World Hit Festival 34 - Vodiznad, Izmedu | DRAFT THREAD

by **Izmedu** » Sat Jul 29, 2017 9:00 pm

Statement, Edit Policy, and Deadlines

Welcome to the Draft Thread of the 34th World Hit Festival! This will be the place where nations will work and post on their entry that I (the host) will then eventually transfer to the IC thread once it opens. The final deadline for posting entries will be August 13, 4:00AM GMT (represented on the time table as PDT) with the IC thread hopefully up within a few hours after. However, nations are free to make minor edits to their entries as I transfer them to the IC thread. There will be a 24 hour grace period after the entry posting deadline for nations to ask for edits as I post/finish up the IC thread. After August 14, all entries are considered final.

For this thread, you can use any format that you wish when posting your entry. The only things that will change as it is transferred to the IC thread will be the header (which will act as a link to your postcard and will be located at the top of your entry) as well as the text being aligned to the center for uniformity's sake. Otherwise, the host nation will not alter the RP aspect in any major form, but minor additions are liable to be made that will only come at the very end of your entries.

As written by Kalosia for WHF26: The host (Izmedu) reserves the right to make alterations to your RP when copying it over to the IC thread. However, these alterations will be limited to cleaning up the formatting as well as adding (not deleting) RP regarding the situation in the arena (i.e. how the audience reacted). Substantial/major alterations will not be made without written permission, and any further changes to an entry within the IC thread will only be done upon written request by the user behind it, and with host discretion.

Remaining Deadlines

~~Sign-Ups Close: August 5, 9:00PM PDT~~
~~Deadline for Entries, IC Thread Opens: August 12, 9:00PM PDT~~
Voting Deadline: August 19, 9:00PM PDT
Results Revealed: August 25-26

The Running Order

THE OFFICIAL RUNNING ORDER FOR THE 34TH WORLD HIT FESTIVAL

01
GOLUTA

02
MONAEROGLISSEUREST PLEINDANGUILLES

03
NORJIHAN

04
GIM

05
TOGONISTAN

06
SKANDEN

07
GRELLENBYOSHA-GA

08
MERCEDINI

09
BRITONISEA

10
NORMANDY AND PICARDY

11
TODASKAKYS

12
COSNEOLTA

13
IZMEDU

14
TODLICHEBUJOKU

15
KWADAI

16
DARKMANIA

17
POLKOPIA

18
ANTAHBRANTAHSTAN

19
ETHANE

20
ESTOGIUM

21
FROMULYA

22
BAKVLA ISLANDS

23
KALOSIA

24
ALOQUIRBE

25
HESSKIN EMPIRE

26
BOJIKSTAN

27
MANAIME

Additional Information/Miscellany

RP and Stage Info: When determining your performance, you are more than free to use the show + host city details post as you write your RP. If you have any questions about specific stage effects or trying to see what is/isn't possible on the stage, don't be afraid to ask me questions through the WHF34 OOC thread or through telegram.

What is a Complete Entry?: A complete entry, by technical definition, is an entry on the draft thread with a usable tune and a complete set of lyrics (all stanzas, verses, and etc. covered). Which means, I can transfer a post with just pure lyrics onto the IC thread and mark it as a complete entry. However, I encourage all nations to put in RP to your entries. It makes the entry look far more complete than just lyrics on the page, and while it won't guarantee higher points, it will signal to the WHF community that you are putting in effort than just beyond lyrics. However, I understand that time is a crunch (I once was in that same position myself). What will not be transferred is an entry with incomplete lyrics or just a header.

Additional Information on Headers: You are highly encouraged for this edition to include the names of your song's IC producers and IC lyric writers! Please do so! This information will go on your header. I will supply the header template used by Euskirribakondara and Normandy and Picardy (which will be replaced by a graphical header on the IC thread). However, you are not required to use this particular header for this draft thread, as you are free to use whatever format you use.

WORLD! START POSTING NOW!

Note: This post may be regularly updated without announcement, please do check from time to time especially during/near deadlines.

by **Darkmania** » Sat Jul 29, 2017 10:29 pm

16. DARKMANIA
"For Deg" - Smokefilled Spirits ft. Ädriän Rerdimÿr
Title Translation: For You
Language(s): Norwegian (as always, written in Bokmål form)
Lyrics and Music: Säbrïnë "Smokedfilled Spirits" Hërdae.
Nocturne - Secret Garden (Live Peformence from ESC 1995)

The venue cheers as Darkmania enters the the stage. However, as people remember last years "scandal" (Darkmania got votes from a nation with a large darkmanian diaspora, aka a puppet) some audible booing from the venue audience is also heard. But luckily, its not brutal as thought and duing the dress rehearsals.

Ädriän Rerdimÿr, the singer, stands on the stage with this outfit and he is using a microphone stand. Säbrïnë "Smokedfilled Spirits" Hërdae, while wearing this dress and her violin, stands on the rightmost end of the stage (or this side). As the dress are too long, she stands on a platform that makes her dress longer. The background is, as always in Darkmania`s entries, turned off in the beginning and only the spotlight lights up the stage. The audience is pitch dark.

Seconds of silence...

Without any warning, Ädrian begins to sing with his powerful voice.

Jeg vill beskytte deg. Mot onde kraft (I will proctect you. Againt evil ghosts)
Jeg er alltid på din side (I I am always on your side)
For deg (For you)

Ädrian`s light fades out. This begins a long violin solo, the main focus of this years darkmanian entry. An emotional violinist solo. The background now wakes up and displays a forest like this. A long Steadicamshot shows that she and Ädrian are alone for now.

After some time, the transition then cuts to a recorded skit, featuring one young man and a young lady. Both are in a foggy forest, with a waterfall in the shot. The pair holds hands, then leave from each other. As the pair walk from each other, A closeup of their hand separating from is t. Teardrops on the faces as they leave each other.

The transition then cuts back to live, but this time, the pair is dancing together. And with their clothes being the same as the recorded “skit”, but this time, they are happy.

The white spotlight begins to light up at Ädriän, who will sing their last lines, while the dancers dance, and Säbrïnë plays the violinfThere is a wide shot, showing the dancers, Säbrïnë and Ädrian on stage at once.

Selv om verden er imot, (Even if the world is against,)
Så vill jeg aldri, gå min vei (So will i never, walk away)

As the music fades out, the venue makes biggest cheers in the edition of the Festival, and some who booed at
the beginning also cheers! As the Darkmania bows down and is thinking, the cheering calms down a bit!

This cuts to Polkopia`s postcard as the venue begins to shut up so Polk can sing their song.

by **Normandy and Picardy** » Sun Jul 30, 2017 1:47 am

Normandy and Picardy
Martin Avenu - Fairytale
Tune: Claudio Capéo - Ca va ça va

Any other time, 4th place would have been amazing for Normandy and Picardy, given that before WHF 32 they hadn't been in the Top 5 for a very, very long time and their 5 wins seemed a long time ago indeed (and some even questioned whether they had even happened). Given the vast sums of money that NNN threw both into the entry, and into hosting the contest, it was clear they had been hunting for the win, invigorated by the 2nd place in Euskirribakondara. Naturally then, feelings in NNN were mixed. On the one hand, it was a very respectable result, another Top 5 place and some hoped a sign that Normandy and Picardy are back in the contest for good, and in it to win it every time. On the other hand, obviously there was dissapointment that they hadn't won, and as a response the champagne was put back into the cooler for another year and instead it was prosecco that was drunk that night. Despite all this, people up and down Normandy and Picardy celebrated what was a very good contest. Also, despite the endless naysaying from certain elements of the WHF community, NNN were notably pleased that they had managed to pull off hosting the contest and had managed to defy said critics, hopefully lifting the curse on Normandy and Picardy once and for all. Of course, there was still some trepidation given the next contest was WHF 34, which was due a cursed contest. Perhaps it had just been a respite...

However, NNN were keen to capitalise on the last two contests, and keep the momentum going... well, ideally, forever, but more realistically for as long as possible. Consequently, a new selection process began as soon as the last contest ended; NNN started recieving songs the morning after the contest, which made some very hungover NNN office workers fairly grumpy that morning. A few may have been lost by a groggy intern, but they were most likely not great anyway. Months went by of collating longlists and shortlists and medium lists too, and the second one song got thrown out another one was brought in. Whether it was an amateur musicians struming a very familiar sounding guitar riff or a man with a theremin, or any of the other weird and wonderful things that were sent their way, NNN were certainly under a deluge of music they hadn't seen since WHF 24. The majority of it was actually rather fun for those whose jobs were to wittle it down, but as the contest began to tick closer and closer, the Head of Delegation began to worry, as a song would have to be chosen sooner or later.

In the end, one song did win the epic battle to be the Normand entry, and that was 'Fairytale' by Martin Avenu. Avenu is known for his unique brand of Normand pop which blands the traditional, rural style of music with modern pop sounds, both saying true to Normandy and Picardy and being palatable for a large modern audience. Whilst ballads are his more usual style, this song was written specifically with WHF in mind, and has already reached Number 1 on the Normand chart with some success elsewhere too. Avenu was born in the rural town of Saint-Lo in 1987 (ie. he is 30) and despite studying in Caen and developing a career in the Normand music scene, he has stayed in Saint-Lo, which he claims allows him to produce music that is true to himself. 'Fairytale' itself is a song about a man struggling with the passing of time, and who wants to escape from the mundanities of modern life which are eating up time itself. There are suggestions that the song could also address the issue of suicide, especially the last chorus, which given some of Avenu's songs in the past would not be a surprise; he himself as said it is up to the individual to decide what any song is about. When the stage details were released, amongst the other documents and pieces of paperwork, NNN were at first very happy with the design, but realised it wasn't the most suitable for a song of this type (any other contest it would have been perfect!), but they powered on anyway, and were determined to see

Would he able to deliver another Top 5 finish for Normandy and Picardy, or even potentially reach the very top? Let's find out...

An image of rolling hills, with clouds wisping through the air and the sea in the distance, in a sort of almost cartony style (like this) faded into view on the background screen, with olive trees rising up from the ground, like in a pop up book. The sky is black, and the moon is partly shrouded behind those clouds, its beams just reaching to the ground, caressing it. The camera focused on this for the first few seconds before turning to the stage where the scene was paralled by a single spotlight shining from the left of the stage onto the second level, to show Martin Avenu sitting on an old olive crate, guitar in hand which he strums as the song opens. The intensity of the light changed as this happened, reflecting the clouds moving across the moon. The camera focused on him as he began to sing, with his loose fitting plain white shirt contrasting the dark, old, tattered coat that he wore; this was his father's. He looked up to the camera as he sang; before, he had been looking down to the LED floor which showed, at his feet, a few small flowers that grew around him in a ring. The camera focused on him solely at this point, as he seem to almost melancholicaly strum on and sing, pouring emotion into every word, both calming and yet saddening too for those who listened.

Another night, another day, another morning
Another end to the beginning of the end
As I sit and watch time pass
It never seems to go fast
But when I blink nothing ever stays the same

As he finished the first verse, he looked up, the camera following him, and as he blinked (and the camera view became dark for a brief moment so that we were in a sense blinking along with him) the background began to change, the moon and the clouds fleeing and being replaced by a bright, golden sun majestic in the sky. So too did the stars escape, and the veil of darkness was lifted to show that the vines had been growing up two sets of walls (one on either side), like the sort from a stereotypical italian villa. They showed the effects of time, crumbling slightly, with faded posters and crates and boxes lined at their feet. Behind him, a small group with traditional instruments, including a very happy accordionist, perhaps slightly overweight but with a wonderful wide smile, play merrily, helping add to the feeling of cosiness being slowly built within what could be percieved as a modern, cold stage design.

Floating high above the stars
Knowing that I’ll come down again at some point
Icarus points and knows that
One day he will have a new friend

As the chorus began, the lights became brighter and more golden than ever as the sun in the background screen also grew and brightened, and the white clouds cleared to reveal a seemingly endless blue sky. As the clouds floated away Martin's face, blinking, could be seen in the clouds. Martin's hands played with the guitar strings skillfully and youthfully, strumming away whilst he bopped to the music, flowers spreading out from his feet and filling the stage, spilling onto the level below and seemingly defying gravity and climbing up to the band. As the chorus went on the band exchange looked at each other and at Martin, gleefully playing on. The sun, it seemed, almost had a clockface within it, which was shown by the camera which faded back into the yellow glow, suggesting something much less utopic about the whole scene.

I know, I know, I know I can’t wait for a fairytale
I know that time will catch up with me eventually
As the sun goes down I think about the miles I’ve travelled
And release I’ve never truly been anywhere at all

In an almost pop-up book manner, the scene of the fields was replaced by some sort of barn, perspective being used to seemingly extend the stage backward. Olive trees were replaced by hay bales, and there seemed to be old cogs and wheels - presumably from some sort of windmill but potentially linking to the earlier hints at clockwork, covered in cobwebs and partially obscured, as the lights in the stadium also become dimmer. The flooring has also changed, with the fields and flowers being replaced by wooden floorboards, and tattered bits of fabric and buts of straw, strown and blowing across the barn floor, as reminders of the passage of time. This seems odd given the lyrics at this point specifically mention the sun, but we can see through the winsow in the main part of the barn in the background the sun almost eavesdropping on Martin, its golden tendrils reaching out towards him as it did.

Comfort me as the sun beats down upon me
Its face that haunts, its face that taunts, look how it grins
The cracked earth breaks beneath my feet
Ice or sunlight, it feels the same
It seems that I’ve forgotten how to play the game

The floor quickly changes to show a giant clock, broken up into several pieces with the different mechanisms appearing on each of the different levels, but it all seemed to fit together when the camera gave a bird's eye view of the stage. Martin was standing right at the middle, with a broken minute hand slowly moving about, juttering as it did so. So too was the backdrop changed to join the floor in the world of clockwork and machinery, fargone from the earlier views of countryside bliss and a reminder of the pressures of modern life. As he sang the third line, the stage suddenly was plunged into darkness except for a single spotlight that shined on Martin. At first, with the camera far away Martin appears small in his little section of light, but the camera moved in relatively quickly so that by the last line the camera view was very close to Martin.

The minute hand moves closer
I’m at the edge and it’ll tip me over
All alone in the spotlight
No one sees, because no one cares

The lights suddenly brightened again (although it wasn't so much a flash, per se) and now the stage was transformed once more, back to how it was at the very beginning with the fields returning once more, bouncing onto the background in their pop-up book style as Martin sang at the centre of the stage, sweeping camera shots showing his and the band's rather small place within the changing world around him. However, something was not quite right about the background as it came back to life. As each element, the olive trees, the villas, the fields themselves appeared, they did so slowly and more mechanically, and indeed the clockwork makings were betrayed. No more was this true than for the six LED columns, which had returned to showing the crumbling walls again, plastered with old posters; as these blew away in the wind the machinery behind the background was made more visible. The camera seemed to weave amongst the membera of the band, one cameraman for each part of the top level and switching from one side to another, whilst making sure the background was showing; the band carried on as if seemingly nothing had changed.

I know, I know, I know I can’t wait for a fairytale
I know that time will catch up with me eventually
As the sun goes down I think about the miles I’ve travelled
And release I’ve never truly been anywhere at all

After the slalom around the band, and as we entered the bridge, Martin could be seen back on his old olive oil barrel, looking up to the camera in a rather coy manner. Behind him was a section of the old walls, and at his feet little gears ticked away; a projected effect on its clothes seemed to make it appear as if his feet were within the machinery and almost as if he was part of it himself. The camera focused very much on his face at first before slowly moving around him and zooming out to show the effects described.

C’est la vie, that’s what they say
As we stand in line and pay
For a sin that we know we didn’t commit
Give me a chance to fly away
Even if just for a day
Anywhere, anyhow, just help me escape

As the final chorus began the stadium explodes into light once more (the loghts naturally having been dimmer in the bridge as you might have expected) to show the background painted into view once more, still mechanical if not more so, as if Martin couldn't escape from it. He himself jumped up from the barrel and up to the first level we he almost gleefully danced around the band playing, looking remarkably happy as if he had just had some glorious form of epiphany.

I know, I know, I know I can’t wait for a fairytale
I know that time will catch up with me eventually
As the sun goes down I think about the miles I’ve travelled
And release I’ve never truly been anywhere at all

The mechanical elements of the background began to dissapear as the new, final closing chorus was sung, Martin now back in the centre of the stage and playing wildly, making every slight like motion and emotion count. The natural imagery became more and more natural, the walls seemed to replaster themselves and the cogs and wheels on the floor were replaced by lushious green grass and an assortment of wonderful little flowers, again seemingly spawniny from Martin's feet. At the very end, the camera passed Martin's head, leaving him behind it as it flew towards the background which transformed to show a real image of the very farm that had been depicted, the very farm where his father used to work.

