68th World Hit Festival|Santa Ana, Achaean Rep,|IC Thread

by **Achaean Republic** » Mon Jan 16, 2023 6:14 pm

I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath… -Lamentations 3:1a, ESV

There was a lot you could say about Marie Mansour. A multifaceted musician and structural engineer of Jordanian descent (she hasn’t visited the country since her jabba died seven years ago). A pansexual feminist. A leading lady that was also studying her master’s degree in the University of Santa Ana—though she hails from Puerto Ámbar, where her father was an engineer at the legendary cruise port and her mother was a city Health Department inspector who also had a side hustle selling Avon cosmetics and Mary Kay. (She doesn’t like to talk about that pivot to the MLM business). Mansour was not stinking rich by any means, but she did have a relatively comfortable life relative to others in the port city, which allowed her to pursue one of her many exorbitant and expensive dreams so long as she was able to get her degree.

When Marie moved to Santa Ana on a scholarship (she made sure to earn that scholarship on merit alone and not on her father’s multiple connections), she made friends with two other engineering students who also developed a passion for music: Daniel Marcano, a drummer whom she also dated on-and-off during her undergraduate years; and Tobías Calderón, a guitarist and pianist whom Marie dated on-and-off as well, but not so much as she did with her sister. They used to study in the morning and jam in the evenings, trying to grab the attention of a couple of open mic nights where students would let their testing stress down and imbibe some libations. They ried to settle into different sounds every Thursday: pop, rock, rockabilly, dembow. That is, until they settled into an eclectic mixture of blue-eyed soul and funk (Marie did have beautiful blue eyes and porcelain skin that contrasted with the harshness of the Santa Ana environment). A few singles they threw out gained traction in the region, such as Paloma Desencadenada (“Unchained Pigeon”), Mantecaditos (“Thumbprint Cookies”), and Sanduichera (“Sandwich Maker”) were singled out for their uniqueness and eclectic connection to other bands like the B-52’s and Paramore…and One Direction, for some reason. A bit too far of a stretch from the blue-eyed soul they were looking for, but might as well.

In between graduating and figuring out what to do with their lives, Marie and the Noias (a play on paranoia and metanoia) decided to try music full-time and see where it leads them. After all, they all graduated and had careers and licenses to fall back on if this journey didn’t work out. They landed a performance in the Santa Ana Youth Festival and the Christmas Lighting Ceremonies in Santa Ana and Nossa Soña. The group also added new members, Thalía Colón and Stephanie Martínez, who served as backup singers and violinists or guitar players whenever Tobías had to play the piano—which was often. The now-five-man-band had a duty to engage the public and begin growing big, or grow back to a boring office job.

That is, until they met up in Thalía’s cramped apartment and watched Nessa Navarro win the World Hit Festival.

The Achaean selection for the World Hit Festival is, to say the least, arbitrary and opaque. Unlike the oftentimes straightforward selections made on the counterpart WorldVision Song Contest—and even that competition was gaining an aura of obscure representability with the tacit hiatus of WorldVision: La Nacional and the scouting method copied by Tamar de Andrade, who now guaranteed the nation with three wins. This last one was unexpected, since even Achaean music critics sympathetic with Andrade’s choices and development considered it to be a relatively weak song—but their mouths were shut and heaped AS1 with praises after Nessa came through the airport with a trophy in her hand. This gained even greater trust in Andrade’s choices, more so when the delegation would be ready to discover the newest talent to represent the country in their first hometown hosting in eight editions.

Marie and the Noias were discovered by one of Andrade’s scouts while they were singing in a local Santa Ana bar. They were approached with caution, and a bit of trepidation and respect for Marie’s drawl and powerful voice, a bit raspy but clean at the same time, the funky beats and the soul and the hard-hitting abstractions of the message portrayed in the song. There was an affinity for the theatrical and the magical, the absurd and the abstract, that made them the perfect candidates to become the hometown representatives and maybe, just maybe, try to win again with an eclectic beat that the Achaeans never tried. It wasn’t quite a rock song, but it wasn’t a ballad, either. They had a symphony and musical chemistry, and it would be foolish for AS1 to ruin it with any pointless changes.

They agreed, if only because they promised it would be a lot of hard work. And a lot of hard fun.

