The Wiwi Jury — our in-house panel of music unprofessionals — continues to rank and review the songs from the soundtrack of Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. Next up, we listen to the fictional Belarusian entry Moon Fang with “Running with the Wolves”. Behind the scenes, the vocals are provided by Courtney Jenaé and Adam Grahn. Did the song make us want to howl along? Read on to find out!
Moon Fang (Courtney Jenaé and Adam Grahn) – “Running with the Wolves”
“Running with the Wolves” reviews
Esma: I had to look twice when I saw Belarus perform in the movie. Is that Lordi?! For a split-second I thought they managed to get the Finnish hard-rock band as one of the cameos! The disappointment was real when I found it wasn’t Lordi. In any case, it is obvious where the inspiration comes from. “Running with the Wolves” sounds a bit dated, but it’s still catchy, nevertheless. Call it a guilty pleasure if you will. I very much appreciate how the song is a respectful and well-thought tribute to our beloved Finnish monsters.
Score: 7/10
Pablo: This is every predicted trope of an edgy rock entry: gritty male voice, tender female voice, monsters (hi Lordi), “Running with the Wolves” has it all and infuses it with an almost noxious dose of camp. I just wish this one was one of the longer entries, because it has “guilty pleasure” written all over it. I’m not sure if Belarus would be able to show off with something like this, but if they manage, I’d like to see it.
Score: 7/10
Robyn: Moon Fang are ostensibly the film’s Belarusian act, but, damn, this is a super Scandi song. But it’s not inconceivable that Team Belarus might acquire the services of a Swedish dream team. Short but sweet, “Running With the Wolves” serves loads of drama and lashings of pop-rock, and continues the Eurovision theme of singers being pals with wild animals. Perhaps a little dated for a modern Eurovision, but still a thrilling ride.
Score: 6.5/10
Suzanne: Though not generally a heavy metal fan, I dig Running with the Wolves. The movie showed a moment of really fun staging, if you don’t suffer from a fear of clowns. I would have enjoyed a longer visual of this song. It is relatable in that there are moments in life where everyone feels like an outsider seeking acceptance and freedom. Here, we see the spirit yearning to be free yet also to be part of the pack, demonstrating the complexity of human nature. Wolves symbolize guardianship, ritual, and loyalty. Wolves nurture us to trust our own hearts and instincts so that we may control our own destiny. Controlling your own destiny is empowering, as is the beat of this song.
Score: 8/10
William: Like its inspiration “Hard Rock Hallelujah,” this rock number emerges from darkness to take us to the light! Its uplifting chorus is a real anthem — of unity, togetherness and self-belief. The extended metaphor — that of wolves and their pack — is at once ridiculous, but also completely believable. Dreaming of hunger, howling in the night, answering the call of the wild — this pack slays with their mix of catchy music and solid observations of Eurovision tropes.
Score: 8/10
In the Wiwi Jury we have 11 jurors but only have room for five reviews. The remaining scores are below:
| Antranig: 10/10
Deban: 4.5/10 Julia: 7/10 |
Renske: 5/10
Sebastian: 5/10 Tom: 6.5/10 |
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 4.5 and a high of 10.
Wiwi Jury verdict: 6.67/10
What do you think of this song? Share your own score and review below!
I am loving the levels of cheese in this entry. Definitely elements of classic Eurovision.
6.5/10
Who are the songwriters ?
I need a full 2 and half – 3 minute version, they could make it build like crazy at the end.
But anyway, a great song with a great vocal and staging. 10/10 from me.
(Best Belarusian entry ever if it was real)
A great tribute to Lordi. Enjoyed it very much and I hope one day some country would send a “second lordi”.
If Melfest wasn’t a thing, I’d love to see Royal Republic (Adam Grahn is their vocalist) at Eurovision.
I think you guys made a little mistake with the score ….you removed a low 5 and a high 8 points……but there are Antranig with a 10/10 and Deban with a 4.5/10. Usually the highest and the lowest ratings are deleted.
Epic but a tad too short. ‘Nuff said.