Armenia celebrates its 100th birthday on Tuesday, so what better time to revisit one of their most memorable entries! This week’s Throwback Thursday takes us back two years, to Stockholm!
Like a lovewave!
Armenia debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2006 and have since enjoyed a streak of success but remarkably, are yet to secure a victory. With an impressive list of songs for me to choose from, there were many memorable songs on offer but only really one that struck a chord from the moment I first heard it – that song is Iveta Mukuchyan’s ‘Lovewave’.
When ‘Lovewave’ was first released, it raised a few eyebrows with its peculiar pattern but rapidly attracted an audience. In Stockholm, despite several hiccups during her first dress rehearsal, Iveta confidently presented the song in an infectious red-blooded performance which came across wonderfully on screen.
Although she placed 2nd in her semi final, Iveta finished 7th at the grand final which I personally felt was too low, especially when compared with some of the entries which made the top 5 that year – a few of which, in my opinion, didn’t deserve to be there.
What the others had to say…
Dominik
“LoveWave” by Iveta is a true masterpiece. The song is so different and genius. It will be stuck in your head for days. What is even better about this whole entry is, that the performance makes the song even better. Everything is on point here. Her movements on stage, the camera shots, pyro, lights and of course her voice. It all makes it outstanding and always interesting to watch it again and again. I really enjoyed this entry from Armenia. Moreover, “LoveWave” is also part of every karaoke party. It’s more fun to sing, than to listen probably, as we sure won’t hit any notes here 😉
Wivian
I’m so happy Dan picked “Lovewave” as his Armenian throwback! I have a serious soft spot for most of the the Armenian entries; I love “Not Alone”, “Jan-Jan”, “Lonely Planet” and “Apricot Stone”, and I also like “Without Your Love” a lot. I might however be the only person who doesn’t like “Qele-Qele”… “Lovewave”, to me, is one of the coolest songs to ever be performed on the Eurovision stage. It was everything! She didn’t even start singing until 20 seconds into the song… but the spoken part was so good, it was like a song of it’s own. Then there’s that haunting drum beat, the way she just owned the stage, her stunning performance, her flawless vocals…and she’s probably the only person who could go on stage wearing what’s basically a swim suit and not look cheap and tacky doing that choreography. You get the feeling I might be a fan?
Nathan
Iveta Mukuchyan has one of the greatest stagings that Eurovision has ever seen. Dramatic, incredible camera shots including some sensational fast changes into the first chorus, park used to brilliant effect and some strong choreography to catch the viewer’s eye. LoveWave may not be one of my favourite songs but it is one of the most memorable performances that Eurovision has had.