EUROVISION 2019 REVIEW: SLOVENIA - Zala Kralj & Gašper Šantl - Sebi

Time for a new review!

Today, we turn to Slovenia, who after another edition of one of my favourite national finals, EMA, they have chosen their entry, 'Sebi' by Zala & Gašper.

Here are my thoughts:

What I Like: The first word that comes to mind when I hear this is hypnotic. This really is a charming entry. The first time I heard 'Sebi' I instantly fell in love as this is the type of music I listen to outside of Eurovision, but I thought it would be overshadowed by more Eurovision friendly entries like Kim or Raiven in EMA, but this really blossomed live like a diamond in the rough. I adore Zala's whispery vocal layered over the atmospheric instrumental, creating an ambient and gorgeous atmosphere. They manage to present affection and lust for eachother without being full-blown PDA in our faces too, some other ESC acts over the years should take some notes. Overall, this is really gorgeous and I'm so happy that we get to have this in the contest this year.

What I Don't Like: Okay, this is going to be difficult because I'm really into this one. Maybe the music video is a bit... meh? They completely made up for it with their staging in EMA which I think definitely represents the atmosphere this song creates, but the music video is just a little lackluster. Also, although its a song I adore its not really a song I go back to that often, even though I love it whenever I do. Just a point to make... as you can see I'm really struggling for personal criticisms here.

Prediction: As with any entry giving us something new, its a risk and we have nothing to compare it to, making this very difficult to predict. Performing 5th in semi-final 1 is just giving me 'Blackbird' teas and I'm really worried that this will either not connect or not be remembered towards the end of all the competing entries. I'm just getting a shock non-qualification vibe right now, but of course I'd love to and do believe this can still make it to the final, its just such a hard one to call. Prove me wrong, Slovenia!

Final Score: 9/10

Summary: A haunting entry with two charming artists presenting a song they've made and are proud of. Its not written with Eurovision in mind, making it all the more special as its unique to what we have heard in previous editions of the contest. The production is just flawless and wraps you in even without understanding the lyrical content. This is special!

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