EUROVISION 2019 REVIEW: HUNGARY - Joci Pápai - Az én apám

Time for another review!

This time we turn to Hungary. Another successful year of 'A Dal' meant Joci Papai once again will return to Eurovision, following his 2017 appearance with 'Origo'. I personally believe he was the best choice out of the A Dal songs, but why I hear you ask?

Here are my thoughts:

What I Like: Joci didn't hesitate on returning to 'A Dal', and Az en apam seems to be a continuation from his previous entry, but presented in a more laidback approach. The hook is a huge earworm and no doubt that will be used within the recaps to play to its advantage. I also like that this seems to one of very few entries that seems authentic and isn't pleading to be in-your-face or have a huge moment that attracts votes, similar to Joci last year. It's traditional and lays its heart on the line, and that could gather respect from voters.

What I Don't Like: Despite Joci's big return, the hype for his follow-up of his top 10 'Origo' in 2017 has been quite... muted. Although the song has its fans it seems to be nobody's favourite, and I admit to forgetting this song myself within the mix despite enjoying it each time it comes on my playlist. I also think that the song is quite sparse at times and could get the message across in a shorter duration, which could in effect make it more powerful. I also think the minor tweaks in the revamp make the song lose a bit of impact from what we saw in the national final. Hopefully that's just a case of the studio cut and Joci's raw emotion will still get the chance to represented on stage when May rolls around.

Prediction: Hungary have qualified every year since 2011 with some way worse entries than this. Not to mention, unlike Origo in 2017, Az en apam doesn't have a rap which could hold juries interest a bit more over last time, plus Joci will be a familiar face to some across Europe still. Although I think this is a bit of a risk, I do think this has the potential to make it to the finals, but could easily fall anywhere between 6th-12th in SF1.

Final Score: 6.5/10

Summary: A very simple melody but with a charming, traditional performance and vocal that should be respected across the board without relying on Joci Papai's name status too much from his last appearance.

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