🇬🇪 Xtra Insider 2020: We Review Georgia!

Welcome to Xtra Insider, our new series which will give you an insight into how well each country was statistically likely to do this year, as well as what the team at ESCXTRA think of your favourite entries into (what would have been) this year’s contest! Today, we analyse and review Georgia.

Yes, this year’s contest has been cancelled…but that doesn’t mean we can’t love the songs! In this series, we’ll review each and every entry that would have taken part in this year’s Eurovision. On top of this, we’re introducing a new analysis section in which we take a look into each country’s history and how likely they would have been to do well this year. Our honest and brutal reviews and analysis will keep you entertained throughout what would’ve been the Eurovision season! We will also each give points using the usual Eurovision points system (12, 10, then 8 down to 1), and create an ESCXTRA leaderboard of the entries!

Today, we’ll be giving analysis and reviews of the Georgian entry, ‘Take Me as I Am’ by Tornike Kipiani, from Isaac, Nick, Rodrigo, Sami, Tom R and Wiv. Let’s get started!

Georgia’s history at Eurovision

Georgia first debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest back in 2007 and have since taken part 12 times (only missing out in 2009). From two top 10 finished (back to back in 2010 and 2011) to five non-qualifications, their Eurovision journey has been a rocky road of successes and failures. They have never won the contest, nor finished in the top five, but hope to fix that eventually.

This year’s entry

Their entry is ‘Take Me As I Am’ and it’s being sung by the very first winner of X Factor Georgia, Tornike Kipiani. They didn’t just go knocking on his front door to get him to Eurovision, instead Tornike had to once again go through a talent competition, but this time it was Georgian Idol. Being something of an idol to many in Georgia already, he of course found it no problem to win the show and the ticket to Rotterdam. There was just one problem: no song! Well, that’s when they locked Tornike into a recording studio and didn’t let him out until he had one. Probably. I’m not sure how song writing actually works, but I do know that after months of hard work, his entry was ready and asking to be taken as it is.

How does this kind of song tend to do in the contest?

Georgia don’t want to play like the German’s or dress like the Italians, they have been playing by their own rules ever since they enteretd the contest by not following trends and sending wildly different artists singing in wildly different genres. The closest comparison to this year’s entry has to be 2016’s ’Midnight Gold’, which also went for a more indie/progressive rock style and happens to be the last entry Georgia qualified for the final with.

The Reviews

Isaac

Yet again Georgia have opted for something that I think can be charitably called a brave choice. I think it’s brilliant. There’s a lot of power behind his voice, that shouting really does things to me. Good things, mind you. This is a song that should be presented dramatically and blow away those who listen to it.

Nick

I see a lot of praise for this entry. Like… more than I ever anticipated. Tornike is asking us why he should dress like an Ee-tallian or talk like an Englishman. For the latter, yes please, that way I might figure out what this song is all about. I’d prefer to see him dancing like an Egyptian, though – that would be fun. Cause this song really isn’t.

Riccardo

Oddly charming, weird lyrics, bit too much shouting at some point, bit chaotic but for some reason I really enjoy this song. It gives me a nostalgic feel of being a child in the early 2000s and when that happens – I like it.

Sami

This song has by far the worst lyrics of all the songs this year. I appreciate it being a bit different from the other entries this year, but I just can’t get over the awful lyrics.

Tom R

To sum this song up in one word: painful. I just don’t get the use of different languages throughout. The song doesn’t give me a message. I feel like Tornike is really angry and just taking it out on the microphone. No doubt one of the worst entries this year. Georgia was lucky that Go_A rocked up this year, saving it from the last place slot. Poor show, Georgia.

Wiv

This is my kind of music and my kind of voice, but very much NOT my kind of lyrics! If this had been performed in Georgian (or some other language I don’t understand) it would probably be in my top 5, or at least very close. However, the utterly cringeworthy lyrics pushes it down my list a bit. I’m really happy he’ll be back next year though, hopefully with an equally good song and waaaay better lyrics.