Today the online voting will close for the Czech Republic‘s national final Eurovision Song CZ 2020 and soon we will know who will be flying the Czech flag in Rotterdam. But before then, the Wiwi Jury — our in-house panel of music unprofessionals — have weighed in on the hopefuls and ranked their favourites. What did the jury think? Read on to find out!
Lucy
1. We All Poop – “All the Blood (Positive Song Actually)”
We may have all done a “oh gosh” when we heard the band name We All Poop, but in a surprising move, there’s zero novelty about their anthemic indie-fulled belter, “All The Blood (Positive Song Actually)”. After recovering from the trauma of googling the band and song name, I was seriously excited about the prospect of a passionate and exciting rock track representing the Czech Republic. It certainly has hints of Twenty One Pilots, whilst still having significant originality for it to truly be We All Poop’s. Saying that band name is never going to get less weird though.
2. Elis Mraz feat. Čis T – “Wanna Be Like”
3. Pam Rabbit – “Get Up”
4. Barbora Mochowa – “White & Black Holes”
5. Benny Cristo – “Kemama”
6. Karelll – “At Least We’ve Tried”
7. Olga Lounová – “Dark Water”
Åri
1. Pam Rabbit – “Get Up”
Prague 2021! What a fierce national selection. I simply admire the top two songs and routinely listen to all songs but my last place. But what can I say, it took me a long time to understand it, but I’m absolutely in love with Pam Rabbit’s song. I imagine “Get Up” on stage in Rotterdam with a Sacha Jean-Baptiste staging packed with pyro, Pam belting out the chorus in a gorgeous black dress wearing dark eyeliner, that’s nothing short of a Eurovision winner. And after hearing the unplugged version I’m even more hyped than before — what a performer! Maybe worth mentioning that I also just went through Pam’s entire discography and it is bloody fantastic.
2. We All Poop – “All the Blood (Positive Song Actually)”
3. Barbora Mochowa – “White & Black Holes”
4. Olga Lounová – “Dark Water”
5. Benny Cristo – “Kemama”
6. Karelll – “At Least We’ve Tried”
7. Elis Mraz feat. Čis T – “Wanna Be Like”
Florian
1. Barbora Mochowa – “White & Black Holes”
Barbora’s past selection entry “True Colours” has already been on my radar but this time she puts even more of a mystic twist to it. Barbora come as close to the Lana Del Rey-esque sound as one can get but puts her own signature style to it. As well, it’s sonically progressing which creates a nicely-shaped track overall that would artistically stand out in Rotterdam.
2. Olga Lounová – “Dark Water”
3. Benny Cristo – “Kemama”
4. We All Poop – “All the Blood (Positive Song Actually)”
5. Karelll – “At Least We’ve Tried”
6. Pam Rabbit – “Get Up”
7. Elis Mraz feat. Čis T – “Wanna Be Like”
William
1. We All Poop – “All the Blood (Positive Song Actually)”
In the music video for “All The Blood”, the words “you can run but you can’t hide” work in several directions. The lyrics apply broadly to animals facing slaughter and, in the story of the video, to the people handed the same fate. But they also work for non-vegans like me who are drawn in by the winding melody, which spins around your head like a rather charming carousel, and the unsettling production, which tinges the sing-song chorus with something unsettling and dark. This is heady and weirdly intoxicating and would, no doubt, wind up as one of the media stories of this Eurovision cycle. It’s a good place to be — especially if We All Poop can match the intrigue with quality vocals. My only advice is to give the lyrics a good grammar check.
2. Karelll – “At Least We’ve Tried”
3. Barbora Mochowa – “White & Black Holes”
4. Elis Mraz feat. Čis T – “Wanna Be Like”
5. Benny Cristo – “Kemama”
6. Olga Lounová – “Dark Water”
7. Pam Rabbit – “Get Up”
Calvin
1. Pam Rabbit – “Get Up”
Czech Republic, what happened to you? At least three songs deserve the ticket, but the real stand-out is Pam Rabbit to me. Somewhere between Lorde and Billie Eilish, the creepy touch of “Get Up” sends shivers down my spine in the most positive way. The contrast between the verses and the chorus added by the rap makes the song unpredictable yet it matches the overall concept. All these horror movie references in the video make me love the song even more. I’ve heard Prague is a beautiful city…
2. Elis Mraz ft. Čis T – “Wanna Be Like”
3. We All Poop – “All The Blood (Positive Song Actually”
4. Karelll – “At Least We’ve Tried”
5. Benny Cristo – “Kemama”
6. Barbora Mochowa – “White & Black Holes”
7. Olga Lounová – “Dark Water”
Antranig
1. Olga Lounová – “Dark Water”
I’ve been a big fan of Olga’s music for a while — “When the Music’s On” is one of my favourite songs ever. When I saw her name in this lineup I was convinced Prague 2021 was becoming a reality. Unfortunately “Dark Water” isn’t the song that’s going to take us there but it is still an extremely strong track which could come alive on a Eurovision stage. Admittedly, Pam Rabbit and Elis Mraz are basically on a par with Olga for me — any of those three would make a wonderful choice for the Czech Republic.
