SOTY 2008 review

So the third United Song Contest "Song of the year" has just started. SOTY 2008 has a new voting system: All non qualifyers are one jury each as before but all those that participate in soty 2008 only will be given one joint jury vote. This is very interesting new feature. If this will result in an unexpected or an usual win is still to be seen but USC NEWS are convinced it will ba a very exciting voting and also completelly impossible to predict the outcome of this event. Since all the most successfull managers votes are reduced to only a fraction of what it has used to be in soty votings anything is possible.

With 3 years of USC sotys some countries has been more successful to reach top 5 than others. During the 3 years these has reached soty more than once:
GREECE - 10 times (of 12 possible)
SWEDEN - 8 times
NORWAY - 5 times
GERMANY - 4 times
SPAIN - 4 times
ANDORRA - 3 times
FRANCE - 2 times
IRELAND - 2 times
ISRAEL - 2 times
CYPRUS - 2 times
LATVIA - 2 times
SLOVENIA, FINLAND, DENMARK, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA, BULGARIA, FYR MACEDONIA, UNITED KINGDOM, RUSSIA, SWITZERLAND, ESTONIA, ITALY, ICELAND, ROMANIA, POLAND, LUXEMBOURG and NETHERLANDS all have had 1 soty entry.

The winner of Soty 2006 was GREECE and Helena Paparizou and her "Mambo" (2nd in winter).

The winner of Soty 2007 was SWEDEN and Sonja Aldén and her "För att du finns" (1st in spring).

The winner of Soty 2008 will be...







Lets start with the review now...

01 - Spain - Bea Bronchal - Sin ti (Sergio)
A strong opening of a strong field of pop etno music. Beas strong vice and emotional and strong singing style should make her one of the top songs but really not fight for a victory. "Ole" that was in contest in 2006 is Beas best song and my 2nd personal favourit pf all spanish songs. The favourite? Ah...the 2008 song from Rebeca "Se me olvido".




02. Greece - Sakis Rouvas - Kai Se Thelo (Babis)
A greek song that made a good result in USC even though I never was a real fan of this one. But the chorus is very strong.


03. Finland - Sunrise Avenue - Fairytale gone bad (Harri)
Harri is one of the veterans in USC, he has been representing Finland from the beginning for 3 years now and this is his greatest success. An radiohit song that perhaps is too modern and up-to-date for the usual very old fashioned and nostalgic USC voter (of which I was one) to be fighting for a high result. The crushing guitar songs is not what I like the most so only 2 stars Harry.



04. Sweden - Sonja Alden - A miracle (Javiii)
Now a favourite. The winner song of winter edition and the only song that has received 6 stars in an review in USC NEWS so You can expect a high result and even a top fight for Sonja this time too. Wonderful schlagerpop anthem that blew me off my chair last year when Javii managed to find this original english version of Shirley Clamps Melodifestivalen entry "Att älska mig" from 2005. Sonja surelly made a mistake by choosing "Etymon" instead or maybe I should say no because exacly that song Sonja sang in 2006 Melodifestivalen was performed in USC autumn 2006 in Spanish by Rosa and won.


05. Bulgaria - Karizma - Shte Izbiagam Li Ot Teb (Mert)
Congrats for best result for Bulgaria. A very good song that are both so pop 2008 and also very ESCish and I simply love the drumming in this song and also bulgarian sounds so exotic and beautiful.


06. Denmark - Alphabeat- Fascination (Sandy)
Sorry to say but I was chocked that this bad song was almost winning an USC edition. Next please. It is so old fashioned 1980ies schlagerpop a la UK. One star since it is in soty that counts for something.


07. Israel - Dana International & Idan Yaniv - Serret Hodi (Elad)
This is nice etno drum song but they destroy it with too repetitive melody and the voices has not any emotion or substantial strong voices.



08. Slovenia - Alenka Gotar - Nek te voli kao ja (Alan)
Another strong ballad that won USC. I am impressed and can only congratulate Alan for this glorious edition victory. She has emotion and feeling through all the song and a strong voice. The only thing I found weak is the simple old sounding weak drumming. The chorus is fantastically dramatic and anthemic. Melody wonderful. Bravo. Also one of the songs that has a soty 2008 gold medal in reach.



