The Wiwi Jury — our in-house team of music unprofessionals — is reviewing and rating the 39 competing songs in Eurovision 2021. Next we head to Ireland where Lesley Roy has “Maps”. Did we think she was heading in the right direction? Read on to find out!
Lesley Roy – “Maps”
“Maps” reviews
Kristín: When I first gave my original score, Lesley hadn’t quite gotten to me yet. Things have changed since then, and she has steadily become one of my favourite artists of the year. “Maps” is more grown-up than “Story of My Life”, at least musically wise, and showcases just how exceptional Lesley is in every aspect. She is so pure and real and just grabs your attention from the get-go. The song itself is catchy and is Ireland’s strongest entry in years. The remaining score needs to stand, due to calculation, but in my heart, I’ve now added a strong 2 points more for “Maps”, cause it’s truly a masterpiece entry and people should not sleep on its quality, nor on Lesley´s strong and magical presence. In a world of Kardashians, please, be a Lesley!
Score: 6.5
Natalie: I’m just gonna call it – this is the most underrated song of the year. From the first violin note to the pulsating electronic beat, I knew this would be amazing. It’s got so many elements, and they’re all so well interwoven through Lesley’s raw passion and belief in her own message. There’s so much heart and soul here, and with a production that had the energy of “Story of My Life” without the Katy-ness. I really hope Lesley can deliver with her performance this May. Ireland needs to go the final with this song. This is the way back ho-oo-oo-oo-ooome. 🙂
Score: 9.5
Oliver: Lesley Roy showcases layers upon layers of emotional depth here. Even with its distinct Irish sound, “Maps” has a universal appeal. Forging your own path, connecting to your roots and finding strength in weakness — these themes will resonate with audiences around the world. The rich selection of instrumentation contrasts with the light raspy tones of Lesley’s vocal as she cuts through the orchestral textures to maintain that signature pop-punk feel we all fell in love with last year. A burst of serotonin and a truly joyous listen, this is a superb entry from Ireland.
Score: 9
Ron: If I’ll ever get lost “MAPS” is a song I would love to hear to get me back on track. This song is so enjoyable and powerful, it’s so contagious with such a beautiful message of finding your true self. This song is so well produced and so anthemic in its tempo and its vibe. It is quite unique in the field of Eurovision 2021 songs. Lesley is so likeable and she’s doing a great job in its delivery. I just hope she’ll manage to do it just as well live as she does in its studio version.
Score: 8
William: With its honest lyrics and sincere delivery, “Maps” reads like poetry: “Thought I was done, but I got it wrong, I fell twice, I’m twice as strong.” Lesley wraps that message up in equally inspiring sounds — strings, guitar, drums and electronic flourishes come together in a swell of positivity. More concerned with contemplation than dramatic swells and dips, the song progresses in a linear way yet it maintains drive and direction with on-point production. Lesley has managed to meld a singer-songwriter feel with a pop sensibility. The result is a divine track that’s polished without feeling sterile and one that carries a clear point of view without being pompous. Easily my favourite Irish entry ever.
Score: 9
Lesley Roy – “Maps” rankings
In the Wiwi Jury we have 24 jurors but only have room for five reviews. The remaining scores are below:
| Antranig: 7
Calvin: 9 Deban: 8.5 Diego: 7 Erdi: 5 Esma: 7 Jonathan: 9 Jordi: 8 Josh: 9.5 Julian: 7.5 |
Lauren: 8.5
Lucy: 7.5 Luis: 6.5 Pablo: 8 Renske: 7.5 Robyn: 6 Sebastian: 8 Tobias: 3.5 Tom: 7.5 |
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 3.5 and a high of 9.5.
Wiwi Jury verdict: 7.7/10
What do you think of this song? Share your own score and review below!
The last place in the SF.
I give it a 8.5!
“Maps” makes me so happy! It gives me good vibes! It’s so positive, so authentic, so epic! The lyrics are beautifully written and it’s a joy to sing along to them. The song is amazingly produced! I love Lesley’s voice and you can feel how happy she is with the song, how much it means to her! I really hope she will qualify, she deserves it! And I’m pretty confident about her staging, so I think she’ll easily qualify.
