{"id":1341,"date":"2016-05-06T08:52:10","date_gmt":"2016-05-06T07:52:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/?p=1341"},"modified":"2016-05-06T21:21:33","modified_gmt":"2016-05-06T20:21:33","slug":"esc2016-the-first-semi-final-is-it-a-douze-or-a-snooze","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/2016\/05\/06\/esc2016-the-first-semi-final-is-it-a-douze-or-a-snooze\/","title":{"rendered":"ESC2016: The first semi-final. Is it a douze, or a snooze?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Are you ready to rise like a phoenix?<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"TRAILER: Watch the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest live from Stockholm!\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/weKVockFNDs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u2018Citing!<\/p>\n<p>Here we go then with the running order for the first semi-final, which you can see on BBC4 in the UK, Tuesday 10 May at 8pm&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>There have been a few major pop hits over the last couple of years which have been deliciously retro. Mark Ronson\u2019s <em>Uptown Funk<\/em> and Daft Punk\u2019s <em>Get Lucky<\/em> were notable stellar hits. Then last year X-Factor alumna Fleur East released <em>Sax<\/em>, which itself sounded a lot like the Ronson track. I\u2019ve said it before on this blog over the years, you will know a lot of the songs competing in Eurovision because you have heard them before. You know my principle is, \u201cfamiliarity equals popularity\u201d, and that is certainly the case once again this year. A handful of songs have a hint of something you\u2019ve heard before \u2013 riffs, hooks, melodies \u2013 and they will have you thinking \u201cwhere have I\u00a0heard this before\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><strong>01: FINLAND <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sandhja &#8211; Sing It Away<\/p>\n<p>You have heard this song before! Sandhja\u2019s song <em>Sing It Away <\/em>kicks-off the whole proceedings on the Eurovision stage this year. You might have thought that the producers might have started with a song that has a more modern style, but at least this sounds suitably retro and familiar\u2026<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Sandhja - Sing It Away (Finland) 2016 Eurovision Song Contest\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Ge5iMzHc3cY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u2026 or a bit dated \u2013 I\u2019ll let you decide!<\/p>\n<p><strong>02: GREECE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Argo &#8211; Utopian Land<\/p>\n<p>This year Greece tread familiar ground, with a mix of verses sung\/rapped in Greek, choruses song in English. Apparently, Greek band Argo\u2019s song \u201cis mainly inspired by hip hop sounds; at the same time, their music resonates with folklore (Pontian) tunes and traditional instruments such as the lyre, all elements of ancestral legacy for most of the band\u2019s members.\u201d\u00a0 True story. Greece have an unblemished record of making it to the final, so I guess the familiar approach will ensure similar success.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Argo - Utopian Land (Greece) 2016 Eurovision Song Contest\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/AqrdpcY3skI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>03: MOLDOVA<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Lidia Isac &#8211; Falling Stars<\/p>\n<p>So early on in the first semi, *another* dated sounding song. Languishing to the bottom of the bookies list doesn\u2019t exactly inspire confidence.\u00a0 I\u2019m not exactly bowled over by Moldova this year.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Lidia Isac - Falling Stars (Moldova) 2016 Eurovision Song Contest\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wXcDKy97BHk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>04: HUNGARY<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Freddie &#8211; Pioneer<\/p>\n<p>Next it\u2019s the turn of Hungary to offer up some familiar sounding fodder, and rather cheesy staging. How many times in recent years have we seen these drums?!<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Freddie - Pioneer (Hungary) 2016 Eurovision Song Contest\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NU8wso6fngM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>We might be wooed by Freddie\u2019s modelesque looks, and his gravelly vocals, but this is essentially a reworking of their entry from 2014.<\/p>\n<p><strong>05: Croatia<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Nina Kralji? &#8211; Lighthouse<\/p>\n<p>Well, Nina is certainly rocking her own style (easy on the eye shadow, love!). Quite a nice vocal, with a not entirely memorable melody. It\u2019ll be interesting to see how the staging impacts on the song next week.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Nina Kralji\u0107 - Lighthouse (Croatia) 2016 Eurovision Song Contest\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZPDKaOgkAGY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>06: THE NETHERLANDS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Best of the bunch so far. And another strong song from The Netherlands, who have had a good run in 2013 and 2014, with great entries from Anouk and The Common Linnets. The familiar stylings and melody of this song, as well as the singalong chorus, should see it sail through to the final\u2026<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Douwe Bob - Slow Down (The Netherlands) 2016 Eurovision Song Contest\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vytgHD2pqyk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>(but again \u2013 you know this song without having heard it before, right?)