Between the 18^th and the 22^nd of May 2021, 39 countries will take part in the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam. The national juries and the public will decide which song is the best – or at least, which song they prefer.

What is Eurovision Exactly?

At the risk of causing confusion, there are two different meanings for Eurovision. What we are talking about here is the Eurovision Song Contest. The annual competition is organised by a TV network also called Eurovision, which is part of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), an alliance of public service media organisations around Europe and beyond.

Any member of the EBU can participate in the Eurovision Song Contest. This explains why Israel, Morocco and Turkey have participated at least once. It also means that countries like Egypt or Tunisia are eligible to participate if they want to as they are full members of the EBU, but Liechtenstein cannot. The case of Australia is more special, as in theory they only have “EBU Associated Member” status, but in practice they have participated to Eurovision assiduously since 2015. The explanation is simple: they had an enormous audience, asked politely to join, and were accepted as guests that have come back every year since then.

With almost 200 million people watching it every year, Eurovision is a formidable stage for artists to reach a bigger audience both at home and internationally. This is the very same show that made Abba and Céline Dion famous worldwide, fuelling the dreams of renown to the participants.

Eurovision’s Identity

For many people that don’t really follow the song contest, Eurovision is merely a show of bad pop songs where only Eastern European countries win. This statement is partly true. Yes, there are a lot of pop songs, and yes, some Eastern European countries such as Moldova have a habit of sending entries that fit the Eurovision stereotype to a tee (see for references when they created the Epic Sax Guy meme).

The show is known, in fact, for making fun of itself in this regard. Think, for example, of the unforgettable Verka Serduchka, the Ukrainian comedian who makes regular appearances to entertain the audience with his iconic star-shaped disco hat. Or again, when presenters themselves described the recipe for a perfect Eurovision performance (which should include love, peace, memorable costumes and some strange old folkloristic instrument) when introducing the song “Love Love Peace Peace” in Stockholm back in 2016.

But the audience also loves powerful songs that do not necessarily have this ironic taint to them. 2016, 2017 and 2019 winners were far from being silly pop songs. Both moods go hand in hand, and this makes the beauty – and the identity – of the show. The stage can display a silly pop, a heart-breaking ballad, and a headbanging hard rock piece – that’s part of the fan appeal!

The Confusion over its Political Dimension

Technically, the contest is supposed to be neutral in terms of politics, and political statements are forbidden. Georgia was refused participation in 2009 with the title “We Don’t Wanna Put In” which was a barely hidden criticism of the President of Russia. Belarus was disqualified from this year’s edition for sending a pro-Lukashenko song allegedly mocking the protests and named “Ya nauchu tebya (I’ll teach you)”.

On the other hand, the stage is often used for societal messages, to favour equality, LGBTQ+ friendly messages, etc. The 2018 winning song, by Netta, had a strong anti-patriarchy message, for example. Austria won in 2014 with Conchita Wurst’s song, “Rise Like a Phoenix”, promoting acceptance for and giving a voice to the LGBTQ+ community. Since its first openly gay contestant in 1997, Páll Óskar Hjálmtýsson from Iceland, the show has made a sort of “coming out” by itself by defending values of tolerance, giving the spotlight and a chance to shine to these messages.

The Power of Music

Like clockwork, Eurovision always brings up arguments about how these societal messages are political after all, and that they shouldn’t have any space within a song contest. But has music ever been neutral? Music has been used to fight oppressive regimes, like “E depois do adeus” by Paulo de Carvalho, which was the secret sign to the military to start the Carnation Revolution against the Salazar regime in Portugal. Music is also used to express a feeling in society; things we love or things we hate.

If a song like “Rise like a Phoenix” won, it means that it resonated in people’s hearts and that it deserved to win. It is a mere reflection of society and if songs about love or dancing are popular, they are certainly not the only ones to exist. A song speaks to the heart, to the emotions.

By allowing the public to vote, it opens the door to societal messages that vibrate within the crowd. If we only wanted to have the best song in purely technical terms, the jury would be the sole judge. The current system is a good balance between technical skills and popular votes, which are based only on the heart. Without that, the show would be significantly less entertaining.

The European Soul of Eurovision

The Eurovision Song Contest is also a stage for European identity. People from across the continent gather on stage, in the stadiums, in bars (during normal times), and celebrate music. Europeans come together on a stage, perform and cheer on each other. Many of them choose to proudly display their culture and their language and everyone applauds.

