About Eurovision Obsession

Hello Dear Readers!

In spring of 2007, during my second year at the University of North Carolina, I studied abroad in Denmark.  While there, I joined my host family in watching the Semi-Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 – Helsinki.  I was so mesmerized by this, that I bought the official CD the next day and listened to each track (that I liked) well over a dozen times ahead of the Grand Final the following day.  Thus sparking my love of the ESC, my one true obsession.

On this blog, which I founded in December 2009, I cover the news from the Contest (as I can get to it, school doesn’t leave too much time for outside activities), my own opinion on the various entries and performances, my experiences attending the Contest and interacting in the fan community, and general editorials on the Contest as a whole.  Also, in case you are wondering, in terms of the ESC, I consider Denmark my “home country” and refer to it as such. Additionally, I have a soft spot for San Marino and cheer for the microstate each year.

We’re much more than a blog, though – you can find @escobsession across various platforms!

Follow us on Twitter where we regularly comment on Eurovision, interact with fans across the world, and compete in an assortment of fan contests.

Find us on Instagram, posting photos from Eurovision travels. Every photo was taken by me in the arena!

Connect with us on Pinterest, where the history of the Contest is brought to life with boards looking at past host cities, past participants, Eurovision arenas, and ESC winners!

Subscribe to us on YouTube, home of our Playlists of the Week and, starting Summer 2016, original video content!

Join us on Sporcle for challenging and fun quizzes to test your ESC knowledge – challenge your friends and see who knows most!

We’re now (finally) on Spotify! Here, you’ll be able to find audio versions of the playlists, comprehensive playlists for recent Contests, and other random music lists as deemed fit.

Me with Alexander Rybak!

A little about your author

I grew up in Maryland (US state in the middle of the East Coast)and am now living in Norway. I am in my early 30s and attend Oklahoma State University — I’m earning my Ph.D.! I have been a musician for most of my life; I play saxophone as well as sing. I have only met a handful of other Americans who even know what the Contest is, though I have brought more than two dozen people (and counting!) into the fandom. I hope that, as the years go on, I can brighten the lives of more of my country-folk (and Canadians) with the awesomeness that is the ESC. My plan is to write a book, “ESC for Beginners” in the coming years. People have asked why start every post with “Hello Dear Readers” – I take it from the Letters of John in the New Testament, in which he start each with “Dear Beloved” – despite the wording difference, it’s the same sentiment: I want to everyone reading my blog to feel seen, welcomed, and loved.

To learn more about how I view the Contest, here is some of the articles explaining my approach:

My History with the ESC
My Approach to the ESC
My Top 100 from 2001 – 2010
Attending My First ESC

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Follow @escobsession on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, Sporcle, and Spotify!