I dream of a place a million miles away from here
A world where time and fate look kindly upon us all
I feel alive, I feel dead, I feel everything
So just let me go into my own fairytale

On that cheery, nostalgic note the song ended, Martin's charming smile beaming as he, struggling to breath almost, shouted 'Merci Vodiznad, Merci WHF!' Could Normandy and Picardy do it? Let's find out...

by **Estogium** » Sun Jul 30, 2017 9:30 am

#XX ESTOGIUM
Shyna Kumbes - "Rabatarxe (We Will Fight)"
Tune : Ginta Biku - ”Cet air là” (VR-Video)
Writers: Shyna Kumbes, Eden Apollo Music: Xavier Battieu, Zachary King, Lance Maden
Languages: Britonish, English

RVC, the broadcaster for Estogium in the World Hit Festival, has stated that they will be coming back to the World Hit Festival, in Vodiznad, in the attempt to try and place higher on the scoreboard, as they once did in their World Hit history. Despite joining the World Hit Festival with 12th place, with 14 points, the nation’s second attempt saw them jump up the scoreboard, placing joint fourth place with 16 points. Ellie Morgent’s 7th place saw Estogium withdraw from the World Hit Festival, stating that Ellie was not treated fairly, and they stuck to this belief as Ellie scored the best placing in the nation’s WorldVision Song Contest history, coming 2nd place with 117 points. Estogium returned in World Hit Festival 27, as their neighbouring nation managed to win the contest after waiting around 13 editions. Estogium returned receiving the nation’s second top 5 placing, coming 5th. As the contest stayed in the region, Estogium (who was initially going to withdraw) decided it would stay. Estogium came 4th again, their third top 5 placing, with 19 points - their best World Hit Festival result to date. Liam Andreasson then came on to the scene, giving Estogium another top 10 placing, coming 6th. Everything seemed to be going well for the nation, but they withdrew from the World Hit Festival 30, stating that they would be taking a break from the contest to try and recuperate and come back even stronger. However, this may have been the wrong thing to do, as Estogium saw itself receive it’s worst placing ever, coming 16th with only 4 points. This came as a shock, and many people thought Estogium should withdraw from the contest, like it did after Ellie Morgent scored 9 points only, especially as Nightom came 4th in the World Hit Festival (and then went on to win the WorldVision Song Contest with the same song). Estogium, however, came back to the next contest in Euskirribakondara, and while they did come in the top 10, they placed 8th with 14 points, which is one of their worst results in terms of placing. Coming back to the contest in Normandy and Picardy with a song described as “monotonous”, “repetitive” and “plain boring” saw the nation plummet to 13th place.

RVC were unsure on what to do because in the past four editions they had participated in, they sent four different types of songs. RVC enlisted the help of Shyna Kumbes, who represented Estogium in the 47th WorldVision Song Contest, where Estogium came 9th with 66 points. Shyna was praised for her song for having ethno-afro vibes, and therefore it becoming very successful in Estogium. When the RVC contacted Shyna, she had a song that she thought may work for Estogium, but she wasn’t sure how it would be perceived by the public abroad. Being reminded that the World Hit Festival was full of artists and songs that are experimental, perhaps, her song would fit in quite well. Reluctantly, she agreed to participate in the contest, especially after receiving that push from her family.

Estogium will be, for the first time, entering a song partly sung in the Britonish Language, which the nation has done on four different occasions in the WorldVision Song Contest. The chorus of the song will be sung in Britonish, in it’s form before it is reformed. RVC has stated that the song they will be submitting for the next World Hit Festival will be in English, before looking in to submitting a song entirely in Britonish; as it did in WorldVision 46, in Antahbrantahstan, where the song came 9th place.

Shyna Kumbes - "Rabatarxe"

Shyna Kumbes stepped on the stage during the postcard break. She was ready to return on the international stage, especially to put to bed the recent bad results for Estogium in the World Hit Festival. Shyna Kumbes stood on the stage wearing jeans, which were tight, which stopped in the middle of her thighs. She wore a long flowy dress to cover the top half of her body, but there was a “cloak” type back, meaning that it came behind her legs, which also made her legs hidden away from the back. She stood there, in the middle of the stage smiling, tightly holding on to the microphone hoping that the performance would go swimmingly for her.

The audience cheered for Shyna Kumbes and the music started. Suddenly the audience in Vodiznad were taken from the arena to a jungle, and as the rather long introduction played on and on, Shyna slowly moved forwards, with the LED screens syncopating themselves with Shyna Kumbes, with things in the distance started disappearing, and the LED floor’s path changed.

The forest’s moving forwards,
Now the men's battle-cry is now heard.
Baby, flee to safety with me,
Let us go and escape to be free.

She was looking at the camera as she sang that part of the song, the camera in front of her, moving to the left of her, before another camera to the right as the next verse came, and the texture of the song was being built up. It also seemed as though the LED was developing alongside the song, because the brightness of the LED seemed to decrease, and the artificial lights in the arena increased, with green, blue and yellow featuring a lot.

As she sang about how no one could lift “the spell,” she raised her hands in the air in a cusp, and the camera tilted upwards, only for a hologram of golden twinkles raised from her hands up in to the air and spread out along the top of the ceiling.

We are damned, we’re being punished.
There's no way of lifting the spell,
Either you or I dies tonight.
Our destination now is known.

The camera then tilted back down as she pointed at it, when she sang “You” and pointing at herself when she sang “I.” As she continued to sing the last part of the verse, men wearing military outfits (though not as hardcore, they were made so that dancing could be done in them; they were comfortable enough) started lurking from the back of the stage. Shyna Kumbes dropped to the floor when she sang about how their "destination is now known."

Another camera panned around the front of the stage as all the men run towards her and get on the floor, covering their faces as Shyna slowly raised upwards slowly, menacingly looking at the camera, connecting with the audience at home. Red shone on her as she raised up slowly and the golden twinkles had started to swirl around her.

Statianie llunivexserelle
Cy Jugmies, rabatarxe
Nany letulnie, niet kintzes duscher
Nady loso, haco ydohater

Statianie, cy jugmies, rabatarxe

When Shyna sang, “duscher,” the men got up from the position they were in, and stood strongly, looking forwards at the audience, as though they were suddenly turned in to stone. Shyna Kumbes went to the side of one of them as slowly dropped to the floor, leaning her back on the male. The backing singers could be heard loudly when she repeated the words at the end of the chorus, and at this point Shyna was on the floor and so she went in to a cradle position as the men around her sprung out of their stationary form they were previously in. Along with the dance break, the men jumped and danced around her, using their hips to swirl around, but also seeming to circle around Shyna, who was still in the cradling position.

The song now went to the begin, with lots of the instrumentation suddenly being cut out. The jumpy beat was still present in the song, though, and this was the beat the men who surrounded Shyna used to bop back to the back of the stage. Shyna got up from where she was as she began singing the next verse. The backing LED turned to black and as she sang the words “Time”, “Redemption” , “Dead” and “Past”, they all came up behind her as the golden twinkles. The camera was positioned so that she was in the left or right corner of the television, with the golden twinkles taking up most of the space for the viewers at home to see. There was a single spot light on Shyna Kumbes. The men had seemed to disappear for now.

Time - it's caught up on us,
Redemption is satisfying.
We are dead people walking,
We can't run away from the past.

“We can’t run away from the past,” is quite a significant line in the song, and so, at this point a man’s hand came from the darkness and the man put his arm across her neck, having her in a headlock. What did this symbolise? What did she do? Well, that is something she wanted the audience to think about.

The next verse of the song told more of the story as she turned away from the audience, and therefore the camera. However, a steadicam came on to the stage, and you could see Shyna Kumbes had her hands up against another hand, probably the hand of the other male. As the camera moved forwards towards Shyna, she seemed to be following the movements of the male, even though we could only see his shadow. The steadicam moved around the male, slowly passing him, but you could only still see his neck and shoulders. As the camera passed pass the male, Shyna rapidly glanced at the camera, widening her eyes before looking back at the male.

Our fate is carved in the stone,
It's engraved, and bound through our lives.
We don't know when the line is cut.
Though, my heart bleeds tears for us both.

Shyna quickly moved back around as she sang the last part of the verse. She held on to her heart, and a blue dot appeared on her hand.

Again, the backing vocals came on strong, and the stage started to light up, with all the males appearing behind Shyna Kumbes, but they were all very close to her, even touching on to each other. They seemed to be fighting over Shyna, but they were doing this in slow motion as Shyna sang to the camera.

Statianie llunivexserelle
Cy Jugmies, rabatarxe
Nany letulnie, niet kintzes duscher
Nady loso, haco ydohater

Statianie, cy jugmies, rabatarxe

Shyna smiled as the whole stage suddenly flashed white and then turned back in to the jungle that was present at the start of the song. As the stage flashed white, the camera switched from one that was quite close to one that was in the far back of the arena. At a fast pace, it came towards Shyna, and though the audience at home wouldn’t know this was done, the camera changed to a steadicam, placed in the perfect position to make it look as though it was only one camera doing all of the work. Shyna jumped and pranced around, as the males just stood by her guarding. She then clapped her hands along with the music, and the audience joined in with her.

The song came to an abrupt ending, with her posing and the men dropping to the floor. She giggled before bowing at the audience. “Thank you so much Vodiznad!” she exclaimed.

by **Manaime** » Sun Jul 30, 2017 6:45 pm

XX. Manaime
"War Light" - Elle [Elliha]
Language(s): English, Reddish
Lyrics: Elliha [composer and the songwriter]
Music: Spotlight - Sohee

Take a moment to give
But I don't know what would rise
It's a least just a battle going outside
Standing there, looking at soldiers
And I wonder, would they live!
It is just a matter

-She then dances with powerful moves, defeating the Spotlight away.-

I have fallen off my powers
And I'm not afraid at all
Looking at the skies of darkness
They're haunting cuz they wanna trick..
Maybe it's just or just life

Maybe it's a War Light.
-War Light echoes five times as lights glow around the stage, giving Elli fateful moves.-
Maybe just a War Light.
-War Light echoes again, as there is lots of confetti and dancing.-
Oh. Oh. Oh, oh!

Maybe it's really just a War Light.
I'm just rising up
Till it goes back to the memories
I'm not gonna die
If I'm standing up!

I just go on till I rise
Until the age of dawn..
Is it true that you want just a diamond 'pire

If I die, will you come for me?
Is it really easy?
If your sure, I'm stupid..
I don't really really care bout that

Cuz I'm still strong and never fall
I'm giving you one last chance
Till you end up on angry flames
Are we really seeing a War Light?
-echoes 5 times-
Just seeing the War Light
-echos-

Oh. Oh. Oh oh!
Is it really just a War Light
I just really know
That there's nothing else but my family

I showed the world
That I can fly in the skies!

Really really cold on my own, though
I can almost just see all the angels..
Even though I would die, I don't give up
-The wire suddenly lets her fly, as she dances around.-
It's so fine on my own

I see the War Light
-echoes War Light 5 times-
I'm just seeing War Lights
-echoes-
Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh!
All I Just see is just the War Light

Are you growing up?
Just to get a peaceful day and night

Eve' zinski
Dertamineroraiuro...

-Confetti falls on the cannons one last time, as the people shout and scream.-

-The lights suddenly go off and on, as Elle is right on the platform, saying thank you, and the crowd cheers and shouts.-

-Elle says, "Thank you all for having such a good blessing. This has been a wonderful night, and I can't wait to see you all! Bye!", as she walks down the stage.

by **Hesskin Empire** » Mon Jul 31, 2017 4:37 am

Will do Stage stuff soon, these italicized texts will also be gone, but here are the lyrics, thanks

This is the past again
Bringing you back with me, again,
The end, where do we belong
Im fighting it; How do I win?
Finding our homes again
We are together now! Forever!

I will fight now!;Now and Forever!
Open your soul, fight for us!

We gotta fight, just to survive,fighting for right
We’ll fight for our rights, to stop these lies!
We are the same, March Nay, yay, nay
Now be a soldier!

The Fight, The Cure; Righting the wrongs!
The voice in our heads, it hurts us all!
Now it pierces our souls!
Can you tell me what it is we are Fighting for?
Killing for?

We want our nation back
We need our leader back now
He leaves us now, a sacrifice,for us now
Making soldiers, out of us
He used to be here for us
But now, he is gone, across the line

We build, we fight, marching across these divides
The hardest strikes always land when hands are tied
Both the same: the X, the Y
Choose your side

The Fight, The Cure; Righting the wrongs!
The voice in our heads, it hurts us all!
Now it pierces our souls!
Can you tell me what it is we are Fighting for?
Killing for?

The Fight, The Cure

It adapts, It Evolves, It Destroys, It Survives
Outcome set long before we arrive
Play the game: defect/comply
But choose your side

The Fight, The Cure; Righting the wrongs!
The virus in our heads infects, manipulates our thoughts
Once more: can we remember who it is we're dying for?
Fighting for?

by **Bojikstan** » Mon Jul 31, 2017 12:28 pm

XX. Bojikstan
"The Red Parade" - Nine Twenty Two
Title Translation: La Marcha Roja
Language(s): English
Tune: Welcome To The Black Parade
Lyrics: Santi Wink, Haley Marino
Music: Cody Norgard

Most of the people at the 34th WHF hadn't heard of Bojikstan. That was the plain truth, considering the country had been in a period of instability not long ago and hadn't done much internationally, through trade or diplomacy. They hadn't entered things like this, and the turmoil had created isolation. Now, there was only One Bojikstan. Now, they were finally doing something to put their name on the map. Hopefully, the next edition of the competition wouldn't have anyone asking where the hell is Bojikstan? For now, they were only thinking of making a good debut. Nine Twenty Two was the last band that the government wanted representing them, because of the band's eastern rebel overtone, but they didn't have a choice in sending them. The delegation had opened up voting to the country's many music fans to choose the group that would attend the festival, and Nine Twenty Two had crushed the polls to get in by a good margin. It was now time for their army of fans to descend upon Izmedu for the festival itself, with plenty of expectations.

The band was formed by Santi Wink(lead vocals, frontman) and Cody Norgard(bass, keyboard) when the two were forced to take refuge in Strasburg during the burning of Odena near the end of the Bojikstani Civil War, about four years ago. Swaths of the city, which was the last pro-government stronghold, were razed just before western rebels reformed the country's rulership, but their reform left the eastern part of the country dissatisfied and led to the rise of Nine Twenty Two, who named their band after the date of what used to be known as National Day. After a few shows in war torn Odena, Wink and Norgard added Haley Marino(drums, backup vocals) and Michael Perrera(guitar). All of them hail from the east, with Marino and Perrera joining from Selta. Their first release was an EP titled September Twenty Two, but their rise to fame wouldn't come for a few years later... When they released The Red Parade as a single, and won the hearts of their home city.

The performance begins with all of the lights on the stage going out. All of the screens are black, and there's tension as the fans wonder if this is part of the show or if there's been a power outage of some kind. Suddenly, the lights begin to come back on, but not completely. The stage is still dark. There's no noise, until... We hear a single G note, and then some more low notes from a keyboard. The song begins, and the lights come on and the screens light up quickly. All of the screens are displaying a background that looks like realistic thick grey smoke, and the image on the stage floor is of cracked concrete. The band are wearing outfits that look like they're inspired by post-apoc movies, and Santi takes to the lowest level, which has been moved closer to the crowd for the performance.

When I was, a young boy,
The enemy, burned our cities
Our houses and our land.
They said, “Your time,
As rulers, is over.
And as we’re taking over,
We’ll form a red parade.”

The focus shifts to the instrumental and the part that's being played on the guitar by Perrera and on the drums by Marino. Wink stands at the edge of the stage and pumps the crowd up, jumping and showing off his energy. The smoke on the screens turns into outright fire, likely representing the fires that burned for weeks in Odena during the war. Santi paces back and forth around the stage, high-fiving some of the fans before his next section of vocals. They're delivered by both him and Haley, who has a mic attached to her drums.

(When I was, a young boy,)
(The enemy, burned our cities,)
(Our houses and our land.)
(They said, “Your time,)
(As rulers, is over.)
(And as we’re taking over,)
(We’ll form a red parade.”)

Michael and Cody speed the pace of the song up, and Santi speeds his own pace up dramatically and changes styles. He's speaking more like a rapper than a rock singer, but the Bojikstani members of the crowd are ready to go wild because of this. They know the hook is coming, and there's a good response. At the end of the section of the song, Santi waves Michael and Cody down to the lower level.