Oh, there was Titi Annie! She was sitting with Tío Gogofredo and Titi Pancha, next to Mami and Papi and Don Martín next to Doña Martina who was holding an Achaean flag with a small scapular of the Virgin of Candelaria, the country’s patron saint. They were located next to a cacophony of screaming fans, who tried their hardest to scream as loud as possible whenever the Achaean Republic was up next—they were the hosts, after all. From the postcard in the Malecón, one of Santa Ana’s (and any coastal Achaean city, really) most precious treasures, it was easy to see how Marie and her friends enjoyed a fun time eating frituras, throwing bread to the fishies in the water, having a nice drink and just taking pictures with fans who encouraged them to go big or go home…back to their apartments scattered between 10 to 30 minutes across the city. No pressure, but they were yet to release a full LP, let alone perform a song for the entire Multiverse to judge harshly and mercilessly. Like I said, no pressure. No pressure at all.

Taking a cue from last performance, the group and the delegation decided on minimalism while using the stage’s features to their advantage—it would be stupid not to. Instead of a wireless microphone, Marie opted to use a wired microphone connected to a stand with a long extension cord. Yes, it would limit her movement around the stage and maybe even trip her up once or twice, but it was a risk the team would be willing to take in order to make the scene coherent and convincing enough to gain the vote. Even involved with the harshness and wildness of competition, it was hard to convince herself and the rest of the team that winning was not a priority—rather, it was meant for them as a project to have fun with. Winning would be a plus. Winning would be a plus. Winning would feel good and could earn them a few accolades and Grammys and Cassandras and all that. But winning would be a lesser priority in the grand scheme of things.

Fulfilling the role of a manic pixie dream girl to the best of her abilities, Marie dressed with a long-sleeve light turquoise blouse that she slightly rolled up in its lengths to reveal a small Coptic Cross tattoo she did when she became 18. She had three or four other tattoos in her body, some in places she would only show in private, but the Coptic Cross reminded her of her lapsed Catholic faith, which gave her enough ammunition and pause to consider many questionable actions in the heat of the moment. She also had a hippie-style checkered orange-and-earth tartan maxi skirt that almost covered her white sneakers she bought at a Shoe Carnival in the mall. Marie also slightly coiffed her hair because it was too damn hot in the venue; she almost regretted not cutting her hair a bit shorter, or giving herself a Mia Farrow when she went to the hairstylist for a blow-out. And now it’s ruined with her messily bunned-up hair. Gotta play the hand you’re dealt with, then.

Behind her, the band was also dressed with eclectic colors that oddly contrasted with the ruins shown in the LED screens surrounding them in a 270-degree fashion (they filmed the music video in Jerash, not so far from the village where Marie’s father’s family grew up) and a great part into unpacking the meaning of the cryptic lyrics. She was inspired in Chapter 3 of the Book of Lamentations, in which the Prophet expressed his sorrow over the destruction of Jerusalem out of its own disobedience. It felt as if they were sinners in the hands of an angry god willing to smite them if they willingly strayed the designed path. It was as if they, like the people today, would break themselves and each other into a stupor of grief and pain.

Nothing too dissimilar to the experiences from today. No pressure, then.

Yo vi con un látigo en un techo de cristal
No sé quién se atreve o quien lo romperá
Tal vez se rompe por calor o por enfermedad

La vida hizo envejecer mi carne y mi piel
Quebrantando mis huesos y vistiéndome de hiel
Vinagre y agua mezclada, sensación de piel

The cameras rapidly extended, and another Spidercam glided towards the top-right end of the stage to the top-left end, providing a granular view of the band and Marie playfully gyrating with her skirt. She took out the microphone from the stand and continued to bellow out her song, the bangs in her hair partially covering her face to which she had to slyly move it with either the hand that had the microphone or the other hand without it. On another corner, the vocalists-slash-musicians kept backing up Marie’s vocals and correcting any measures or slight takes that Marie might’ve missed. Her voice was raw and enchanting and stimulating, smooth like butter…but it was still raw, and the amount of training and singing she did—until a few months ago, professionally; now, it was a professional moment. “A diamond in the rough,” one Rolling Stone Latinoamérica music critic declared, one who considered himself well-versed in Achaean attempts at the World Hit Festival, but also rendered backhanded criticism at the Achaean lifestyle and tropical heat. Well, back to the performance at hand.

The Jerash ruins kept beaming through the screens, with the crowd chanting the chorus in near disparate unison, as if they knew the song and heard it in passing. Unlike other hometown hits, it did not receive as much airplay as the delegation or the band desired, but they made due with the very warm reception and the okay betting odds. Nevertheless, the group wanted to be above petty station politics and budgetary constraints in their performance, working to provide the best performance they could to the audience at home and the Multiverse.