The Wiwibloggs enthusiasm for Maps is odd, as it’s not reflected in the OGAE poll, the betting odds or in the reviews of other bloggers. Most are predicting it will not qualify for the final. Personally I find it unremarkable and bland, with nothing that grabs me at all. It stays at the same level throughout and never builds to a climax. Only truly extraordinary staging will save it from being lost in one of the most competitive semi finals ever.
This is a song I would keep in my playlist, but not on repeat.I like the song, but to me it sounds too much like Carly Rae Jepsen (Canadian singer) songs I have heard already. More troubling is the performance on the official video sounds pretty heavily autotuned, so will have to hear what the live Amsterdam performance sounds like.
I am concerned that it performs before Cyprus but i really hope the juries to give it a nice boost.
I love the song, the lyrics are close to my heart as someone missing his home. I love the violins and production, very modern/adult contemporary.
My other concern is whether Lesley can pull of the notes in the live show. It’s not an easy song song to sing. Fingers crossed the performance will be strong. Ireland can qualify without a doubt.
I think performing before Cyprus is a big disadvantage.
Ireland is closing the first half of Semi 1 …then interval…. then Cyprus opening the second half of Semi 1. So it should have no effect on Ireland!
Closing the first half of Semi 1 is a vote of confidence by the organisers that there staging must be good!
Its performing before an add break.
This is the type of song that will get high reviews but still likely won’t qualify. It’s just not built to score points because there isn’t anything that grabs your attention or will be memorable at the end of the night. It is also followed by Cyprus which is attention grabbing and will overshadow Ireland. I put Ireland and Belgium in the same category as two countries with objectively decent songs but weren’t built for Eurovision points. In fact these songs are probably objectively better than other songs that will likely qualify over them (ahem Cyprus or Azerbaijan).
I thought I was the only one who was obsessed with this?. I think it’s stunning but by looking at comments, fan polls, etc., I feared others didn’t! (Not that it matters, music is always personal and subjective, of course, which is marvellous. Something for everyone in the audience!?) Would be lovely if it did well. She seems like such a sweet, genuine soul!
Honestly think this is a dark horse for the win!
I’m Irish, and I would love nothing more than for that to be true. It’s just not, however. Having said that, I do think we’re in with a shot of qualifying, especially if the staging is all that it’s cracked up to be. It’d be a shame if the staging is a total letdown because the song is substantial and the lyrics mean something to Lesley (she did co-write them, after all).
Wiwi Juries’ current TOP 20 Ireland (7.7) Cyprus (7.45) Finland (7.34) Ukraine (7.32) Russia (7.18) Sweden (7.14) Croatia (6.75) Azerbaijan (6.57) Israel (6.45) Latvia (6.34) Belgium (6.16) (=) Czech Republic (6.16) Serbia (6.09) Albania (5.89) (=) Norway (5.89) Spain (5.34) Germany (5.14) Estonia (5.07) Austria (4.89) Slovenia (4.84) My personal TOP 20 Ukraine (My 7th) Belgium (My 10th) Finland (My 11th) Estonia (My 12th) Russia (My 13th) Serbia (My 14th) Cyprus (My 17th) Czech Republic (My 18th) Ireland (My 20th) Albania (My 25th) Azerbaijan (My 26th) Israel (My 27th) Austria (My 28th) Croatia (My 29th) Sweden (My 31st) Germany (My… Read more »
“maps” sets itself up for an epic stage performance, i hope lesley will exploit all of her song’s potential
i hope the rumours and hype are true because we will be disappointed if the staging is boring..
Such an improvement from last year’s song! I’m not confident that she will be able to perform well live but as a studio cut this 100% deserves to qualify and place in the top 10 (maybe even top 5).
Q U A L I T Y .