Everyday, I wonder. Could this have happened differently?
Could we have changed this if we knew how it would turn out?
Would we have fought a little harder, and took this seriously?
We’re broken and we’re reeling, but one thing is still sure,
The east is never down forever, and even after everything…

Suddenly, there's bursts of thick steam from either side of stage, which is enough to mask the screens transitioning to a fluttering image of the Bojikstani flag. At the same time, there's a laser show all over the arena, with the lights being the sky blue and white colors of the country. The beat is distinctly rock, and so is the band, but they've taken a lot from EDM in this part of their performance, mainly because of the popularity of that kind of music in the country.

We’ll fight on.
We’ll fight on.
Even in our toughest times, we’ll keep on fighting on,
We’ll fight on.

And even if it’s dangerous for us, we’ll always keep fighting on.

The light show fades, and the screens and cameras turn their attention to Santi, who is giving his all and carrying the performance through this part of the vocals. When the hook arrives, there's fire shooting from the edges of the stage, from the same spot that the steam came from earlier in the performance. To pump up the crowd, Santi jumps from the stage during the hook, into the area between the stage and the front row. After pacing back and forth and high-fiving fans, he jumps back to the stage to finish the hook.

There’s good reasons why they call this place,
The land of broken dreams,
But we’ll never bend the knee to you, and our pride will never fall,
We’re the silent majority, and soon we’ll rise,
There is no need for fear,

So fight on,
So fight on,
Even in our toughest times, we’ll keep on fighting on,
We’re fighting on.

And even though you put us down,
The east is always fighting on,

The lights dim, and the spotlights shift focus to Cody and to Michael, who are the real stars of this part of the song. Santi is the one singing the vocals, but the instrumental in the background is quite tough and hard and is mostly being played by them. At this point, there's no need for drums for the rest of the song, so Haley gets up from the drum set and moves down to the lower level with Santi, to join the singing for the last part.

We’ll fight right through the opposition,
Oh, oh, oh…
Don’t care if you fill up the prisons,
Oh, oh, oh…

And if you ask any one of us,
We do not give a fuck,
Support you? You cannot make me!
Because we! Will not surrender! You want my shield?
Come and take it!
We’ll be here, and we’ll be waiting,
For one day, when we’ll get a,
Second chance, to right the things that,
You did to us when, you started,
This Red Parade, that marches through our land!

The song is taken over by the guitar and the bass, with the lack of drums, and the screens shift to showing an image of a military parade that happened after the end of the Bojikstani Civil War. The video quality is excellent, making it look like the band is performing in front of the incoming parade, which runs through the war torn city of Odena. At the end of the verse, everything goes dark again, like it was at the beginning of the performance.

Support you? You cannot make me!
Because we! Will not surrender! You want my shield?
Come and take it!
We’ll be here, and we’ll be waiting,
For one day, when we’ll get a,
Second chance, to right the things that,
You did to us when, you started,
This Red Parade, that marches through our land!

Some of the spotlights come back on, and they focus completely on Santi, who takes the next part as a solo. He paces around the stage and sings like he's talking to himself in a monologue, before looking out to the crowd as the bridge ends and gesturing for them to jump. He's letting all of his emotions out, and using all of his energy, but the show is over soon... For now, he's going all in on the solo.

I’m not a soldier,
Just a boy, from Odena,
Who was chosen, to lead his people…
I’m not a soldier,
I'm just a boy, from Odena,
But in the end... It’s all the same to me...

The lights come back on with the hook, which is sung by Santi and Haley. There's fire and miniature fireworks across the back of the stage, giving them a more dramatic backdrop. The screens have gone black, putting all of the attention on the artists instead of the effects. Throughout the hook, there's small fireworks popping behind them, and then eventually, the performance ends with one more large bust of fire, with smoke coming from the edges of the stage.

We fight on,
We fight on,
Even in our toughest times, we’ll keep on fighting on,
We’re fighting on,
Even in our toughest times,
We will keep on fighting on.

When the smoke clears, the entire band is on the lower level, and Santi is holding up a red and yellow Odenan regional flag. "That one was for you, the people! I hope you know who we are and where we're from, after that!" he says, and before they exit, the band takes a bow in front of one of the largest audiences they've played in front of yet. From the looks of the reaction to their performance back home in Bojikstan, it was more of a success than they expected...

by **Britonisea** » Wed Aug 02, 2017 5:33 am

#XX BRITONISEA
Etela Tomac- "I Was Dancing With Stars"
Tune : Giada - "L’Universo"
Music: Etela Tomac, Viktor Nelson, Lyrics: Etela Tomac, Etela Tomac

Despite being a favourite in Normandy and Picardy, Britonisea came 11th with 10 points in the World Hit Festival 33, which furiated members of staff in BVC, and the viewers at home. The Normand audience also seemed as though they were shocked at the result, but no one was more shocked that Eva Almast herself, she thought she deserved a lot more than what she received. Nevertheless, BVC were determined to come back stronger, and to get another top 3 placing. BVC stated that they have everything ready in the event of the nation winning, including an arena and designs, but they need to be in contention before they can execute their master plan. BVC called upon Etela Tomac to represent the nation of Britonisea in the World Hit Festival.

Etela Tomac is a young Izmeduan singer, who represented Izmedu in the 27th World Hit Festival, which took place in Kyvivre, Britonisea after the nation successfully beat Izmedu in a tie-break, which was so close, the Kalosian delegation had to go down to the amount of people who voted for Britonisea. Etela Tomac was sent to Kyvivre, hoping that they could capture their first win, but came 2nd place again with 21 points, with a grand total of 21 points (10 points behind the eventual winner, Arioslavia and 7 points in front of 9th placed Britonisea). Since then, Etela Tomac has expressed how much she likes Britonisea, and decided that she would stay in Britonisea after her successful participation at the World Hit Festival.

However, her work was far from done, and she did not intend to stay in Britonisea for just a holiday. While flying between Izmedu and Britonisea, fulfilling her duties as spokesperson for Izmedu when they hosted in Vodiznad, and working closely with the successful Izmeduan World Hit delegation, she also started working on her new album, which was a result of her result at World Hit Festival 27. One of the songs that was in the making was one of the songs she sent in to the highly popular, and successful, Vha Mehlodhivestoile, a Britonish National Final, which saw Mini Surrey North win it over Rigas Jengiz in 2016 - both of the women winning WorldVision and World Hit Festival respectively after their appearance in the National Final. Collaborating with Viktor Nelson, a song writer who lives in Britonisea but is of Ekozian decent, hopefully will bring some success to the nation after coming from a disappointing contest in Normandy and Picardy. Viktor Nelson is known for writing the song “Jekyll and Hyde,” which came 10th in WorldVision Song Contest, on a field of 27 nations.

Etela Tomac did not have one of the easiest of journies in Vha Mehlodhivestoile, compared to the eventual winner Mehkl Maddox Ajax or third placed Dean Boyst. Out of 24 participants, Etela Tomac was 7th to be announced, and was one of four international acts. Etela Tomac was announced to be performing 7th in the 1st Semi Final, which is a very good running order, but the person who performed after her was Tykkard Rubak, a popular Britonish artist. The competition’s first semi final was held in Boschke, and many nations voted for Etela. The jury from Normandy and Picardy gave Etela’s song 2nd place, the juries from Polkopia and Todlichebujoku gave Etela 5th place, Mercedini gave Etela 6th place and Izmedu gave Etela Tomac first. This was combined by the Britonish televotes and Jury, who placed Etela at 4th with 25 points. Interestingly, Etela only managed to come in the relegation zone, and was up against Gerald Nikksen, who the Britonish Jury and televote favoured. Miraculously, Etela Tomac managed to beat Gerald, to go to the Battle Stage, where Etela faced Petre Lemetre, but the Britonish Public voted in favour for Etela, and Petre was thrown out of the competition.

After Etela received that lifeline, things for the young Izmeduan was on the up, after being announced as the 11th, and final, act to perform in the Grand Final of Vha Mehlodhivestoile 2017...after Mehkl Maddox Ajax. In the Grand Final votes, Etela Tomac came 1st in the Britonish Votes in the ZQT area, which is the largest area for the votes. Etela Tomac surprisingly came 2nd in Vha Mehlodhivestoile overall, after overtaking Dean Boyst through a tie-break (84 points). BVC had said that the second place would be awarded to go to World Hit Festival, but BVC did not send her for World Hit Festival 32 or 33, which sparked fans from Izmedu and Britonisea saying that BVC has not stuck to its word. There was even talk of Etela being rewarded the spot for WorldVision Song Contest 58; but Britonisea announced they would not return to the contest for that edition.

Etela Tomac and BVC knew that they would be going to World Hit Festival 34, and it was fitting that Izmedu are the hosts of World Hit Festival, which means Etela can be more immersed in the festival, including interacting with locals. However, this should be a breeze for Etela, as this is her second time in World Hit.

Etela Tomac was ready to perform on the World Hit Festival stage, once again, under the Red-Blue-Orange-White flag of Britonisea, and during the postcard, Etela quickly walked upon the stage, fixing her microphone and leads to her ear. The set Britonisea had for this World Hit Festival was quite interesting, but when the Izmeduan Delegation released the image of what the stage would look like, the Britonish Delegation had to replan what their stage was going to look like. The stage is smaller than what the Britonish thought it would be, and so the staging had to change to fit in to that - but that was a minor issue. The major issue was the fact that the staging had different levels. This left both Etela and the delegation behind her confused. Either way, they decided that the “Girl looking out of her window,” idea was good, but it couldn’t be done in the way they had wanted it to be, so instead, they would use the screen at the back.

Etela and her stylist, who is Britonish for this edition, wanted to go for something quite natural looking, and in the end, she looked quite similar to this, a nice tutu dress with a stripy top. The audience had started cheering loudly for Etela as the postcard ended, and her name was shown on the screens in front of her - indeed, she was facing the screens, with her back away from the audience on the level right at the top, nearest to the main screen.

As the song started, she took a deep breath and raised the microphone to her mouth. A steadicam came on to her level, slowly circumnavigating itself around Etela and she started to sing. On the screens were bricks and objects you would find in a room in a castle, however, on the main screen was a window, and it looked as though she was looking out of it, raising her arms towards the screen.

Alone at night, I had wept.
I had no idea how to seek help.
I still have thoughts of myself as a young child,
In my young years, so naïve, quiet but free.
I had to learn how to be true to myself,
Lacked confidence, lacked it all,
Lacked self esteem.

Hopes died long ago,
I lived on in my thoughts.

She was still facing the screen behind her, and the camera kept on turning around Etela, slowly picking up the pace with every rotation. Singing the first chorus, she switched from putting her hands out, towards the screen, to putting it to her heart and then back to out. Sometimes, she would we even interact with the camera, looking at it as it went past her face.

When singing the pre-chorus, the lights in the arena changed, and the light - which came from the staging - started to decrease as the artificial lights were turned on. The lights in the arena slowly turned on at full capacity, focused on the stage, and a yellow hue was seen on the stage. It was almost as if Etela had started to gain the courage to show her face to the Izmeduan audience as the big chorus came up.

I had only one big dream,
A life I’d describe as surreal.
But in my head, I kept it real.
In my heart, I was dancing with stars

She had turned around during the chorus and sung about the dream she once thought of. The audience’s cheer could be heard when Etela turned around to face them, and with a bit of oomph, she sang the first chorus, looking up in the roof of the arena that they were in. However, when singing “In my heart,” she sharply turned to the camera, which came from the side of her and sang the last bit of the chorus of the song.

As the chorus finished, there seemed to be a little break in the song, leading in to the second verse of the very peaceful song. At this moment, Etela started to descend off the top of the stage, and towards the audience a bit. Again, the audience cheered loudly for Etela who was coming towards them. The yellow hue that was previously describe now turned in to a spotlight, with the screens behind her seeming to resemble the chorus you would find in a sunset.

I took a journey to find sanity,
To find safety, to find me
Was I never to be found?

A bed was laid on the front of the stage, but this was no ordinary bed - no. The bed was made out of panels of LED screens, and you could see this when the bed suddenly lit up in to blue, symbolising a pond or a body of water. Etela slowly moved towards the bed and started to look at it, looking down at it. To her surprise, it seemed whatever she did in real life was mirrored on to the bed, and with this she moved up and down her hands - only with Etela in the pond following her actions. She looked up at the camera before shrugging and placing herself on the bed, eventually laying down in the bed.

Whilst I walked, I delved into my thoughts,
What was bottled inside,
Thoughts I had told to hide.

Hopes died long ago,
But I didn’t die with them.

Blue lights focused on Etela laying down in the bed as she looked upwards towards a camera which was facing down on her. The camera was slowly coming downwards, and she raised her hands, singing with strength through every syllable. The LED screens behind her showed the wings of a butterfly being attached to Etela, with the background of the screens on the bed being red.

The pre-chorus came up yet again, and rose petals started to fall from the top of the stage on the bed that she was laying on. This happened right through the pre-chorus on to the stage. The camera did stay with her, apart from when there was a long shot of the stage, slowly lighting itself up behind the bed. The LED screens seemed to show a pattern of a butterfly, one similar to the wings of the butterfly on the bed.

I had only one big dream,
A life I’d describe as surreal.
But in my head, I kept it real.
In my heart, (in my heart) I was dancing with stars

This chorus seemed to be the loudest part of the song left, and the camera showed Etela on the bed, still with the rose petals falling upon her.

As the song suddenly died down, everything in the arena turned dark apart from the few lights which focused on Etela and the LED bed. The LED bed turned a very bright red, as though something was going to happen. Well, something was going to happen. As she began to sing the next part of the song, she stood upon the bed and with this, a camera shot swerved in from afar, so you couldn’t really see her get upon the bed.

I was dancing with stars,
I was dancing with stars,
Plesao Sam!

The bridge of the song ended on her singing, “Plesao Sam!” which is Izmeduan for “I Was Dancing!” and with this, she was hoisted gently in to the air, above the bed, with golden lights all pointing to her core. Suddenly, out of nowhere, people wearing white, who seemed to also be attached on strings, swung up in to the air, swinging over the audience - and the camera caught all of the action, of course focusing on Etela Tomac, as the LED screens behind turned in a beautiful mix of gold and silver.

I had only one big dream for life.
A life too far fetched to believe,
Don’t you dampen this girl’s dream!
Who knew? (In my heart) I was dancing with stars.

Etela, after singing the chorus once again, then was put down from being in the air and then stood on the bed again, as the people who were floating above the audience disappeared again in to the LED screens, which blackened.

I was dancing with stars...

She sang the last bit into the microphone before tearing up. Wiping a tear from her eye, a large grin appeared on her face and she cheered in to microphone, “Doma sam!” which caused a large eruption in the arena. She then continued in English, “Thank you everybody, thank you all so very much!” She then bowed before walking off the stage, ready for the next act to perform. Was she going to match her performance in WHF27, or do one better?

by **Mercedini** » Wed Aug 02, 2017 10:21 am

XX. Mercedini
"Don't Tempt Me" - Daniel Alishkaerni
Language(s): English
Lyrics: D. Alishkaerni
Music: D. Alishkaerni
Tune: Zayde Wolf - Born Ready

Daniel Alishkaerni returns to the World Hit Festival for the second time hoping to bring home Mercedini's first song contest trophy ever. He returns after he placed fifth in his last appearance with the song 'The Way You Make Me Feel'. This time, he brings a new flavour to the contest with an epic indie rock song titled 'Don't Tempt Me'. Mercedini has had a recent dip in form as of late and they are hoping to bounce back after both Samuel Borlaviac and Anja Tella both placed seventh in both of the previous two editions. There's hope that Mercedini can follow in little Cosneolta's footsteps and chalk off their first ever WHF victory in Vodiznad.

Alishkaerni hails from the region of Rafelonia where he grew in a musical household, but only had his first big breakthrough when he released 'The Way You Make Me Feel' and then subsequently chosen to be a WHF representative. He worked on his debut album since that appearance with some of those chosen to be released as singles, 'Don't Tempt Me' being one of those. It was a hit on the Mercedinian Hot 100 and was subsequently chosen from a shortlist of hits since the last World hit Festival. If Daniel can improve on his placement last time then Mercedini could have themselves another podium and a potential victory, but with more nations joining and with the World hit Festival becoming more and more competitive edition after edition, it may be an uphill battle from here on out.