<\/p>\n<p><strong>07: ARMENIA<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Iveta Mukuchyan \u2013 LoveWave<\/p>\n<p>A bity cheeky of Iveta to mimic our very own Adele at the start of the track, whispering \u201cHey, it\u2019s me\u201d! Nevertheless this is well fancied by the bookies. I really don\u2019t like that it sounds like an airplane talking off\/landing 36 seconds in \u2013 all rather strange. Seems out of place to my ear. That said, Iveta will take her place in the battle of the divas with a strong vocal\u2026<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Iveta Mukuchyan - LoveWave (Armenia) 2016 Eurovision Song Contest\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/l7m3wOGhEvE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>08: SAN MARINO<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Serhat &#8211; I Didn&#8217;t Know<\/p>\n<p>1978 called, and they want their song back! This is my first guilty pleasure of the night! Loving that the video isn\u2019t for the song playing over it! All kinds of crazy going on here! You can currently get odds of 1000-1 on this. Not like San Marino are going to be the Leicester of Eurovision. Imagine if they were!<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Serhat - I Didn&#039;t Know (San Marino) 2016 Eurovision Song Contest\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KYKFKgwVbV4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>09: RUSSIA<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sergey Lazarev &#8211; You Are The Only One<\/p>\n<p>1995 called, and they want their song back. Seriously, \u201cthunder and lightning, it\u2019s getting exciting\u201d. That\u2019s lyrics 101, isn\u2019t it!<\/p>\n<p>Deliciously dated, but this is a hot fave (they do keep flip-flopping at the top of the bookies list with France). A certainty to get to the final, and it will be top three for sure \u2013 might even win the whole thing. Russia are playing with the projections on stage, as in the music video, so we will get a spectacle for sure. Russia are going all out to win this year, and they have a very good chance. And in all fairness, it\u2019s probably their turn\u2026<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Sergey Lazarev - You Are The Only One - ?? Russia - Official Music Video - Eurovision 2016\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gHgxi57Um0w?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>10: CZECH REPUBLIC<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Gabriela Gun?\u00edkov\u00e1 &#8211; I Stand<\/p>\n<p>My advice is to play this, but don\u2019t watch the music video (it\u2019s distracting, and a bit of a hot mess). This feels like the first big ballad of the night, and should do well in the battle of the divas\u2026<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Gabriela Gun\u010d\u00edkov\u00e1 - I Stand (Czech Republic) 2016 Eurovision Song Contest\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0L2imZRo6NY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>11: CYPRUS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Minus One &#8211; Alter Ego<\/p>\n<p>Whilst their near neighbours Greece have opted to play it safe and familiar this year, Cyprus have a change of musical direction and sent an up-tempo rock number to Stockholm. Each year there is the battle of the divas, and there also tends to be a few \u201cdad rocks\u201d tracks to interest their eye and ear. A refreshing change from Cyprus this year, and should make it to the final\u2026<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Minus One - Alter Ego (Cyprus) 2016 Eurovision Song Contest\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/k8LcNrqiIFE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>12: AUSTRIA<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>ZO\u00cb &#8211; Loin d\u2019ici<\/p>\n<p>Our host country from 2015 return with a charming song (having got nul points last year). And how refreshing to hear a song sung in French \u2013 not even the French entry is sung entirely in their mother tongue this year. This is a bit of a tonic, but perhaps a little saccharin for some tastes?<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"ZO\u00cb - Loin d\u2019ici (Austria) 2016 Eurovision Song Contest\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZaPGwvAis3U?