Top 50 2005

30-21

30. Tamás Mester - Szabaditsd Fel

A very commercial-sounding guitar song, which were it not for the language, I could easily imagine hearing on the radio. The verse is nice, rather slow, but the chorus comes in with a big kick, and uses guitar riffs much more suitably than Slovenia's 2005 entry. A fab slow rock song, very out of place at Eurovision. The slow bit before the last chorus adds to the song's effect, and an abrupt but good ending helps too.

29. Wäinötär - Kihlaus

A very hard song to explain, Nordic-ethnic, but more in a Den Vilda way than a Tii way. It was clearly doing something right, as it was one of only 2 songs in the Finnish NF, but then those trusty Finns left this gem in the semi it began in. A chance for them to send something different to their ballads/bad pop, yet again spurned. The song itself could do with a more dramatic end, and sometimes feels more like background music than an actual song to listen carefully to.

28. Madara Celma - I Might Be The One

It may start exactly like "A Whole New World" from Aladdin (I'm trying to stop all the comparisons, honest!), but then the song matures into a really simple but beautiful ballad. This year has a couple of fantastic piano ballads, in the style of the fab "Love Me" from last year's Dutch NF. The song then speeds up around the minute mark, unfortunately to the detriment of the song, as the beat gets rid of the atmosphere that the slow start created, turning it more into a dance track, though it can't manage that either. Both parts separately are good, but together they clash.

27. Bodies Without Organs - Gone

A pleasant song, simple pop. The leadsinger has a strange choirboy voice, which gives the song a kind of hymn meets pop song feeling. Simple catchy lyrics, simple musically. The main problem is the voice of the singer, his accent can grate sometimes. But it gives the song an edge over the other purely pop song.

26. Alexandra Ungureanu - Your Love

ARomania have shown over the past few years that they are capable of producing some really good dance/pop songs (though performances don't always match!). Yet another song with powerful drum beats and just the right amount of catchiness and sing-a-long-ability to yet again show Xandee how it's done. Nice voice, and wonderful building music on "your love". The bridge, is rather disappointing at first, but builds up nicely into the chorus. Reminiscent at times of classic power ballads like "The Final Countdown" etc. And now we're halfway there!

25. Jessica Folcker - Om Natten

This song grabs you from the first second, as Jessica belts out "Om natten......", and continues from there. After such a powerful start, and also very strong choruses, the verse seems weak, but the backing singers provide the second half of each verse with considerable punch. The chorus ends a bit abruptly, but there isn't many negative things to say about this pearl.

24. Melody Island - Eltünt Álom

Hungary's last entry in the top 3, but yet another beautiful song from the returnees. Soft guitar backing in the verses, and the high note leading up to the chorus seems the only error in this song. Chorus is as serene and soothing as the verse, and the second verse sees the introduction to a drum beat to considerable effect. Another song that suffers slightly due to the abrupt ending.

23. Ella & Marizo - Sing With Me

ZGentle beginning which makes you expect a ballad, but the rhythm and music that kicks in before the chorus gives it a kind of RnB feel, and we see the return of the summery theme to our top 50. The biggest mistake of the song is the 'rapping'. The rap verse fits in quite well, but the interaction with the chorus is less effective, and the "ah"s in the rap don't add much either. But a nice song which doesn't sound Latvian at all.

22. Orange Blue - A Million Teardrops

This is the sole entry for a German NF much reduced in quality than last years was. Nice usage of the piano and trumpet in this song, with a soft verse, though the lyrics are a little too corny. The drum builds up and leads into the sing-a-long, anthemic chorus that makes you feel like lifting your hands in the air and swaying in time. A rock ballad that could easily come from an Embrace album. One of the more credible songs of the 2005 season, or it would be were the lyrics a lot less cheesey and Eurovision-y. The slow end to the song is another nice touch.

21. Alcazar - Alcastar

And now we have *the* clap of 2005! The infectious "clap, clap-clap-clap" fits in great, and elevates the simple pop song further. The lyrics are cheesey, the melody simple and vaguely familiar, but what else would you expect from Alcazar? This beats their previous MF attempt hands down, and any failings in the song are completely forgiven and forgotten when I hear the fabulous clapping! The cheesey talking bit as the rest sing "ooh" works refreshingly well, and the catchy chorus builds up well to a dramnatic ending. Now if only I could forget those costumes they wore in Melodifestivalen, and the terrible live singing of the girls.

Now onto the top 20!