Déjame saber
Clamé y di voces
Cerró mis oídos
Amargura y fe
Déjame saber
Torciendo mis senderos
Acuérdate de mí y espérame
Acuérdate de mí y espérame

Ruins, pain, torture, desecration, destruction…What healthy and wholesome topics to talk about in a typical World Hit Festival song wrapped up in a funky beat! Facetiousness aside, Marie and the Noias liked to subvert expectations, give people a reason to think, and challenge others to rise to the occasion. Marie once again fixed her microphone to the stand as the cameras zoomed in one set and provided a Dutch angle to the other, rapidly twisting and turning as if to automatically adjust the resolution to witness the band in its full splendor. The colors in the stage switched from blues and yellows to oranges and browns, such tinctures tainting the displays of ruins and allaying an air of submission. Submission to what? It was debatable that they were referring to the music!

Porque aquel quien me aflige se compadecerá
Desplegando su ira persiguiendo el animal
Cubierto de nubes para no poder pasar

¿Quién será aquel que diga que eso no sucedió?
No responde al altar con la lamentación
Escudriñan caminos y se ensanchan devolución

Back to the main cameras, Marie slowly accommodated the cables in her microphone (damn, she should’ve picked the cordless ones!) and kept singing, flicking her hair to the side to sideswipe the bangs covering her forehead and eyes (damn, she should’ve really gotten that trim on the salon!) Another quick camera flash to Marie’s left (from the Multiversal viewer’s perspective) showed the backing vocalists jamming and trying to imitate their movements to the beat. That was, above all, the main idea of going through this ordeal: have fun, and win later. Their sarcastic laughter and misplaced comedic timing were a salve to Marie’s Type A personality and hyperfocus, the one needed for a scrupulous engineer who also moonlights as a band singer and leader (or is it a band singer moonlighting as a scrupulous engineer?) The hometown Achaeans were enjoying the performance, as well as the other lucky visitors in the arena, so that’s what matters.

Déjame saber
Clamé y di voces
Cerró mis oídos
Amargura y fe
Déjame saber
Torciendo mis senderos
Acuérdate de mí y espérame
Acuérdate de mí y espérame

Marie was focused singing the chorus as the camera spun around her and the band and barely tripped on the many wires tucked in the floor. (Great cable management, AS1!). It was a chorus she sung many, many times on rehearsals and promotional tours and test-drive concerts at local pubs. But not at the convention center with many eyeballs watching…questioning…judging…even trying to question is her enunciation was correct or incorrect or even inappropriate for the song. It was maddening! Imagine how the Prophet must’ve felt that he couldn’t escape his Maker’s hand! Of course, a silly song contest does not compare with the struggles and prevarications of being the bearer of bad news to a rebellious nation awaiting its own destruction as Divine punishment for their own sins. The existential implications were too much to bear in one song. But, alas, she pressed on.

Mis ojos destilan y no cesan, ya no hay cruz
Me acerqué a la voz del desierto, no temas a la luz
Mis ojos destilan y no cesan, ya no hay cruz
Me acerqué a la voz del desierto, no temas a la luz

The lights flashed and dimmed, with the stage lights decreasing and focusing on slight parts of the band. The LED screen lights also dimmed and the images transformed from sunrise into sunset, the broken ruins gleaming. Marie and her bandmates kept running towards the resolution, the rising climax of the song. The same topics kept running around: Ruins, pain, torture, desecration, destruction. Her eyes were half-shut as usual, trying to reflect and sing at the same time—which, to be honest, is much harder than it sounds. Concentration is a prize to be garnered with affection these days, more so when representing a whole nation on the back of her voice. There was a moment where she may have experienced regret, only to slowly shush those voices away when she saw the audience clapping and cheering and hooting for them. Maybe this does mean something for them. What it is, it was hard to tell.

Porque aquel quien me aflige se compadecerá
Desplegando su ira persiguiendo el animal
Cubierto de nubes para no poder pasar

¿Quién será aquel que diga que eso no sucedió?
No responde al altar con la lamentación
Escudriñan caminos y se ensanchan devolución

Once more, the cameras accommodated Marie’s shifting of the cables below her (even if she slightly regretted not using the cordless ones to avoid tripping on her skirt or feet—she did look cute, though!) and kept singing and smirking to the camera, flicking her hair to the left or the right to sideswipe the bangs. More camera tricks provided a view of the whole band—the trumpets, the backing vocalists, the organists, the drummer. Everybody took the time to display the talents on camera (even if they were miming due to the backing track quirk, though it made “playing” their instruments twice as hard as they were used to). Another quick camera flash to Marie’s left (from the Multiversal viewer’s perspective) showed the backing vocalists jamming and trying to imitate their movements to the beat. The LED screens surrounding them showed the Jerash ruins at night, breaking up the monotony of the desert. The Achaeans in the audience—the homegrown and raised, the disruptors, the celebrators. It seems like they were joining in on the fun. They wanted to be the fun. Even if the song was a bit bleak, there was still a reason to have fun. Fun is contagious, after all.

