From an American standpoint, the yearly Eurovision Song Contest is an oddity. Which devious Simon Cowell antecedent first spitballed with “Karaoke meets Game Show meets WW2”?
In spite of the potential for worldwide disaster, the Eurovision Song Contest is good, clean fun. If the music and light xenophobia aren’t enough to charm you, the wild costumes worn by contestants from across Europe (and Australia!) are alone worth tuning in for. While the winning songs often harp on the topic of global peace and unity, the true Eurovision winners – the ones that go viral – are invariably the most outrageous.
This year, Ukrainian singer Jamala garnered top spot for the schmaltzy number “1944“. France fared well, scoring sixth place with “J’ai Cherché” by French-Israeli chanteur, Amir. Reminiscent of Book of Mormon’s “I Believe” (but with none of that ironic malarkey), “J’ai Cherché” instills the importance of having belief in yourself to fulfill your potential. Donald Trump, take note.
