Our Song for Malmö - the competitors
The twelve participants in this year's national selection programm.
Flying the flag for Germany
Twelve artists working across a wide range of genres took to the stage of Hanover's TUI Arena to get a chance to head to Malmö to represent Germany at this year's Eurovision Song Contest. Everything from summery folk-pop to clinical synth beats to religious chanting was on display. Here are all eleven hopefuls as they appeared in the programm...and of course the one lucky winner!
Finn Martin – 'Change'
First up and a very credible start for Germany was this jangly summertime singer-songwriter pop from scruffy young Finn Martin. While he was a likeable guy and the song had a suitably anthemic sing-along chorus, the indie-man-with-guitar combo tends to sink without trace among the excessive pantomime glitz of Eurovision. There is such a thing as too credible.
Mobilée – 'Little Sister'
Five-piece outfit Mobilée gave a very energetic performance, effortlessly combining finger-clicking Motown sounds with little-used instruments in pop such as the balalaika, adding a world music twist to their song. Their track - one of eight in the competition sung in English - was feel-good and easy to tap your foot along to - but as for what it was actually all about...well, who knows?
Blitzkids mvt – 'Heart on the Line'
All sharp suits and angular haircuts, Blitzkids mvt look like the result of The White Stripes colliding with Spandau Ballet in some achingly trendy New Romantic nightclub circa 1980. Their entry was suitably credible, a memorable electronic track blending warm, soulful vocals with a synthetic robot voice and a stark white light show. More underground Berlin night club than Eurovision Song Contest.
Betty Dittrich – 'La La La'
You hear the track for the first time and can't help but think, "Well, Germany's credible streak had to go wrong somewhere along the line." This slice of bouncy, fluffy pop with its repetetive, meaningless title - typical of so many Eurovision songs in the 60s and 70s - should be extremely irritating. Then you see the retro 70s-style video and realize that perhaps it's all just a deliberate joke.
Ben Ivory – 'The Righteous Ones'
"Ben Ivory is a walking contradiction of light and shadow, East and West, soul and intellect, melancholy and euphoria," says his official website, suitably over-the-top words for a young man clearly channeling the spirit of Berlin-era David Bowie. His pro-tolerance anthem was sharp, clean and dripping with retro beats. The Thin White Duke would have been proud!
Saint Lu – 'Craving'
The moody orchestral synths of the opening give way to a warm and catchy soul track with vocals evocative of Adele and Amy Winehouse. Add some 60s-pop handclaps to the mix and you have something pleasingly retro and at the same time very contemporary but arguably not quite distinctive enough to see Saint Lu triumph on the evening.
LaBrassBanda – 'Nackert'
Bavarian brass band LaBrassBanda are one of the most popular musical outfits in Germany and regular fixtures on the festival circuit, having put in appearances at Southside and Hurricane. "Nackert" - which means naked - was typical fare from the boys; bouncy, Latin-flavored, slightly oom-pah-pah and perhaps just not different enough to guarantee success.
Nica & Joe – 'Elevated'
Given the dominance of music from TV casting show formats on the German charts, it was perhaps inevitable that at least one act should come from one of these programs. Step forward Nica & Joe, participants in the second year of "X Factor." Their track was, perhaps inevitably, extremely melodramatic and featured vocals verging on strangled wailing. Pretty forgettable, and it sunk without trace.
Mia Diekow – 'Lieblingslied'
Mia seemed to be channeling the quirky performance art of Kate Bush and the mean electro of Florence and the Machine. Yet another credible slice of synthy/acoustic pop, this time featuring a cute plinky-plonky xylophone melody and fuzzy, over-produced vocals. Her track, "Favorite Song" in English, was sadly not a hit with voters but is inevitably heading for radio playlists nationwide.
Söhne Mannheims – 'One Love'
Söhne Mannheims (Sons of Mannheim) is a weighty musical project in two ways: its 14 members make it one of the biggest bands in Germany, and with just under two million records sold, they are also one of the top-performing comercially. Their entry, which combined elements of soul, rap and reggae, was largely forgettable, its "one love" message perhaps just a little too obvious even for Eurovision.
Die Priester & Mojca Erdmann – 'Meerstern, sei gegrüßt'
Eurovision just wouldn't be Eurovision without something truly bonkers. This year's obligatory piece of musical insanity came courtesy of Die Priester, a musical group made up of three Roman Catholic priests, together with operatic soprano Mojca Erdmann. Part requiem, part mass, the song title translates as "All hail, Our Lady of the Sea." Perhaps a bit too funereal to do well.
THE WINNER! Cascada – 'Glorious'
This year's victor...with album sales totalling some 30 million to their name, Cascada were one of the more high profile artists to appear in the show. Their typically bouncy slice of Eurodance pop may have been suspiciously reminiscent of Sweden's winning song from last year, "Euphoria," but it was a hit with viewers as Germany voted to send the duo to Malmö...watch this space!