Déjame saber
Clamé y di voces
Cerró mis oídos
Amargura y fe
Déjame saber
Torciendo mis senderos
Acuérdate de mí y espérame
Acuérdate de mí y espérame

The song was not even finished and they crowd was already hootering and hollering for their hometown heroes. They waved back, even if that slightly messed up on the timing of the instruments they were “playing.” The cheers were extended and gratuitous. The cheers were beyond expected. “¡Gracias! Thank you! ¡Gracias, Santa Ana!” Marie cheered. They all blew kisses and hugged each other once the song was done. They promised to each other they would do that.

by **Achaean Republic** » Mon Jan 16, 2023 6:18 pm

by **Achaean Republic** » Mon Jan 16, 2023 6:19 pm

The Ice States had already debuted in the 65th iteration, where the Ice military anthem "Warship and Ice" was performed. In this iteration of the WHF, the song performed would be "Tie Your Deity Down", composed by James Brownsword. It topped the Ice music charts for two weeks, becoming Brownsword's second number-one single in The Ice States, following his success with "The Free Waters" four years earlier.

Due to the song's promotion of the Order of Klyprer, it was therefore chosen to be performed at the 68th World Hit Festival; especially since the reestablishment of the Empire in the Ice States. In the festival would perform Mick Wonders as bass guitarists, the Divine Scribe Theodore Lowney as drummer, and, of course, James Brownsword as guitarist and lead singer.

As the applause surrounding the stage ends, a gong was struck from behind. As Brownsword finished the guitar introduction, the spotlight shifted from the gong to Brownsword and his guitar. After hitting the gong again with his sledgehammer, Lowney got in front of the gong, and invited a round of applause...

Then Lowney got onto the drumset on stage when the song's characteristic riff began, backed by the bass playing of Wonders.

Just pray!
Just pray!

By now the applause completely finished, while the spotlight remained focused on Brownsword.

Don't read the Bible or some other book
Get Klyprer's book, baby
Did my prayer right, got my sacrifice done
You're gonna change today
And you won't sin once more
Just because of Christ you don't care for the real truth
And I've seen all the sinning
You are gonna be enlightened by Klyprer today

Tie your deity down
Tie your deity down
Let Ahtacaba out your head
You don't need him taking your mind
Tie your deity down
Tie your deity down
And pray to Klyprer today

By the time the next verse entered, the spotlight illuminated the drumset of Lowney, shortly before changing back to Brownsword.

"You're just a Satanist"
"Don't come back to my church"
That's all I've ever seen from your Priests of God's truth, in fact
All they ever say is hatred upon the Lord of the Cosmos, oh yes
But you know they won't ever see
The Underworld's great banks
I did a sacrifice and prayer to make sure you lot can stop
Sinning and cursing as you do all day

Tie your deity down
Tie your deity down
Get that pesky pastor
Burning like some coal, for Klyprer
Tie your deity down
Tie your deity down
And pray to Klyprer today

Real god
Ahtacaba and your deity
Are gonna plague you when you die
You must get it all right
Because Klyprer is so real

In the next chorus, the excited crowd began to sing along with Brownsword for the first two lines. Brownsword's duet with the audience produced likely the largest highlight of the performance...

Tie your deity down
Tie your deity down
Get that Ahtacaban bad, bad deity out your mind
Tie your deity down
Yeah, tie your deity down
And pray to Klyprer today
Pray to him today

After the chorus ended, the spotlight was now completely shifted to Wonders, up until the final line...

And pray to Klyprer today, yes
Pray to him today, yeah
I sacrificed and prayed for this
And you will pray to him!

Almost as soon as the spotlight changed to illuminate Brownsword, however, the audience's applause became louder than Brownsword himself. With the spotlight once again shifting to the centre of downstage, the performing band arranged with Brownsword at the left, followed by Lowney at his right and then Wonders on the far-right.

After the band all bowed, the applause eventually calmed down, and Lowney gave a terse, closing speech to the audience.

"Thanks all, have a good rest of the evening, and give pray to Klyprer today!"

