The EBU has officially released the first group of live-on-tapes. Last week, the EBU confirmed, after much speculation, that Eurovision fans would again be treated to the live-on-tape performances for the 2022 entries.
The team at ESCXTRA will be taking you through the live-on-tapes of the countries whose broadcasters have accepted the invitation to have their pre-recorded performances uploaded. Today, we will revisit the songs from Albania, Latvia and Lithuania.
🇦🇱 Ronela Hajati – Sekret – Albania
Ronela’s live on tape appears fairly similar to her Eurovision performance, especially outfit and choreography-wise. However, her preparation between when the live-on-tape was filmed and May is evident, as her Eurovision performance definitely carried more energy, exacerbated by more wind machines and pyro.
It is still a very strong live-on-tape performance by everyone. In particular, the close-up shots and fewer wide angles arguably benefit the performance and make it more intimate. To some extent, the smaller-scale performance puts Ronela more in the spotlight. She continues to shine in this performance, and her vocals are particularly polished.
🇱🇻 Citi Zēni – Eat Your Salad – Latvia
Was there ever any doubt that we wouldn’t see an energy-filled performance from Citi Zēni? Even though their live-on-tape is very similar to their National Final and Eurovision performances, it still carries the same charm and charisma that we know them for.
The only noticeable and significant difference is at the very start of the song, which was arguably made better by the presence of the crowd in Turin. I’ll let you watch it for yourself to figure out what that is.
🇱🇹 Monika Liu – Sentimentai – Lithuania
Monika Liu once again delivers a stunning performance in her live-on-tape. Like the performances from Albania and Latvia, there are little differences between her Eurovision performances. However, we do seem to see more of Monika holograms and double Monikas – the more the better?
The use of the LED floor in Turin definitely added more depth to Monika’s performance. However, this by no means detracts from her recorded performance here. In fact, the lighting of her live-on-tape appears slightly warmer and richer than the blue hues in Turin, and arguably evokes a more intimate feel that fits well with the atmosphere and mood of her song.
Stay tuned for more live-on-tape performances later in the week!
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