Editorials & Opinion

The escXtra style guide to Eurovision key changes

For better or for worse, key changes have been part of the Eurovision soundscape for decades. We present eleven tried and tested methods of deploying this musical weapon to an unsuspecting continent. Please drink responsibly!
Stop, look and listen
The Scandi staple. Why compose a way to change key when you can just stop the music, press the “+1” button, then go again? As used by the Olsen Brothers, Charlotte (under both names and faces), Carola, Wigwam, Chanee & N’evergreen… Why do the Nordics love these so? Je ne sais quoi.

Rise up
If you’re shifting the song up, why not do the same to your singer?

All change
Why only change key when you can change tempo, change time signature, change costume and change the on-stage weather conditions?

Machine gun
Eurovision’s First Hot Mess offers three rapid fire key changes in the space of thirty seconds. Sheer joy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uMRzZcSou8
Crux
The whole three minutes is all about one note. One note, two keys.

I’m’a hold this note ‘til you forget what key you were in to start with
Seem bit familiar to Pastora’s effort? Funny that…

 The great leap
Eurovision key change are usually a little step up. A semitone almost invariably. Some feel the urge to take a tritone leap into the wilderness, or, as my contorted concentration-face in the latter part of this video demonstrates, a leap into five sharps.

Songcraft
The song and performance are pretty inconsequential, but what happens between 2min15sec and 2min30sec is worthy of fourth place alone.

Mediterranean
The emotion. The soul. The torment. The knees. The hair. The sheer Greekness.

Krank the wheel
Shift it up. And again. And again. And again. It’s a winning formula.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDFNZwmkMxs
The effortless
Just because she can.

 

Back to top button