Ireland 7/10
IRELAND – Maps is a really charming and hopeful entry. It’s an easy one to like. It puts a smile on my face, and Lesley comes off as a fun, positive person. The song carries a good message about feeling the best when you are at home (or we could interpret it as ”home is where the heart is”). I like the subtle Celtic musical influences. The melody is very nice, and even if the tempo could use a moment of slowing down, it successfully brings that uplifting feeling to life. The production sometimes overpowers the vocal a bit, but… Read more »
That’s a few times I seen you mention the apparent “toxic fan base” that Lesley has. I haven’t seen this at all.
And now you “don’t know” if Lesley is nice or because of what you claim is toxic fans. That makes no sense.
Also the vocal you mention was taken on a phone from the tiny, poor acoustic George bar, a pub, not hall or arena, just a pub. So I wouldn’t base that on it.
Well calling everyone who likes her and her song vile is a bit extreme. If you don’t like her, that’s up to you. Each to their own and all that. I don’t think toxicity is common to just Ireland though….
Cute that you’re calling out toxicity and bullying when you’re up in here with your bold text suggesting someone can’t sing and that they’re somehow “not nice” because of some confected fan drama.
I really thought it’s borderline at best.
“Maps” is direct, to-the-point and has a fast unrelenting tempo that is full of driving energy. Musically it is quite okay – it’s somewhere in the middle of the pack. The fast pace of the song will make it stand out. Best of luck to Lesley.
I am interested which songs you are most keen to see qualify in SF1, if you might want to reveal.
I really like this one. I have no particular reason why. I just do… So I do hope Ireland will do well. They deserve it!
Personally I thought she sounded really good during her Spanish pre party performance. Either last year she had a one time bad performance which happens, or she genuinely improved a lot over the last year which is a possibility.
7.7! That is ridiculous
Last place in the SF. I knew it, overhyped like usual.
Can someone explain me whey everyone here is so obsessed with this song?
Because it is a feel good anthem, has probably the best lyrics of an ESC entry this year, has an engaging, interesting artist singing the song, is different from other pop songs……….
I won’t say anything about lyrics but as a piece of music it is super ordinary from late 2000s having nothing different from other pop songs. I would even say it’s a typical pop song of that times.
Agree. I don’t get the enthusiasm.
Because it’s quality?
Worst song and overhyped by Irish and wiwibloggs. AGAIN last place in the SF. which it totally deserved
I just personally like the song. Right now I’m into positive, energetic songs and this fits the bill nicely. I just think it’s fun and I have a good time listening to it. Same reason why some of my other favourites include Czech Republic and Greece. Just my taste and mood right now I suppose. And that’s all the reasons I need to like a song.
I agree: this is the most underrated song this year. Not because of the wiwi score which I consider fair but because of the overall feel towards it and the most probable outcome in May. I’m afraid the Eurovision audience and juries will sleep on Ireland. About the song, it was love at first sight but it has been growing on me even more during the last month. It has a nostalgic vibe yet it is uplifting and hopeful. The song conveys a lot of emotions and the outstanding percussion adds a feeling of epicness, like running to the beat… Read more »
I have a big spot for this song, and I’m looking forward to how it will be on the stage. Especially with the team behind ‘Heroes’ staging, and claims of something we’ve never seen before- will she be running? Will it be like the video?
That’s my guess too, probably on a lazy Susan with a similar background being projected on the stage.
But hey I’m no set designer, could be anything at Eurovision, she could even be in a refrigerator lol this is Eurovision lol
If the song’s already hard to sing, adding running would not be a good idea…
True
Just racking my brain on a possible idea but you’re probably right lol
Sandro entered the chat.
Cyprus kicked Sandro from the chat.
Don’t forget Andras Kallay-Saunders!
I loved both of Lesley’s entries don’t get me wrong but, the “hype” around her is a bit unjustified but, this could do very well, like the UK who a lot of people are sleeping on and hating on but, I can see both in the Top 10/13 if staging goes well for both nations but, with the team the UK has this year, the main worry out of these two will be Ireland. 2 countries that usually send bland songs every year are in contention to have highly respectable finishes this year. Not winners though.
