkd
MKD was for Macedonia. Now that it is North Macedonia I don’t know what its 3-letter code is, so I used NMC. The other codes are also not accurate, as Croatia is HRV, Germany is DEU or Moldova is MDA, but most people wouldn’t know
Croatia and Germany’s country codes refer to their names in the local languages (Hrvatska and Deutschland respectively) while Moldova is pretty self-explanatory (MolDovA).
Thanks for the explanation. I already knew, but most people wouldn’t easily identify HRV with Croatia.
I think the three letter code is still MKD
That’s what I knew so far as well
Alfred& Amaia hipster edition
Lmao, kind of but the lyrics are from another league.
Ha, Zala and Gasper are a real couple. And far much more talented than A&A.
This was a tough one for me to rank since, for me, this entry does not really stand out, neither in a good or bad way. Do I like it? Yes. Do I not like it? Yes. The lyrics are nice and meaningful, but the extremely monotonous structure of the song makes me lose my attention. The music is very interesting at the beginning, but becomes a little bit annoying after 3 minutes since there is absolutely no progression. I believe it might qualify due to its originality, but I cannot be fully confident about it. At the end, I… Read more »
I don’t get the hype around this. I find the song and the performance boring. Puts me to sleep
yes, and relaxing is a good thing, in my dictionary.
You’re supposed to just sit back and let it take you into its world
Song is good, her voice is meh…
I don’t dislike it but it’s way too slow for me. I look forward to the stage show though.
6.61?? Seriously? You guys voted Norwegian gargabe around 7.7 lmao.. ? Sebi is a dark horse obviously. It’s all about between Slovenia Netherlands and Iceland
With still 17 songs to be review SEBI will probably not even finish in the overall top 15, that’s sad. Very underrated 🙁
It’s my number 1 this year, so I agree it deserved a higher score overall, but just looking at the scores it received…there were definitely people who love this entry. I see a 10 and a few other scores 8+. Just like with Portugal, there are just some haters who are dragging its score down, but what matters at Eurovision is having those few people who love you, not how many people dislike you. The best thing is that, unlike Portugal, the “haters” for Sebi don’t really hate the song. They just don’t connect with and enjoy it. With the… Read more »
My second place this year 10/10. I don’t care how it will do in Eurovision because no matter what, I will still listen to it after the contest.
Sorry! Doesn’t grab me – in fact I find it rather annoying!
I really don’t like Angus, just in general
Because he stated his opinion or he disagrees with you?
naa his opinion not agreeing with mine is the cherry of the top of why I don’t like him.
Slovenia’s giving as some wonderful poetry and enchanting melodies. It’s more like a spiritual experience at this point, it purifies your mind and transports you into another dimension. Their performance in February was full of tension and felt very intimate, but the staging looked a bit… monotonous and generally unorganised. I hope the delegation will polish the presentation in Tel Aviv and make it stay in viewers’ minds till the end of the semi. It was definitely a risky choice, but I think it’s gonna pay off in May. 8/10
A real out of the box entry. Modern electronical sounds with a peaceful beat. It’s the kind of the songs that can stand out without an amazing staging. A dark horse obviously!
8.5/10
Please slay at Eurovision! I really hope for a TOP 10 placing, and wouldn’t mind TOP 5 either.
Don’t even get why this is lower than Russia
I absolutely love it, my first place this year. This could be a background for an air france ad, it’s dreamy, light, calm, breezy, fresh and warm at the same time. I never thought any song of that kind would do it to Eurovision one day, i’m just very happy with Slovenias choice this year ?? good Luck !