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>13: ESTONIA<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>J\u00fcri Pootsmann \u2013 Play<\/p>\n<p>A bit of a cool dude, is our J\u00fcri. Looks like he\u2019s come straight from the office to the stage, with the cool stylings and vocals that remind me of The Divine Comedy\u2019s Neil Hannon. Like last year, Estonia have sent an interesting song, although I\u2019m not sure that being 13<sup>th<\/sup> in the running order will help\u2026<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"J\u00fcri Pootsmann - Play (Estonia) 2016 Eurovision Song Contest\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/A8oilbtQptQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>14: AZERBAIJAN<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Samra &#8211; Miracle<\/p>\n<p>Azerbaijan had a really strong showing at Eurovision between 2008 and 2013, and winning in 2011. Not as popular with the juries and televoters in the last couple of years, but this feels like a return to form. Yeah, another song we have heard before, but a good up-tempo number nonetheless\u2026<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Samra - Miracle (Azerbaijan) 2016 Eurovision Song Contest\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Dix6XJ_Uo-w?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>(where\u2019s my umbrella \u2013ella \u2013ella\u2026)<\/p>\n<p><strong>15: MONTENEGRO<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Highway &#8211; The Real Thing<\/p>\n<p>Not rocking my world, and I can\u2019t see it making the final. If I were at home it would be time to do you know what: refresh those drinks and nibbles!<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Highway - The Real Thing (Montenegro) 2016 Eurovision Song Contest\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SNTPaTnoTuY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>16: ICELAND<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Greta Sal\u00f3me &#8211; Hear Them Calling<\/p>\n<p>I *love* this song. Greta competed in ESC2012 with a similarly anthemic song, but she\u2019s ditched her duet partner, Jonsi, to go it alone in Stockholm. As I said to readers last year, some of the more effective (and popular) entries are those which are designed for the television viewers, watching at home. Sweden have kinda got this covered in recent years, with winning performances for Loreen\u2019s <em>Euphoria <\/em>in 2012, and M\u00e5ns Zelmerl\u00f6w\u2019s <em>Heroes<\/em> in 2015. Both used close camera work and visual effects with great success (obviously). Russia and Iceland are following a similar vein this year. And I just love the choreography and visuals with which Greta interacts\u2026<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Greta Sal\u00f3me - Hear Them Calling (Iceland) 2016 Eurovision Song Contest\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7xQxQRdZasQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Some may say it borrows a bit too much, visually, from Loreen and M\u00e5ns, but I\u2019d say to good effect. Not often we mention the visuals being mimicked. Now, pass me my coat with the fringe, and setup my wind machine\u2026 \ud83d\ude00<\/p>\n<p><strong>17: BOSNIA &amp; HERZEGOVINA<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Dalal &amp; Deen feat. Ana Rucner and Jala &#8211; Ljubav Je<\/p>\n<p>We can always rely on Bosnia and other Balkan countries to submit songs that are more indigenous and less aimed at the western mainstream of pop music. They have done similar this year. Good to see Deen back in the contest. You might remember him from 2004, when he sang <em>In The Disco<\/em>.\u00a0 Not very popular with the bookies, but I wouldn\u2019t be surprised to see it go through to the final\u2026<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Dalal &amp; Deen feat. Ana Rucner and Jala - Ljubav Je (Bosnia &amp; Herzegovina)\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MFmLfeMzgrc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>18: MALTA<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Ira Losco &#8211; Walk on Water<\/p>\n<p>A finalist, for sure\u2026<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ira Losco - Walk on Water (Malta) 2016 Eurovision Song Contest\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9J7O5BGqPDk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t often agree with the late Terry Wogan\u2019s conspiracy theory on bloc voting, but back in 2002 Ira Losco was *robbed* of winning the ESC, as Eastern Europe heavily backed Latvia\u2019s Marie N for victory. Well, Ira is back in the picture with one of the hot faves for 2016, <em>Walk On Water<\/em>. It does feel like two or three songs in one, but overall the effect is good and a top ten, even top five finish in the final might be on the cards. It would be justice for Ira is she won it this time around!<\/p>\n<p>So that\u2019s the first semi-final, my friends. And by way of a reminder, here\u2019s a recap\u2026<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Official Recap: Semi - Final 1 (2016 Eurovision Song Contest)\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/B_ZS_RBgZEQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Have we heard the winner yet?