The Wiwi Jury — our in-house team of music unprofessionals — is reviewing and rating the 39 competing songs in Eurovision 2021. Next we listen to Germany’s Jendrik with his ukulele song “I Don’t Feel Hate”. Did we feel hate or just sorry? Read on to find out!
Jendrik – “I Don’t Feel Hate”
“I Don’t Feel Hate” reviews
Jonathan: Jendrik is a theatre kid, and as a lover of musical theatre myself, his entry resonates with me. “I Don’t Feel Hate” very much feels like when the comedy character of a musical comes out in the middle of the second act and delivers a fun and catchy song – from the tap break to the Cabaret-style announcement to the jazzy trumpets in the bridge that scream old-school musical theatre. My one concern is whether the use of the peace-sign costume on stage will take the performance across the line into gimmicky territory. Nevertheless, while the song might not be everyone’s cup of tea, don’t count out this triple threat just yet.
Score: 7.5
Antranig: I’m really glad Jendrik doesn’t feel hate because I don’t have much positivity to offer here. This song is so juvenile it’s about to hit puberty. However, the one thing I do like about it is the message. It’s a universal concept and I think we could all do well to learn a thing or two from Jendrik. I just wish he could deliver his wonderful message in the form of a song that wasn’t so… well, awful. I feel like the only way to make this song credible would be to have The Wiggles sing it.
Score: 1
Renske: Eurovision is sometimes named a cabinet of curiosities or a freakshow by its haters. But Jendrik couldn’t care less and that is what we need in 2021. “I Don’t Feel Hate” deals with an issue of all times: being down-talked and bullied for who you are and what you like. But to feel strong and confident, you need to learn to stop caring about those who like to pull you down. Jendrik tries to bring this across in his own style and manner, combining musical theatre and humour. It’s hard to combine comedy and a serious message at Eurovision, but Jendrik has pulled it off. (I was laughing before the song even started)
Score: 8.5
Robyn: Jendrik doesn’t do things by halves. “I Don’t Feel Hate” is full of zip and zing and just when it feels like the dial has turned up to 10, Jendrik cranks it up to 11. At the heart, though, is a message of resilience, of not succumbing to the negativity of those who attempt to knock you down. The song itself is a perfect example of this: Jendrik isn’t trying to create a song that everyone from everywhere will love (honey, there ain’t no such thing). Instead he’s being true to himself and expressing himself in a way that he wants to.
Score: 8
William: Jendrik clearly feels laughter and joy very deeply, so much so that I suspect he burned more calories watching Bridesmaids than most people would burn running an entire marathon. That sense of unbridled happiness gives this song its heart — it’s all about feeling good even amid all the negativity of the world. The charms of the video, including that blaring instrumental and the steady strumming of the ukulele, have faded for me on repeat listen — it all starts to feel a bit loud and slap-across-the-face. And while he purports to feel pity more than hate, I can’t help but wonder: is a musical clap back — even with a smile — still an act of aggression? Regardless, this is ultimately a song to be watched and performed, not a track made for Spotify loops. His clear charisma and the novelty of it all will surely turn heads.
Score: 6
Jendrik – “I Don’t Feel Hate” rankings
In the Wiwi Jury we have 24 jurors but only have room for five reviews. The remaining scores are below:
Calvin: 2.5
Deban: 5.5 Diego: 5.5 Erdi: 1.5 Esma: 5.5 Jordi: 3.5 Josh: 7.5 Julian: 5 Kristín: 7.5 Lauren: 4.5 |
Lucy: 5
Luis: 3.5 Natalie: 4 Oliver: 6 Pablo: 6.5 Ron: 7 Sebastian: 3 Tobias: 1.5 Tom: 6.5 |
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 1 and a high of 8.5.
Wiwi Jury verdict: 5.14/10
What do you think of this song? Share your own score and review below!
the worst song in eurovision history and i’m not exaggerating. the only adjective i could come up with to describe it is: uncool. also it sends me how he claims to not feel hate and then spends his time selecting hate comments and making tiktoks out of them
Urgh take your negative attitude elsewhere
I give it a 7! I was so confused the first time I heard this song & watched the MV. There’s really so much going on! ! But I knew one thing: This is so funny, so corky, so crazy… And I think I like it! Jendrik is just so adorable & energetic that you want to just have a really good time singing along to those catchy lyrics and seeing him genuinely having fun! The message is so important too & the messy explosive production of the song weirdly works. This remembers me of Moustache (France 2014): A “joke”… Read more »
I don’t really have anything positive to say, I dislike it. It’s in my 34th position, which I feel is generous.
