Look, war or not, Ukraine is a Eurovision powerhouse. In their twenty or so years of participating in the contest, they have never once failed to make the final, and have won the contest three times. So Teresa & Maria by alyona alyona & Jerry Heil is not going to make it to the final due to any pity votes – it’s going to make it to the final because it’s from the Ukranian music industry, and they know what they’re doing.
Is it the *best* thing the Ukrainians have sent? Well, no. Structurally, I find it a little too repetitive and dirgy, although I have to admit that the hook does stick. I have found myself muttering ‘all the divas were born as the human beings’ as I’ve been wandering around the house.
I think the major problem with the song for me is that it doesn’t feature enough alyona alyona. This is not a knock on Jerry Heil, whose vocals will impress the juries, but when alyona has that 30-second section where she is absolutely spitting bars, the song comes alive. She brings an energy that’s sorely lacking from the other, more monotone bits.
As for the subject matter – well, as someone raised Catholic, songs about the Virgin Mary are always appropriate. But Mother Theresa? Like, I know we’re doing 90’s nostalgia now, but it’s really tough to single out Mother Theresa without acknowledging the complicated legacy that she left behind. That requires a lot of nuance – nuance that we can’t get into in a three-minute pop song. I realise that the point the songwriters were trying to make is that all saints were born human, and thus all of us have the capacity for saintliness in our own lives. Unfortunately, I think this will get reduced to “the saint song” on the Saturday night, performed by religious fanatics, rather than two people thinking about the ways we can all live our lives.
I really enjoy the music of Jerry and alyona outside of this song, and I hope they have the ability to come back to Eurovision with something that gives them both a better showcase for their talents.
dudepoints.fun 