UKRA I NE
GRAND FINAL
Well, the pressure was on the duo to produce the double, but that was probably asking too much. The country needs some sort of stability at the moment! But as we’ve come to expect from Ukraine, this was a very polished and professional performance - full of great techno-imagery. The effects really added to the act - as did the gold and blue lighting. Even the two dancers added to the atmosphere of Heart Of Steel. Jimoh’s voice sounded great and Andrii’s production was spot on. While this wasn’t a host country song as such, it was worthy of one. The juries seemed too afraid to award too many points, but the voting public, rightly so, showed no qualms. As usual - Ukraine delivered! Hass Yusuf
Song: Heart Of Steel Performers: Tvorchi Songwriters: Jimoh Augustus Kehinde, Andrii Hutsuliak
UKRAINE Grand Final Total: 243 points Juries: 54 Televote: 189 6th place
• The voting public showed their continued support for Ukraine, which is more than juries did. Though the jury in Georgia did give Ukraine 12 points, and the same points continued from the televoters in Georgia, Moldova, Poland and Portugal. The Top Ten placing further continues Ukraine’s success in the contest.
UNITED KINGDOM
GRAND FINAL
Ok, there isn’t much to say about this that hasn’t already been said. I wanted to be wrong about it, but in the end I wasn’t. It was obvious from the start that Mae was going to struggle to deliver this live and while it’s a boppy little pop number, it’s nothing to the other boppy little pop numbers. The staging was good, but ultimately it doesn’t matter how much tech and staging witchcraft you throw at something, if the singer can’t sing it then you’re basically out on your ear! I know Mae had some big shoes to fill following Sam, it was a tall order for anyone, but that TaP even thought this was the right way to go sort of shows that they are not the right route for the UK. What is the right way to go though, is seemingly a Holy Grail that the BBC are still chasing. I was hoping that Sam wasn’t just a fluke, but my suspicion is just that. Lisa-Jayne Lewis
Song: I Wrote A Song Performer: Mae Muller Songwriters: Karen Poole, Mae Muller, Lewis Thompson UNITED KINGDOM Grand Final Total: 24 points Juries: 15 Televote: 9 25th place • The curse of the hosting country continues. Mae Muller failed to impress either the juries or the televoters. Other than last year, the United Kingdom has been in the bottom two since 2018.
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AUTUMN 2022 ● VISION
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