Before boarding his flight, Alishkaerni said in an interview "The last time I was in one of these types of competitions, it was definitely an experience. I am thankful that ENM chose me once again to represent my country in the World Hi Festival, and I hope to go at least one better than last time. The fans have been tremendous in supporting me and I hope they will be there in full force in Vodiznad. We hope that we will put on a good performance for the fans and maybe we can put some points on the board for our nation!".

Representatives on ENm have promised that they will pull out all the stops for their performance and if it falls for Mercedini, it will be the first time Mercedini will win the WHF, following Rachel Nollov's victory when she was part of the Cosneoltan act last edition. Will Mercedini win that elusive WHF trophy? Only time will tell..

The song begins with the stage mainly black but with an orange hue on the stage, nothing on the stage is yet visible, although the orange hue does give us a small clue as to the things on the stage, it's just that the audience and viewers don't know that yet. The camera begins from an elevated central position in the arena with white beams of light being scattered away from the stage and across the rest of the stadium. As the introduction gets more intense, the beams of light focus and turn to face a figure at the centre-rear of the stage. The figure reveals itself as Alishkaerni who lifts the microphone up to his face to sing the opening verse of the song.

Flames are splashed onto the LED screen behind him as he walks from the rear of the stage to the front, they then fade into the darkness and return for the third line, matching the beat of the song to give the song more impact. There are three male backing singers at the edge of the stage which are briefly shown during cuts after every two lines of the opening verse.

Even when the earth trembles
I'll stand strong and cast my spell
It’s just the way I’m assembled
There’s power in every cell

White lights flash to the drum beat of the pre-chorus, as the central camera has now switched to a zoomed in, close-up of the male vocalist. He shapes his hand into the shape of a gun and points it towards his temple before pulling the imaginary trigger and pointing towards the audience for the second line. He steadies himself as the camera fades to black for the start on the first chorus.

Pull the trigger, I won’t blink
My other foes, they’re extinct

Flames on the LED screen fly up behind Alishkaerni as he begins to sing the chorus, bathing the stage and the front portion of the audience in bright orange and red, adding to the intensity of the beats in the chorus. He stretches his arms out and opens his body language up to the audience while staring into the camera while he sings the title lyrics of the song. For the second half of the chorus, he interacts with the LED screen behind him, giving the audience the impression that flames are being emitted from his hands when he lifts them up or he is wafting the flames around himself as he swings his fingers in front of his body. As the chorus comes to an end, he buckles his body, spins and takes a knee which mirrors the music which is distorting in a downward pitch movement. The lights fade from white to a deep orange before the camera fades to black and cuts to the second verse.

I’ll wake up, vacate your lies
We’ll see through your veiled disguise
You were warned, don’t tempt me
You were warned, don’t tempt me

Flames will rise, ignite the ground
I will swim, leave you to drown
You were warned, don’t tempt me
You were warned, don’t tempt me

After ending the first chorus on one knee, Daniel rises up from his position, which is captured by the central camera that is now encapsulating the portion of the stage he is standing on. As he rises up from his kneeling position, a ball of flame burst from the centre of the screen and morphs itself into a set of wings which he stands in front of and flaps from time to time to add a bit of realness to the piece. He walks to left of the stage and the wings follow him, it's almost as if it was choreographed before hand. The wings are diffused and turn into smoke and fade into the darkness as Daniel walk to the front of the stage as the second verse ends.

Don’t ever play with my fire
We both know what that’s gonna do (yeah, yeah)
I’ll be the one who shines brighter
Outshine the black hole in you

The stage returns to darkness with the central camera zoomed in so much that Daniel's face and the dark background are the only things the audience can see at home. The crowd sees the lights in the arena flash white to the drum beats of the song before all moving to focus on the song's main performer, the light that is focused on Daniel is mostly absorbed but the small percentage that is reflected gives him a glowing appearance, it's just the only the crowd can see it, but it does raise a small cheer from the Mercedinian fans.

Pull the trigger, I won’t blink
My other foes, they’re extinct

The flames return to the stage once again but this time actual flame jets fly from the front of the stage as Daniel takes a knee and pounds the ground in time with the music which matches up with the LED cracks in the stage, the final punch at the end of the first half of the chorus cracks the black LED floor which shatters into many pieces leaving a black shard which Daniel is kneeling on with the rest of the floor being a pool of lava which is flowing to wards the audience's side of the stage. He gets up from his kneeled position and walks backward towards the LED screen with the shards forming a path as he walks to make close to the LED screen as the chorus comes to a close

I’ll wake up, vacate your lies
We’ll see through your veiled disguise
You were warned, don’t tempt me
You were warned, don’t tempt me

Flames will rise, ignite the ground
I will swim, leave you to drown
You were warned, don’t tempt me
You were warned, don’t tempt me

The camera then moves from the left hand side of the stage and sweeps downward, flying above the heads of the audience until it sweeps by the front of the stage. Flame jets flicker from the stage and turn on and off without any order, this is mirrored by the strobe light which are flashing so much it would give a normal person an epileptic fit. They all flicker to the tune of the violin in an intense sequence of events on stage. The sequence ends with an inception style horn which blares as the beams of light turn red while the rest of the stage goes dark.

Just shine you light brighter, brighter
Just shine your light
(Ahh, just shine your light brighter)
Just shine you light brighter, brighter
Just shine your light

The camera moves up on the blackened stage and moves towards Daniel who is illuminated by a single while spotlight above his head. He is in the centre of the stage of one knee and staring down at the ground, meaning only his back and the top of his head can be seen, although the audience can gather from his silhouette where the rest of his body parts are. Red beams of light surround his body but are only seen around him and in no way do they reflect or show up anywhere on his body. He looks up and into the camera while holding his pose before standing up tall and letting out one long powerful note, leading us into the next chorus.

Just shine you light brighter, brighter
Just shine your light

The stage explodes back into life for the final chorus in the song. Orange and red flames appear on the LED screens on the floor once again with white beams of light working their way around the arena. Daniel has a detemrined look on his face as he points his finger into the camera before the shot changes to an elevated central camera moving forward yet still encompassing the entire design of the stage including the audience in front of it. He walks to the very front of the stage and makes it at the end of the chorus with the corwd waving their flags and enjoying the performance.

I’ll wake up, vacate your lies
We’ll see through your veiled disguise
You were warned, don’t tempt me
You were warned, don’t tempt me

Flames will rise, ignite the ground
I will swim, leave you to drown
You were warned, don’t tempt me
You were warned, don’t tempt me

The flame jets and strobe lights return along with more effects on stage to add to the intensity of the song. A smoke machine is turned on along with a wing machine which blows the smoke around causing a vortex of light and smoke and chaos which Daniel is happily standing in the middle of while he sings the lyrics to his song. The camera performs a series of sweeping shots yet again across the arena. The final flames wash away the lights and colours and reveal the black background, all of the lights, smoke machines and wind machines are turned off as they are no longer needed after this point.

(You were warned) Just shine you light brighter, brighter
(Oh just don't tempt me) Just shine your light
(Oh just don't) Just shine you light brighter, brighter
(You were warned, don't tempt me) Just shine your light

Daniel goes on one knee once again and is lit by the spotlight above his head aswell as the camera light which is up on stage and giving the audience a close up as home. He looks up ahead of him and then back into the camera singing the words with purpose and intent while the male backing singers give their final accomanyments with their vocals.

As Daniel sings the last couple of words to his song, the camera which was orignally filming him moves off stage to make way for the view of the central camera. He stands up tall with a rather masculine pose which ends his performance, flames burst and the wings of a phoenix form behind him which earns a cheer from the audience as it symbolises the end of the performance.

I’ll wake up, vacate your lies
We’ll see through your veiled disguise
You were warned, don’t tempt me
You were warned, don’t tempt me

The crowd goes wild with the Mercedinian portion of the crowd waving their flags and bouncing up and down like a bunch of drugged-up mental patients. Daniel blows a kiss and waves to the crowd before thanking them in Izmeduan and then English. "Hvala Izmedu, thank you very much!", there is then a transition before the postcard is shown of the next performance.

by **Togonistan** » Wed Aug 02, 2017 4:01 pm

XX. Togonistan
"Broken Deep Inside" - Eliah Hamous
Language(s): English
Lyrics: Eliah Hamous
Music:Eliah Hamous

Tune: Jimmie Wilson - ''The Color Red''

While Togonistan won the latest edition of WorldVision Song Contest, things did not go that well with WHF, which eventually flushed down Lucky 7's chances of increasing their viewing figures at the cost of WV and left them completely in TNTV's shadow. As the battle goes on between two rival broadcasters, Lucky 7 decided to do whatever they can in order to increase the interest in WHF amongst Togonistani viewers. With that in mind, they offered Eliah Hamous to respresent the nation in WHF 34.

Eliah Hamous is a rising star in Togonistan. He won the first season of The Voice: Togonistan and with that, gained widespread recognition in the country. Right now, Eliah is working on his first studio album and is preparing for a international concert tour. When Lucky 7 approached him with the offer, Eliah accepted it, seeing it as a good way to promote himself amongst the international audience.

For WHF, he is going to sing his song ''Broken Deep Inside,'' which he completely wrote and composed himself. The song is about his breakup with his girlfriend and how he feels about it. While his fans find it as a very good and emotional song, there has also been a lot of criticism towards it. Mostly it is considered a bit too lame for a international competition that is WHF.

Performance:

Eliah is standing in the middle of the stage, wearing thorn jeans with sneakers and a white shirt. To his left, there is a female pianist dressed in a long black dress. Stage theme is red, with the background being a red diamond heart. Pianist starts playing while Eliah is looking at the audience. He puts the microphone up to his mouth and starts singing:

I just gave my heart to you and you threw it away
All the memories of you slowly kill me inside
I don't wanna do this but, I know that I just have
To go, go on, and on

Red heart on the background blows into pieces and the whole background shatters, revealing a picture of Eliah and an unknown girl.

You don't know the pain I feel
and you don't know the pain I feel
And I cry every night before I sleep
Why did you go and leave me broken deep inside
'Cause to you it seems no big deal
You don't know the pain I feel

The background now turns into a sunset. It shows two hands entering the frame from either side, eventually forming a heart shape. Eliah walks closer to the edge of the stage while singing:

When I thought our love was real, I didn't realize
All the wasted days of mine went and passed us by
Maybe one day you can really see
That we could push our love beyond

Background fades into a grayish picture with a silhouette of Eliah sitting on a floor. Stage floor turns into graphics representing raindrops moving down a window.

You don't know the pain I feel
and you don't know the pain I feel
And I cry every night
Why did you go and leave me broken deep inside
'Cause to you it seems no big deal
You don't know the pain I feel

Music ends and Eliah smiles to the audience, saying: ''Thank you, thank you all,'' before turning around and leaving the stage.

by **Polkopia** » Wed Aug 02, 2017 4:13 pm

#XX: Polkopia
Ada Filipović | Psychotic
Tune: Zella Day - Hypnotic
Language: English

Ada Filipović only just turned 24 year old. She was born in the city of Dovgordia, one of Polkopia's larger cities. Growing up, she lived a rather well-off life, with both of her parents being quite well-respected members of theatrical organizations in the city. Growing up with this, Ada was bound to have some sort of affiliation with theater, and it just so happened that she was very much involved in musical theater throughout her high school years. After receiving her high school diploma, she enrolled in a local art school, where she received further education in musical theater. After graduation, she remained with the school, joining the school's professional theater group, where she toured around Polkopia, reenacting famous musicals. Her song, Psycotic, is her first professional single, and it just so happened that it brought her to Izmedu!

The stage, of course, started out completely dark. It wasn't until the music started playing, where the stage began to light up. In the first guitar notes, the pillars on the sides of the stage lit up one by one, in tune with the guitar rift at the beginning, Once one lit up, the next one would light up, until all three were lit, at which point, remained illuminated in a deep, almost blood-red color. The back of the stage lit up in white, while the front of the stage remained dark. Four female background singers, 2 on each side, were seen against the front two light pillars. Though their faces weren't directly visible, one could see the mask that each of them wore. They sang the "aa's" in the opening. It wasn't until she started singing, where Ada became visible. Her face was a pale white, and her hair was dyed black, and was brushed back behind her head, and appeared to be wet. Her outfit wasn't visible, as it was black and matched the floor of the stage. On her face, viewers would be able to see a strange black and blue design painted on her face.

I wanna know all your secrets
And your biggest weakness
As you give me a kiss,
Baby

The background screen showed different feather-like patterns moving around the screen. It looked as if though Ada remained still, but after every line she sang, the camera filmed her from different angles.

Got your picture stuck in my head
Hope I don't get ahead
Making me lose myself now

I can't escape this feeling
Now you've got me feeling
Just like a girl from the movie.

Sweet words you say to me.
Saying we're meant to be.
But honey, you don't even know.

Ada seems to be extending her arms to the side, as she looked up toward the ceiling, gently closing her eyes.

Can't leave me in a room alone
Cause I'm crazy, boy.

At that moment, a bright flash appears on stage. A golden sun is shown in the background, growing larger and larger. Brightness also seems to be erupting from the center of the sun, with the LED lights and floors becoming brighter, the closer they are to the sun. Ada's outfit is revealed. She is wearing something similar to this , bit with a train in the back. The camera starts with an overhead view, slowly spinning in circles, as the LED floor is shown, with it being mostly black, but a white star at the place where Ada stood. As the sings, the camera films her from strange angles, from upside down, to other obscure angles. Wile filming, the camera slightly drifted, giving an ominous feel to the performance. In some instances, she is shown wide-eyed and smiling as she sang.

Born from the flames of hell
Psychotic, they always call me.
And the day that you say farewell
You'll fall into an endless sleep.

I don't want to leave your side.
I just want to make you mine.

You might think that I'm exotic.
No baby, I'm just psychotic.

As the chorus ended, the camera seemed to rapidly spiral, before filming the stage from a normal, frontal point of view. The light pillars matched the guitar rift, once again, with the same colors as before. The background is all black except for the base, where there appears to be a small fire brewing. Though the flames can hardly be seen, the light illuminated by the fire can be seen half-way up the screen. The background singers still sang the "aa's", before Ada sang again.

Red lips and a pale face
Nothing's out of place
I know what you like best, baby.

As soon as you see me
I'll want you do take me
Take me to another world.

I see through your lies so
Don't even try no,
Don't try to play me for a fool.

I'll tug on your heartstrings.
I know how much it stings.
Feeling a blade go in your chest.

The fire, which had been slightly visible before, now seemed to rise up a bit. Soon, the first couple feet of the LED screen seemed to be covered in flames.

Can't leave me in a room alone
Cause I'm crazy, boy

Ada lifted her hands above her head as she sang the chorus again. The fire now engulfed at least half of the background LED screen, as well as most of the light pillars.

Born from the flames of hell
Psychotic, they always call me.
And the day that you say farewell
You'll fall into an endless sleep.

I don't want to leave your side.
I just want to make you mine.

You might think that I'm exotic.
No baby, I'm just psychotic.

No baby, I'm just psychotic.

The camera zoomed out, only slightly, and the fire seemed to dim and slow down a bit. It was almost as if the entire stage, and everything else, was in slow motion while Ada sang.

Born from the flames of hell
Psychotic, they always call me.
And the day that you say farewell
You'll fall into an endless sleep.

She raised her hands again, and the fire seemed to burn brighter than ever. Red and gold lights around the stage only seemed to intensify the lighting, and eventually, the fire reached the top of the LED screen by the end of the chorus. After the first "No baby, I'm just psychotic.", the camera panned away from her and showed the fire and the background singers.

I don't want to leave your side.
I just want to make you mine.

You might think that I'm exotic.
No baby, I'm just psychotic.

No baby, I'm just psychotic.

No baby, I'm just psychotic.

After she sang the last line, the fire began to whither away, and the camera was focused on Ada's face, which took up at least half of the view. Her eyes were shut and she was smiling, mouth closed. The camera zoomed out, and at the second "a-a-a" that was sung by the background singers, she opened her eyes, keeping the same expression that she had.

by **Balkvla Islands** » Thu Aug 03, 2017 6:43 am

XX. Balkvla Islands
"Juice Surge" - Vaporwares
Language(s): English
Lyrics: Allen Thompson
Music: Al Boreland

The song begins with singer Allen laying on his back on the stage floor, a single empty syringe discarded next to him. He stares up to the ceiling camera with a dazed look, his Rolling Rock Beer t-shirt and blue jeans wrinkled and slightly stained, with his hair a mess and five o'clock shadow. A single spotlight shined on him as he began to sing while laying on the floor.

