Album Review: Eurovision Song Contest 2014 Copenhagen
2 min read
Celebrating its 59th annual competition this year in Copenhagen, all of the songs from the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest are featured on the compilation album, one of which will become this year’s winner. This year, participants from 37 countries are involved in Europe’s cultural phenomenon which enthrals viewers from all over the world.
Most of the songs are sung in English, with a few exceptions of artists opting to perform their songs in their national languages. Featuring the mark of quality music, not being able to understand some of the lyrics doesn’t stop the songs from sounding good, especially the upbeat and dance-friendly Quero ser tua (I want to be yours) performed by Suzy from Portugal.
The high quality of the contestants’ entries is evident right from the opening track, Hersi from Albania’s One Night’s Anger. From this song and onwards, each note is emotionally charged and passionate as the contestants pour their hard work and determination into their tracks.
The competition is fierce as usual, with artists covering most of the popular genre bases from ballads to dance tracks to hip hop and rock inspired tunes. Just the first handful of tracks show a huge variety of genres, including dubstep inspired piano ballads (Aram from Armenia’s Not Alone) to Axel Hirsoux (from Belgium)’s touching tribute Mother to the ridiculously catchy pop tune Cheesecake performed by Teo from Belarus.
Finland’s Softengine cover the rock portion with the enthusiastic alternative anthem Something Better, challenged by Iceland’s Pollaponk and their indie-punk track No Prejudice.
The album features an extra treat for fans of the contest with last year’s winner, Emmelie de Forest of Denmark returning for a bonus track called Rainmaker – the official song of this year’s #JoinUs campaign which she will also perform live with this year’s contestants at the Grand Final show.
Each song on the album is impressive and wouldn’t be out of place on mainstream music charts. Voters will have a tough choice to make when deciding who to support in the tight competition, with any one of the artists showing a glimpse of a promising future in the industry. I would recommend the album to any music fan with an appreciation for a wide range of genres who is always looking for new songs to add to their library.
