Did you catch the second episode of 1 in 360, San Marino’s selection show to the Eurovision Song Contest? We understand it’s Friday night and people generally have plans, but here in Euroland it’s Fri-YAY and we’re pumped to see what’s happening in Europe’s favorite microstate. So how did the artists do?
Emma – “Hold On”
Emma starts off the show once again and the running order doesn’t appear to change from last episode. She sounds weaker in the high notes and whilst the song sounds decent enough Emma doesn’t really seem into it and maybe this isn’t the song for her in the competition. Emma says she loves this song as well as the last. Zoe says she likes her when she sings high and the song showcases what she can do with her voice. Neon says she doesn’t think the song is enough to take her all the way (to the contest.) Ladi says it shows how much she enjoys the song and wants him to imagine performing the song for millions and weather she can project that on performance night. Alessandro says she was poetical with her delivery.
IROL feat. Basti – “Sorry”
Personally I felt they work really well together, especially Basti’s delicate refrain in English and IROL’s more vibrant and expressive rap in Italian. Nick – “They brought the fire, did you get burnt?” Ladi commented that they were balanced, and there was no dominant performance. He felt entertained and he felt believed he also commented on Basti’s outfit – ode to Michael Jackson. Neon said they need to work on staging a bit more. Alessandro loved the pair of them together and thought it was an improvement on last episode. Zoe doesn’t know which song between this episode and last episode was better.
Giovanni Montalbano – “Immenso” (Immense)
There’s no denying he’s a great vocalist, but despite this song having more energy than the last one it doesn’t suit him for some reason – he needs the slow build up ballad to show off his vocals more. Neon says she just want to get up and dance but she wasn’t a fan of his hand movements. Alessandro liked the lyrics and called them expressive and that his voice flies over the notes. Zoe loved his voice and says she has goosebumps – she said both songs he has could become hits. Ladi is last and differs in opinion with the rest. He thinks Giovanni was stronger than the song and doesn’t think he suits it. He’s dubbed Simon Cowell of the show by Neon. It should also be noted that during the post-performance interview he talks in English, clearly rehearsed…
Basti – “Stay”
Basti has a lovely voice, but the arrangement is a bit too similar to Judah’s effort from last week. He has a vocal wobble on the main note but does a decent job nonetheless. Nick says he has hair standing up on end in places he didn’t know he even had hair. Alessandro said he was knocked down, that it was a good song for him and his voice and that his body communication was perfect, he seems lost for words. Zoe said she got emotional when he sang the first “STAY” and is almost speechless. Ladi said he will not disagree – he says he is a complete artist and he’s taken on a complete journey and wants to buy tickets for his show/tour and wishes him luck. Neon says she sees him doing big things, great choice of song and thinks he should even include a key change to kick things up a notch.
Judah Gavra – “Moonlight”
I get a similar impression from Judah as I do Basti – decent voice but the song is a bit flat and I found myself getting bored part way through. Zoe says he nailed the song and made it his own, even called it dynamic. Alessandro says this song suits him better. Neon says shes going to play “Simon Cowell” and called the song too much cheese and wants something that can crossover a bit more to commercial music and called the song too musical. Ladi says he wasn’t bored, says Judah enjoyed it more and that he looks forward to future performances as the energy changes here suits him.
Tinashe Makura – “Free Yourself”
Tinashe’s dressed in a Zimbabwe flag T-Shirt and sunglasses with a flag on his guitar. He’s the only one so far playing an instrument. He really comes alive with this song and it really suits him. Alessandro already is singing along with these lyrics. Tinashe’s ad-libbing everywhere and very much sells the song. He says he has fun on stage and added a key change to make it more Eurovision. Ladi says his previous song was more suited to Tinashe and he doesn’t need the sunglasses or flags to bring power to his performance. Neon says he should have done the guitar to start with solo (no backing vocalists or instrumentation) and believed the song could win the contest. Alessandro says the song made him feel great, a fun song and “wipes away clouds around his head”. Zoe says she also disagrees with Ladi but wants him to sing with the backing vocals and not stop or ad lib when they start.
Jessika – “Out of the Twilight”
She handles the song quite well which has both a really low and really high register for her voice. She’s on the verge of struggling to hit these notes. I don’t think the song really suits her to be honest. It’s almost as if she’s ‘oversinging’ the song. Jessika says she was a bit emotional in that performance. Zoe says she did quite well but thinks the first song suits her better. That in this vocal performance she missed a few notes and the song was too dramatic for her. Alessandro asks her if the drama suits her more and Jessika says she sometimes has moments that she can relate to in the song. Ladi says he agrees with Zoe and that the other performance suits her better as this performance seems more detached. Neon says she looks the part but says it as scratchy and she was a bit lost.
Sara de Blue – “Out of the Twilight”
Sara hits these notes on point and her angelic voice really contrasts well with the macabre tone of the song. She reminds me a lot of Amy Lee from Evanescence! Ladi says he felt goosebumbs everywhere. “Bravo, truly bravo”. Neon starts getting teary, says it was incredibly beautiful and very suited to her and was better than Jessika’s version. Alessandro says when the backing vocals start there’s a tempo change and doesn’t like that but still he praised the performance highly. Zoe says she was always impressed with what her voice could do, even jealous. She thought it was so nice that her and Jessika were team players and could do the backing for each other and perform to let the lead artist shine.
Jenifer Brening – “Until the Morning Light”
This version is a bit more uptempo than Sara’s version from last week. She almost shouts through this song and her version of “Sorry” from last week was actually more suited to her. Her voice even breaks during the final verse. Neon says she is a tiny bit of work away from being a legend and to work on her transitions. Alessandro says he appreciated the arrangement. Zoe says she’s impressed by the high notes and gets an Adele vibe from her in the big parts. Ladi says he feels that this was her song and wants to know what her fans think about the song.
Franklin Calleja – “Stay”
I’m really liking Frankin’s performances on this show. Whilst his voice is shaky in parts his vocals sound absolutely delightful in the higher register. Unfortunately in the last verse he completely loses control, possibly his emotions getting the better of him. Zoe can’t tell which of this or Bastis song is better. Ladi says his outfit suits him and that he comes across strong in the song and elegant in the dress which is suited to his voice. Alessandro says he’s very gifted. Neon says his voice is unique and has good control and despite the message of “Stay with me” she found herself drifting out.
Camilla North – “”Yo no soy tu chica” (I’m Not Your Girl)
This song has a great grove to it and really shows off her diversity as an artist and has a very current message to it. Neon says this is more fitting to her and didn’t realize she had it in her but the song needs a bit of work. Alessandro was very pleased and hopes it will become a summer hit. Zoe enjoys it and also believes it could be a summer hit and thinks she was confident with the song. Ladi says he didn’t know there was Latin music in Norway. Following the performance Alessandro extend a thanks to the band and to the backing vocalists for the night.
Decision making time! Which songs are the singers going to sing to a live audience and with the final backing track? The judges made their decision known below…
- Emma – “Diamonds”
- Irol – “Sorry”
- Giovanni Montalbano – “Per quello che mi dai” (For What You Give Me)
- Basti – “Stay”
- Judah Gavra – “Stay”
- Tinashe – “Free Yourself”
- Jessika – “Who We Are”
- Sara de Blue – “Out of the Twilight”
- Jenifer Brening – “Until the Morning Light”
- Franklin Calleja – “Stay”
- Camilla North –”Yo no soy tu chica” (I’m Not Your Girl)
The live final is scheduled to be broadcast on the 3rd of May, and with the backing tracks heard for the first time it should be a special show. Do you agree with the song selection? Let us know in the comments below…