The group then promptly exited the stage to be followed by the next participants in the festival...

by **Achaean Republic** » Mon Jan 16, 2023 6:20 pm

by **Achaean Republic** » Mon Jan 16, 2023 6:21 pm

There was an expectation that Malta Comino Gozo would do well, the last couple of editions had seen the tiny island country place 1st, 2nd and 2nd again. With this in mind, MCG1 wanted to see whether they could get MCG's second win. The jury votes saw Malta Comino Gozo, eventual winners Achaean Rep and Moorland justle for the top spot. The top score from Pemecutan saw MCG with a glimpse of victory before Astbeck Langgate voted, who gave MCG just 1 point. The five points went to the Achaean Republic who won the contest by only a 1-point lead with 25pts. Ending the festival in the top 2 was undoubtedly something to be proud of and Fakawi were ecstatic with their result.

Xena tal-Każin or "Club Scene" in English is an electronic music duo consisting of Lucas Violante and Lorenza Famularo. Both Lucas and Lorenza come from Xewkija. Lorenza is the first LGBT singer to represent MCG. The pair has developed a distinct sound, mixing a remarkable blend of harmony-driven storytelling, hypnotizing dance floor beats, and melody rich instrumentals.

The 68th festival saw the contest return to the Achaean Republic, a country Malta Comino Gozo had heightened relations with. Achaean Republic was an associate member of the WMCA alliance so travelling to the country was very easy for the MCG delegation. Santa Ana was a delightful city and the pair would spend a few days exploring checking out the amazing architecture, indulging in the broad array of incredible local cuisine which consisted of many fish dishes, something both Lucas and Lorenza loved as they were island dwellers and MCG cuisine was heavily influenced by the sea. This cuisine was some of the best they had ever had! The nights were spent enjoying the nightlife and clubs. Soon though it was time for the rehearsals and the live event.

The postcard ended and the beat began with the entire stage filling with a neon blue and pink blend, meeting in the middle in a delightful neon mix. White spotlights flurried and darted around the arena like fireflies dancing. The camera panned from the back of the arena and faded to Lorenza on the back left of the centre stage. She had her left hand free, mixing on her DJ table, the other hand holding the headphones to her right ear. She looks up at the camera watching her and smiles a gorgeous and cheeky smile, her long hair spilling down out of her baseball cap in front of her. (Both are wearing the same outfit as above. We then cut to various other shots of the stage from several other angles to fill up the intro. The crowd cheers in the meantime. The camera spins 360 degrees as Lucas appears at the back of the stage. The spotlights disappear and the stage fades to black apart from the floor which stages neon blue and pink. Holding the microphone in his right hand he outstretches his hand and takes a couple of gentle steps forward. His manly deep and alluring voice suits the song faultlessly. He looks over his shoulder to the backdrop, where a young woman in black and white with long wavy hair looks down at him for a brief second. he turns away for the last line and the image fades.

I see you
I see you for what you are
It's something in your eyes
That look like past scars

The camera backs out slightly as he looks out to his left as a water drop falls on the screen behind him as he sings "Cause I see those teary eyes" He turns back to the camera in front and nods as he wraps up this verse.

So where do you go
When you leave in the night?
'Cause I see those teary eyes
I am the only hope for you

Suddenly he crouches down outstretching his free hand as the LED screen is enveloped into a scene of flying through clouds. Without being too comical he leans left and right as if he is the one gliding.

So stay this time
Don't go away, don't go away!
Don't go away
So stay this time please

The camera cuts to a facial shot of him pleading to the camera his left arm still outstretched in agony. The camera pans around him from below the stage looking up as he sings "I am the only hope for you!" his head nodding gently. His arm turns and he places it on his chest. His pleading expression encapsulated the audience and viewers.

You are the only hope for me
I just wanted you!
I am the only hope for you!
You are the only hope for me too!

The spotlights calm and Lucas draped in a white spotlight amongst the dark blue background takes a confident step towards the DJ booth. He and Lorenza make eye contact and a small smile appears across her face before she goes back to concentrating on mixing.

You see me, for what I am darling
One thing you could say,
That would leave me broken

He turns so Lorenza is now behind him and he walks slowly forward his face guilt-ridden, the camera backing out as he does. His vocals accompany a harmonious echo.

I really don't want to know
It's haunting me to watch you go
I am the only.... hope... for you... my dear

The stage is swathed in black as a white strobe light flashes above him adding an eerie atmosphere to the stage. His vocals are still accompanied by an echo. As the verse continues a light begins to grow on the floor beneath him, the camera cuts to a shot from the ceiling looking down as we see a white glow start to grow beneath him.

You.. are... the only hope for... me... too
I just wanted you...
You.. are... the only hope for... me... too
I just wanted you...

The camera rockets in from the back of the hall stopping right in front of him before the chorus explodes into splendour. We have a quick shot of Lorenza concentrating on mixing. The music builds.