I've so far been high three times this week
Spent everything I to chase this high now
I thought I-I-I-I-I-I can keep this up
Now I-I-I-I-I-I don't think it'll stop

He slowly got up to sitting position on the floor, at stage left, was a woman in a blue dragon costume carrying a staff. She began move around, expertly showing off her athletic and combat skills with the staff. Allen just reached out from his spot longingly at the blue dragon.

At the same time, Allen's friend, Al, is quietly standing behind his electric keyboard with the rest of the backing band behind him.

Yeah, I loved how my very first trip went
When I felt like I can do anything I want
And that I-I-I-I-I am super invincible
But I guess I-I-I-I was lying to myself

Allen got up and slowly walked up to the blue female dragon who twirled and fought an invisible opponent with her staff. She him coming and immediately ran off stage left, only to then appear from stage right. Allen resumes his chase after her, slowly making his way to her.

I'm screwed up, I'm dying
I'm always here lying
To people I know
Because I don't need them
But I-I-I-I-I never meant to push them
Oh yeah, I-I-I-I-I, never really meant to push them
But I did so~

Every time Allen went to grab at the female dragon, she would expertly dodge out of his grasp while showing off her apparent martial art skills, this chase repeated all over the stage, Allen appearing increasingly desperate with each failed attempt.

I tried to go and get myself clean
Went through this cold turkey torture
I felt like I was in too much pain
I felt like I-I-I-I was going to end up dying
This cold turkey has got me on the run

As he sings that verse, Allen falls to his knees in desperation, as the female dragon teasing him to continue chasing after her.

I'm shivering, I'm sweating
I'm so badly craving
To relive that high
That made me feel power
Knowing I-I-I-I, could end up dying
Oh yeah, I'm-I-I-I'm willing to end up dying
I am dying~!

He gets up to see the dragon standing with him on center stage, they began to dance with each other, but the dragon still refuses to let him touch her. Eventually, Allen makes one final desperate lunge at her, only to trip and fall into her arms.

I'm dying, I'm fading
I'm disintegrating
Everything I have done
Have lead me to my grave
But I-I-I-I will never regret this
For I-I-I-I finally got what I wanted
It's what I wanted~

He screamed the last line repeatedly as the music began to slow down. The dragon carefully placed Allen down on his back on the floor, stroking his hair. After setting him down, she calmly walked away, leaving her staff with him. Allen looked to the ceiling completely dazed, holding the staff close to his body.

It's really what I wanted

He said once last time with a smile before going limp and the stage went dark.

by **Goluta** » Fri Aug 04, 2017 3:21 am

XX. Goluta
"Happy Life" - Miss
Language(s): English
Lyrics: Kalajj Berre
Music: Kalajj Berre
Tune:"i wanna be a movie star" - Bill Wurtz

this is miss: his real name is Gajuss Misste

miss is a golutian artist, who is known for being unconventional

although he is most known for his visual performances, he also makes songs at times

miss is the artist that will perform for goluta on the world hit festival in vodiznad in izmedu

he will perform his song 'happy life'

---
the song starts with drums played by a guy wearing a red suit in the back of the stage but in front of the screen slightly offset from the middle

the drummer is a large dude

the drums are made of cardboard boxes

the drumsticks are actually bamboo

the real music is being played behind the screen you see

the big screen is lit and shows a fractal like this zooming in

the floor is black

miss is wearing a suit that is purple and he is standing on the main part of the stage slightly offset from the middle to still reveal the drummer behind him

it's time to live a happy life

he holds a recorder, on which he plays along with the celesta tune

is your life like a mess?
is there no green grass?
tell me is there something i can do?

the light pillars on stage flash green red and blue

tell me what went right
tell me what went wrong
i can understand life's rough for you

as we transition to the chorus, the background fades to reveal a picture of the galaxy that we float through

it's time to live a happy life

the screen is now showing a forest

miss plays his recorder again while drums guy slaps his boxes extra hard

another person walks in on the right side carrying a bandoneon which actually makes music after the next lyrics

do you need a helping hand?
do you want me as a friend?
tell me is there something i can do?

miss plays the recorder and while he does there is a rainbow of light columns flashing on the main screen

we can do something fun
but it's okay if we don't
i just want to make sure you're feeling good

the background reverts to the universe

the drums guy breaks his one of his bamboo sticks and walks over to miss during this chorus like a robot

a woman with a harp walks in onto the left and plays on the notes during the middle of the chorus

it's time to live a happy life
it's time to live a happy life

the drummer is now standing next to miss

during the bridge miss and the drummer walk to the drums

miss is walking backwards and keeps singing

and it's always hard to reach beyond the stars
and i'm feeling kind of worried so i want to help

right now he pulls a tulip out of his pocket and slaps it on the boxes to match the drum at the end of the bridge

he gives it to the drummer and walks back while the drummer now continues

i think you're the best
life puts you to the test
but you always seem to make it through

after this text, miss plays his recorder one last time before putting it into an inside pocket of his suit

i hope you now know

the drummer slaps an actual cowbell with the tulip, which shouldnt make the noise it makes

i really care for you

somebody off-stage puts their hands on-stage to play the triangle
and i hope we can always make it through[/box]
the harp woman and the bandoneon man and the drummer have put away their instruments, and started to put their hands in front of them, and
on the notes played by the celesta during the last chorus, they put their hands in front of them and move them down, and after four tones, up again.

it's time to live a happy life
i'm gonna live a happy life
you're gonna live a happy life
we're gonna live a happy life

they all exit.

by **Izmedu** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 2:19 am

13. Izmedu
"Remekdjelo" - Josipa Milas
Title Translation: Masterpiece
Language(s): Izmeduan
Lyrics: Josipa Milas
Music: Josipa Milas
Tune: Fiorella Mannoia - Che sia benedetta

"One of the peculiar things of reaching the later stages of life is that it does teach you the true value of what it means to live. For me, I realized that through taking my life and my career for granted. Now... I take life as it is, an imperfect harmony." - Josipa Milas

It's comforting to know that some things don't change... And also comforting to know that some things will, even after we're long gone Josipa Milas mused as she watched the ins and goings out of the La Cianta Arena, nestled quietly in her delegation as performances from nations passed through.

It was out of character for Josipa to hide herself in the Izmeduan delegation, being known for being one of the most talkative singers in Izmedu. Typically, Josipa would be out and about chatting with most delegations in the room, having done so through the promotional process. However, the night of the 34th World Hit Festival itself caused the old singer to develop a case of cold feet, being constantly silent and gazing at the festivities with a subdued, almost sad look on her expression. This sad look was present every time she gazed at a performer, and was especially present when her contemporary and fellow Izmeduan, Etela Tomac, represented Britonisea and in Josipa's view, gave a breathtaking performance. It was odd for Josipa to see a singer that, in Izmeduan music history, was a part of a grander musical legacy that itself was built by Josipa herself. She felt a sense of gratitude and sadness at the same time as "I Was Dancing With Stars" ended, and made a note to meet with Etela at some point to say her thanks. The thought of Etela was only a diversion in Josipa's mind. Josipa herself was the only one to know the reason of her complicated emotions, and she'd keep the reason hidden until the time was right.

In the public sphere, the thought of Josipa Milas as the Izmeduan entrant to a World Hit Festival was considered a move thought to be impossible. Despite appearing as the spokesperson when Euskirribakondara hosted the contest, it was thought that her venerated status in the Izmeduan music industry would make any such attempts of having her as a representative impossible. She was intensely popular in the Izmeduan sphere as one of its best-selling female artists, hailed as the 'queen' of pre-revolution Izmeduan pop, and being credited for laying the framework for emotionally laced, classical sounding pop that is currently seeing a re-surgence in the country. To pundits, this made her seem almost untouchable, and that Josipa would stay out of the Festival to preserve her status. In reality, Josipa considered these perceptions absolutely out of touch with the truth.

With exactly 50 years in the industry, Josipa bore witness to friends, family, and associates seeing their rise and fall. Josipa herself was an example of a music career with a chaotic trajectory, one of constant cycles of re-building and career falldowns. She started off as a lounge singer at 18 years old, singing Izmeduan jazz classics and folk ballads before being signed-up to her first record deal at the age of 20. It turned out to be a costly mistake, with her debut album failing to make an impression on the Izmeduan album charts and being eviscerated by critics. This caused Josipa having to return to gigging locally for 3 more years, until another record label (the pre-cursor to ZvizdeZapis) picked up Josipa after a rousing performance of new material that she created in a performance in Mousiki. That fateful record deal ushered in a 15-year run of albums, at first making modest gains in the charts, then to a mid-career run of four Diamond certified albums in the country, all in a row. In this era, she was critically hailed as opening up, defining, and changing the playbook of Izmeduan pop through moving away from cynic re-capturing of the past through a more emotionally honest delivery.

The Izmeduan revolution and the modern years of Izmedu have caused Josipa's career to decline, but she remained a venerated figure. Throughout her life, despite the constant success she attained, she was mired in a crisis of faith. It is through music as to where she found purpose, but her younger years were marked with constant years of always wanting more success and more fame. When Josipa attained her first string of #1 hit albums, she fought with her management to allow Josipa to tour more, to promote more, and to even directly impact other artists in the pursuit of more fame. These frustrations were dressed as the theme of chasing for your dreams in her music. Upon past reflection, Josipa knew she had turned into a monster. At the 25 year mark of her career, Josipa reflected back on her success as the revolution ended. Josipa became scared of herself. She was scared of the attacks, the ferocity of her media antics, and most of all... the way she disregarded life.

Turning into an elder stateswoman of music of sorts as the country recovered, Josipa set out making amends in her late career. She enacted a hiatus from recording and carved out a niche existence as an old star who toured in occasion. It was during this time where she silently exercised independence from her music, and changed her prerogative. As she called up an old rival (that rival being: Izmeduan legend Dejan Mlakar) to make amends for unfounded claims, Josipa began to write the first draft of a song about life. That draft was "Remedjelo." She wasn't quite sure how to articulate the themes, knowing that she was sanitizing the unsavory parts of her past.

It took an even later event in her career for "Remekdjelo" to truly fall into articulation. After 17 years of working on a draft, the untimely death of someone in her closely guarded personal life (her Mother) as well as the ailing health of the people she called friends made her realize the mortality she was up against. Josipa could feel the inevitable end creeping up. As she mourned, "Remekdjelo" began to morph closer to its current form, resonating with the themes of death's loomping presence. Yet even then, it was not complete. There were only lyrics attached to the song still.

It was not until fairly recently at the dawn of her golden years that Josipa would be able to finish the song she had spent a quarter of a century perfecting. By this time, Josipa was enshrined as an Izmeduan legend. However, that did not make her immune to her old habits. At a party held by her label, she had made a rather tasteless joke off-the-cuff, revealing that her haughty side from her commercial peak never truly disappeared. This time, she made a seemingly benign, but rather snide remark towards the new young boss of the label of ZvizdeZapis. She vividly remembered the moment when the party went silent, with all eyes on her and the surprise that she'd have the audacity to make such a comment.

It was at that moment where Josipa, despite 68 years in life and 50 years in the business, knew she had crossed the line that she always held an internal fear of doing so. It was that same moment where she finally learned the necessary lesson to finish "Remekdjelo." Despite the unchangeable self-indulgence of the song, Josipa finally knew the very words she couldn't articulate when she was younger.

At that moment, her career was at an impasse, and so was her life. Physically, Josipa knew that her days were numbered. Career-wise, Josipa was on the way out. So, with the power of her name alone, she submitted "Remekdjelo" to RTI as a final saving grace for her career. She revealed her intentions to the Izmeduan head of delegation.

"This is my last song."

When your days are numbered, you have to make the best of them. As Izmedu's performance slot came up, Josipa gave a small smile, and walked to the stage.

At the advent of the fourth Izmeduan WHF entry on home soil and with a name as large to the domestic audience as Josipa Milas, the crowd in the La Cianta Arena was in a frenzy like no other. They unleashed a cheer so loud that it arguably outstrips the receptions that Anamarija, Katarina, and Gabrijel & Anita got when they represented Izmedu. Stage lights billowed down to the center, with the three columns flashing the Izmeduan national colors as the postcard finished its final frame. The stage then went dark, the crowd cheer retaining such a volume-shattering intensity that it had to be artificially quieted on broadcast.

The camera faded to a mid-view shot of the stage, the instrumentation starting with a brief white light on Josipa before a soft 'bang,' a piano chord, caused the stage to flash white as the note echoed through the La Cianta. There stood Josipa behind a microphone stand, bathed in shadow and wearing this outfit. She was at the lowest level of the stage. As the nostalgic instrumentation progressed, the lights would decrease their intensity, but the camera caught close up views of Josipa's face during each chord, before settling for a mid-close view from the torso up. The spotlight on her then emiited enough light for her face to be visible, and her expression was one of an internal calm, a peace in her... She then began to sing to the microphone placed in front of her.

To je el krajčale maje putovanje
El vrime gdie čitam “imam fermuruti”
Bez obira na da bubana sentila sam
Promjena je neizbježan u životu

At the introductory half of the first verse, Josipa sang these lines with a contemplative conviction, her face etched with an expression of sorrow as the screens behind her showed darkened archive footage of Josipa's early career. Her tone was hushed, almost as if she were speaking these lines. Faint holograms of a young Josipa stood next to her on both sides, ghosts of her past as Josipa held one hand toward the direction of a representation of her as a child. The camera occasionally faded to these frozen holograms, appearing ghostly and in monochrome. At the third line, the camera returned to Josipa singing out the rest of the verse, clasping the microphone with both of her hands as the camera zoomed slightly closer on Josipa.

Ta je lekcija polan akceptirati
Ne mogu se askonliti iz el destinur
Mui neću dementi i sjećanja pazim
Da-u vrima pesuntu ju kažem sebi
Ovo je... ovo je...

Josipa held one hand to her chest at the start of the verse's second half. Her voice was laden with the complicated emotions of being near the end of one's life, despite almost the physically hushed tone she was using. In reflection of the verse's words, the screens behind her brightened with further images of Josipa's young days as a singer; cleverly edited to ensure that to outsiders, it only looked like stock images of a generic Izmeduan young singer in black and white. However, for the faithful, it was obvious that the screens in the La Cianta were replaying Josipa's memories. At the last line of the verse, the camera faded to a sideways view of Josipa, with her holding both hands towards the audience as she sang 'ovo je...'

Nuestra remekdjelo
Za sve le greške, nakupline, i damno napravio sam
Izdrža kao spomenika na život živio je dobro
Stvorio je sa-el ljubaur i-el pol mui to je nuestra legat
Koji će živjeti

At the advent of the chorus, Josipa then held her hands out towards the side, with the La Cianta Arena additionally being bathed in a blinding white light before settling down. The pillars to the side still maintained images of Josipa's career, but the start of the chorus was dominated by streaks of light that gently lapped towards the stage. With the instrumentation increasing its emotionality, Josipa delivered the chorus in a light belt, with 'nuestra remekdjelo' causing a slight echo. She sang the rest with utter conviction, with her head nodding at every line as if she were singing this as a conversation to the audience at the arena, and at certain angles, to the viewers at home. At times, one could even see Josipa shaking her had after a few lines of the chorus. At the end of the chorus, Josipa released the microphone from its stand, and walked up to the second level of the stage.

Ju sam jedna žena s malo vrimena stalo
U kojem razmišljam što je prošlosto
Žaljenje i uspjesi pomicaju pored
S maje kajanje optereti mi cre

The first line of the second verse was sang nearly a ca pella, the La Cianta going dark before white streaks of light re-appeared once again. The images on the screen then displayed images of an older Josipa during her career peak, now making it obvious that the playback was an homage to her storied career. Her emotional, forceful, yet contemplative delivery of the second verse, was transposed against images of a much more carefree Josipa. These images also appeared as supplemental holograms that appeared on Josipa. These holograms of Josipa appeared in various forms, with one of them singing to a different tune as the camera then caught a gaze of a wistful Josipa staring at a younger, digitzed form of herself. At each line, it was a different phase of Josipa that would sing, fading in and out during every line.

Pa, znam da ne mogu ispraviti el prošlost
Bez obira na ova pol sentirem
Našao sam alegr u mi uvjetim
Jer obdijam poraz, uvik stojim snažan
Ovo je... ovo je...