2. Pam Rabbit – “Get Up”
3. Elis Mraz feat. Čis T – “Wanna Be Like”
4. Karelll – “At Least We’ve Tried”
5. We All Poop – “All the Blood (Positive Song Actually)”
6. Benny Cristo – “Kemama”
7. Barbora Mochowa – “White & Black Holes”
Robyn
1. We All Poop – “All the Blood (Positive Song Actually)”
In a strong national final — where any song could make for a passable Eurovision entry — there’s only one track that works as a decent single as well. “All the Blood” is a thrilling slice of indie rock, a path last tread at Eurovision by the Young Georgian Lolitaz in 2016. And this isn’t just a “sounds good on Spotify” situation. There’s enough going on that it would work at Eurovision with some bold staging. “All the Blood” could get Czechia a decent result by connecting with Eurovision indie rock fans.
2. Benny Cristo – “Kemama”
3. Olga Lounová – “Dark Water”
4. Elis Mraz feat. Čis T – “Wanna Be Like”
5. Karelll – “At Least We’ve Tried”
6. Pam Rabbit – “Get Up”
7. Barbora Mochowa – “White & Black Holes”
Natalie
1. Pam Rabbit – “Get Up”
I can only conclude that the Czech Republic must have spent 2010 to 14 seriously honing their musical craft. The idea that the same country that produced “Aven Romale” and Kabát is now holding a national final of this quality? Any of these songs could easily make the final. Of those, the experimental and crafty “Get Up” is my favourite. It’s modern, cool, creative and has a great message about female empowerment. It’s very reminiscent of modern trends in music with the likes of Lorde and Billie Eilish. I have a deep respect for it. But it was a very hard choice and I’m so proud of the Czech Republic.
2. Barbora Mochowa – “White & Black Holes”
3. Olga Lounová – “Dark Water”
4. Elis Mraz feat. Čis T – “Wanna Be Like”
5. Benny Cristo – “Kemama”
6. Karelll – “At Least We’ve Tried”
7. We All Poop – “All the Blood (Positive Song Actually)”
Pablo
1. We All Poop – “All the Blood (Positive Song Actually)”
Czech Republic really is going to come over and make this difficult, no? In the end, while my top three are perfectly acceptable Eurovision entries, I’m going to go for the ‘planned coincidence punk-pop’. While I wasn’t entirely sold at first listen, it is a grower and it honestly feels like a successful Brit Rock song. It might not have mass appeal, but I’m banking on its passionate crowd appeal. After sending swag-R&B and friendly-80s pop, W.A.P (hoping that’s the name they’d take if sent) just sounds like the natural progression and the biggest guarantee to keep continued success.
2. Benny Cristo – “Kemama”
3. Elis Mraz feat. Čis T – “Wanna Be Like”
4. Pam Rabbit – “Get Up”
5. Karelll – “At Least We’ve Tried”
6. Barbora Mochowa – “White & Black Holes”
7. Olga Lounová – “Dark Water”
What do you think? What song is your favourite? Who should represent the Czech Republic in Rotterdam? Share your thoughts below!
My top 7
Elis Mraz ft. Cis T – Wanna Be Like
Olga Lounova – Dark Water
Pam Rabbit – Get Up
Benny Cristo – Kemama
We All Poop – All the Blood (Positive Song Actually)
Barbora Mochowa – White and Black Holes
Karelll – At Least We’ve Tried
Oh watch this. Wiwi jury did not really like Kemama, wait how wiwi will kiss up to Benny in coming weeks….
?
I don’t like Kemama at this stage either, maybe its a grower?
The best NF of the year, at least at this moment.
We All Poop, Olga and Pam Rabbit have really good songs, but in my opinion Barbora is in another level. Exquisite song.
I hope one of them wins.
1) Barbora
2) Pam Rabbit
3) We All Poop
4) Benny
5) Olga
6) Karell
7) Elis feat. ?is T
Honestly, any of them would be decent Eurovision entries, most of them have the potential do do well in the contest and some of them would be my winners in other national finals. Too bad we only can have one of them in Rotterdam.
