Contender or Pretender 2016: Sweden and Russia

Hello Dr. Readers!

So, we open up with the two songs that probably have the most support within the fan communities: Sweden and Russia! One is a contemporary hipster anthem dripping with sarcasm; the other is a quintessential schlager tune that builds upon the pop legacy of Heroes. Interestingly enough, the schlager is coming from a little further east than usual.

Sweden

If I Were Sorry performed by Frans

Reasons why it is a contender: The song is catchy and simple and takes advantage of the most basic of human entertainment: storytelling. It’s simple enough for folks to follow the plotline without being overly repetitive and still maintains an air of mystery.

Reasons why it is a pretender: The song is a bit too basic and, quite honestly, the singer comes off like a jerk. The composition is also simple and not too entertaining; the song is just flat throughout its duration.

Final Verdict: Pretender The song is neither captivating nor uplifting. It also lacks any kind of musical element that makes this song captivating. We know that it will perform 9th on Saturday night and it will be long forgotten by the end. Not to mention that only four countries have ever won on home soil – Spain (1969), Luxembourg (1973), Israel (1978), Ireland (1993 & 1994) – and no one has done it for over twenty years.

Russia

You Are the Only One performed by Sergey Lazarev

Reasons why it is a contender: A traditional ESC entry in that this is full-blown schlager, a German word meant to capture the style of pop that typified the German and Scandinavian entries of the 70s and 80s…and 90s. Russia is moving away from its diva entries of the recent past with a rousing pop tune that has a captivating composition and stage show.

Reasons why it is a pretender: It’s a little too typical. The song can become tedious and, without a big staging, is just not much. The lyrics are trite and lack any kind of depth.

Final Verdict: Contender This song, in addition to having a great stage show, will be more than adequately performed, as Lazarev has a good live voice. Not to mention that Russia has a large diaspora and a lot of guaranteed points, at least from the televoting public.