At the second half of this verse, the holograms of Josipa that would appear line in and line out began to progressively become more somber. From the youthful singing to a Josipa looking beleaguered, the real life Josipa on stage looked on with a sad smile as she sang the verse. At certain points, she seemed to reach out to some of these holograms, but decided to leave them be. Halfway through the 7th line of the second verse, the camera decided to take a mid-view shot of the stage, with Josipa turning towards the audience just in time for the music's intensity to rise. Her voice, in occasion, was so overcome with the emotion of the song that it nearly betrayed a sob rising within her as her life was playing right before her eyes. However, she channeled that intensity to a rousing end to the second verse, an impressive belt to 'ovo je' that would see the camera gracefully pan towards the stage as the La Cianta began to light up in white.

Nuestra remekdjelo
Za sve le greške, nakupline, i damno napravio sam
Izdrža kao spomenika na život živio je dobro
Stvorio je sa-el ljubaur i-el pol mui to je nuestra legat
Koji će živjeti

At the chorus, the La Cianta once again shone a bright white as the background screens and pillars showed images of Josipa later in life, as well as home videos of happy moments where Josipa asked fans to submit videos centered on the theme of being grateful for life. There were images of parents hugging their children, people being proud of a home project, interspersed with videos of Josipa in her moments of celebration. At 'nuestra remekdjelo,' Josipa began to unleash the full power of her voice, letting out a moving belt where she held an arm out. During the second and third lines, the camera would focus on Josipa as she passionately sang each line of the chorus with an awe-struck pathos, directly singing towards the camera. At the third line, she even pointed towards the camera at the end of it, before the shot faded to a brief moment on the screen showing two men showing a slow dance and sharing a wedding dance. Then, at the chorus' last lines, the camera remained focused on Josipa as she closed out the chorus, looking up towards the ceiling.

Živio sam s intigretet i najviši čast
Žrtvovala sam el udobnost stići el cil
Dao sam svašta graditi ovaj bial život
Nije važno da upsio sam ili pali
Što je važno je el zadovoljenje
Akceptiram ne mogu prominiti maje stanje
Adias živim dai po dai s-la alegraia
Nemam la žaljenja na-el kraj

At the bridge, there was a key change along with an increase in the orchestration behind the instrumental. Josipa then descended to the lowest level of the stage closest to the audience as she sang the first two lines of the bridge, her vocals being pushed towards its absolute limits as her she was the most immersed in the song. She slouched forwards slightly as each word and syllable caused her frame to jut forwards slightly from the power of the vocals she was singing. The lights at the La Cianta also descended down towards her, creating a haunting halo effect that would nearly 'crown' Josipa regardless of where she walked. At the first half of the bridge, the camera maintained a close view of her as she sang these lines directly towards the audience at home, her eyes closed as the emotions of the song threatened to overpower her. At the second half, she again looked towards the ceiling and the direction of the spotlights shining down upon her, a complicated mix of dual sadness and defiance in her expression. By the end of the bridge, she stepped back, holding her free arm out with the camera catching the halo effect in its highest intensity.

Nuestra remekdjelo
Za sve le greške, nakupline, i damno napravio sam
Izdrža kao spomenika na život živio je dobro
Stvorio je sa-el ljubaur i-el pol mui to je nuestra legat
Koji će živjeti
Nuestra remekdjelo

At the final refrain, the camera faded to a sideways view of her as her back was arched forward slightly as she passionately sang 'nuestra remekdjelo.' This was the money shot, with streaks of white light behind her as she belted out the song's titular line. For the rest of the chorus, the camera would re-adjust itself by switching between close views of Josipa and the wider stage itself. The higher key that Josipa was singing was beginning to tax on Josipa, but the complete joy and abandon that she felt was evident in her posturing. The sadness from earlier transformed into a joy, an acceptance, with a smile on her face as she was far more open in her body language for the song's final moments. In reflection, streaks of gold light appeared during the final refrain, casting a yellow glow throughout the stage. At the final two lines, Josipa unleashed a powerful belt before the second to last one, then closing out the song with the song's title. Her eyes were closed and her expression a giddy, but peaceful smile. The instrumentation and lights would fade out slowly as the parting frame of the song was Josipa holding both of her arms out, before slowly putting them down. However, the smile of accomplishment still remained on her face.

The entry didn't even finish completion until the Izmeduan crowd unleashed a cheer of massive proportions. Cheering not only for the country, but for the artist who was also representing them. Despite the baggage that Josipa carried with her, for this moment, she could forget about the past that haunted her. It was a time to be proud, to celebrate not only the song, but the very life she held up to this point.

She knew her story was coming to a close, but for a conclusion, she could not have asked for more.

"Hvala lipa!" Josipa shouted, lingering for a few moments before walking back to the green room.

by **Gim** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 2:22 am

25. Gim

F.A.M. - Don't Give Up

Performance Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nxZltejAp4

Stage is dark, and the audience cannot see anything in front of them. A few second later, the lights are turned on, and colourful unwrapped gifts and candy canes are behind the stage to show as the background. In the center-back stage, a cursive set of letters are written: "F.A.M."(0:11 of performance video). Crowd cheers as the stage is illuminated, and the song starts as the girls, all wearing red spaghetti-strap tank tops and bright, red shorts that climb up to above their thighs(shown in the performance video), on the stage begin to dance.(0:10-0:26 of performance video)

Ah! Don't give up! You know bet-ter.
People are here to cheer you up, you know bet-ter.
Watching you close--Ly is your fami-ly,
In the heat of the sun that shines very brightly.

Joy moves into the center of the stage and dances, doing a wave from the top to the bottom of her body. The rest dance along beside her.(0:27 - 0:42 of performance video)

Sometimes, you fear to speak up from your heart,
Sometimes, you fear that you and your job will part,
[color=#0040FF]Studying may be tedious and may make you diz-zy,
[color=#800080]but ne-ver-the-less, it will make you shine.

[color=#0040FF]Wendy moves to the center of the stage and dances, as the girls touch the shoulders of one another and line up horizontally. Seulgi moves to the center of the stage after the girls lined horizontally for a few seconds. (0:43 - 0:56 of performance video)

Backs hurt, and head is getting dizzy,
Mind is now going crazy,
but we must always move on.

Irene moves to the center of the stage, dances, and signs. She shakes her body while standing at an angle towards the center camera and moves her hands front and back three times, while the other members dance to the side in a somewhat obscure manner. (0:57 - 1:15 of performance video)

Ah! Don't give up! You know bet-ter.
People are here to cheer you up, you know bet-ter.
Watching you close--Ly is your fami-ly,
In the heat of the sun that shines very brightly.

With Wendy at the center of the stage, they dance while rotating their arms in a clockwise manner, as the interlude is heard. Some fans rose from their seats and danced, as they were excited to hear the sound and see the girls dancing. (1:15 - 1:23 of performance video)

Du-du-du Du-du,
Di Du-du-du-du-du,
Du-du-du Du-du,
Di Du-du-du-du~

Wendy moves into the center of the stage and dances, doing a wave from the top to the bottom of her body. The rest dance along beside her. After a few seconds, Yeri and Irene move to the center of the stage and dances, putting their hands from their faces to the audience, back and forth three times. The crowd appreciated their charms. (1:24 - 1:36 of performance video)

Hard work will eventually pay off,
Although there may be times when you will sob,
Always re-mem-ber those who are be-side you,
Better than being one the many or even two.

Seulgi moves to the center of the stage, as the girls line up vertically and do the wave, moving their stretched-out arms from left to right(from the audience's point of view) over their heads.(1:37 - 1:51 of performance video)

Look at me,
(Seulgi and Wendy) Always trust in your-self,
Don't ever, ever give up.

Irene moves to the center of the stage, dances, and signs. She shakes her body while standing at an angle towards the center camera and moves her hands front and back three times, while the other members dance to the side in a somewhat obscure manner. Also, the girls rotate a full circle in the beat of the music towards the fourth line of lyrics in the following stanza: (1:52 - 2:06 of performance video)

Ah! Don't give up! You know bet-ter.
People are here to cheer you up, you know bet-ter.
Watching you close--Ly is your fami-ly,
In the heat of the sun that shines very brightly.

Irene is at the center of the stage, moving her hips side to side, as she begins rapping. Yeri is towards the left of the stage dancing her hips from side to side, as the camera focuses on her towards the latter part of the following stanza: (2:07 - 2:21 of performance video)

All kinds of people, from salty to sour, oh, heh,
Pa-pers, short to long,
I'm going to shoot it up, bang, bang,
Bet you wanna, bet you wanna, dance like this,
and do away with all the stress you have,
and do away with all the work you have,
or drink away...heh.

[color=#BFBF00]Seulgi is at the center of the stage singing the bridge of the song, while the rest follow her in dancing. They all move their hips side to side and stretch out their arms towards the sides in a somewhat promiscuous pose. (2:22 - 2:38 of performance video)

You don't have to tell me right away,
You don't have to say anything,
but I just want you to know...,
that you are a worthy person

Wendy is at the center of the stage singing the chorus of the song, as she points her fingers at the audience, while smiling. She has yellow hair, compared to other members, except Yeri, so she fielded more people from the crowd to stand up and cheer for her. (2:39 - 2:53 of performance video)

So, do not ever give up!
Do not ever give up!
Never feel hopeless!
Strong-er is what you are, never give up!

Irene moves to the center of the stage, dances, and signs. She shakes her body while standing at an angle towards the center camera and moves her hands front and back three times, while the other members dance to the side in a somewhat obscure manner. (2:54 - 3:07 of performance video)

Ah! Don't give up! You know bet-ter.
People are here to cheer you up, you know bet-ter.
Watching you close--Ly is your fami-ly,
In the heat of the sun that shines very brightly.

Wendy points her index finger at the crowd, as the song slows down, reaching its end. (3:08 - 3:20 of performance video)

Don't ever give it up! You know be-tter...

The crowd cheered as confetti sparked into the stage.

by **Kalosia** » Thu Aug 10, 2017 8:44 am

23. Kalosia
"Unë Montañë di Sal" - Lidianë
Title Translation: A Mountain of Salt
Language(s): Kalosian
Lyrics: Enriko Dakostë
Music: Mariu Baľarti
Tune: Feel Me Now — Ariadne
Kalosian pronunciation guide

Lidianë Marino is a 17-year old Kalosian singer. She rose to fame through the show La Vošë di Kalosia, the Kalosian edition of The Voice, in 2016. Although she only came 5th, Lidianë managed to sign a contract with a record company.

Lidianë entered and won the 28th Festival dele Melodie Kalosiane (FMK28) and got the honour of becoming the first act to be sent after the implementation of the 2017 Reformation on the Kalosian Language. Thus, this is the first FMK winner written under the new language rules. The song was promptly submitted by Radiu-Televižju Kalosia (RTVK) as the Kalosian entry to the 34th World Hit Festival.

For the performance, Lidianë is wearing a silvery-white dress. If you look closely you'll see lines, both straight and curved, as well as what appear to be dots scattered across the fabric. These patterns were inspired by the star charts that Kalosian sailors once used to navigate through the seas.
She stood on the lowest part of the stage right in front of the audience, while 3 backing singers stood way back in the highest part of the stage. As the song began, the entire stage floor turned blue, with ripples and wavy patterns - emulating the surface of the sea. The background screens showed a night sky, and if you looked closely you could see a coastal area (including a town and even mountains) at the bottom of the screen.

Dišonu kë li venti, loru pose
Determinarë tudi noši destini
Au, per noš due, unë barkë
Posamu kontrolarë la velë insemë
Le stele gideranu la vië
Gideranu per noš

The coastal area in the background screen faded away. More sea appeared in its place, now with a sailboat, which seemed a bit distant.

Noši kori loru naviganu traversu
L’ošanu d’amurë per trovarë la lužë
Nël laši niu mar asugarë o
Il rimanerebë unë montañë di sal

The upper parts of the stage turned a dirty white colour (imitating the texture of salt), while the rest of the stage remained as-is. This reflected on the song's lyrics, in which if the ocean of love was abandoned, then it would dry up and leave a mountain of salt. The sea in the background disappeared, so now it's just showing a night sky.

Komë gardamu lontanu di la rialta
Nël vaj da mi e nël oľi mi
Le stele gideranu la vië
Gideranu la vië per noš

Noši kori loru naviganu traversu
L’ošanu d’amurë per trovarë la lužë
Nël laši niu mar asugarë o
Il rimanerebë unë montañë di sal

Nël laši
Nël laši

Nël asugi, niu mar

The background screens displayed a vibrant night sky, with stars and all. The rest of the stage dimmed.

Le luže ul tšelu dakordanu
Noš di nia destinažju
Le stele gideranu la vië
Gideranu per noš

The stars in the background flashed to the beat. When the rest of the music came back on again, everything returned to as before, though the stars remained. Lidianë hummed.

Në asugal, niu mar

The center part of the stage now turned the same dirty white salt texture that the upper parts of the stage became earlier.

Noši kori loru naviganu traversu
L’ošanu d’amurë per trovarë la lužë
Nël laši niu mar asugarë o
Il rimanerebë unë montañë di sal

The platform between the center part of the stage and the front now turned white too, suggesting that the ocean of love mentioned in the song is drying and leaving a mountain of salt.

Noši kori loru naviganu traversu
L’ošanu d’amurë per trovarë la lužë
Nël laši niu mar asugarë o
Il rimanerebë unë montañë di sal

Finally the front of the stage, where Lidianë stood, turned white, just as the song ended. The crowd cheered. "Gražia!", Lidianë exclaimed, "thank you!" She then left the stage to allow the delegation from the newcomer Hesskin Empire to set up.

by **Fromulya** » Fri Aug 11, 2017 8:20 am

21. Fromulya
"Layla" - Umi Qomariah
Language(s): Standard Indonesian
Lyrics: Umi Qomariah
Music: Abi Syamsiah
Tune: Halayla — Hakol Over Habibi

After a disappointing nul points a couple of editions ago, the Republic of Fromulya is back! Returning in Izmedu after last participating here, the participating broadcaster is once again TVRF (Televisi Republik Fromulya), which is the government-owned television station. They have selected Umi Qomariah, who wrote the song together with her husband Abi Syamsiah.
The song tells the story of Layla, a girl who has gone missing. It is sung from the point of view of Layla's friends or relatives who are eager to see her return. While the song isn't inspired by any real life events, the couple have pledged to donate half of their profit from the song to a Fromulyan organization dedicated to missing children.

For the WHF performance, Umi is wearing a beautiful dress with a hijab. She will be joined on stage with a couple of backing singers, who will stand at the back of the stage. For the entire performance, the background screens will display generic Islamic geometric patterns (like this). As the song begins, Umi enters the stage, reaching the center just in time to start singing.

Kemana dirimu?
Tak ada langkahmu
Kamu menghilang begitu saja
Katakanlah
Kemana kau
Wahai Layla

The performance is meant to be simple; Umi will just stand there and sing, because that's what she was here for, and this is all about the music.

Sekarang berlalu
Beberapa hari
Tapi kau tak kunjung beri kabar
Katakanlah
Kemana kau
Wahai Layla

Pulanglah, pulanglah
Aku mencarimu
Pulanglah, pulanglah
Ku merindukanmu
Katakanlah
Kemana kau
Wahai Layla
Ku menyayangimu

Pulanglah, pulanglah
Aku mencarimu
Pulanglah, pulanglah
Ku merindukanmu
Katakanlah
Kemana kau
Wahai Layla
Layla, Layla, lah
Layla, Layla, lah

Oh Layla, oh Layla
Pulanglah, oh Layla
Kita semua menunggu kabar darimu

Oh Layla, oh Layla
Pulanglah, oh Layla
Tanpa kamu, apa yang akan jadi dari kita disini?

Pulanglah, pulanglah
Aku mencarimu
Pulanglah, pulanglah
Ku merindukanmu
Katakanlah
Kemana kau
Wahai Layla
Ku menyayangimu

Pulanglah, pulanglah
Aku mencarimu
Pulanglah, pulanglah
Ku merindukanmu
Katakanlah
Kemana kau
Wahai Layla
Ku menyayangimu

As Umi vocalises, the part in brackets is sung by the backing singers.