\u00a0 Well, next up , my overview of the second semi-final, so let\u2019s see\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you ready to rise like a phoenix? \u2018Citing! Here we go then with the running order for the first semi-final, which you can see on BBC4 in the UK, Tuesday 10 May at 8pm&#8230; There have been a few major pop hits over the last couple of years which have been deliciously retro. Mark [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":367,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>ESC2016: The first semi-final. Is it a douze, or a snooze? - Phil Jackson&#039;s Eurovision Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/2016\/05\/06\/esc2016-the-first-semi-final-is-it-a-douze-or-a-snooze\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"ESC2016: The first semi-final. Is it a douze, or a snooze? - Phil Jackson&#039;s Eurovision Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Are you ready to rise like a phoenix? \u2018Citing! Here we go then with the running order for the first semi-final, which you can see on BBC4 in the UK, Tuesday 10 May at 8pm&#8230; There have been a few major pop hits over the last couple of years which have been deliciously retro. Mark [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/2016\/05\/06\/esc2016-the-first-semi-final-is-it-a-douze-or-a-snooze\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Phil Jackson&#039;s Eurovision Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-05-06T07:52:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2016-05-06T20:21:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Phil\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Phil\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/2016\/05\/06\/esc2016-the-first-semi-final-is-it-a-douze-or-a-snooze\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/2016\/05\/06\/esc2016-the-first-semi-final-is-it-a-douze-or-a-snooze\/\",\"name\":\"ESC2016: The first semi-final. Is it a douze, or a snooze? - Phil Jackson&#039;s Eurovision Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2016-05-06T07:52:10+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-05-06T20:21:33+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/#\/schema\/person\/b8d31dd0ab70e18f4d5b5ca5b8fce228\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/2016\/05\/06\/esc2016-the-first-semi-final-is-it-a-douze-or-a-snooze\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/2016\/05\/06\/esc2016-the-first-semi-final-is-it-a-douze-or-a-snooze\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/2016\/05\/06\/esc2016-the-first-semi-final-is-it-a-douze-or-a-snooze\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"ESC2016: The first semi-final. Is it a douze, or a snooze?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/\",\"name\":\"Phil Jackson&#039;s Eurovision Blog\",\"description\":\"Once again bringing you Phil&#039;s thoughts and feelings on all things Eurovision for 2025...\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/#\/schema\/person\/b8d31dd0ab70e18f4d5b5ca5b8fce228\",\"name\":\"Phil\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/author\/jacksonp\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"ESC2016: The first semi-final. Is it a douze, or a snooze? - Phil Jackson&#039;s Eurovision Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/2016\/05\/06\/esc2016-the-first-semi-final-is-it-a-douze-or-a-snooze\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"ESC2016: The first semi-final. Is it a douze, or a snooze? - Phil Jackson&#039;s Eurovision Blog","og_description":"Are you ready to rise like a phoenix? \u2018Citing! Here we go then with the running order for the first semi-final, which you can see on BBC4 in the UK, Tuesday 10 May at 8pm&#8230; There have been a few major pop hits over the last couple of years which have been deliciously retro. Mark [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/2016\/05\/06\/esc2016-the-first-semi-final-is-it-a-douze-or-a-snooze\/","og_site_name":"Phil Jackson&#039;s Eurovision Blog","article_published_time":"2016-05-06T07:52:10+00:00","article_modified_time":"2016-05-06T20:21:33+00:00","author":"Phil","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Phil","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/2016\/05\/06\/esc2016-the-first-semi-final-is-it-a-douze-or-a-snooze\/","url":"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/2016\/05\/06\/esc2016-the-first-semi-final-is-it-a-douze-or-a-snooze\/","name":"ESC2016: The first semi-final. Is it a douze, or a snooze? - Phil Jackson&#039;s Eurovision Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/#website"},"datePublished":"2016-05-06T07:52:10+00:00","dateModified":"2016-05-06T20:21:33+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/#\/schema\/person\/b8d31dd0ab70e18f4d5b5ca5b8fce228"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/2016\/05\/06\/esc2016-the-first-semi-final-is-it-a-douze-or-a-snooze\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/2016\/05\/06\/esc2016-the-first-semi-final-is-it-a-douze-or-a-snooze\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/2016\/05\/06\/esc2016-the-first-semi-final-is-it-a-douze-or-a-snooze\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"ESC2016: The first semi-final. Is it a douze, or a snooze?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/","name":"Phil Jackson&#039;s Eurovision Blog","description":"Once again bringing you Phil&#039;s thoughts and feelings on all things Eurovision for 2025...","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/#\/schema\/person\/b8d31dd0ab70e18f4d5b5ca5b8fce228","name":"Phil","sameAs":["http:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision"],"url":"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/author\/jacksonp\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1341","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/367"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1341"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1341\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edgehill.ac.uk\/eurovision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}