Tim: This is the second of Ireland’s good but rejected tracks, though you’d be forgiven for thinking otherwise: the writers are Swedish, the singer is Swedish, and for backing singers she had actual successful Swedish girlband, the recently featured Timoteij. Still, there’s nothing in the rules against that, and it ended up coming a respectable third place.
Tom: This isn’t a bitter rewrite of Avicii’s Wake Me Up, is it?
Tim: Entirely not, though I suppose there’s an opportunity there.
Tim: Returning to the theme of slightly rubbish judges complaints, this was (unfairly) described as a bit of an Avicii ripoff.
Tom: I mean, it sort of is. The title’s close, and while it doesn’t go full-on EDM it’s certainly got something of the farm-house about it.
Tim: Well, possibly; it was also (fairly) described as having a slightly wonky and unnecessary key change. Disappointingly, that key change sounds excellent and not at all unnecessary in the studio recording, and it came a close second with the juries, who’d only heard that.
Tom: Again, the score suffered for the performance: you’re absolutely right that it sounds strained in the live version.
Tim: Maybe it’d have done better without that wonkiness; we’ll never know, of course, but if I’m honest it’s probably better that an all-Sweden act didn’t go for Ireland – even Canadian Celine Dion has a Swiss lyricist when she competed for Switzerland.
Tom: And there’s at least a French link of sorts between parts of Switzerland and Canada.
Tim: WHATEVER the case, though, this is a good track – instead of a cliché, that key change struck me as unusual and interesting in a dance track, and if it did come across as an Avicii ripoff that’s only because this is what a good modern pop song sounds like.
Tom: Oh no, no it doesn’t: this is what a good, modern Avicii song sounds like. This is his style.
Tim: Hmm – maybe I’m subconsciously trying not to hear it. Anyway, this was the third track performed, but the first one that made me actually realise it might be worth sitting through Ireland’s selection show, so it’s at least got that going for it.