(Pulanglah, pulanglah, aku mencarimu)
(Pulanglah, pulanglah, ku merindukanmu)
Katakanlah
Kemana kau
Wahai Layla
Layla, Layla, lah
Layla, Layla, lah
Layla, Layla, lah
Layla, Layla, lah

The song ends, the crowd cheers. Umi utters a polite "Terima kasih" and then leaves the stage for the entry from the Balkvla Islands.

by **To-Das Kavysyan Kystareyu Syyeryn Joraya** » Fri Aug 11, 2017 8:47 pm

11. Todaskakys
"Kystonu" - Zarya Reyana
Title Translation: Resurrection
Language: Azadei
Lyrics: Zarya Reyana, Tenosa Fenorayu
Music: Shano Iryyeno, Armor
Tune: twoloud & FRDY - Fix Me (Orchestral Version) (alternate link)

Todaskakys, short for Tödlichebujoku-Daskoxyan Kavysyan Kystareyu (the latter words meaning "national alliance" and "new government project"), is a joint project from the Tödlichebujoki and Daskoxyani governments to promote the interchange of culture, trade, and knowledge between the two universe-hopping nations. Despite the massive technological gap between the two nations, both governments felt that there was a mutual benefit in this exchange, and the creation of Todaskakys and its involvement in the World Hit Festival was one way in which Daskoxyan could enter into the cultural sphere of Tödlichebujoku, and have its own artists join with Tödlichebujoku's on the international stage. "Erás Tappio, Tokystare" was a predecessor to this collaborative project, but due to scheduling difficulties, and the occasional inconveniently timed time skip, the debut performance from Todaskakys ended up at the same Festival as its predecessor, with the nature of random drawing in deciding the running order it was even scheduled to perform earlier that the entry meant to be its predecessor. Even with these complications, hopes are running high for both entries from TÖBUK and TDKR (the broadcaster that was expressly created for the cross-cultural project).
Zarya Reyana wasn't exactly one of Daskoxyan's top singers. She was selected primarily because her style seemed to fit the best with Tödlichebujoki musical standards, and showed a strong interest in exploring a real live nation with completely different norms, customs, and technology. Zarya was born and raised in the Evnakayro district of the Ring of Kyryyka, a ring-shaped orbital industry-focused construct that encapsulates the planet of Kyryyka and houses billions. She had never spent much time planetside, aside from short trips to the single city on Kyryyka's hostile surface, Dozenjal, and a tour of the Daskoxyani capital planet, Komatar. When she accepted the offer to join Todaskakys, she found herself moved into an apartment in Frigidekasai, and the grounded planetside nature of her new abode made her even more keenly aware of her move. Zarya had been raised in a close-knit community back on the Ring, and while the Frigidekasai air was filled with life and conversation, she strongly missed her family and friends back in Evnakayro, so far away from the Tödlichebujoki studio apartment she now lived in. Even so, she eventually found her own new circle of friends, Tödlichebujoki, Daskoxyani, and foreign, and channeled this feeling of helplessness and rebirth into "Kystonu". Some clear inspiration was drawn from its predecessor "Erás Tappio, Tokystare", but it is very much its own song with its own message, separate from the narrative that the Tödlichebujoki entry was drawn from, and with its own distinct style.

The Normand entry had just ended, with a tragic yet beautiful message, and Zarya could only hope to live up to it. Everything was in order, and her friends Leino, Emilija, and Xavega were practically pushing her out onto the stage. Oh, Everu help me.... she thought to herself jokingly as she held back against the physical pressure of her friends to enter the stage until she was actually supposed to go on. Was she nervous? Of course. This was practically the first time a Daskoxyani artist had competed in any sort of international event, and her performance tonight was to be the first impression of her nation on on countless people across a wide spread of cultures, both established and emerging. But suddenly her thoughts were interrupted when the cue came and she stepped onto the glassy stage...

The stage is outfitted some discreet Daskoxyani holographic and hardlight projectors. As the song begins, a golden coarsely woven fabric, made entirely of light, spreads and undulates across the stage with the orchestral notes, and also extends over the audience. Glassy hexagonal tiles rise symmetrically on either side in progression with the piano notes, as Zarya is slowly illuminated, standing in front of what appears to be a retro-styled microphone and stand. She is wearing an ivory-and-gold slim bodysuit, futuristic-looking to those unaccustomed to Daskoxyani clothing, which is outfitted with a sheer black cape and veil. A stripped-down orchestra playing deconstructed instruments play behind Zarya, flanking her symmetrically. Points of light like stars wheel from the back of the stage over the audience, and the lighting overall is ethereal

Nylai reyko, nylai reyna
Stars come, stars go

Nyysuusarei teyo sara
Time flows like water

Zarya crosses her arms over her chest, and turns away, as if recalling a painful memory. Light glimmers off the golden highlights of her bodysuit, and sparkles off her veil and cape

Paryyvuasyl varaysayda
Lost on the verge of death

Ruuskaryyno, syndo vorai
Collapsing fast, into pieces

Her face is the picture of regret and fear, her head bowed, as the golden holographic fabric that fills the arena fades in places, replaced by darkness. The "stars" that are wheeling over head fall down, their holographic nature allowing them to fall through the audience as well

Kayvoto reyros syn nyysu
We can't go back in time

Kayronyysu, kystonyysa?
Our past, hallucination?

The "stars" rise back up and wheel backwards in a laggy, glitchy fashion, as the fabric "heals", but now beset by glitches flickering along its spread. It continues to undulate to the tune of the orchestral music, as Zarya looks back up to the audience, a faint breeze causing her veil and cape to flutter slightly

Zankotavai conyysteku
But I know, now it's reality

Rynarta sokyo ruuskada
Love is stronger than gravity

The holographic fabric begins to ripple more rhythmically and strongly, transitioning to lime to green to cyan, as the "stars" fade and are replaced with wavering beams of cyan and blue overhead. Zarya stares, meditative, determined and unyielding, into the audience, before grabbing the microphone stand as she begins the chorus. Her strong unbending demeanor turns to a softer, personal, more confessional complexion, as she closes her eyes and focuses on translating her emotions into her words

Koyvaryka votu, votuuvalare
My state of death isn't, isn't absolutely final

Kodareyka synte
I'm dancing in the future

Navota kystonei, kystonei koykysne
You don't need to resurrect, resurrect my body

Kodareyka synte
I'm dancing in the future

She softens her grip on the microphone stand, gazing into the audience as if to say farewell. The fabric behind her begins to distort and transition into indigo, soon appearing like a great set of wings behind her, as if one had draped fabric over a pair of structures made of rods like some sort of primitive flying device, but of course much larger and much more impressive

Volynzo reyko, kystonei koykysne
No need to come, resurrect my body

Kozara vovys
I'm beautiful alone

Navota kystonei, kystonei koykysne
You don't need to resurrect, resurrect my body

Natavai koyvyyaluuza
You know what my destiny is

The fabric fades away and is replaced by a bubble of white light surrounding Zarya, which shudders with the buildup and then explodes with the dance break, casting beams of green and lime light across the audience continually. Zarya's veil and cape are now nowhere to be seen, with just her black hair streaming in the stiff wind

Natavai koyvyyaluuza
You know what my destiny is

The beams of light rise and fall as the synths do the same in pitch, changing in color from lime-yellow when lower to green-cyan when higher. The wind suddenly changes direction to blow from behind Zarya, as if the lights emanating from behind and around her toward the audience were blasting air along with light, almost like Zarya is horizontally falling into a pit of dancing light

Natavai koyvyyaluuza
You know what my destiny is

Natavai koyvyyaluuza
You know what my destiny is

The lights fade, and now a quivering holographic "floor" made of golden "planks" radiate out from Zarya over the audience, with the occasional violet-white stream of light firing off toward the ceiling. She seems fearless now, arms opened out, regaling the audience

Nyshu nyyte, zhanys vyze
Night comes, darkness threatens

Zankodyna kazhasora
But you and I, we're both whole

She closes her eyes and floats a bit, the antigrav in her suit kicking in as she spins to face the back of the stage, and turning just so to assume a position almost like the fetal position

Kosyyde nacaru, zanko
I know you're there, but I

Paryyvoyka synvyyesa
Am lost in interstellar space

She returns to standing and facing the audience as the lights brighten and various "planks" of the holographic floor rise and fall to the beat (almost like how the keys of a self-playing piano appear, with the piano keys corresponding to the holographic "planks"), becoming lime green each time they rise. Zarya pours power into her voice, and begins to rise into the air

Kosekystonei, kystonei koykysne
I can resurrect, resurrect my body

Fuote koysoka
Reveal my strength

Kosekystonei, kystonei koykysne
I can resurrect, resurrect my body

Kodareyka synyysate
I'm dancing in the future

She attains the full fetal position, curled up in a ball floating ten feet from the stage floor, as green spotlights alternate and flash upon her, such that her bodysuit reflects the brilliant light toward the audience and cameras. Holographic representations of her, slightly glitchy and more transparent than usual, appear along the sides of the arena and sing the next line with distorted voices

Kodareyka synyysate
I'm dancing in the future

The representations dissipate, and as the music intensifies, white spotlights join with the green ones in flashing on Zarya's body. Meanwhile, 2-dimensional shockwaves of red lights emanate from the stage along the holographic "floor"

Kodareyka synyysate
I'm dancing in the future

Zarya unfolds herself and faces the audience, her limbs reaching out, still floating ten feet above the stage. With the buildup, the spotlights flash and strobe with increasing intensity upon her until she is encapsulated in stunningly brilliant light

Kodareyka synyysate
I'm dancing in the future

The light explodes out into and over the audience, with Zarya dropping back down to the stage floor. Her bodysuit is now brilliantly glowing with light, she is literally radiant. A network of green lasers, forming a strangely precise yet coarse fabric, ripples and jumps over the audience from the stage. Zarya performs jumps,
flips, and whirls on the stage, preceded and shadowed by holographic representations that provide a visual manifestation of "I'm dancing in the future". 2-D red shockwaves continue to emanate from the stage to the underlying beat

Kodareyka synyysate
I'm dancing in the future

The lights begin to fade, leaving just the rippling green laser carpet and the flat red shockwaves with the radiant Zarya and her past/future holographic manifestations. A faintly visible blue sphere flashes in from the edges of the arena, contracting to Zarya's body before exploding and destroying the green laser carpet. All that is left is darkness, a flickering Zarya and the 2D red shockwaves over the audience. Another buildup brings a dynamic cone composed of translucent cyan orbs over Zarya that collapses and dissipates, before Zarya herself explodes into light and wipes away the red shockwaves, casting the arena back into total darkness at last

The stage lights return to normal as Zarya rises from the floor and heads back to the microphone. "Daye, Vodiznad," she breathes, before realizing that her gratitude is far greater than what "daye" implies. She swiftly continues more emphatically, "Davyye, danodavyye nozha! Thank you deeply, truly thank you deeply everyone!"
She made her exit off of the stage, the cool breeze playing on her dark skin making her realize that she was actually sweating. Zarya had really not sweated much at all since moving to Tödlichebujoku, with the climate there cold as it was, but now she felt like she did back when she visited Farduusan on Komatar, when the climate-control system on her civilian orbit-adapted bodysuit was barely keeping up with the waves of tropical heat when she ventured outside. Of course here she was in an air-conditioned arena, and her suit would quickly get it all under control, but dang that wasn't expected at all. Zarya hurried on to her seat in the green room, eager to unwind and see what the other nations had brought to the stage.

by **Todlichebujoku** » Fri Aug 11, 2017 9:58 pm

XX. Tödlichebujoku
"Erás Tappio, Tokystare" - Satu Sorge & Arasko
Title Translation: One Failure, One New Beginning
Language(s): Tödlichebujoki Suomi, Azadei
Lyrics: Satu Sorge, Arasko, Jiro
Music: Jiro, Arasko, Pyórremyrsky
Tune: Lana Del Rey ft. Weeknd - Lust For Life

Time skips are rather unfortunate things, and one struck just before WHF33 was to start, stranding the Tödlichebujoki delegation far away from the actual contest and disrupting the Tödlichebujoku-Daskoxyan collaboration schedule. TÖBUK opted to go through with the song in WHF34, however, as the team working on it had put too much effort into making it a reality to just throw it all away. As the conclusion to the "One Chance" narrative arc, "Erás Tappio, Tokystare" serves as the comedown from its climactic predecessor, "One Chance Pt.2" and wraps up the storyline in a spiritual and reflective manner. While Jiro is not performing this time around, having been replaced by Arasko, he helped write and produce the song with the pop star Pyórremyrsky, who had landed two top-10 entries in WorldVision among other domestic and international hits. Arasko, on the other hand, is a Daskoxyani artist from Fynalo, the economically-oriented district of Sartodalyn, Daskoxyan's largest city, which sprawls across a decently sized portion of the planet of Dondekathyyos. His attraction to music came in response to the fixation on money and material desires common in his home district, and so aimed for a more organic, spiritual approach to music and lyrics that made him the ideal candidate for a collaboration with the One Chance storyline that TÖBUK was looking to complete. And so he has landed in Vodiznad along with the rest of the Tödlichebujoki delegation in Vodiznad, along with his fellow Daskoxyani Zarya Reyana, to compete in WHF34. Though he has less pressure to make an impression than Zarya, he wants to make sure that the entry he and Satu slaved so long over will leave a lasting impression and fulfill his vision and his desire for spiritual satisfaction that will impress viewers both at home and abroad.

Azadei Transliteration Examples:
Psychology: Saykoloji
Academia: Akademyya (short e)/Akadyymyya (long e)
Chair: Ceyr
Fire: Fayer/Fayyr
Treasure: Trezhyr
Truly a masterpiece: Truuli a mastyrpyys

For more information please see the Todaskakys entry

The stage is dark with a faint iridescence of blue. Slowly, the entire main stage glows white, as fog fills the area and Satu Sorge is illuminated in the middle, in a silvery, slim, and flowing dress, with an elegant microphone on a stand in front of her, backed by four backing singers in white

Satu Sorge, Tödlichebujoki Suomi [backing singers in Azadei]:
Niin,
So

Kerro minulle
Tell me

missá olet ollut [oh]
Where have you been

Kaikki námá vuodet
All these years

Táhtien youkossa (lynzo, lynzo)
Among the stars [need to, need to]

Miten voin etsiá
How can I search

Melkein pimeássá (parai,parai)
In almost darkness [search, search]

Elámán yli
Beyond life

Ááretöntá tilaa
In infinite space

She looks toward the audience pleadingly, reaching out but grabbing nothing, and looking down regretfully

Haluan pitáá sinut káteni
I want to hold you in my arms

Tuntea sielusi uudelleen
To feel your soul again

Se on parempi táállá, koska
It's better here, because

Ulkoisen kauneuden ei kestá, ya táállá
Outward beauty doesn't last, and here

The lighting attains an ethereal wavering glow to it, and the stage's whiteness becomes a sort of rippling combination of various shades of white and gray. Satu gazes out into the distance, as if imagining something

Voimme, voimme
We can, we can

Voimme uneksia
We can dream

Tulin, tulin
I came, I came

Ya tulen sinuun
And I came to you

Siná tiedát
You know

Olen todellinen
I'm real

With the last line, she looks directly forward toward the back of the arena, where Arasko makes his entrance. Arasko is clad in black body armor, the armor plating elegantly thin and contoured to his body, appearing almost more decorative than functional but still has evidently held up to quite a bit of damage. It is scraped and dented, its glossy finish marred by scratches. He strides slowly toward the stage, softly lit, then pauses, as if unwilling to go much farther

Arasko, Azadei:
Nasareyna koi sekyoryn
You travel [through space] to my scarred soul

Narynyo paryyn
You love searching

Zan na teyo koyyenyla
But you are like my sun

Kosore nai ne
I orbit your self

The two sing to each other from across the vast distance; Arasko halfway to the stage in the central aisle near the middle of the audience, and Satu on center stage. RTI makes use of some creative camera techniques to capture the two calling out to each other, while still showing the distance between them. Meanwhile, the lights go down, with only Satu and Arasko illuminated by soft spotlights, creating an effect of Satu floating on a cloud with the fog at her feet also being illuminated

Satu, then Arasko, in T-Suomi & Azadei:
Teidán uhrasi, kai eyovase
Your sacrifice, our second death

Teidán uhrasi, kai eyovase
Erás tappio, tokystare
One loss, one new beginning

Erás tappio, tokystare
Teidán uhrasi, kai eyovase
Teidán uhrasi, kai eyovase
Erás tappio, tokystare
Erás tappio, tokystare

Satu is rising, just a bit, but her feet are still wreathed in fog. Ethereal lighting roves about her, as Arasko makes a few more steps toward her, reluctantly

Tuonpuoleisuuden
Transcendence

Yoten náin tuntuu
So this is how it feels like

Ya miná kellua
And I float

Kavolynzo parai
We don't need to search

Kuolema on takana
Death is behind

Voronskarta
No regret/wishing for the past

Coteyojora
This is like a race

Fuolate synyysu
Look forward in time

He pauses, closes his eyes, and strides forward more purposefully, looking to Satu as if appealing to her, to have her understand his point of view

Arasko, Azadei:
Kakoyadarte vys vasykana
We danced energetically with death

Syl kayryyedaro kysdara
On our homeworld's surface

Zan nayvyyarta teyo kystoryn
But your strong feelings are like a fresh soul

Nyysusarei, vofuolaros
Time flows, don't look back

Dyenko rynyo
And so I love

They sing together, with Arasko at the foot of the stage the camera angles now show a closer relationship and harmony between the two as they serenade one another, beckoning to join. The spotlights spiral around the two, a slow-paced tornado of light centered on the singers

Reyvys, reyvys
Come with, come with

Ko, salavena
Me, before the end

Reyvys, reyvys
Come with, come with

Syn arartyka
In joy

Reyko, reyko
Come towards, come towards

Cozaro savasa
This beautiful afterlife

Only Satu is illuminated now, just a faint glow cast upon her, as she looks down in sorrow, blinking back tears, turning away from Arasko just a bit, as if doubting herself and her ability to go on

Satu, T-Suomi
Teimme parhaamme taistelemaan
We did our best to fight

Suoyaa kaikki
To protect everything

Itkin yokaisesta, oh
I cried for every, oh

Yoka kuolema
Every death

She turns back to Arasko, resignedly. The two are lit once more and Arasko makes his way on stage, with the two facing each other the whole time

Satu, then Arasko, in T-Suomi & Azadei:
Teidán uhrasi, kai eyovase
Your sacrifice, our second death

Teidán uhrasi, kai eyovase
Erás tappio, tokystare
One loss, one new beginning

Erás tappio, tokystare
Teidán uhrasi, kai eyovase
Teidán uhrasi, kai eyovase
Erás tappio, tokystare
Erás tappio, tokystare

Their faces are close, their eyes closed, almost as if melding their minds. The camera is sure to capture the intimacy and the timelessness of the next stanza

Both, Azadei
Kaynylarei
The sun travels

Reyna ranenaja
Travels slowly away

Valyscoru
The end is here

Voteyolasa
Not like before

Kavysana
Together forever

Synzhanvyyesa
In intergalactic space

Syndosavasa
Into the afterlife

Co aravyyarta?
Is this euphoria?