Significantly underwhelmed by this selection. I honestly don’t care as long as WAP doesn’t win. Dark Water is probably the best although Norma John did the whole depression thing better.
Why is Dark Water hated so much? I actually like it.
Tijana (serbia 2017) 2.0
The winner is (for me) wanna be like ?
Same, it could easily be successful as a non-ESC song.
Like I said, my favorite is Barbora, followed by We All Poop and Benny and Pam Rabbit. But I don’t dislike any of these songs. Congrats, Czech Republic: you’ve got the best national final so far. Nothing but hits! I’m so proud of how far they’ve come and can’t see what they send in the future!
Wanna Be Like SHOULD WIN! Reggaeton-influenced songs are very current, it’s radio-friendly without being generic and because of that, it could do very well with both the juries and the televote. It’s that kinda song that would be underestimated throughout the entire pre-season and then come third like Sunstroke Project in 2017. This year is gonna be full of ballads and according to me, this is the best option!
Go, Elis & Cis, gooooo!
You really expect WAP to win this? I am preparing myself for either Benny or Olga, since they are apparently the biggest names in CR and expected 12 and 10 points from the televote. Juries would really have to bring them both down and unanimously choose WAP (or anyone else) if the result is to be different. If that’s the case, I am team Olga.
Am I mistaken or is the televote open to all users of the Eurovision app (like last year)? If that’s the case, their relative popularity in the Czech Republic won’t really have much of a bearing on the televote and instead of Czechs having the most influence in the vote, it’ll be your hardcore ESC fans (which would be bad news for Olga and Benny who aren’t getting as much love as others amongst that demographic).
Of course, I could be wrong.
It’s open to everyone, but only the votes from The Czech Republic are counted in as a televote. Votes from all the other locations are gathered and form a weight of one juror.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought that only votes cast in the app when being in the Czech Republic counted (so only hardcore fans who so desperately want their vote to be valid that they travel to the country will have a minor influence).
Oh my god that’s so wrong. Where did you get that?
Mass appeal is a nice thing, but that’s not how things work in our televote. Colin is absolutely right, Olga has >50% probability to win the ticket.
Colin has a valid point but I think WAP will win too. And as much as I like it, I’m also surprised about this mass appeal we’ve been noticing, since it doesn’t fit at all what normally pleases the fandom. I have the feeling the unconventional name helps, maybe because people got surprised by a solid serious entry when they were expecting the worst.
What do you think could be the agenda here? One thing that I don’t like about the fandom is that many people try to turn every national selection into a “it has to be this one or nothing else would please me” situation. Of course taste is subjective, but in a good selection like the Czech one, it’s hard for me to imagine that most people wouldn’t like at least 3 of these songs, even if they prefer one of them.
Got it. I can see this happening too. That’s why I try to listen to the songs without reading comments about it first. Not that reading the comments later won’t open my eyes and ears for things I haven’t noticed before. About the other point, I wasn’t implying that everybody acts this way, though I consider the loudest part of fandom does it regularly. I share your thoughts, I usually have my frontrunners, that I tend to like for different reasons. Sometimes my favorite is not even the one I think it would be the most competitive choice (for example,… Read more »
Aren’t they really unknown and ESCZ has helped them get LOADS of publicity
When you have this pretty cool line-up but you stand the most basic combo: shouty diva + a wannabe dark and modern ballad… duh… it’s not that bad but there are at least 4 better options for CZ. If the Czech Rep. want to play safe they will choose Barbora. It’s Eurovision, so being risky is always a better option. This way I would go for We All Poop or Pam Rabbit. We All Poop is obviously my choice. Now “Tave cia randu” is out, “All the Blood” is my fav song from the entire NF season. And something I… Read more »
I know most of the people want We All Poop to win, but I prefer Barbora.
White & Black holes may be a risky entry, but I’ve already listened to Barbora’s live performance and she is just flawless.
With a proper staging, the song can really stand out in Rotterdam.
On the other hand, if the staging doesn’t work, the song can get lost, since it takes a long time to build.
This is the only selection this year I do not have a ckear favourite. Czechia is emerging as an eurovision powerhouse. With a half decent staging any of these songs should easily qualify and get a decent placing. Kudos to delegation..