Regardless of the message I like the energy of the song. Its maybe a bit too simple, but hey, thats what you get when you pick a ukulele. Its ok to me, hopefully nice to watch. 7/10
Musically, this is one of the weakest songs I have heard at Eurovision for a long time. A clear zero-pointer. If Jendrik manages to avoid last place, it will be because of his charm. He seems like a lovely guy
I understand that this is a song contest, I really do. But if I wanted radio-friendly chart-style hit after hit then well…I’d skip Eurovision and switch the radio on. Yes this is a song contest but it’s also EuroVISION, it’s an entertainment show! The reason we’ve stuck with this for so many years is because secretly or otherwise, we all live for the iconic crazy moments. We need some variety along the way on the night or else what’s the difference between this and the X Factor? If let’s say somebody like Verka entered with Lasha Tumbai this year, I… Read more »
You are absolutely right !
And you’re surprised there are no joke entries anymore? Geez, let him be
I am once again angry about what my country has decided to serve at Eurovision. I have lost hope that this clash will ever find harmony.
Yeah, why being angry, there are musicians living in Germany/Berlin serving at Eurovision f. e. from/for countries like Iceland, or german composer and Norwegian singer for Norway (Keiino) …
We will end up in the bottom 5 for sure but who cares?! We pay so that the kids can play, lol.
Heehee…right
He deserves more than 5.18
he deserves the cubic root of it. PANNED
Those who know me would assume that I like this one, but sorry, I don’t like this entry. Yes Jendrik is adorable, and I like ukuleles and old-school musical theatre, and even big band music. It’s a fun song, musically. However… The message of the song has not been received well by me. Perhaps it is due to a clash of cultures, or perhaps it is due to my personal history. Where I come from, someone who doesn’t feel hate and is naturally irritating is going to keep on being bullied until something changes. Maybe that’s “the point of the… Read more »
That is an really interesting point, Purple. I also see the subtle irony within all this joy, but I find it kind of cool. I mean, he literally is sticking the ”mittelfinger” to the bullies, so it definitely has an underlining tone of passive-aggression. Still, the dominant feeling is still very positive and uplifting, so it works for me. But a really cool point.
Thanks Colin. 🙂
The lyrics are mainly a peptalk to the singer himself not a message to the bullies. Those should just feel that the object of their attacks even feels sorry for them. But then again those bullies didnt feel empathy in the first place. So I guess its a song for the bullied one. As a solution. Dont feel the hate,just feel sorry, ignore and go on.
LOL, it’s an unproductive pep talk. If he feels sorry that the bully keeps hating him then it doesn’t make any practical difference to the situation. The bully will keep on hating, because literally nothing has changed. Jendrik is just going to carry on being a victim; that’s perhaps the dark truth. Also, the song has the stuff about “mittlefingers.” That’s trivialising a serious matter.
The worst of the big 5 and the only clear contender for last place (along with the Netherlands).
It’s the UK 2015 all over again! Love it or absolutely hate it. My opinion falls in the latter
Having this after Ben Dolic’s “Violent Thing” is a major letdown. Even if his live performance was a bit underwhelming. I can’t connect with the song and I find it rather annoying. But as some point out, I wouldn’t count it out yet. The silliness in the song, its happy vibe and the more than probable kitsch performance may be cute for some. There’s no way, in my opinion, Germany is reaching the top 15 though. Or it shouldn’t. 5/10 Germany falls down to my 33rd place: 8. Sweden (7.25) 12. Czech Republic (7.25) 15. Ukraine (7) 17. Belgium (6.75)… Read more »
I believe Jendrik’s intentions are pure and kind, but the lyrics convey the “I’m so happy, your hate can’t hurt me” message in a way it sounds hollow and a tad passive-aggressive to me. With all the “look how ‘adorkable’ he is!” moments, at times it’s like he’s trying to be bullied so he can prove a point. But what really bothers me is the lack of musical effort. Everything sounds sort like a jingle. Though a sticky one that stays in your mind. With wacky vibrant visuals this will surely find an audience. 3/10
Wiwi Juries’ current TOP 11 Ukraine (7.32) Russia (7.18) Sweden (7.14) Azerbaijan (6.57) Latvia (6.34) Belgium (6.16) (=) Czech Republic (6.16) Serbia (6.09) Albania (5.89) (=) Norway (5.89) Germany (5.14) My personal TOP 11 Ukraine (My 7th) Belgium (My 10th) Russia (My 13th) Serbia (My 14th) Czech Republic (My 18th) Albania (My 25th) Azerbaijan (My 26th) Sweden (My 31st) Germany (My 34th) Latvia (My 35th) Norway (My 39th) Opinion on GER: From Ben Dolic and his (quite cheesy but amazing) bop, to this… Quite a disappointment, if you ask me. However, Jendrik is such a nice person and it would… Read more »
It’s my last place. There’s just nothing about this that appeals to me, musically-speaking. I hope the performance is at least fun, and Jendrik is seemingly a really nice guy but yeah, in a music contest, this is the entry that I wouldn’t listen to again.