Tovalanesa...
The one final light

They look up and beckon to the audience as lights sweep up from around them slowly, quietly dramatic but not enough to upstage the music

Reyvys, reyvys
Come with, come with

Ko, salavena
Me, before the end

Reyvys, reyvys
Come with, come with

Syn arartyka
In joy

Reyko, reyko
Come towards, come towards

Cozaro savasa
This beautiful afterlife

They still face the audience, but it is clear that their attention is focused on one another as they sing and remember the events long past, the memories they shared, the journeys they faced. The fog begins to lift, literally, beginning to encapsulate the two in a cloud. The glimmers of light from Satu's silvery dress still manage to pierce through

Satu, then Arasko, in T-Suomi & Azadei:
Teidán uhrasi, kai eyovase
Your sacrifice, our second death

Teidán uhrasi, kai eyovase
Erás tappio, tokystare
One loss, one new beginning

Erás tappio, tokystare
Teidán uhrasi, kai eyovase
Teidán uhrasi, kai eyovase
Erás tappio, tokystare
Erás tappio, tokystare

The stage is lost in a cloud of fog, with only the occasional gleam of silver and shadow of black to suggest the presence of people within. The lights go down, with the stage screens being the last to darken, giving the effect of a glowing cloud of fog, or of steam, or of gas, fading away in the cold vacuum of space, two souls within, embracing together in the fading echoes of afterlife

The fog dissipates as the lights return, and the performers all head to the front of the stage and bow. Satu breathes, "Kiitos Vodiznad, kiitos kaikille," as Arasko drawls, "Davyye, davyye," and the group leaves the stage, hoping to do at least a bit better than the other entries in the trilogy.

by **Norjihan** » Sat Aug 12, 2017 6:32 am

XX. Norjihan
"Sīngzun" - Erturmik
Title Translation: "Falling"
Language(s): Norjihani
Lyrics: Mik Yrena
Music: Tura Gzosa, Mik Yrena, Ereni Pista
Tune: "Valentino" - Cadillac

Ertumik are a trio consisting of Tura Gzosa (31), Mik Yrena (32) and Ereni Pista (32) from Hajenired, the capital city and cultural centre of Norjihan, and where all three of them have lived all their lives. They met at university, and the band began as a comedy band. Over time however, the eccentric 80s stylings have remained but the songs have become more serious, as has their commitment to the band; what once was just a bit of fun has become a full time job. They were chosen by a public poll to represent Norjihan at WHF from a list of 5 potential artists, but had no song when they were announced as the winner. Consequently, they quickly set to work. As luck would have it, inspiration was not far away. Mik, the main lyricist of the group, had been on a holiday to Myski, a holiday resort filled with glamour, casinos and holidaymakers, and so the fleeting nature of luck and indeed life became the topic of the song, which compares luck to a forbidden lover, with whom we have brief affairs but who can't always be there for us - luck always runs out eventually...

Orthography/Pronunciation Stuff
Helping you actually pronounce the lyrics, if you wish to do so
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
Note: two vowels together is a long vowel; just hold it for a little longer. Also, plosives (b, p, t, d, k and g are unreleased word final

As the song began,, the viewer at home got a camera shot from above the stage to show all three sections of the stage; the bottom one showed a roulette wheel spinning away, whilst on the top one Mik Yrena (guitar) and Ereni Pista (keyboard) played away in some wonderfully 80s clothes. In the middle layer was a single playing card on a layer of smaller cards. which as the camera zoomed in was shown to be the King, with Tura lying on it. He suddenly opened his eyes and began to sing, looking up to the camera, whilst being bathed in an ambient purple light.

In the background pillars, a king, a queen and a jack appeared on each side, the two jacks in the ones closest to the middle out to the kings on the edge, whilst in the main background there was a Craps table, the dice rolling as the camera shot changes for a second. When the camera returned to Tura (as the second part of the verse began), Tura was on his feet and at a microphone stand at the edge of the second/middle section and the bottom section of the stage, swaying away to the music in his fine 80s garb; on the floor, there was a gap were he was laying, which was filled by blue light seemingly going upwards (ie. there is a 3D sort of effect to it).

O Mygeed
(Now go)

Ópeed hee
(Draw again)

Baf dam rutu...bafodjé hód* kasójee
(You know you are playing with your life)

Bjésuven
(On an ace)

Ugzujeeven
(On a lover)

Senasónu...bafodjé ruxjéneed
(Place your bet)

These merge together (remember h word initial is silent, so you end up with two vowels next to each other' so it is actually sung like 'Bafodjód'

As the chorus began, The background changed to show a mysterious hand laying a card flat on a table (an ace) but her hand is then grabbed and the picture vanishes under the roll of a dice. The band carry on playing and Tura carries on singing, and there are several sweeping shots of the stage and indeed the audience.

Sīngzun, sīngzun, fen sēēnif bafodjé síngz
(Falling, falling, I fall into your hands)

Fënu messud kasóseed, fenodjé ugzjee
(Play me well, my love)

Tura gripped tightly onto the microphone (removed from the stand, and deliberately made to look old like the rest of the aesthetic) and sang almost directly into it as the lights darkened a little. The main focus of the TV view was on Tura, around which a camera (operates by a man on stage) circled him, with Tura following so that he was always singing into the camera.

Baf gzanu fusbédjee hee*
(Spin the wheel once more)

Fav gzeen fjédaa daam óg
(But it's never like before)

Ojo fen bafu gzeen mobjés ahebees
(And I won't always save you)

Deed feven senasédeed, eensóseed gzēnin
(So bet on me and hope to God)

* as the h in hee is silent, it becomes fusbédjee (with a long hold on the ee)

Thercamera focused on Mik and Ereni on the top layer of the stage, faint spotlights shining on them, as they provided the backing vocals and played along; under their feet, the ground seemed to give way so that they appeared to be falling (as the lyrics suggest)

Sīngzun, sīngzun
(Falling, falling)

Sīngzun daam baf
(Falling for you)

The camera passed away from them and returned tofocus on Tura once more, as he jumps down onto the bottom layer where he narrowly avoided the ball spinning around the roulette wheel. As he landsed, it slowly transformed to show the same woman's hand from earlier, so that he appeared to be standing supported by it.

O Mygeed
(Now go)

Ópeed hee
(Draw again)

Baf dam rutu...bafodjé hód kasójee
(You know you are playing with your life)

The second chorus was all together uneventful really; more camera shots, more dancing about and playing to the music and more lighting. The cameras never directly showed Tura's face in this chorus, instead glancing past him so that you caught a glimpse, almost as if he was some evasive animal normally hidden and rarely seen.

Sīngzun, sīngzun, fen sēēnif bafodjé síngz
(Falling, falling, I fall into your hands)

Fënu messud kasóseed, fenodjé ugzjee
(Play me well, my love)

Ēsjun, rótumēdun, fen daam bafu óneeg
(Running, racing, reaching out to you)

Gzí gzeen eenójeed, aijés fen eenaposu donó
(Don't say no, I need a reason to stay)

Tura climbed up the step to the middle layer as he sang, the camera following him; the LED floor now appeared like the floor of a swanky casino and the stair like an actual stair. A holographic hand, clearly not real due to the geometric pattern (this deliberate; think about why this may be...), reached out of the floor and triedto grab him, but instead went right through.

Jojeejód bajéneed
(Dance under the moon)

Favu gzohóseed bós
(Forget it all)

Deed pee rós jahjé osu fjédaa ase*
(As if the last night has come)

Deed fav gzurífu bafodjé rós osu fjédaa ijón
(As this might just be your final kiss)

*In this line, the word pairs ending and starting in vowels are distinctly split up. This may appear to be to simply to fit the structure, but is there something deeper here?

The cards that were on the pillar seem to splinter and smash, leaving behind them the general blie-purple glow from the LED floor from earlier. The TV screens at home showed what was on the main background screen in the stadium; a series of cards flew across the screen, including one in which the king's face was replaced by Tura's. The hand appeares again and picked him out of the lot, and appears to throw the card towards the screen. A quick shot shows the stadium again and the card appearing to travel across the stage (again thanks to Izmedu's wonderful hologram technology), before dissapearing through the bottom layer; Tura, on the middle layer, had to duck under as it flew past, and is it dissapeared there was a huge flash of lights and pyro, signalling the end of the song.

Sīngzun, sīngzun
(Falling, falling)

Sīngzun daam baf
(Falling for you)

Sīngzun daam baf
(Falling for you)

All three members of Ertumik bowed and waved as they left the stage, hugging one another whilst the crowd cheered, shouting 'Vemad, vemad!' (Thank you, thank you) as they went.

by **Cosneolta** » Sat Aug 12, 2017 3:34 pm

XX. Cosneolta
"Stormy Weather" - Orchestrata ft. Hautes
Language(s): English
Lyrics: H. Fetran, J. Lidenaa, Hautes
Music: H. Fetran, K. Christoffersson
Tune: Anton Powers ft. Pixie Lott - Baby

The song begins the stage emblazed in bright white sheets of cloth situated around the stage with four women playing a selection of different string instruments on the left hand side of the stage, they are all wearing white gowns with two of them sitting and playing their smaller instruments while two ae standing and playing two larger string instruments. When they finish playing, LED stage pulses from white to a light grey, enough that you can see it but not jarring in any way. The beat then kicks in which gives Hautes the signal to strut forward while singing the words to the song. The sheets of white cloth are flowing while the performance continues, the central camera slowly zooms out to reveal the rest of the audience enjoying the performance.

Boy you rock me, you roll me
We’re trav’lin around the world
‘cause my heart, it can shine
So tell me what you know

Hautes walks to the right side of the stage and offers her hand to the audience, she then seductively sidewalks her way across the front of the stage before making it to the left, giving a small smile before moving back to the centre of the stage for the chorus. The orchestral ladies continue to play as the whiteness begins to flow around the stadium.

I feel it in my bones
When you hold me close
Let the rain just fall
Let the rain just fall
The rain will lead me home

White beams of light are turned on and face diagonally upwards and static as the mini orchestra mimes (can you mime with a musical instrument?) with passion and intent while Hautes steadies herself on stage and gives a purposeful look into the central camera on stage. The flowing white cloth is flowing even more thanks to a slight breeze and the flowing LED projection on the screen behind them.

(Maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe)
Maybe if you stay right here tonight
We can turn this darkness into light
(Maybe, maybe, maybe maybe)
If the rain cant keep my smile away
Turn this storm into sunny day

Sweeping shot from side to side are the plat du jour of the chorus as the audience start to bounce up and downm waving their flags and general going mental do a cheery dance track. The audience are letting themselves go after some shitty joke entries and boring normal entries (probably from Izmedu, Normandy & Britonisea knowing them lot) and are finally getting a chance to sweat off their beer gut.

(Maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe)
Anywhere wherever
Dance in stormy weather
(Maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe)
Your warmth will thaw my heaven
Light can be our weapon

The second verse is upon us which gets a small cheer from the crowd. The camera moves up onto the stage and Hautes walks forward one step in front of the other. She remains facing the audience as the camera orbits around her which means the camera alternated between the bright white lights of the stage with her front and the darkness of the audience with her back.

Bring the heat, it won’t beat me
You can try, I won’t tell you twice
If I die, give me life
Make me feel, me feel all brand new

She moves forward to the front of the stage and down a couple of steps to greet a couple of the audience members who promptly collapse because they are overwhelmed by meeting their bestest, favouritest, female vocalist from Normandy & Picardy! She moves back as the camera cuts back to footage of the orchestra still playing their instruments but have been relatively ignored in the last couple of minutes due to more interesting stuff happening elsewhere.

I feel it in my bones
When you hold me close
Let the rain just fall
Let the rain just fall
The rain will lead me home

The song begins to build up once again which gets the usually depressed crowd clapping along joyfully as they know what is coming next. Some of the women begin to smile as they are being encouraged to play by the crowd. Hautes cracks a smile and urges the crowd to get involved, which this drunk crowd obviously does (no need to ask them twice). The central camera zoomed out for one final time before the beat kicks in yet again, getting the crowd absolutely apoplectic

(Maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe)
Maybe if you stay right here tonight
We can turn this darkness into light
(Maybe, maybe, maybe maybe)
If the rain cant keep my smile away
Turn this storm into sunny day

The second chorus begins which gets the whole arena rocking, the lights are moving about and the clothing is being blown all over the place. The camera cuts to people in the crowd enjoying themselves with a plastic cup of beer (we don't have glass as that's dangerous, the native population might slit their throat with it if it smashes). The crowd are singing along with the song like a football chant, although will less elegance and with Hautes trying to sing over the top of them while it's happening. Hautes looks to the sky as she sings the final line of the chorus before turning her back for the slower bit of the song.

(Maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe)
Anywhere wherever
Dance in stormy weather
(Maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe)
Your warmth will thaw my heaven
Light can be our weapon

The stage goes black and a UV light is turned on to reveal she has some neon yellow face paint around her face and on her cheeks. As she sings, neon yellow leaves are sprinkled in front of her which glow brighter than usual thanks to the UV light. As she sings the final line, the stage gradually fades back into brightness, Hautes spins and the camera follows her as she composes herself to let out a belting note, which grabs the crowds attention once again and they let out a big cheer for her, which lead into the final part of the song.

No umbrella for me
No umbrella, I’ll be fine
I’ll be fine
No umbrella for me
No umbrella, I’ll be fine
I’ll be fine (oh, oh, oh, yeah)

She steadies herself for the final bit of the song just in case she nearly falls like Madonna or something which wouldn't be great. As the final couple of lines are sung, the four ladies form the orchestra all get up with two staying on the left and two moving on the right to form an arrow formation on the stage with Hautes forming the head. The central camera captures Hautes singing as the four ladies surrounding her all strike a pose to finish the end of the song. All of them are smiling as the final series of notes ring around the arena.

(Maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe)
Maybe if you stay right here tonight
We can turn this darkness into light
(Maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe)
Anywhere wherever
Dance in stormy weather

The arena erupts as the current reigning champions finish their performance in hope of defending their title. The crowd haven't cheered this much since the hosts sung and they are chanting both acts of the song which puts a gleaming smile on Hautes' face. 'Thank You Izmedu!', all five on stage perform a choreographed bow before the transition is shown for the postcard of the next act.

by **Grellenbyosha-ga** » Sat Aug 12, 2017 8:59 pm

Grellen probably isn't making it here but hey let's see

World Hit Festival 34 - Vodiznad, Izmedu | DRAFT THREAD

World Hit Festival 34 - Vodiznad, Izmedu | DRAFT THREAD

XX | Estogium | Shyna Kumbes - "Rabatarxe"

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