09. UK - Duffy - Mercy (UK Team)
The obvious winner of the third soty trophy. The megahuge world hit from UK has revealed a 1960 passion in each and everyone, young or old. It was one completelly strange thing that only Greece rewarded 12p in the sumnmer edition and still Duffy won. Her voice and the groovy Soul song fit together perfectly and give me a feel good feeling and I simply want to get up dancing every time. If not in top 3 then scandal. An extra star since it was elected "the song of the year" by USC NEWS MAGAZINE.



10. FYR Macedonia - Sibel Redzepova - That Is Where I'll Go (Pane)
A sensationally success for Sibel in USC. A very good song sung even more sensational. She will be among the top songs in soty as well. Great entry.


11. Bosnia Herzegovina - Feminnem - Ovisna (Anel)
Welcome back Anel to USC. This wonderful voice of the singer that comes in 2nd in the bveginning I simply adore. I wouldn't mind to see this one winning since it was not top in edition. An etno ballad with R&B rythm should be rewarded high points. Maybe the new jury coting system can help this one. Good luck Feminnem anyway.


12. Cyprus - Mihalis Hatzigiannis - Emeis Oi Dyo San Ena (Kostas)
If some has failed the mix of drums this one has succeeded in the same. Also Mihalis voice is great and the song has a melancholic and dance friendly style of greek style that fit perfectly here. One of the best songs in this contest so a fight for top possition should be possible. But the instrumental parts are too long for a win.


13. Sweden - Sanna Nielsen - Empty Room (Javiii)
The most unique song of them all. This is the studio version that has only a fraction of the emotional singing that Sanna gave live at melodifestivalen. If Javii had sent the live version she would have won both the edition and the soty 2008. Now only top 5 is possible. On eof the best entrys ever from Sweden in the whole history/edition series of USC. Go Sanna.



14. Norway - Alejandro Fuentes - Hell If I (Kim)
In 2007 "Under stjernerne" was my fav song and should have won in USC as well. That was a great song Norway. This one is bad but has a great singer. Too 1986 in style for me and repetitive. 3 stars only for the singer that lift the mediocre song to a good result.


15. Spain - Anael - Thinking thinking (Sergio)
It was a shame that in 2008 spanish ESC selection there was cheating internet voting scams that made Anael miss the Spanish final. She will soon release a whole album. The lyrics are written by Mr Tony Sanchez Ohlsson that was representing Spain in USC in 2006. A song that has that personal and intimate passion. Here drums are brilliantly put together in the very simple but genious song from Anael. Should struggle since there is a lot of great songs here but she deserves at least the top five but upper half is more an expected result unfortunatelly.







16. Greece - Peggy Zina - Alli mia fora (Babis)
Again greece has the strongest songs in an soty and this one belong to them topo. A melodic and catchy pop club song that is great for dancing. Also her voice is strong and mystical.


17. Netherlands - Sharon & Armin - In & out of love (Erik)
A very new age style electro pop type of song with surprisingly nice singing and melody has nothing to be complaied about but the blipping in the sound is a bit annoying for 3 minutes.





18. Ireland - Donal Shekan - Double cross my heart (Rickard)
OK, this is a great pop song that reminds a whole lot of an Bosson song. Mid results are to be expected. I think lyrics are too banal and silly but the melody and sound is great. It is sung ok but a low result is to be expected.





19. Italy - Paola & Chiara - Vamos a bailar (Renee)
This is a very boring song. It gives me absolutelly no reaction. Strained voices sing an weak melody that is boringly stupid and repetitive. One of the worst Paola & Chiara songs.



20. Greece - Kostas Martakis - Always And Forever (Babis)
OK. Here we have a winner. Here we have Greece. Here we have Babis. A fantastic result of many many greek victories and more amasingly good songs over the years. One USC soty victory and a record of both wins and entries this IS a very VERY strong candidate to win whole 2008 season. The perfect combination of voice and pop club song with simple and silly lyrics that actually work because the chorus is soooo catchy and emotional. many girls and boys will televote for this one. A clear top 3 result again for greece.


So to conclude. Soty 2008 is very good as was the previous soty contests. 3 years of USC is ending and what amazingly great pop songs that it has brought to us all. I hope the adventure continues in 2009 with more amazing pop songs, passionate voices and fragile melodies.

Who will win? Hopefully one of the six 5 star songs or else Duffy should win and tell us that 6 stars rule USC!!!