Sean Sieczka:
Unmute – Głosniej Niż Decybele (Poland)
Poland’s national selection was admittedly not one many people followed closely, so I wouldn’t be surprised if this song flew under the radar of most people. Tu bije serce Europy! was at best a two-horse race, if not a done deal from the start. And while “Głosniej niż decybele” wasn’t one of the two favorites, its third place finish was huge.
It’s often overlooked that deaf people can still enjoy music. Even if they can’t hear the actual pitches, they can still feel beats and vibrations, connect with lyrics, enjoy the visual spectacle, and more. Often we’re only reminded that deaf people watch music events like Eurovision when we see videos of sign language interpreters busting it down to the music while they sign the lyrics.
But what Unmute did was taking deaf representation a step further. Besides the already amazing fact that they gave the deaf community representation in a meaningful way, presenting a song with sign language as the standard allowed viewers that do have the privilege of hearing to sit and listen to music in the same way deaf people do every day, and there’s real power in that. With no melodic lines to follow, you have to read and consume the lyrics yourself and internalize them. Not to mention those lyrics are very clever and poignant, and the instrumental absolutely slaps (though it is under 2 minutes). Would this have fared better than Ochman in Turin? Probably not. Would it have even qualified? Who knows. But more importantly than the final results, sending this would have been huge for deaf representation. It would have given a platform to a community that is regularly ignored or forgotten. And they would’ve been able to share their message on their terms. That’s bigger than any trophy.
Click through to the next page, below the emojis, to see what Gil Laufer has chosen!
