It’s down to the business end of our Countdown To Eurovision, with just days to go ’til the official opening in Malmö… the first of the two semi finals.
39 countries from across the continent will descend on Sweden on Tuesday to battle it out for a place in the Grand Final tomorrow week, where they’ll meet up with the host nation and the “big five” of the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain in the hope of Eurovision glory.
Here at auspOp, we’ve been counting down to Eurovision again – and today we’re visiting the tiny European Republic of San Marino, who’ll take to the stage in the second of the semi finals next Thursday.
VALENTINA MONETTA : Crisalide (Vola)
Given San Marino only has a population of little more than 30,000 people, it’s understandably quite difficult for them to keep throwing up new contestants for Eurovision year in year out. This year, like Ireland last year, they’ve decided to send the same contestant from the previous year – in this case Valentine Monetta. Last year she fielded the controversial ‘The Social Network Song’, but this year she’s gone back to basics by taking an Italian language song called ‘Crisalide’ (‘Chrysalis’).
Grasping her glowing orb (not a euphemism), Valentina delivers this tune with plenty of emotion, but there’s a little twist just after the two minute mark, when the tempo switches up a gear. Add in a couple of key changes and a money note or two and you’ve got a track that’s light years better than last year’s offering.
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