This is a place where being chauvinistic is not a thing, because music is such an emotional and subjective feeling. It often leads to mitigated feelings or disappointment over one’s own country when the music does not fit his or her personal taste. Eurovision is about picking the country with the song you like the most and rooting for them, regardless of the country itself.

The show focuses on having fun and there are no borders. Cultures, languages, and accents cohabitate, and this does not seem to be a problem. We are united in diversity.

The show took a deeper European turn when the Berlin Wall fell. The countries recently freed from the USSR’s yoke had a strong desire to be recognised as European. Estonia openly stated that their path to the European Communities went through Eurovision as well. This cultural aspect seems to be taken seriously by most Eastern European countries, which often have strong contenders to the show. It may also explain why Ukraine never lost a semi-final since its first participation in 2003, and even won twice, the first time being only one year after their entry in the contest.

Of course, while the show has a very European identity, there is no direct correlation between it and European cooperation on a political level. After all, it did not prevent Brexit, and Switzerland, where the first edition took place, never had a sudden urge to join the European institutions family.

However, the show does create the possibility to be a part of Europe without the politics, without having to debate on rules, on trade, and all the nitty-gritty that comes with politics. It allows to be a part of Europe, as diverse and vast as it is, and to have fun with friends from all over the continent. If this does not convince you, then nothing will.

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The Wall

British band Pink Floyd composed The Wall between 1977 and 1979, with the album published in November 1979. It is considered one of the most well-known concept albums of all time, other than being one of the best-selling albums ever published. It had a profound impact on European popular culture and on an entire generation of young Europeans.

As parts of a concept album, the songs present a cohesive narrative. The Wall tells the story of Pink, a rock star who, after enduring several psychological traumas in his childhood and early adulthood, ends up self-isolating from the rest of the world and from human feelings, becoming – in one of his drug-induced visions – a cold-hearted, megalomaniac dictator. The whole album can be seen as a condemnation of war and as an invitation to be empathetic and reach out to other people. 

In 1982 a live-action / animated musical drama film came out, called Pink Floyd – The Wall. It was directed by Alan Parker, while the animations were created by political cartoonist Gerald Scarfe and the screenplay was written by Roger Waters himself, AKA the lead of Pink Floyd and main author of the album. The movie was fundamental to establish the collective imagination linked to the work, thanks to iconic scenes like the marching hammers and the butchered pupils. 

But let’s take a closer look at the story, shall we? Here are the most significant songs to understand the message.

#1 – In the Flesh?

If you want to find out what’s behind these cold eyes
You’ll just have to claw your way through this disguise

This is the introduction to the main character, Pink. The title track was inspired by the previous Pink Floyd’s tour, In the Flesh, during which Waters started to feel more and more alienated from his fans, to the point that he started to think of an invisible barrier in front of them. This experience inspired the “wall” idea first.

The track ends with the sounds of a military plane flying and a bomb being dropped, while the film features a Junkers Ju 87, a German dive bomber used during WWII.

#3 – Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 1

Daddy, what d’ya leave behind for me?
All in all, it was just a brick in the wall

Here we find out that Pink’s father died during the war, as he’s “flown across the ocean”. Little Pink is devastated by his father’s death and the consequent sense of loss, so he starts to build his emotional wall. The death of Pink’s father is openly based on Waters’ father. Eric Fletcher Waters was killed in 1944 while fighting in Aprilia, during the battle of Anzio, when Roger was five months old.

#5 – Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 2

Hey! Teachers! Leave those kids alone
All in all, you’re just another brick in the wall

Pink is now a boy. We learn that his teachers are cruel and torture children at school, especially the Headmaster: the most famous song of the album condemns the violence of teachers and the depersonalization of students caused by the education system. While Pink fantasizes about a collective insurrection of the children, he silently continues building his psychological wall.

#6 – Mother

Mama’s gonna make all your nightmares come true.
Mama’s gonna put all her fears into you.
Mama’s gonna keep you right here under her wing.
She won’t let you fly, but she might let you sing.

Here we find out that Pink’s mother was the main factor for the building of the wall: as a widowed mother, she was overprotective towards her child. She was glad for Pink’s isolation (“Of course mama’s gonna help build the wall”) and she fed his insecurity, especially towards other women.

