Do you know that feeling that you already heard a similar song before? That happens really easy at Eurovision and it was also the case of Georgia in 2013, who came with a song similar to the Spanish entry from 2012. Our Eurovision Fan Panel members are comparing those two songs in another edition of our Eurovision battle.

In Eurovision Battle we put two former Eurovision entries up against each other. It’s songs with something significant in common which makes them worth a comparison. The Fan Panel members are asked to watch the videos for both songs before providing their opinion.

It is no surprise that some artists returns and the same applies to the songwriters as well. Thomas G:son is a real Eurovision guru, having written or co-written many successful and also some not so successful entries. Therefore, his handwriting is easily recognisable and the closer the songs are to each other, the easier it’s obvious that it comes from the same author. And that was also case of two songs from 2012 and 2013 – Spain and Georgia. Both songs are ballads and the structure is similar.

• Spain 2012: Pastora Soler took 10th place with her song Quédate Conmigo.
• Georgia 2013: Sophie and Nodi took 15th place with their song Waterfall.

Spain 2012 vs Georgia 2013

In order to find out what Eurovision fans today think of these two entries, we asked our Eurovision Fan Panel. It includes team members as well as fans from all over the world.

Robert I. – This is an easy match. I prefer Spain’s entry – by far. Pastora Soler’s Quédate Conmigo is a masterpiece. The melody is beautiful and Pastora has an amazing voice and stage presence. Her vocal is simply impressive, and I love that she sings in Spanish. This is really one of the best Eurovision entries during the last decade, and it deserved coming much higher in 2012. When it comes to Georgia’s entry from 2013, I haven’t heard it since then, and I doubt I will hear it again. Although Nodi Tatishvili and Sophie Gelovani sing well, the song Waterfall is totally forgettable.

Josef Š. – I love both songs, both were my No.1 in 2012 and 2013, but Pastora’s Quédate Conmigo is my all-time Eurovision favourite so I prefer this one. I think Pastora’s biggest advantages are her powerful and flawless voice as well as Spanish language. Take those two things off and you have Waterfall in English. Even though I prefer Pastora, I admire the chemistry between Sopho and Nodi.

Gunec G. – I could find no similarity between Georgia 2013 and Spain 2012. Compared to Pastora’s huge presence and breathtaking performance on stage, Nodi and Sophie were far too faint. Same is true for the songs.

Craig M. – I actually like both of these songs. You really have to have a big voice to pull them off. I think live Georgia wasn’t as good as Spain. Pastora Soler for Spain was one of the best vocal performances of the contest. She really took that song and made it soar. A wonderful performance. It gives me goosebumps.

Mirka M. – Pastora Soler is vocally a strong singer. When I saw her performance I was overwhelmed. I felt every single word even it was in spanish. Everything was perfect, the lights, her dress, but her voice it was something magnificent. Another song from G:son Waterfall performed by Nodi and Sophie was for me a classy ballad song. It perfectly fits this duo, and I was nicely surprised by their result. But I didn’t felt the song as I fell in love with Quédate conmigo and that’s why Spain 2012 is winner of this battle for me. ❤

Charlotte J. – It’s hard to imagine that Thomas G:son wrote both of these songs, and yet, it isn’t. The Georgian one is below his usual standards, but it sounds like he tried to copy his own In A Moment Like This (Denmark 2010), and then removed the parts which would make them too similar. As he removed those parts from Waterfall, it unfortunately becomes flat. While not a fan of the Spanish 2012 entry either, I prefer that to the Georgian 2013 one.

Paul G. – I love them both, but for me it has to be Georgia. I absolutely adore this song and it is for me everything I want to hear in duet ballad. AMAZING and should have finished so much higher!

Alvaro S. – I have nothing against the Georgian entry but the difference in quality for me is abysmal. Pastora’s vocals are flawless. She puts her heart and emotions to this song and performance in a way that it gives me goosebumps. Georgia 2013 is just cute but it does not move me as Quédate Conmigo does.

Alexander S. – I have to compare two entries written by Thomas G:son. The latter is the romantic duet singing Waterfall, in my personal view nothing outstanding, two great voices performing a ballad. The first one by the great and marvellous Pastora Soler who delivered a memorable awesome performance. She has got a very good voice when she performed the powerful ballad. There is a Big difference and no doubt about which one to choose at all.

Michael O. – At times it was said, including indeed by myself, that Georgia’s song for 2013 was sent again, to give it a chance to win after it was robbed in 2012 when sent for Spain. As time has passed of course Spain 2012 is way more powerful and eternal than Georgia 2013, so obviously Spain is my preference.

Pastora Soler – a mini biography

Pastora Soler was born in Seville, Spain in 1978. She started her music career when she was a young girl. Back then she participated in song competitions singing copla and flamencos songs. Her first studio album in 1994 covered classic copla songs. She combines pop and electronic with traditional copla and flamenco in her music work. Pastora has released 12 studio albums. In 2012 Pastora represented Spain at Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku with her song Quédate Conmigo and the best Spanish result in recent years.

In 2014, Pastora announced that she went on hiatus after fainting at a concert and postponing or cancelling other events.  She said she was suffering performance anxiety. She resumed her music career in 2017. Pastora Soler married Francisco Viñolo in 2009. Together, they have two daughters.

Nodi Tatishvili & Sophie Gelovani – a mini biography

Both Nodi and Sophie took part in Georgian version of the singing reality show Geostar (Georgian Idol). For Sophie, it was a start of her career as she was the runner-up in 2010, while Nodi won the previous season in 2009. For him, though, it wasn’t a start as he appeared in multiple international festivals and competitions from 2005 to 2009.

In 2012, the Georgian broadcaster chose Nodi and Sophie to represent Georgia at Eurovision 2013 in Malmö with a song Waterfall penned by famous Eurovision songwriter Thomas G:son. The duo qualified and then ended on 15th place in the grand final. Two years later, both Sophie and Nodi were members of the Georgian professional jury at Eurovision 2015 in Vienna.