Finally, after this review, I've reviewed all my favourites from Eurovision 2014; next week I will be starting on Eurovision 2015, and then I'm completely caught up, maybe in time for the new year? Maybe; I doubt it. Conchita Wurst was the talk of the Eurovision Song Contest 2014, and so winning wasn't quite a massive surprise since she had a killer song, brilliant vocals, a stunning dress and performance, and a tonne of support from the LGBT+ community. She represented Austria and took the contest to her country after winning with 290 points. Tom Neuwirth dressed in drag as Conchita Wurst gives a solid sexy performance of "Rise Like A Phoenix" in this music video.
Tom Neuwirth has tried being a successful solo singer, he even managed to become the runner-up in Austrian TV show Starmania. He then became a part of boyband Jetzt Anders! but they disbanded the same year they were put together. Conchita Wurst came about a little bit later, where she entered Die Große Chance, Conchita Wurst came sixth in 2011; then came second on Eurovision Selection show Österreich rockt den Song Contest 2012; as for 2014, she was internally selected, and what a great choice that was. It pretty much launched Conchita Wurst as one of the world's most known drag queens, she just needs to keep her limelight. This song was written by Charlie Mason, Joey Patulka, Ali Zuckowski, and Julian Maas.
The music video is a full performance piece. Conchita Wurst is looking incredibly confident and sexy. This just wouldn't work if it were Tom Neuwirth. People can say what they like about drag queens, but there's something incredible about spending all that time on makeup and clothes and wigs, and in Conchita Wurst's case, her beard; and then working it like no other.
There are a few different scenes, but the main focus is on the bath and the rose petals. It's quite sultry, definitely sexy. Her performance is fire throughout, passion for every single word Conchita Wurst really identifies with this song. Considering no record label would record this, and then it won Eurovision, and charted well globally, just proves the impact of this song and the artist.
Yet the video is lacking. This could've had a beautiful narrative, yet we're given a performance piece that doesn't quite engage. Conchita Wurst looks good throughout, but she brought more to the table during the Eurovision 2014 Grand Final than in this music video. This song will always be a favourite of mine and resonates deeply within.
Natália Kelly is an 18 year old singer, who was born in America, but moved to Austria when she was just six years old. Her father is American with Austrian and Irish roots, her mother is Brazilian. She won The Voice in Austria 2012, that has been going since 2002, and has nothing to do with the international franchise 'The Voice'. After winning she entered Österreich rockt den Song Contest, which is the Austrian selection process for the Eurovision Song Contest, and Natália Kelly won that too. However she failed to get through to the final. There was so much buzz about her before the competition started, I really thought she was a contender for winning, but she kicked off the first semi final, leaving the other 15 acts following after her. Her song got forgotten by the time the voting opened, and unfortunately didn't get through. But I loved it, hence why she's in my Eurovision Special.
"Shine" was written by Andreas Grass, Nikola Paryla, Alexander Kahr and Natália Kelly. The song is catchy and powerful. She portrays emotions through her words and she means every single one of them. I just cannot believe this didn't make the final, it was definitely worthy of a higher position.
Austria came 14th out of 16 countries in the first Semi Final. She got 27 points and fell short of getting through to the final. She got 1 point from Estonia, 1 point from Slovenia, 4 points from Croatia, 4 points from Denmark, 3 points from Moldova, 4 points from Ireland, 2 points from Cyprus, 3 points from Belgium, 2 points from Serbia, 2 points from Italy and 1 point from the UK.
This music video is simple and totally focused on effects. The performance-based video brings her strong powerful vocals to the camera exposing how much she believes in this song.
The start is in black and white, which worried me, I really do not like black and white music videos, so I was happy when it went into colour. And then I saw how musical she is, playing the guitar, the piano, the drums... This is the Natália Kelly band. What let this side down was seeing someone help her with the drums... Maybe she isn't a musical genius as I first thought.
We have a lot of fun scenes, where the title of the song is behind her, where her name gradually appears behind her, various behind the scenes clips that show her laughing, trying to catch the drumsticks and just having the time of her life. She is the girl next door, and the video portrays her perfectly.
Then ending is full of fun fun fun, balloons, dancing, paint bombs (is there such a thing? Or did I just make that up?), and a dog or two. One of the topless guys slips over just as Natália Kelly gets splattered by a paint bomb, I just can't help but replay that scene over and over again. The very ending when she splats that guy is great to watch too because he doesn't expect it.
Overall a catchy song that should've made it through to the final, and a music video filled with fun, making Natália Kelly shine. She obviously had a wonderful time, and you just want to be there with her. She looks good, and has an infectious personality that is so bubbly. I just want to be her friend, as I'm sure many other fans want to be too.