#10 – One Of My Turns

And night after night, we pretend it’s all right
But I have grown older and
You have grown colder and
Nothing is very much fun anymore

Pink is now a grown-up and a successful rock star. He is married, but his relationship is in crisis: Pink is often away from home because of the tours, moreover, his emotional wall is nearly complete. While he is far from his wife he cheats on her with groupies, but after he finds out she is unfaithful as well, he suffers a mental breakdown. In the film Pink destroys the hotel apartment while a groupie is still there, so we see him being violent for the first time.

#12 – Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 3

I don’t need no arms around me
And I don’t need no drugs to calm me
I have seen the writing on the wall
Don’t think I’ll need anything at all

At this point, Pink’s mental wall is complete. He doesn’t want to suffer anymore, so he rejects every form of emotion and pretends he doesn’t need anyone or anything else.

#14 – Hey You

The wall was too high
As you can see
No matter how he tried
He could not break free
And the worms ate into his brain

Pink wants to get out of his self-built prison, but the damage is too strong and he loses his mind. After this point, Pink gets lost in his thoughts and memories, entering a vicious circle of alienation, worsened by drug abuse.
Special mention goes to the last verse of the song, in praise to unity and cooperation: “Together we stand, divided we fall”.

#19 – Comfortably Numb

The child is grown
The dream has gone
I have become comfortably numb

Our favorite rock star is on the verge of an overdose, but his manager expects him to perform a concert, so a medical team breaks in his hotel room and drugs him in order to function again. Pink now doesn’t feel anything anymore: he is numb and indifferent. When they drag him outside his hotel, which is a symbol of his inner mind, his face becomes confident and assertive.

#21 – In The Flesh

Are there any queers in the theater tonight?
Get them up against the wall
There’s one in the spotlight, he don’t look right to me
Get him up against the wall
That one looks Jewish!
And that one’s a coon!
Who let all of this riff-raff into the room?
There’s one smoking a joint!
And another with spots!
If I had my way
I’d have all of you shot!

Here the lyrics and the gif are self-explanatory, aren’t they? Pink is hallucinating that he has now become a Nazi dictator. Instead of the swastika, we can see two crisscrossed hammers. The following scenes show skinhead underlings beating and raping “non-conforming” people, especially people of colour.

#23 – Waiting For The Worms

Would you like to see Britannia
Rule again, my friend?
All you have to do is follow the worms
Would you like to send our colored cousins
Home again, my friend?
All you need to do is follow the worms

Pink’s spiral into fascism was already evident, but this is the first song in the album to contain explicit references to Nazism and violent ethno-nationalism. For instance, the lyrics talk about a “bunker” in Pink isolates himself in. They also include a “final solution”, encouragements to “turn on the showers” and “fire the ovens”.

In the last part of the song, though, the mentions veer towards British nationalism. As Pink sinks deeper into psychosis, finding common enemies and directing all energies to destroy them becomes a quick and easy way to avoid facing his own emotions and fears and deviate others’ attention.

#25 – The Trial

The prisoner who now stands before you
Was caught red-handed showing feelings
Showing feelings of an almost human nature
This will not do

Pink is now horrified by what he has done and wonders whether he has “been guilty all this time”. The Trial descends into Pink’s mind again, where the character enacts a trial against himself. A grotesque judge hears the testimony from the three main people responsible for Pink’s wall (The Headmaster, The Wife, and The Mother) and finally condemns the man to tear down the wall. We can understand that the judge actually represents his subconscious struggle for sanity, as Pink is now obliged to expose himself and reach out to others.

#26 – Outside The Wall

All alone, or in two’s
The ones who really love you
Walk up and down outside the wall
[…] And when they’ve given you their all
Some stagger and fall, after all, it’s not easy
Banging your heart against some mad bugger’s wall

The final song of the album doesn’t talk about Pink anymore, but addresses the listener directly, working as the key message of the entire work: there are people, out there, who love you and want to help you, but you have to let them in in the first place, instead of barricading inside your own mind.

Did you enjoy this article? You may also like Top Ten Famous Dance Songs That Are Actually European.

