WorldVision Song Contest 104 | IC | Mariensbourg, Carrelie

[Carrelie]

Sylvia: Terra Zealandia surely made some noise this time around, huh?
Ròsëmonde: Some may say they were louder than the rest! Terra Zealandia, your song has received...

[Carrelie]

Ròsëmonde: My, some of these nations are getting close to the top of the scoreboard! How exhilarating!
Sylvia: Controlist Ferwerter is next! Will their patriotism stretch across borders? Ferwerter, you receive...

[Carrelie]

Sylvia: Wow, we're in the top 15 jury-wise already! Let's go on with Crustyland!
Ròsëmonde: Their ballad landed well with fan communities, but does the rest of the public agree? Crustyland, you have received...

[Carrelie]

Ròsëmonde: The twelve points from the Carrelian jury this edition went to our next country - the Spiritual Republic of Caryton!
Sylvia: But will their faith guide them to a win? Caryton, your song has received...

And we're over 100!

[Carrelie]

Sylvia: The Achaean Republic are about to host the World Hit Festival, where their nations will follow the sun!
Ròsëmonde: Will the sun lead them to a win, or will their loss be sweet as spoiled milk and clear as glass? The Achaean Republic has received...

[Carrelie]

Ròsëmonde: "Where do we go?" asks Mister X's song this edition. I say, they could go towards victory or total defeat! Mister X has received...

[Carrelie]

Sylvia: Our last nation outside the jury top 10 is Erie Arcadia! Their Worldvision journey has taken them far and wide so far, but how far up will they travel in the televote? Let's see...

[Carrelie]

Sylvia: It's time for the top 10! These nations' entries landed really well with our juries, but how did you at home receive them?
Ròsëmonde: In tenth is Aenglide! Their Upside-Down World was seen as a breath of fresh air to many, but how many exactly? Aenglide, you have received...

[Carrelie]

Ròsëmonde: Many Malta Comino Gozoans seem to have been disappointed by their jury result.
Sylvia: But I think they'll be in for a surprise in the televote! Malta Comino Gozo receives...

WOW!

[Carrelie]

Syliva: What a result? Will they be surpassed?
Ròsëmonde: Can't say for sure! Our next nation is Illdonya - who went with a song about surveillance this edition! Did their message resonate with the public? Illdonya receives...

[Carrelie]

Ròsëmonde: It's time we come around to our neighbours and friends in the lovely nation of Waisnor!
Sylvia: Their seventh place in the jury was surely a delight, but how high can they go? Waisnor, you have received...

[Carrelie]

Sylvia: Kalosia tied with Beepee for fifth place, but their lack of twelves has kept them out of the top 5. Can they enter it with the televote?
Ròsëmonde: We'll see, Sylvia! Kalosia, you have received from the public...

[Carrelie]

Ròsëmonde: It's time we move into the top 5! We begin with Beepee - Shona Titz performed "Calling in the Dark"!
Sylvia: She showed us her love, but will she get it back, or will she just be calling into the dark? Beepee, you received...

...which is not enough to surpass MCG!

[Carrelie]

Sylvia: Britonisea has been a big player in Worldvision circles - they have 8 wins under their belt so far!
Ròsëmonde: This edition, Ben & Nikolai...

Sylvia whispers to the other.

Ròsëmonde: Sorry, just Ben Nikolai, has the potential to give the nation their ninth! Will he be able, or will Britonisea end up camouflaging with the rest? Britonisea, you have received...

AND THEY'VE TAKEN THE TOP SPOT!

[Carrelie]

Ròsëmonde: Congratulations! We now move into the jury's podium - how quickly time flies!
Sylvia: It really does! It's time to see how our half-time leader the Alezian Union did. Will Arin Yuri be able to follow in the footsteps set by Liz Dannounavais last edition, or will their entry end up dead and buried? Alezia, Alèsie, you have received...

Çénte-déçe pontë! THEY'VE TAKEN THE LEAD!

[Carrelie]

Sylvia: Congratulations, Madame Yuri! In second place with the juries was Plangainer - their "Atbusti" was rated one of the most promising in an online poll before tonight's show, and they've surely delivered!
Ròsëmonde: That they have, and I'm sure they've made their nation proud, wherever they've ended up tonight. That being said, Aurelia Wei, Harrison Osborne, your Lithuanian-language song was given by the public...

