How many ways can you describe a “Goddess”? If you’re Sergey Lazarev then there is definitely no limit.
In his latest single, the Russian pop star describes the woman of his dreams in manifold ways, elevating her from mere mortal to someone who probably eats ambrosia.
“Worthy, sincere, patient and radiant, crucial, versatile, wonderful and wild,” he sings. “Geometric shape of love, other-worldly teacher, female, fearless creature.”
But there’s more. As this banger unfolds — with plenty of digital sounds, including xylo and synth — we learn she’s also “delicate, intelligent, always relevant, divine, aligned, our everyday sunshine.”
The production has a dark quality — that intro gives me major “Manboy” Eric Saade vibes — but it’s ultimately uplifting and worthy of a fist-pump.
The head-bobbing beat has already led his fans to wonder if this should have been his Eurovision 2019 entry, rather than the more theatrical “Scream”. The YouTube video includes comments like, “This would be a perfect Eurovision entry” and “a banger with a message about female empowerment! Should have sung that in Eurovision.”
While not confirmed, we can’t help but think that this was, in fact, on Sergey’s shortlist for Tel Aviv. He’s said in an interview that he recorded three songs for Eurovision. “Goddess” was composed by his Eurovision collaborator Dimitris Kontopoulos. It’s also the only English song on his Russian album and it’s less than three minutes long. Given all that, it’s realistic that “Goddess” was one of the other two songs — besides “Scream” — that was in contention.
In so many ways this song seems like a response to “Toy”. In 2018 Netta delivered the female empowerment song of Eurovision 2018. She was a woman telling a man he couldn’t patronise or undermine her. In “Goddess” we hear a man doing the exact opposite and putting a woman on a pedestal. But it’s not just the apple of his eye who deserves to be there. It’s all women. As he sings: “Mother, sister, daughter, you are, glowin’, genuine, luscious you are…”
What do you think? Could this have come alive on the Eurovision Song Contest stage? Could it have gone better than the third place that “Scream” achieved? Let us know down below.
Even if I’m not a fan of “Scream” I think it was better than whatever this is… Seriously I love upbeat songs no problem but the lyrics are so corny and cringy that they ruin the usual Europop beat. Reminds me of “Popular” indeed but even that song had better lyrics (that says a lot). I swear men singing about women as perfect is creepier to me than sweet. Netta’s song worked because it was also a woman who sang about it making it resonate to others’ heart, making it more personal. “Proud” from North Macedonia from this year would… Read more »
I like this more than Scream, but it’s very fastfood
Scream was crap.. have not charted basically anywhere after ESC. only placed top 3 thanks to the usual fraud televoting.
Oh no …..The lyrics are ridiculously corny.
I love this way more than his previous ESC-entry, however; I reckon he could’ve got more points from Western Europe, but probably less from Eastern Europe with this song. So it’s all a gamble in the end. But 3th place is something to be proud of, right? 🙂
Also, never underestimate Dimitris Kontopoulos. He’s a musical hero in Greece and far beyond! Ani Lorak with Shady Lady (and her album “Solntse”), anyone? Or Entasi, from Kostas Martakis? Parafora, from Sakis Rouvas? All ESC Alumni ??????! 😀
Nice melody, good instrumental. The lyrics are kind of corny… but as a whole, much better than “Scream” which is, to my ears, a piece of crap- it’s 3rd place was a crime!
I like the song very much. But y’all know that I love “Scream” and I think it was the right decision after all… Not every entry has to be party pop pureness, sometimes I prefer a beautiful brilliant ballad ^^
At first listen it seems more accessible than “Scream”. But I think generally OTT uptempo songs sound better than OTT ballads because you can just dance mindlessly and not think about how the lyrics are so weird, and the fact that while catchy this song is nothing special and would have had a hard time competing against other, more current-sounding dance-pop songs (like She Got Me).
Also I have no idea how they could have stage this. So I guess they knew what they were doing.
Wa wa wa wa!
She got me is not more current the goddess
For me the most important part of a song is lyrics and this song obviously loses to Scream and its a great message on this part.
I tot music released b4 September this year can’t be consider for Eurovision entry..
Turns out to be better than the opening leads you to think it will be. But have no doubt, it is the fact that it is Sergey that is the main selling point. Anyone else singing it and it is just another mindless dance song not much different than all the others that have been flooding the airwaves.
I bought Scream and still listen to it regularly. I wouldn’t be able to say the same with this one.
OMG, this is soo much better than Scream.. Sergey, WHY???
So much better than boring and dull scream
I can’t believe that the author of both “scream” and “Goddess” is the same person!!!!!!!
These two songs are like day and night!!!!
Someone can argue that this proves his talent, and I won’t disagree, but on the other hand it also proves why he never wins: he shouldn’t give them the opportunity to choose.
he is the same guy who wrote this is love…. its like some days he can write great songs and others the most generic and basic melodies….
Well that happens to every songwriter, all of them have good and bad days..The strange thing with Kontopoulos is how different style of songs he can write. Usually songwriters are able to only compose and produce one style of song.
Honestly, I only know his Eurovision songs, none of which I like. All the same sound of meh. Now I hear ‘Godess’ which I find great. Clearly, Eurovision is picking the wrong Kontopoulos.
I loved “shady lady” and “work your magic” from his old days and “hold me” and “you are the only one” from the newest one
Catchy, very accessible, he definitely should have gone with this one. I think the result still would have been the same though, a third place. Although this might have been much better to stage, so who knows. Same result or not, this one is actually good for what it is, whereas ‘Scream’ was pretending to be a heartfelt ballad without having a heart. This one is good pop. What I take from its lyrics is that Sergey likes versatile g… Sure, let’s say godesses.
I don’t think that “scream” ever pretended being a heartfelt ballad. From the first moment it was and it still is a theatrical song
If that was really their intention, I must wonder: Why at Eurovision? Why at all? Doesn’t track for me. Surely, the goal was to win. And that song was never going to give them the edge in almost any given year, except 2011 maybe. The staging wasn’t very impressive, either. I thought they would build a whole new stage reminiscent of the video clip to district from the song.
Srbuk passed on “Half a Goddess” and Sergey passed on “Goddess”…I have a very uncomfortable question for them….WHY?
This comment killed me
It blows my mind that kontopoulos has composed Goddess AND he has written the lyrics but they chose scream. What were they drinking when they decided to send the cliche ballad?
I cant believe he didnt choose that song. Thats a banger with a social message about female empowerment! With the right staging focusing on the message he would have won 10000%.
Obviously his decision to perform “Scream” was right since he had a great result.
I think that he would have a big hit with this song, he would have most probably won the televoting but he would have done much worst,than he did, with the juries.