These wounds won't last forever
The truth will take their place

A whoosh of steam vents explodes around the edges of the stage as the camera catapults backwards showing a panoramic view of the entire stage. Suddenly he crouches down again outstretching his free hand as the LED screen is enveloped into a scene of flying through clouds. Without being too comical he leans left and right as if he is the one gliding.

I am the only hope for you
You are the only hope for me too!
I just wanted you babe
I just wanted you for myself ...

Singing passionately Lucas makes his way down the catwalk, the background framed excellently behind him, the lights waving in all directions around him. Around his feet a vast array of waving arms and flags. For the second line, he gently pulls the microphone further away from his mouth, shuts his eyes, and leans back holding the note. he contracts right alongside the sky portrayed on the background. The crowd cheers!

I just wanted you girl
I just wanted you...
Ooh...I am the only hope for you
You are the only hope for me too

The camera races in from the back of the arena through the strobe lights. The arena floor was bathed in dark blue, the LED background racing through the clouds. The camera fades into a close-up shot of Lucas as the music slows and the background fades to black. The lights all fade apart from the lone white spotlight above him, his captivating vocals echo out as he clasps the mic in both hands.

Ooh...These wounds won't last forever
The truth will take their place
Oohh....
These wounds won't last forever
The truth will take their place

"Thank you so much!" He roars. The crowd energetically roars and cheers. He bows slightly as Lorenza punches the air in the back.

by **Achaean Republic** » Mon Jan 16, 2023 6:22 pm

by **Achaean Republic** » Mon Jan 16, 2023 6:23 pm

Skanden returns after a 2-year absence. They last entered during the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic's initial wave, represented at the orchestral edition in Tödlichebujoku by the Spanish-language branch of Skanden's national broadcater, Skandens Television (SKT). This time, the Skandish Union is represented by the Italian-language wing.

Their act is Pierrot di Pagliacci, a soloist whose stage name translates in English to something like "Bozo of the Clowns". Befittingly, his songs have quite a cocky, comedic atmosphere to them, with a tendency to be satirical towards social issues.

Our 26-year-old singer is coming to the Santa Ana stage with a song called "Reali", or 'Royals'. This song pokes fun at out-of-touch rich people who only care about themselves. The particular character Pierrot sings about is surrounded by yes-men who are willing to lose themselves in pursuit of wealth, surrounding themselves with the more fortunate in hopes that the riches will one day trickle down towards them, too.

For the big night, Pierrot is wearing a (fake) diamond-studded red rockstar jacket with a black shirt and pants underneath. As the song begins, the sound of trumpets blare out through the speakers and he walks confidently on stage, with the background screens displaying heavenly clouds.

A volte penso a come intorno a me
A tutti piace quello che dico loro
La gente lì che vedo qui dal mio jet
Vorrei parlare anche con loro, un giorno

The lighting in the arena had been pretty bright, full of white, to emulate the kind of paradise this kind of person much live in. I mean, what does it say about him when his best friends are his lawyers, who work hard to keep him out of trouble? Or the fact that he wonders if the peasants he sees from his private jet are yes-men too, like the people around him?

I miei migliori amici sono avvocati
Che sanno sempre cosa è meglio per me e l’umanità
Il mondo è un festa, andiamo via di qua
Decidiamo la musica che suona ogni giorno e serata

Anyway, if you didn't know already, Pierrot is performing with a band setup (although he is credited as a solo artist). Some time ago he already made it to his mic stand, at this point he was singing in front of one. And in such a lively chorus as this one, the lights were going wild.

E questa sera ci sono i ricchi e i potenti
La gente che sorride, e che beve di più
Nella mia vita c’è una magia speciale
Che io vorrei davvero poter’ dare tu

Everything suddenly stands to a still, with sudden jolts of movement reflecting the tune of the song.

In un mondo di buon e di meglio, sono un reale
In un mondo di buon e di meglio, sono un reale
In un mondo di buon e di meglio, sono un reale
Woah-woah-oh woah-woah-oh-oh

Here, Pierrot takes the mic off the stand and walks around the stage as he sings. Some audience members cheers, and the Kalosian fans are feeling some déja-vu. Soon, you will too.

Cadono i deboli ma sono io
Bravo perché i miei gioielli comprarmi la forza, oh oh
Quando una città è distrutto perché gli effetti degli azioni miei (scappo)
Volo altrove perché mi merito la vita migliora come ho (orgoglio)

Nevermind the destructive practices of the ultra-rich, we will move on to the chorus, where Pierrot quickly hurries back to his mic stand.

E questa sera ci sono i ricchi e i potenti
La gente che sorride, e che beve di più
Nella mia vita c’è una magia speciale
Che io vorrei davvero poter’ dare tu

Everything suddenly stands to a still, with sudden jolts of movement reflecting the tune of the song.