...

UNFORTUNATELY NOT ENOUGH TO PASS THE ALEZIAN UNION!

[Carrelie]

Ròsëmonde: And now we're down to the last nation to receive their points - it's our home country of Carrelie!

A sizeable portion of the audience cheers! The hosts laugh at the sight.

Ròsëmonde: Calm down all! We haven't even revealed the points yet! Carrelie was fortunate enough to score the highest with the juries, with Andlin's own Maria Albrechtsen receiving 116 points with the worldwide juries. It's, to my knowledge, the most a Carrelian entry has ever received in the jury vote!

The audience roars again. The viewers at home see Maria Albrechtsen looking intently at the scoreboard in the green room, who only then realises the cameras are on her. She and the rest of the Carrelian delegation deliver a very sweet set of waves.

Sylvia: "Karreliske drøm" will need 98 points to surpass the reigning champions in Alezia. Can they do it?
Both: Carrelie, the voting public has given you...

At this point, the view cuts to a split-screen. Alin Yuri is shown on the left, and Maria Albrechtsen on the right. Both look very intensely at the scoreboard.

Both: A grand total of...

EN ÇÉNTE PONTË! WE HAVE A WINNER!

At this sight, the audience roars! A large portion of the attendees tonight are Carrelian, and their first win has been called "long overdue" by many - it's finally here!

Sylvia: It's true! Now, let's get Maria up here for herself!

Maria is shown, tears flowing with joy, clambering up from her seat and elatedly going to the stage, where the trophy is waiting for her. She kisses both hosts on the cheeks and then goes to receive her trophy.

Ròsëmonde: The winner of the 104th Worldvision Song Contest, here in Mariensbourg, is CARRELIE!

Surrounded by cheers, Maria picks up her trophy and holds it in the air in triumph! The win has finally come - and by only two points, too!



Sylvia: It's been a delight for you all to ride the soundwave with us here in Mariensbourg. We now leave you with the winning entry - it's Maria Albrechtsen with "Karreliske drøm"! GOODNIGHT, WORLD!

[Carrelie]

tune

Surrealistisk was the word of the day for Maria. Nothing else could describe the feeling of performing live on that WorldVision stage, nothing else the suspense of watching her nation travel up the scoreboard, nothing else the feeling of having more and more twelves piled onto her song. As she sat through the televote, her breath was baited and her hopes still high. And then…

EN ÇÉNTE PONTË! WE HAVE A WINNER!

She’d done it.

Something had been biting at the STC executives lately. The nation had been achieving a lot of good results lately - 4th, 7th, 11th, what have you - but it had been stagnant as of late. Sure, 103’s 7th was great, 101’s 9th was lovely, but it seemed as if Carrelie had hit its limit.

That was, until now.

Now, as Maria Albrechtsen was climbing onto the stage to receive her trophy, something changed, a new era was dawning. As people across the confederation celebrated the victory, the national faith in Worldvision was renewed, when they needed it most. And the face of this renewed Carrelian spirit would be Maria Albrechtsen.

It was her who would represent the renewal of Carrelie’s hope - the new Carrelian dream in the arts and culture. And to her, it all felt surreal. Two years ago, hell, two months ago, she would have never predicted this, but now it was true. It was tangible. She was there. She IS there. Now, as she stands in darkness on the stage, she looks out at the audience. They’re all cheering for her - it’s almost unbearable, but she loves the praise.

And so, she begins.

Der er noget særligt ved min hjemby, der
Tiden står stille, nedlagte barer blomstrer med graffiti
Intet er helligt på jorden, der
Der er ingen fremtid tilbage for dem

Throughout the intro, the screens below Maria fade from black to reveal grass, and those behind her fade to reveal a derelict picket fence. These symbols of a traditionally American suburbia too have a place in Carrelie - many of the mining towns of Andlin were redeveloped with American influences throughout the absolutist period, intended to make the nation seem more connected. In the distance can be seen a burning Andlic flag, barely hanging on to its pole. The grass is stained in soot.

As a brief instrumental commences, Maria makes her way to a mannequin to her right, travelling diagonally. She stands over it as it gradually decays into the ground, taking its protest sign with it. The first verse begins in earnest with her pushing it away and returning to the centre. As the camera follows her, her simple and scruffy makeup style is made clear, with tears of mascara running down her cheeks. This time, the tears are genuine and mostly unintentional.

