<3 Ireland

What? Ireland in Eurovision without being represented by Jedward nor a poultry puppet? How very refreshing! After a string of disastrous results for the Irish, the energetic brothers tucked their fingers firmly into a power socket and brought Ireland into the new millennium with fresh, contemporary and edgy dance tracks. We’re pleased to see the Jeds now thought it best to step back and give someone else a shot at bringing the ESC back on Irish soil for the 8th time in history, and equally pleased to see that their successor continues along the same lines.

We’re surprised this number hasn’t gotten more attention or press after being selected in February. Maybe it’s because Ryan Dolan is not Jedward, or a puppet for that matter. Maybe it’s because the most Irish sounding entry this year is from Denmark, which for some strange reason happen to be the favorite with the bookies this year. The previous years’ ESC winners have had reasonable success hitting the charts afterwards, and somehow we can’t see that happening for the Danes. Only Love Survives on the other hand has loads of chart potential, being upbeat and modern with a simple, but warm and positive message.

The studio recording is slick and well produced and we wonder whether it’s possible to recreate this live. We fear a train wreck in the making here, this can go so very wrong if it turns out the nerves get the better of Ryan on the big night. We all remember Kati Wolf going off the rails in Düsseldorf. (Please allow us to take a moment while we shudder.)

That’s why we find ourselves being on the fence. We’ll be happy dancing the night away to this one in Euroclub “<3” all our lovely friends, but it doesn’t mean we’ll be booking our tickets to Dublin 2014 just yet.

5 comments

  1. I love this one! I’m still surprised that it actually won the Irish final as they always tend to send crappy songs.

    1. We find that Ireland’s curve is peaking upwards. The ability to think new and try a slightly different apporach in the national selection prosess might pay off. We won’t be surprised if we’re off too Dublin in a few years (the UK and the Beeb could learn a thing or two from the Irish…)

  2. I like it very much too, not a winner, not even top 10 (top 15?) but it’s certainly quite listenable which is more than one can say for most of them.
    Still, like you, I can see it going terribly wrong on the Malmo stage, vocally speaking. We’ll just have to wait and see.

    As for Denmark, I’m still hoping it is just another case of fanwank. In my eyes, Emmelie de Forest (how more ridiculous can your name get?) is a sort of Ruslana’s very timid, depurated daughter. Or some white version of Loreen.
    I fear that too many might be cheated into voting for her fake number though.

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