In un mondo di buon e di meglio, sono un reale
In un mondo di buon e di meglio, sono un reale
In un mondo di buon e di meglio, sono un reale
Woah-woah-oh woah-woah-oh-oh

But this time, things remain full of unreleased tension, as Pierrot sings this next part. From behind, a giant replica of a jet plane is being rolled on stage, perfectly building suspense prior to a climactic drop.

Reale…
Reale...
Reale...
Reale...

And then everything gets really dark for a second as a close up of Pierrot's face is displayed, as he whispers the following line into the microphone:

(In un mondo di buon e di meglio, sono un reale)

The camera dramatically zooms out, pyro shots fly out, and he continues singing.

E questa sera ci sono i ricchi e i potenti
La gente che sorride, e che beve di più
Nella mia vita c’è una magia speciale
Che io vorrei davvero poter’ dare tu

The music doesn't pause, it keeps going as Pierrot sings the final lines to the song. The camera sticks to dynamic mid angles.

In un mondo di buon e di meglio, sono un reale
In un mondo di buon e di meglio, sono un reale
In un mondo di buon e di meglio, sono un reale
Woah-woah-oh woah-woah-oh-oh

The song ends. The audience cheers. "Grazie mille!", Pierrot exclaims before leaving the stage.

An Italian-Skandish audience member turns to his friend.
"Allora, che cos'è il Festival della Canzone Calosiana? Non la conosco."

by **Achaean Republic** » Mon Jan 16, 2023 6:26 pm

by **Achaean Republic** » Mon Jan 16, 2023 6:27 pm

Noëlle, the artist representing Normandy and Picardy on their return to the contest in Santa Ana, Achaean Republic

The catwalk like design of the stage had caused a bit of a headache for the Normand staging time, who were initially dismayed when the news came in, which had forced them to throw a lot of their initial plans out. Luckily, they came up (or at least, they think they came up) with a kind of solution, one that still allowed them to do what they had wanted to do, which was essentially to transfer the music video for the song onto the stage, making use of mirrors, lighting, and Noëlle's natural charm and acting skills, plus the usual ambient dark lighting the Normand were known for, to really set the mood. Anyway, those plans were about to be put to the test, as Noëlle quickly ran on the stage, trying not to be run over by the technical team who were doing their best to make sure the staging was ready in time for the postcard to finish. That did slightly help distract her from the enormity of what she was about to do. True, she had performed sell out shows across Normandy and Picardy, but never had she had so many eyes across the multiverse, and the expectations of an entire country, bearing down on her. In any case, of course, her heart was pounding. But she was a professional, she knew what she had to do.

It was showtime. The lights were low, as always, as the postcard came to an end. Noelle was at the back end of the stage, and before her lay a series of mirrors, all arranged at different angles. The difficulty of course had been trying to get the arrangement to work such that you wouldn't constantly see the cameramen required for the performance standing out like sore thumbs. A mixture of angles and in one case having to have the cameraman dress up in a greenscreen suit to make sure he could be edited out if necessary, which just about worked (and which had given the SRNP accountants a heart attack). In any case, to the performance itself. As the music finally begun, a series of general background lights slowly came to life. The LED screens on either side of the central stage were turned off entirely, and in fact would be left so for the entire performance, to provide the dark background needed for the mirrors to really work effectively etc. The general vibes of the lighting were a dark, deep red, which worked its way across and through the thin layer of smoke spread across the stage, which itself twisted and twirled around the bases of the mirrors. And the verse began, and it began with Noelle with her back to one of the mirrors, looking directly towards the camera. She was dressed in an outfit rather like this one, and just generally looking fabulous. As the verse progressed, she began to enter into the maze of mirrors, with a cut to another camera on the stage accompanying her twirl around the first one.

Nous étions en guerre, mais également amoureux
Mais maintenant tu ne joues que pour gagner
J’aurais dû savoir
Qu'à la fin tu finirais par te lasser de moi, eh
Tu as fixé les règles et je les ai suivies de bon cœur
J’ai joué pour nous mais tu n'as que joué avec moi
Et le jeu a été truqué, oui

As the song entered the first prechorus, we find Noelle stood in the middle of four mirrors that were essentially arranged at the four corners around her, allowing for camera shots from further out into the centre of this arrangement, showing the two mirrors, slightly offset, either side of Noelle for a cool little effect there. With the beginning of each new line, a new set of rather thin beams of read light cut across, and indeed reflected slightly off one of the mirrors. Noelle mostly sung to the camera looking in from the right hand side of the stage, but there were also shots from other directions, playing with the mirrored effect and the available lines of visibility.