I don’t mind this entry but it’s nowhere near my favourite and I think there were much better options in the NF. To me it’s just too sleepy and boring but I mean its ok, 5.5/10
I’m annoyed at how underrated this is, oh my god… But I mean, the wiwi Jury also gave 6.56 to Salvador Sobral, so maybe it’s a good sign idk. Sebi is unlike everything else I’ve heard at Eurovision in a long time. It’s authentic, it’s modern, it’s simple, it has outstanding lyrics and it doesn’t give a damn about fitting in at Eurovision. Sebi works its magic in the most intimate and captivating way. I for sure understand why people would call this boring, but I just adore it. My 4th place this year 10/10
I am curious to know your top 5, sorry that I haven’t read all your reviews so far.
My top 5: 1.Netherlands 2.Italy 3.Iceland 4.Slovenia and the 5th place is either Belgium, Russia or Portugal. Don’t worry, I’m not really writing reviews this year, you haven’t missed much.
I thought the meaning of life was 42? Seriously, I like this, it is sitting just outside my top 10. It has a nice relaxed vibe and I like the English translation of the lyrics (assuming I have understood it correctly?). Where I am different is I don’t go around bashing other entry’s lyrics because I think that is sad and hurtful – every single song in this competition will have meaning to someone – you might not feel that meaning, but that says more about you than the meaningfulness of the lyrics. By all means have an opinion, but… Read more »
Meaning of life, lol. Pretentious song as well as its admirers.
Lol, triggered much? That’s a long reply from someone who is so much secure in yourself and don’t care what others think. Liking your song doesn’t mean that you have to offend someone other, you should first learn what is civilized conversation, little bean, and then writing stuff like this.
Did you think for a second how much is offensive sentence ”people with certain mental capacities”? But if that makes you happy, just go for it.
I would just love to hear what you think of Iceland’s entry. It is easy to criticise, much harder to realize that we are not the centre of the universe.
You can find the lyrics on eurovision.tv
This is a good entry from Slovenia, I think it’s their best entry since 2015 (nothing can beat Slovenia 2015) and with the right staging, this could bena big surprise and get them their highest place ever! (Which would be 7th or higher) 8,5/10
1. Slovenia ?? 10/10 2. Belgium ?? 9.5/10 3. Greece ?? 9/10 4. The Netherlands ?? 9/10 5. Austria ?? 8/10 6. Australia ?? 8/10 7. Italy ?? 8/10 8. Malta ?? 8/10 9. Azerbaijan ?? 7.5/10 10. Norway ?? 7.5/10 11. Switzerland ?? 7/10 12. Cyprus ?? 7/10 13. Iceland ?? 7/10 14. Portugal ?? 7/10 15. Sweden ?? 7/10 16. North Macedonia ?? 7/10 17. Latvia ?? 7/10 18. Albania ?? 6.5/10 19. Russia ?? 6.5/10 20. Estonia ?? 6/10 21. Armenia ?? 6/10 22. United Kingdom ?? 6/10 23. Ireland ?? 5.5/10 24. San Marino ?? 5/10… Read more »
All of my Top 9 are in your Top 12! I am not really a fan of Austria . Italy and Azerbaijan are just outside my Top 10
everything about their act works perfectly. the alternative boy and alternative girl aesthetic, the minimalistic sound, their intimate way of performing… let’s also give them credit bc this is one of the few eurovision 2019 entries that sound like it’s from 2019. they deserve to do great ! the fact that the negative reviews only talk bout how this ain’t the stereotypical eurovision song so they won’t be gettin any votes proves that there’s nothin concrete to say to discredit this.
Hahaha! So true.
As per above
Spirit in the sky is meaningful though!!
It’s a fun party song , what more do you want ?
A rather big proportion of the esc fandom consider “fun” and happiness to be one of the deadly sins. All music should be slow tempo and sad. Any sign of happy note is automatically categorized as plastic, trash and generic. Actually it’s not just an esc phenomenon. This disease runs through every nation and society and the arts in the last 100 years at least. Another sign of this “disease”: when was the last time a comedy won the Oscar for best movie? Probably never. It’s always drama after drama. All movies and songs must have a DEEP MEANING cause… Read more »
I would like this post a million times if I could!
My favourite. Please guys stop underrating Slovenia ?? ?