It’s fun but also very immature. I’d give this a 3
The Middle Finger Saga, Part 1: Is it possible to love a song and hate it at the same time? And, worse than that, do so for the exact same reasons? I sure hope so, ‘cause my stance on Jendrik’s polarising entry got absurdly ambivalent. In “I Don’t Feel Hate”’s binary reality of love and… well, hate, there is no place for shades of grey. There are abusers and there are victims, and the only thing you can do is turn the other cheek and wait till these pitiable specimens find a better thing to do. Arguably, this simplification was… Read more »
Great, balanced review, Skiwalko! I know how complicated it is to make one. I agree that Germany will likely get a solid televoting score. I still think that it won’t have a televote power it would have had in, say, 2007, and that the juries won’t go for this. Overall, I expect it to finish around a 15th place. If ESC was an elimination game, it might have finished last, but it won’t by current rules. Unless its live performance turns out much stiffer than we can assume it would. Than it would tank on all fronts. Sadly, I still… Read more »
I like it. Jendrik is good performer and the song is funny. 8/10.
This is easily one of the worst entries Eurovision has witnessed in the past few years. It sounds like it got produced in a garage by someone who thought he is writing for a children’s show. It’s just not good and after the praise, they got last year for Violent Thing (superbly produced and modern song) how come they decided to shift their song-picking for literally 180 degrees, blah blah Ben can’t perform – that’s bs, yeah ain’t a dancer, but have u seen his performances on the voice – the boy can sing and we cannot judge him for… Read more »
Interesting song from Germany. First of all, Jendrik is a cutie, love his pronounciation of hate during the song lol. But back to the song, It’s not bad, it’s just a fun little number, positive and uplifting. It won’t win, but it’s certainly better than some other entries this year (if you’ve been reading my comments, I’m sure you’ll know who I mean). If Germany had to qualify to the final, I’d say no, but the fact that they are automatically qualified, I say have fun with it. This might do better than expected actually because it’s pleasant, upbeat and… Read more »
GERMANY – It is always refreshing to see a Big Five country taking a risk. This is such a polarizing entry, and I can totally see why. Loud, ”in your face” instrumental, somewhat childish lyrics, and an overtly enthusiastic approach certainly aren’t for everyone. However, as I am okay with sometimes embracing my childish side, I really like it. First off, Jendrik’s colorful personality and his cheerful delivery make this ten times better. Second, the song is catchy and funny. It is an overload of joy, with all the trumpets, ukulele, and dance moves. Third, I really appreciate the message… Read more »
And there it is, I guess this is already the biggest difference between our grades in my 3 years doing the parallel WiwiJury (reminding that I took last year off and I don’t know a thing about how it went besides the fact the same Germany won the official one) and since we agree much more than we disagree, I guess this will be a hard record to beat!
I think that 5.5 is our biggest difference yet. We tend to agree on more things than not, and our average rating difference is usually between 0.5 and a 2. If I am not mistaken, our record was around a 3 thus far. This certainly surpasses it by a lot. 🙂 As I said, I totally get why this is a ”love it or hate it” type of entry. I appreciate Skiwalko’s nuanced review, but I also understand more extreme responses from either side. It’s just that blunt in its nature. As for last year, unless you would have given… Read more »
Poland would be fine. It was far from being one of my favorite songs in last year’s lineup, but it was actually growing on me. And by now you already know I like a song with Bond theme vibe. On the other hand, if you happen to love “The Ride”, maybe the record can still be broken…
About Georgia, I honestly still don’t know how I feel about that song. Tornike and Samanta Tina had the same effect on me twice, I just have trouble ranking and giving grades to their music.
Ha ha ha… I think that The Ride will be among my funniest reviews this year. Spoiler alert: I enjoy it, but not because I think it’s good. Not at all. 😉
However, I kind of unironically enjoy in Germany. It is what it is, and I like it. I don’t know why, really, as I have often shunned songs with a similar happy-clappy vibe in the past. Perhaps because this goes further and thus, I find it more enjoyable? I don’t know.
Hi Colin. I just posted my comment above. I’m glad that you are able to love your childish side and like this entry. In theory, I should like this song too, but I just cannot agree with “the point of the song,” as you will see above. It’s a message that I really don’t support personally. But as Jendrik would say: Sorrrayy! 😀
Wiwi jury are tough this year xD
As soon as I saw Germany’s Wiwi Jury was coming out today, I said to myself “Brace yourselves, ‘Nilla Bean’s review is coming!!”
