Live: Ukraine bows to win Eurovision Song Contest as grand final kicks off in Italy


The final round of the Eurovision Song Contest is underway in Italy, with Ukraine tipped as the favorites to win.

live updates

By Danielle Maguire

by Andrew McGarry

9. Italy: Mahmood and White – Brividi

Two male singers, one dressed in white and one in black, stand close together on stage facing each other and singing a duet.
Mahmood (left) and Blanco are ready for a big local reception for their Eurovision song Brividi for Italy. (AP)

Mahmood is back at Eurovision after his huge success with Soldi, who came in second place in 2019.

This time he won the Sanremo Festival, which gave him a chance to go to Eurovision, with Blanco, a 19-year-old rap star and rising singer, and a song called Brividi (Shivers).

The song can be read in a number of ways, but since it’s an emotional ballad/hip-hop mix that the two male vocalists sing to each other, some see it as an LGBTQI breakup song.

Emotion is not lacking, and the harmonies and falsettos are impressive, not to mention Blanco spitting lyrics on the bridge. Regardless of the outcome, this is a great effort from the host nation.

Wait for the roar of this in the hall.

LYRICS:

I wish I could love you / but I’m always wrong /

I wish I could steal a heaven of pearls / And I would pay to leave until I would accept a lie /

And I wish I could love you, but I’m always wrong/ And I get chills, chills, chills/

By Danielle Maguire

Geez this is a bit embarrassing

by Andrew McGarry

My God, here’s a really bad filler about hand gestures in Italian…

I don’t know why, there’s nothing huge that needs to take the stage for the next entry.

By Danielle Maguire

Oi, those sleeves!

Laura Pausini looks like a disco witch and I love it.

by Andrew McGarry

It’s time for a commercial break at Eurovision…

Okay folks, get ready. The next four songs are going to be HUGE… and will probably include the winner.

By Danielle Maguire

AND IT WAS A CLEAN RIP!

It was a bit risky in the semifinals. But she made it!

By Danielle Maguire

THAT GUITAR IS NOT EVEN PLUGGED IN!

I’m still reeling from the “instruments are not played live” revelation.

by Andrew McGarry

8. Armenia: Rosa Linn – Snap

A Eurovision singer dressed in yellow kneels on a bed with a lamp next to her and dozens of white papers covering the bed and walls.
Rosa Linn from Armenia performs the song Snap at Eurovision, on a stage with post-its being copied to reveal the lyrics. (AP)

Armenia has chosen a guitar ballad, with a bit of the song that reminds me of the Pixar film Up!

But dare I say it, we once again have the old angst vibes! Was there a chat memo from this year’s songwriting group, or what?

The staging is interesting, with pieces of wallpaper on the walls being torn off to reveal lyrics, and there’s a surprise moment at the end.

Rosa Linn gives a good performance, but there may be too much movement in this one.

LYRICS:

Taking one, two… where are you? / You’re still in my heart / Breaking three, four / I don’t need you anyway /

By Danielle Maguire

Look, I feel like this song is a little too gimmicky.

But performance is slippery.

And those Keith name badges on their suit jackets were a nice touch.

by Andrew McGarry

Ladies and gentlemen, that’s the biggest roar of the night so far…

by Andrew McGarry

7. Norway: Subwoolfer – Give That Wolf A Banana

A group of performers wearing dark glasses and covered in yellow raise their hands as they dance, with an alien DJ in the background.
Norway’s Subwoolfers provide one of this year’s Eurovision shows, with their number Give That Wolf A Banana (AP)

Ok, if there’s a battle for the weirdest Eurovision entry this year, it has to be between Serbia, Konstrakta’s In Corpore Sane, and this one.

As you can guess, this is a really deep and meaningful dive into desperate animals forced to hunt humans… no I mixed up my notes, this is a crazy excuse for some people to dress up in yellow/gold wolf masks and suits. and sing meaningless lyrics with a relentless beat.

It’s going to stick in people’s heads, maybe to their detriment, so there’s a good chance this will rate highly in televoting, but I don’t see juries giving it the time of day.

Still, the crazy quota for 2022 is reached.

