The 50SS Eurovision Reviews
Semifinal 2
14: UKRAINE - Jamala; “1944”
After taking a year off, for “obvious” reasons, Ukraine is back into Eurovision with a historical retrospective - we’re going back to 1944, the year that Crimean Tatars were deported by the hands of the Soviet Union. First off: it has nothing to do with the current conflict, so get that idea out of your head. It does, however, send a curious message to their lovely Russian neighbors. When I typed “Ukraine 2016″ into YouTube search, I expected to see Eurovision at the top of the results list (like I usually do). Instead I was greeted with a bunch of guns and militia. It’s really unfortunate.
And to think: Ukraine almost didn’t send this song! “1944″ was tied with The Hardkiss’ “Helpless” at the National Selection, but due to a higher televote (!), they sent Jamala instead. Both of them are pretty deep songs, so it definitely reflects the current mood of Ukrainians, I think.
This is one of the few songs in this year’s contest that was also written by the artist, and I truly think the writing is brilliant. This song became an early favorite of mine, and has remained so throughout the selection season. “The strangers are coming - they come to your house - they kill them all, and say ‘We’re not guilty’.“ That’s the beginning of a story that doesn’t have to inspire; it doesn’t have to tiptoe around the truth. Jamala is inferring, “Here’s what my song is about, take it or leave it,” and we’re all listening.
It’s impossible to mistake this song for any other. From the beat, to the instrumentation, to the freestyle vocals of Jamala, and the curious break in action to listen as she cradles her arms - it’s a symbol of her grandmother’s daughter, who died in the deportation. And when she reaches to the sky on the note leading into the final chorus, it’s the daughter being ripped from her grandmother’s arms and into heaven... Oh my GOD. I just love it. I love everything about it. And then she reaches arguably the highest note in the contest in the last ten seconds, to cement my decision.
Here’s the deal - deep songs like this don’t win Eurovision (usually), and the hype for Jamala isn’t there (she has 2 likes for every 1 dislike on YouTube), but if I lived in Europe, this would be getting my vote. Even in a year where “Come Together” is kind of uprooted and stomped into the ground with a song like this, I hope people can look past this and see the true work of art that it is.
My Rating: 9/10
Ranking: 5th of 42