Se tiden som den heler alle vores sår
Se gaderne forladt, når alle går
Endnu et offer for vanrøgt
"Gud elsker dig", det er, hvad de siger
Men hvis det er sandt, hvor er han så?
Forstaden er død, hviler i stykker på jorden

The lyrical content of the first verse deals with a few issues, as well as referencing her own religious father. The spirituality of her family had always confused her, and her religious uncertainty definitely guided her musical style in a more esoteric direction. The screens stay the same, though towards the end of the verse the sun begins to set, creating a halo-like glow behind Maria.

Going into the pre-chorus, Maria suddenly falls onto her knees, stretching out her hands skyward in a sort of prayer as she ponders on what went wrong before the chorus begins in earnest.

Hvad er der sket?
Med den overdådige
Til det vidunderlige, hvad skete der?

Hvad skete der med os, der alle bor i byen
Hvor vi voksede op
Køen er blevet kold og børnene er væk
Hvor er den karreliske drøm?
Er der et punkt
At forsøge at genoplive din barndom
At forsøge at komme tilbage
At miste tempo
Er at miste ansigt

During the chorus, Maria contemplates the death of the Carrelian dream, a vague idea in both absolutist-era and revolution-era Carrelie that anything was possible in the Carrelian nation. The idea fell flat on its face and now mostly exists as a reminder of a wasted opportunity and an impossible standard of living. But in her eyes is hope - hope for another, newer dream - one of prosperity, one that's not truly unattainable. Throughout, she moves from mannequin to mannequin, observing them. One is dressed as a bride, one in traditional housewife attire, one in bohemian clothing - but their one unifier is lives wasted as they crumple to the ground, revealing their inflatable nature.

At sige farvel
Farvel til den finansiering, de ikke gav
Farvel til den indsats, de aldrig har gjort
Farvel til alle
Vi er de glemte, dem de vendte sig væk fra
Gud, hvis du findes, vil du så ikke redde os?
Hvis verden er god, hvorfor mister jeg så mit hjem?

Maria addresses the Andlic and Carrelian governments in the second verse. Tinged with a sense of politicism, she calls people like her forgotten because of the mass closures and deprivation occurring in 'picturesque' towns such as her home in the country. The grass below her begins to burn where she walks as she calls out the inaction of the establishment, a trail of broken promises. As she makes her way over to another mannequin, this one seemingly made of actual wood, a stage hand sets it on fire as it spreads through the grass to the picket fence behind her, just in time for the pre-chorus.

Hvad er der sket?
Med den overdådige
Til det vidunderlige, åh-åh, hvad skete der?

Hvad skete der med os, der alle bor i byen
Hvor vi voksede op
Køen er blevet kold og børnene er væk
Hvor er den karreliske drøm?
Er der et punkt
At forsøge at genoplive din barndom
At forsøge at komme tilbage
At miste tempo
Er at miste ansigt

The penultimate chorus provides a stark transition from the once-picturesque picket-fence neighbourhood to one of uncontrolled fire. As the sky turns to night, a large amount of light in the imaginary world beyond the screen is provided by the raging fire, though the settlement is too empty for anyone to notice. The transition into the final chorus is immediate, providing little time to even breathe as a burning Carrelian flag joins the charred Andlic one.

Hvad skete der med os, der alle bor i byen
Hvor vi voksede op
Køen er blevet kold og børnene er væk
Hvor er den karreliske drøm?
Vi har passeret grænsen nu, og vi forsvinder ind i
Den kolde verden af løgne og jeg er klar til at gå
At gå
At gå
At gå

Maria turns backwards as the last chorus draws the song to an end, with an extended instrumental at the end. The fire runs its course and is soon reduced to a single ember, which extinguishes itself along with the background. The screens fade to black as Maria's head is left looking downwards, towards the destroyed mannequins which lay on the ground.

The outro is longer than last time, giving Maria a bit more time to breathe. As the music draws to a close, the credits end, the audience cheers, she ponders. What lies ahead for her, the first Carrelian Worldvision winner? Where will she go next?

TAK VERDEN! VELSIGN JER ALLE! GODNATTIGHED!

[Carrelie]

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