Sincerely I’m with Natalie, “this is the most underrated song of this year”… i find it really refreshing… even though, it is not my favorite, is definitely on my top… wish the best of luck for Lesley
Yay!
This song has grown on me massively over the last couple of weeks!
When I first heard it I would’ve given it around a 6, now I’m at least close to an 8!
Totally agree with the comment on it being a great song to come on when running too haha!
Hoping for qualification and would love to see it sneak into the left side of the board in the final?!
A VERY unpredictable entry being in a very unpredictable semi…..
It’s not a beauty contest jeez!!
This is my favourite song this year. I think I read somewhere that they have the guy who did Mans Zelmerlows staging working on this one. If it has special staging I think this could be the overall winner. Fingers crossed
Can you just stop hating on everyone that has a different opinion?
What the hell did i just read??? We didn’t say anything bad for your taste…but YOU are the one commenting bad things in EVERY single comment that has a different opinion from you….If he thinks this song can win and likes it, WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE?
I think Greece are the ones with the flying penguins.
They do in zoos, (? in warm climates) Anyway back to the music, you may be right my favourite Eurovision songs never do that well, but as you say, I can dream. I do like a lot of the songs this year and I am really looking forward to the shows, I will enjoy them whoever wins and after all it is entertainment not a sporting event so enjoying it should be the main aim.
Do you’ve something with the fantastic flying penguins ?
Not particularly. It’s just Greece are said to be doing something risky and never seen before in their staging, it was rumoured for a time to be the Pegasus from the video. So just meant if anyone was going to get flying penguins it would be Greece.
The flying ones ?
Also because Maps is one of my favorites this year, I’ll be very nervous during SF1. I can do something about it, I’ll vote for Maps. I am pleasantly surprised that wiwijury has given such a high rating. Leslie is such a creative songwriter and she does it with the full dedication of her whole person. She draws you into the song with her energy.
I hope Leslie will rock this. Maybe she can work a little on the pronounciation so that more people understand the sophisticated lyrics.
There are 6 countries that I really want to qualify from the 1st semi and from them only Lithuania is considered by most a lock. The voting segment will be a tough one to watch.
Yes Sabrina, let’s be nervous together!
The songs I really want to qualify in SF1 are from: Lithuania, Russia, Australia, Ireland, Belgium and Ukraine.
Which are yours?
I like Australia too, it would be my 7th in the semi. I don’t see it as “well-rounded” as my first 6, but I see potential if they get the staging right and Montaigne nails the vocals (or “got” and “nailed”, since the performance is already taped). The only one of my shortlist that’s not in yours is Romania.
The thing is usually 1 or 2 of my favorites fall in the semi. So I’m already prepared to some disappointment.
I guess Russia, Ukraine, Romania and Australia will be on the fence to qualify. In my book all of those should advance, but that’s not going to happen 🙁
The split between televote and jury might be – to say it in a positive word: “interesting”.
Australia has the disadvantage of live on tape performance, so I can already be sad that this won’t advance.
I love the video for this song. It made me feel a profoundly loving homesickness, and I have never even been to Ireland. Hopefully the stage presentation captures this feeling, because it is incredibly powerful.
You need to come over!
The kettle is on, just bring biscuits, be grand.
<3
It made her feel homesick. For example, if she lives in Sweden, she may have felt homesick if she left Sweden. Therefore, she is relating her experience of being homesick to Ireland’s music video. Perhaps the video even reminds her of her own country.
I think you need to be taught how to communicate effectively. I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt and assuming that English is not your first language which might explain the acerbic nature of your comments. Otherwise, you are just a troll!
ugh my comment is STILL waiting approval so I’ll summarise my ranking: Ireland I put 16th, and it’s just a joyous surge of fun and just overall pleasantness. I think this should qualify, I’ve fallen in love with it more and more. It’s just so sweet and nice in a very unpretentious, un-Denmarky way.
