The Eurovision Semi-Finals kick off today in Copenhagen, Denmark, with the Grand Final set for Saturday, May 10. It has been four years since Germany won the European song contest with Lena’s “Satellite”, and while the odds aren’t in Germany’s favor this year, there are some that see the country pulling a potential upset.
Germany selected Elaiza, a relatively unknown folk-pop trio from Berlin that quickly won over audiences at home, to represent the country in the contest with the song “Is It Right”. The group’s Eastern European flare has caught the interest of some trying to predict the winning country, especially with the crisis going on in Ukraine.
Frontwoman Elzbieta Steinmetz grew up in Ukraine and in an interview with DW, commented that her roots play a key role in the band’s sound. “People like to call it neo-folk, but it’s a bit more than that. Of course, we include Eastern European elements – this Slavic ‘minor,’ the groove and the instruments: accordion and double bass. But there are also lots of poppy melodies,” she told DW.
Still, the serious bookies aren’t predicting much success for the trio, placing Elaiza near 20th place. Right now the dubstep-inflected song by Armenia’s Aram Mp3 is favored to take the win.
Check out the song below and feel free to make your own prediction on where Germany will place.
Source: Eurovision, DW
Photo: Eurovision-Sander Hesterman (EBU)