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We are, of course, talking about Eurodance, a genre whose influence on international music and pop culture is hard to overstate. Eurodance has enjoyed massive popularity throughout the 1990s and 2000s, and remains popular to this day. You think you might have never heard of it, let alone listened to it – but odds are, you probably did. In fact, these are all great hits on the dance floors! Here’s a list of ten tremendously famous Eurodance songs!

#1 – Pump Up the Jam – Technotronic (1989, Belgium)

One of the first Eurodance songs ever composed, Technotronic’s Pump Up the Jam was released as a single: it became a worldwide hit by the early 1990s. As it is part of the hip-house genre as well, it is also said to be the first house song to become a hit in the US. If you’ve watched Space Jam, Bride Wars or some episodes of Family Guy, you might recognize it…

#2 – The Power – Snap! (1990, Germany)

If I tell you “I’ve got the power!”, do you sing it along a certain melody? If so, here’s the next level of FYI: this song is actually German! In fact, the duo Snap! originated in Frankfurt. The video opens to a Russian sentence, which translates as follows:

“The American company Transceptor Technology has started production of the ‘Personal Companion’ computer”.

The Personal Companion was a computer-like device for the blind and visually impaired, released in 1990. It was controlled by voice and could, for instance, automatically download articles from USA Today with help from a built-in modem. Mostly known for the film Bruce Almighty, this song was featured in several shows, like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, Glee and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

#3 – Get Ready for This – 2 Unlimited (1991, The Netherlands)

Talking about Space Jam, you might recognize this, too. Get Ready for This by Dutch group 2 Unlimited is, in fact, one of the most frequently played songs at sporting events around the world, according to ThoughtCo. This song became immediately successful throughout Europe and worldwide as soon as it was published, thanks to its upbeat rhythm and catching riff.

#4 – What is love – Haddaway (1993, Germany)

Baby, don’t hurt me, don’t hurt me, no more… You probably recognize this refrain from the single by Belgian DJ Lost Frequencies, but you might not know that the 2016 song was a cover. The original track was made in Germany, this time in Cologne, and was sung by Trinidadian-German singer and producer Haddaway.

#5 – Saturday Night – Whigfield (1993, Denmark)

Saturday Night, by Danish singer Whigfield, is a song with a truly European background. The piece was first composed by an Italian producer duo, Larry Pignagnoli and Davide Riva; they hired Whigfield while she was living and working in Bologna. After they recorded the song, though, no label was interested in publishing it, until a Spanish DJ played it repeatedly on radio and the general interest of the song increased.

This light-hearted and jumpy song hit the world’s dance floors and unexpectedly became a No. 1 hit in Germany, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Spain and Switzerland, while peaking at No. 2. in Denmark, France, Iceland and Norway.

#6 – Barbie Girl – Aqua (1997, Denmark)

This song doesn’t need much introduction, does it? While being part of the Eurodance genre, Barbie Girl is also the symbol of a specific Scandinavian subgenre: bubblegum dance. In fact, the track can be described as cheerful, catchy and childish. And yet, at the same time, the lyrics sound parodic and sexually suggestive to the adult listeners (“undress me everywhere”, anyone?).

The song seems to be pretty divisive: it was featured in several charts, such as “Best Number One of All Time” (VH1), but also “Most Awesomely Bad Songs… Ever” (again VH1), “20 Most Annoying Songs” (Rolling Stone) and “50 Guilty Pleasures” (MuchMoreMusic). What do you think about it?

#7 – Better Off Alone – Alice DJ (1998, The Netherlands)

If you turn on the radio right now, it’s likely that at some point you’ll hear Does It Matter by Dutch singer Janieck. Guess what? The 2017 song is based on 1993 Better Off Alone… And so was the melody in Play Hard by French producer David Guetta (2013)! The Eurodance song was indeed very influential thanks to its simple but effective riff.

#8 – Blue (Da Ba Dee) – Eiffel 65 (1998, Italy)

This is another song that earned definitely mixed reactions. While it was extremely successful among the public and was featured in several films and TV series (Loser, Iron Man 3, Smurfs: The Lost Village among others), it also received scathingly critical reviews. Take this one by Rolling Stone: “[it] blends Cher-esque vocoder vocals, trance-like synth riffs, unabashed Eurodisco beats and a baby-babble chorus so infantile it makes the Teletubbies sound like Shakespeare”. Ouch!