LYRICS:

I’m not sure I told you, but I really like your teeth / That furry coat you have with nothing underneath / I’m not sure you have a name, so I’ll call you Keith /

And before that wolf eats my grandmother / Give that wolf a banana / Give that wolf / And before that wolf eats my grandmother / Give that wolf a banana

by Andrew McGarry

6. France: Alvan & Ahez–Fulenn

A band plays on the Eurovision stage, while behind them a singer poses on a platform surrounded by green lights and pyrotechnics.
Alvan & Ahez go heavy on the green light/pyro combo on their song Fulenn at Eurovision for France. (Getty)

The last time France opted for the Breton option was in 1996, with bras give ar singing Diwanit Bugale. He was much more of a friendly Celtic number trying to surf in the Irish era, only to be defeated by eimear quinn and his great Irish Celtic ballad The Voice (no, not John Farnham)!

This is different, very different! Without whistles or pipes, this is electro and Breton.

France is an automatic classifier as one of the Big Five… Surely this is dramatic enough to have classified with its green lights, fire and drums and more than vaguely pagan perspective.

It’s an entertaining three minutes, and I quite like them, but I think he’s ending up on the right side of the scoreboard.

LYRICS:

I dance, ignoring the wild animals / I steal the fire from their lustful eyes

And turn it into a song to be sung in unison / She dances with the devil, so what? / I dance with the devil, so what?

By Danielle Maguire

All right, get involved!

What song do you think is the most Eurovision song this year?

Who will win?

Who has the best outfit?

Hit the big blue “comment” button to let us know!

by Andrew McGarry

We have our first view of the Green Room…

Mika and Alessandro Cattelan are in the Green Room, which has a LOT of greenery.

Mika is making some truly atrocious puns.

Now it’s France

by Andrew McGarry

That was well received in the hall, good for you, Marius!

by Andrew McGarry

5. Switzerland: Marius Bear – Boys Do Cry

A male singer in a black shirt, black pants and a black leather jacket stands with open arms singing on the Eurovision stage.
Marius Bear sings Boys Do Cry for Switzerland: the last time that country won Eurovision was in 1988, with Celine Dion singing Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi (AP)

This caused a stir when he was first out of the pack in the first semi-final, because not many expected it to happen.

It’s a fairly simple ballad, more angst and emotion is shown here, although as you can tell from the title, it’s from a male perspective, which is rarer in Eurovision.

Although he was born in Switzerland, there is an Australian link: Marius’s parents lived here for a while and he refers to himself as “half Australian” on social media.

This is very well done, but I think it will get lost in the shuffle.

LYRICS:

In my room lives a boy who can’t be blue / And you may never know, oh oh /

You think he’s a gentleman / I’d shed more than a crocodile’s tear / If you go

by Andrew McGarry

Good job The Rasmus, but did you have to do it in Richmond colours? I’m sorry… I’m usually a sports reporter.

by Andrew McGarry

4. Finland: The Rasmus – Jezebel

A bare-chested lead singer in black leather pants jumps onto the stage at Eurovision with yellow lights, drums and dark balloons in the background.
The rock band The Rasmus will represent Finland at Eurovision in Turin, with their song Jezebel. (AP)

The Rasmus are veterans of the Finnish rock scene: they formed the group in 1994 when the original members were still in school.

They have used a color scheme similar to that of Norway, which appears at the time of three songs, but that is the only link between the two.

No wolf in sight here, but long hair, guitars, and rock instead of dance moves!

Watch out for the big sinister looking balls behind them…

If you’re wondering which of the numbers on the yellow scheme will finish higher, it won’t be this one.

LYRICS:

Jezebel, I don’t know how you got into my blood / Were the things you do dangerous? /

Your last kiss is to leave a scar / On a heart

By Danielle Maguire

The singing is live…

But all those instruments you see people playing?

That’s all an act.

While the vocals are sung live, the instruments are all pre-recorded for broadcast.

So when did you see an old friend from the Czech Republic playing guitar with a violin bow? Interim.

UK playing guitar at the end of Space Man? Interim.

Germany doing a whole song and dance about playing all those instruments like they were busking? Interim!



Reference-www.abc.net.au

Leave a Comment