With rare exceptions, Portugal is a reliable chill vibe at Eurovision, and this year’s entry is no different. After a very unchill and somewhat chaotic Festival da Cancao, where clear favourites were knocked out, Portugal decided to send the band NAPA with the song Deslocado.
And yes, it’s a song that can only come from Portugal. The band sounds so relaxed that one can barely tell that they’re actually singing a song about pining for their hometown on the island of Madeira. (I can relate with being homesick for a place – my beloved Philadelphia; how I miss your horrible accents and delicious pretzels). It’s the type of bittersweet upbeat flavour that Festival da Cancao churns out very well.
I think that for most Eurovision viewers, this song is going to wash over them like a warm wave in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Madeira. It’ll be a little aural vacation in between the hilarity of Bara Bada Bastu and the demands of Lighter.
The problem with Deslocado for me is that, like a wave, it leaves no impression after it washes away. I enjoy it for the three minutes I am in it, but cannot particularly remember it afterwards. There are other songs I have stronger reactions to. And while I appreciate the Portuguese vibe, a vibe alone isn’t enough to sell me on a song. I need the combination of vibe, staging, lyrics – a whole thing.
So I like Deslocado. I’m glad NAPA is in the competition. I will enjoy listening to them. But I will have forgotten their performance by the end of the night. They, for me, are like a vacation – something to be enjoyed in the moment, but ultimately not carried over to my real life.
dudepoints.fun 