I was gonna say, that sounded pretty tame 😉
period. i hope we get to drag jendrik together one day <3
Germany 7/10
Usually yes – in almost every year since 2013. But this time I like it.
32) Germany –
This is probably going to be the most polarising song in this year’s contest by a mile. It’s cute, but at the same time the shift from the sweet ukulele to the JARRING LOUD NOISES completely throws me off. Jendrik himself seems a very nice bloke but yeah, I can’t see this doing well come the grand final. 4/10
for some reason I do feel that this will either heavily flop or get some unexpected points, I’m not quite sure.
Song aside, Jendrik for me is a 20/10, he just so charismatic and magnetic, he might be my favorite personality of the season!
Well said Pablo! He seems so charismatic and cheerful person with zero arrogance. Actually, the majority of the votes he will get will be because of his personality rather than the song itself
That did not prevent dana international and Conchita worst from winning. ? Allthough Rise like was a great song and well performed, if would never have won without the charisma. Diva was just a hype.
Esc is a competition of personalities ?… usually known by fake promo covers by the media
What really won me over with this guy was at the end of his song launch on German TV, he earnestly begged the production team to include the 2-minute Thank You section of his video during the broadcast because it was really important to him to recognize the people who had helped him. Whatever you think of this song (and I won’t lie – I kind of like it!), Jendrik has done so much hard work and he has gotten here on his own, and he has exuded a genuine kindness and self-awareness along the way. I really, really value… Read more »
15. Germany: Unpopular opinion but I like this song. It is such a feel-good and catchy song and Jendrik is very charismatic. The whole weirdness surrounding the entry is very effective I believe. Don’t count this out, this can surprise come May!
Well, I’m one of the few people who loves this song, although after the first listen I thought it was terrible. A good song with good positive vibes that can end like 2019 with zero points or be a dark horse like 2018
7/10
This is fun. Better than many other song this year. Its my top 10. 7/10
Hahaha
I agree with you !
5.14 is far too high it deserves a zero.
No, Cyprus deserves a zero.
in what world? just because the producers are not Cypriot doesn’t mean the song deserves a zero u know.
No, the song is very cheap and a case of plagiarism. Rita Ora wants her song back !
Vinegear
38th: Germany. I can’t listen to this ever again. This is one of the worst German entries in the history of Eurovision, and it stings all the more to have it after a genuinely amazing entry last year. Just as I thought Germany was taking a step in the right direction, they select this??? This is unbelievably saccharine to the point of nausea, the lyrics are barely decipherable apart from the chorus, the ukulele is painfully basic, the whistling is tedious and corny, and this sounds like it would be playing at a concert for children with only 3 people… Read more »
Great review Ashton. Having read it, I am now wondering what is in your last place…..
I guess you will find out when we get to it 😉 (also, thank u for the compliment. I liked your review as well, and basically feel the exact same lmao)
I’m intrigued about Ashton’s last place now too!
even I can see some merits in fallen angel. this song……has nothing lmao
For me it was a step in the right direction because it current, well-sung, well-produced and just all-around good. I like nearly everything Milanov does, though, so maybe that is a bias. But I still listen to Violent Thing.
same, Milanov is such a great producer – always modern but in a very fresh way and the song always fits the artist imo. Though Ben would be better off with a dark ballad, Kristian Kostov’s style.
oh, beautiful mess was outstanding
I wonder who is your last place? I guess Macedonia?
😉
I personally liked it, even though it is one of my least liked songs of the year. But songs like this one make you soo happy. You can’t just hate a song that says “I don’t feel hate” lol. I actually believe that televoters will back it up, just like Serhat in 2019
While I’m glad you like it, I can very easily hate a song that tells me not to feel it. And unfortunately I can see this getting the Serhat treatment, but I sincerely hope it doesn’t
Woah, there are many many low votings. At least Jendrik doesn’t feel hate
39. Germany – Jendrick Sigwart – I don’t feel hate – 2/10 – I just feel very, very sorry. Germany, why? I have tried and tried to get into the required mental zone for this song but I just can’t listen to the full 3 minutes without feeling the intense urge to rush to the toilet to throw-up. It is not hate for Jendrick, he seems very plucky and likeable but I just find his song completely nauseating. There are literally no redeeming features, the two points are entirely for Jendrick’s endeavour. It is as if the song is ticking… Read more »
Ah what fun. Please could you send us an example of an “action-disco” song at children’s parties? I’m genuinely curious. 😀
The one that immediately springs to Ming is that “Superman” one, or the one that goes “pi-an, pi-an,pi-an-o, pi-an-o, pi-an-o”
Great for 6 year olds is the best I can say.
Many people already said this, this is a song that’s either going to completely flop or end up Top 10 in the Final with more then 100 Televote points. There is no in-between.