#9 – Stereo Love – Edward Maya (2009, Romania)

As we enter the late 2000s, Eurodance evolves as a genre. The synths become softer, the bass less persistent and general production decreases. However, some hits were released in the 21st century as well, like Stereo Love, by Romanian musician Edward Maya. The refrain, which evokes long summer nights, is based on Bayatılar, a song composed by Azerbaijani musician Eldar Mansurov, whereas the music video was filmed in Greece.

#10 – Mr. Saxobeat – Alexandra Stan (2011, Romania)

Last but not least, we find another Romanian artist, Alexandra Stan, with Mr. Saxobeat. Thanks to the upbeat techno beats and the catchy saxophone riffs, this song was internationally successful. It was featured in media as well, such as TV Series (Suburgatory, CSI: Miami) and video games (Dance Central 3, Just Dance 4).

Did you enjoy reading this article? You may also like How Europe Invented Professional Acting or The Ode To Joy: Five Key Facts About Our Common Anthem.

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But what exactly is the Ode to Joy? These are five key facts about Beethoven’s masterpiece.

First of all, naturally, it’s a famous musical piece: the tune is the prelude to the fourth – and final – movement of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, first performed in Vienna in 1824. It’s a tune about peace: Ode to Joy represents the triumph of universal brotherhood against war and desperation. Indeed, Beethoven himself put to music a poem that praises and wishes for freedom and peace between all peoples.

Secondly, it’s the European anthem. When the Council of Europe decided to adopt it, though, it opted not to include the original lyrics, to avoid privileging a single European language, German, to the detriment of all others. Nevertheless, there are several unofficial adaptations in different languages; in particular the Latin and Esperanto version aim to overcome the limits of national borders.

Thirdly, “Ode to Joy” is also a poem written by Friedrich Schiller in 1785, whose original title is An die Freude (“To Joy” in German). Beethoven actually used a posthumous revised version for writing his lyrics. Funnily enough, even if the text was and still is well known and beloved by many, in later life Schiller expressed contempt for his work and dismissed it as typical «bad taste of the age».

The fact that Beethoven chose a text authored by Schiller isn’t a coincidence: the composer was indeed an admirer of the latter’s work as a philosopher. Beethoven is usually remembered for his musical work, but what is less known about him is that he was a fervent idealist. Together with Schiller, the other main authors who influenced Beethoven are Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Immanuel Kant.

Young Ludwig fell in love with the ideals of a higher morality, the sacredness of duty, and the conception of humans as free and rational individuals. It can be said that Symphony No. 9’s Ode to Joy fully reflects its composer’s mindset.

Symphony No. 9 is also Beethoven’s last finished symphony, and it’s substantially different from the eight that preceded it. All previous symphonies are characterized by a contrast between two main themes, which usually portray two different forces. It can be said that the composer put a piece of himself in his work: Beethoven struggled between opposites throughout his life, balancing creative independence against financial stability, or higher ideals against natural impulsiveness (did you know he changed more than 60 accommodations during the 35 years he lived in Vienna?).

Symphony No. 9, though, was written later in life. At that time Beethoven was completely deaf and had gone through self-isolation, depression and suicidal thoughts. He eventually overcame his despair, but he was deeply changed by it. It is no coincidence then that his most mature symphony doesn’t follow his typical pattern of a clash between two themes, rather a dialogue between several themes and voices.

Curiously, we can see a metaphor for the European Union in this. After the horrors Europeans visited upon themselves during the wars, especially WWII, finally the nations of the Continent stopped fighting each other, opening the way to dialogue. We don’t know if the origins of Symphony No. 9 contributed to the choice of the Ode to Joy as the European anthem, but they surely adds a surprising layer of depth and relevance.

Finally, it’s peculiar that the Ode to Joy movement marks the first time a famous composer used voices in a symphony. It was by all means an innovation for the era, but the critics of the time weren’t so favourable. Among others, Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi complained about the vocals in a letter to patron Clara Maffei, writing the symphony was «marvelous in its first three movements, very badly set in the last. No one will ever surpass the sublimity of the first movement, but it will be an easy task to write as badly for voices as is done in the last movement».

Nonetheless, the Ode to Joy, together with the entirety of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 became part of the UNESCO world cultural heritage in 2003. And by all metrics, it’s a great anthem for Europeans to have: we shall sing it proudly, since Europeans can finally live as brothers and sisters, as Beethoven wished.

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