Eurovision is full of uplifting entries that fail to move me for sounding insincere and/or clichéd. That’s why I love “Maps”. It’s earnest, vibrant, triumphant, a feel-good song perfect for a road trip or to go with your morning coffee. As a bonus, it sounds Irish and universal at the same time. My concern is about Lesley’s vocals. She’ll have to sing “in the pocket” the whole time and some of her previous efforts were unconvincing. If she delivers it, I can envision Ireland becoming this year’s dark horse. 8/10
This is pleasing to me, feels correct and agrees with my fantasy.
I hope Ireland can make the cut in 3 weeks. Leslie deserves hit
What a completely unnecessary and nasty thing to say. If you have an opinion about the song that’s fine, but do not go after an artist’s looks.
DESERVEEEEDDD PERIODT
So “Maps” is William’s favourite Irish entry ever, yet he only gives it a nine out of ten? Ireland is the country with the most Eurovision wins, after all. There might be some recency bias going on… “Maps” is awesome, but “In your eyes” is simply fantastic, in my view.
Niamh Kavanagh made it that, though. Another singer…maybe not.
Ofcourse it was…I still remember the song with the little girl that sounded so Greek to our ears. Actually our jury gave 12 points to Norvege.
Of course not. I just find it strange that someone rates their favourite song of a country with such a successful Eurovision history a relatively spoken mere 9/10.
Same , my highest rated song this year has a 8.5
This just proves how subjective the ratings are. For me personally, every year has their 9s and 10s (which I do consider fantastic, of course. Some years have more of them than others do, though. 🙂
I’m more favourable to it all like you Colin – though n the night, I’m giving out 12s like they’re hotcakes 🙂
‘In your Eyes’ is timeless and Niamh Kavanagh was superb- a perfect coming together of the right singer for the right song.
Agreed.
Shame it went the opposite way when she came back in 2010 though
I think the song in 2010 was not good enough. Niamh is always a good Eurovision ambassador so I was happy to see her back at ESC. I love how after all these years she still is very supportive and loyal to ESC.
Oh definitely I agree, on both points.
in youropinion yes, but William has a different taste – what’s wrong with that?
I’d say Maps is one of my fave Irish entries in the last 2 decades. Ireland’s victories in the 90s were totally not worthy of the trophy LET’S BE REAL.
7.7 wow
Extremely overestimated. We are literally talking about top-notch genericness here.
They’re not talking about Croatia here
Well done Ireland !!! Deserve and Hope to qualify.
What is your point anyway? I imagine very few of the artists look exactly like their promotional pictures in reality.
Ireland is actually my favorite this year. I don’t expect her to win, but I do believe it’s a bit of a dark horse this year and I’m glad to see that most of you recognized the quality of this entry as well!
Finally Lesley gets the score she deserves 😛 ?
This is so funny hahahaha!
NQ for sure!
The chances of this song qualifying solely depends on staging.
Gold star.
wow i didn’t expect this high of a score. this song feels really mature and with it finishing last in the first half of the semi they might have great staging planned. hopefully everything falls in to place for lesley
Running is the ideal basis for an uplifting pop song. Whether you’re running away from your problems or towards your goals, it’s an activity that makes you exhaustively conscious of every part of you body and liberates your mind of prosaic cares. It’s basically a confirmation of your vitality, of your prowess, of the fact that you’re still alive and capable of changing yourself and the world around you. It’s no wonder that so many popular pieces of music have used this exuberant trotting tempo – from “William Tell Overture” through Fleetwood Mac’s “Second Hand News” and Siouxsie and The… Read more »
Wiwi jury points so far:
Ireland 7.7
Cyprus 7.45
Finland 7.34
Ukraine 7.32
Russia 7.18
Sweden 7.14
Croatia 6.75
Azerbaijan 6.57
Israel 6.45
Latvia. 6.34
Czech republic 6.16
Belgium 6.16
Serbia 6.09
Norway 5.89
Albania 5.89
Spain 5.34
Germany 5.14
Estonia 5.07
Austria 4.89
Slovenia 4.84
I’m quite okay with the results except for:
– Cyprus, overestimated, should be around 6.5/6.8 with Azerbaijan et Croatia
– Belgium, underestimated, should have at least 7