Wiwi Jury’s ranking (with 1-7 points)
1. We All Poop – 47p.
2. Pam Rabbit – 41p.
3. Elis Mraz feat. Cis T – 36p.
4. Benny Cristo – 34p.
5. Barbora Mochowa – 33p.
6. Olga Lounova – 32p.
7. Karelll – 29p.
My top 7:
1) Elis and Cis T – 8/10
2) Pam Rabbit – 8/10
3) Karell – 7.5/10
4) Olga – 7.5/10
5) Barbora – 7/10
6) We all poop – 7/10
7) Benny – 6/10
Good solid national final! Although Benny is still good, it’s the only song I don’t enjoy listening to tbh
My ranking:
1- Get Up
2- All The Blood
3- Wanna Be Like
4- Dark Water
5- Kemama
6- White & Black Holes
7- At Least We’ve Tried
Wouldn’t mind any of my top 3 winning, would be a bit annoyed if either of my bottom 2 won.
Taste.
This is possibly the strongest selection this year (I have yet to rate Finland, though). It was very hard to pick a song to vote for. I would be very happy with any of my top 4. I can see the other three qualifying too, especially because each song does well on what it’s intended to do for the audience who loves the style. My rating would be: 1. At Least We’ve Tried – 9.5/10 2. Black & White Holes – 9/10 3. Dark Water – 8.5/10 4. All the Blood – 8/10 5. Get Up – 7/10 6. Kemama… Read more »
Pam Rabbit is excellent and her entry last year, “Easy To Believe”, was great. I voted for her the first time, so I did this year ^^ So happy, that she is appreciated here…
I like “Dark water”, it’s so soothing <3
But all songs are listenable, great selection.
My prediction of the final Results
1.All the Blood
2.Dark Water
3.Kemama
4.Wanna be Like
5.White and Black Holes
6.At least we’ve tried
7.Get Up
I have a strong feeling either get up or white and black holes will be a shock winner
Off topic: Thorsten Flinck just got disqualified from participating in Melodifestivalen and SVT announced they will replace him with another not yet announced act next week
:O
Pam Rabbit’s song sounds too much like Billie Eilish
It really doesn’t…
1. Kemama
2. Dark Water
3. Wanna be like
4. At least we have tried
5. All the blood
6. Get up
7. White & Black Holes (last year Barbora was my fave)
Be aware! Smoking kills!
Benny is my fave 😀
p.s. we all poop is a close #2
I really love We All Poop. They were my winners for sure and I wanted them to represent us.
But have you heard their unplugged version? Main singer’s vocals are far from perfect.
And I’m not even talking about their english skills. Not everyone needs to know how to speak english while doing interviews, but they really make my ears hurt.
Don’t worry – they will have enough time to improve (if they get chosen). Albert from Lake Malawi also sounded bad during the unplugged version of their song and then improved greatly.
Glad to see Pam Rabbit being so many people’s favourite!
My top:
1: Olga – Dark Waters
2: Benny – Kemama
3: WAP – All the blood
4: Pam – Get Up
I don’t care about the other songs
Finally, someone who has sense and sees that Olga’s song has the most potential
Olgas song is outdated and boring so
I disagree. I don’t like the divaish type of music, but this song has a refreshing tone despite of being something recurrent in the contest.
Dark Water is by far the best, this song has the most potential. Get Up just sounds like a wall of noise, Wanna Be Like is a Mikolas Josef rip off done appallingly badly, We All Poop is just a car crash waiting to happen, Benny has a shot if he can deliver live, Karrell sounds like a cheap Bastille and Barbora is the only one within a shot of beating Olga but that comes as a long shot and anyone who thinks otherwise needs their heads examined urgently
Dark Water, while it isn’t necessarily a bad song, it’s your typical cookie cutter, run of the mill, Eurovision ballad. I would strongly disagree with the argument that it has the most potential. The only thing it has the most potential to do is fall flat. It is not a winner by any means. There is no X factor in the song. At the end of the day, if it makes it to the final, it will place in the bottom half of the group because it’s forgettable.
thank youuuuuuuuu
As someone who has Get Up and All The Blood as my top 2, I’m weirdly pleased most of the Wiwi Jury agreed.
Really, anyone IMO is fair game can be great entries in Eurovision, but these two *chef’s kiss*
Post-announcement note here:
I’m weirdly both surprised yet unsurprised. Benny’s my third, and he initially had the most viewed music video but it seemed to be one of the less talked about songs in general.
I’m still pretty proud of him and it going though. Whoo!
We All Poop are the best choice. Everyone know this. Hope they will win jury voting, voting by international fans and that Czech people will give them at least 3rd place. Ben and Olga have big fan base and they will win the Czech voting unfortunately. Ben is half Czech and half Angolan and he is great singer with banger music, but try it next year with better song.
We All Poop is also my favorite. Hope they’ll represent Czech Republic. The others I’m afraid won’t pass the semifinal…
I agree only We All Poop can qualify. The rest are overestimated by esc fans.
We All Poop must represent us in Rotterdam!!!…please vote for them if you like them!! 🙂