To the tune of ABBA’s Happy New Year it is time to say goodbye to a 2008 where many experienced a feeling of the Eurovision Song Contest almost being saved. 2009 is just around the corner and EuroVisionary wish that this will turn out to be a good year for all of our readers.
When countries like Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Finland and Portugal all managed to qualify for the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest final many saw it as a save of the Contest that was so heavily criticized the year before where basically all Western countries where left in the semi-final.
In 2009 the juries will have an even greater influence than this year, where they picked one of the 10 qualifiers in each of the two semi-finals. As the Contest has been criticized for being too Eastern dominated making it impossible for a Western European country to win again. Time will tell if the jury will have any impact in that direction, but fact is that we are looking forward to one of the most interesting Eurovision Song Contest’s in years. This is not only due to the jury comeback, but also the fact that a world class composer like Andrew Lloyd Webber will be writing the entry for United Kingdom and that The Netherlands has chosen one of their most popular acts to represent them. Greece and Turkey have gone similar ways in making sure to get an experienced and well known name with success to fight for them in Moscow.
As more and more countries seem to prefer their well known names over a young inexperienced Idol participant, the 2009 Contest will be one of the most interesting ones in years. Time will tell if it can live up to all the expectations, but tonight at midnight it is time to look back and say goodbye to the past year and welcome 2009. Whatever it may bring.
EuroVisionary would like to wish all of our readers and their families a happy New Year.
Happy new year
Happy new year
May we all have a vision now and then
Of a world where every neighbour is a friend
Happy new year
Happy new year
May we all have our hopes, our will to try
If we don’t we might as well lay down and die
You and I
(ABBA – Happy New Year)