Je ne veux plus de tes jeux (eux, eux, eux)
Je n'ai plus besoin de tes jeux (eux, eux, eux)
Alors va jouer tes tours ailleurs (eurs, eurs, eurs)
Je n'attendrai pas
Va-y maintenant, juste va-y

With the beginning of the chorus, there was a sudden shift in the arrangement, at least when it came to the lighting. The red ambient background lighting slowly was replaced by deeper tones of darkish blue, to provide the general background ambience. The red light beams that had almost threatened to encage Noelle disappeared, to be replaced by a series of white beams that appeared all over the stage pointing in many different directions during the chorus. Much of the attention, though, remained on Noelle on the stage and amongst this hall of mirrors, the many reflections of herself and her conflicted inner character.

Où tu vas?
Quoi feras?
Je ne connais pas les règles du jeu, non
Alors à quoi tu joues? À quoi tu joues?
Quoi feras?
Et à qui tu vas?
Je suis hors-jeu et j'ai fait tous mes coups
Alors à quoi tu joues? À quoi tu joues?

- Pretty much continues in the same vein, a focus on Noelle and her dancing, except that now the maze of mirrors was joined by a maze of the white beams of light, all crossing each other. Lots of arm waving, twirling around, moving between the different mirrors and slipping in and out of shot, working with the camera, etc.

Combien de pièces comme moi as-tu envoyé en l'air?
Et dis-moi, combien de fois avez-vous pris le prix entier?
J'suis pas la première, je serai pas la dernière, je sais
Tu m’as mis sur table avec un sourire une fois
Mais maintentant tu fais ton as sans jamais faire la paire
Même si j'ai vécu pour te plaire

Je ne veux plus de tes jeux (eux, eux, eux)
Je n'ai plus besoin de tes jeux (eux, eux, eux)
Alors va jouer tes tours ailleurs (eurs, eurs, eurs)
Je n'attendrai pas
Va-y maintenant, juste va-y

- Not too different to the first chorus, except now the white spotlights are moving around, and look almost as if they are trying to find Noelle within the forest of mirrors, as well as fading on and off. Also, a series of broader panning shots and we really get a sense of the mirrors on stage, as it were, for the first time.

Où tu vas?
Quoi feras?
Je ne connais pas les règles du jeu, non
Alors à quoi tu joues? À quoi tu joues?
Quoi feras?
Et à qui tu vas?
Je suis hors-jeu et j'ai fait tous mes coups
Alors à quoi tu joues? À quoi tu joues?

- Light slowly ebbs, standing in the middle of it all, a shot from above with a ring of lights around Noelle. These too fade away, and then we come back down onto the stage, in which it seems Noelle is singing to her reflection etc.

À quoi tu joues?
À à à, à à à quoi tu joues? (x2)
A a a, a, car j'ne veux pas jouer
Car j'ne veux pas jouer (x2)
Veux pas jouer, pas jouer

-Flashing lights everywhere, reflecting off of everything, mixture of full brightness and darkness, lots of panning shots etc., rather chaotic but still ultimately structured around Noelle and her act, now at the front of the stage. Light slowly ebbs away as the song does too, leaving the last shot with a single spotlight shining down on Noelle, with her reflection behind her in the mirror.

Où tu vas?
Quoi feras?
Je ne connais pas les règles du jeu, non
Alors à quoi tu joues? À quoi tu joues?
Quoi feras?
Et à qui tu vas?
Je suis hors-jeu et j'ai fait tous mes coups
Alors à quoi tu joues? À quoi tu joues?

by **Achaean Republic** » Mon Jan 16, 2023 6:28 pm

by **Achaean Republic** » Mon Jan 16, 2023 6:29 pm

A promotional picture of the band taken around the release of their first album in 2020. From left to right: Mateo Rodriguez (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Lucas Montero (lead guitar, lead vocals), Marco Bernardino (drums, backing vocals), Álvaro Fernández (bass, backing vocals)

Lucas Ernesto Montero Cáceres was born in Valledorado, VADO on 4th December, 1999. The son of Argentinian emigrants to the country, although they had arrived at different times and from different parts of the country, he had an OK-ish upbringing in the middle of nowhere. Not that many friends due to him being a bit introverted but he had a good enough relationship with his parents, even if his dad was away a good amount of the time due to him being a trucker. When he entered high school, he quickly made a couple of friends due to a shared interest in 80s and 90s rock music: Marco Guillermo Estéban Bernardino Williamson (born 15th January, 2000) and Álvaro Fernández Martínez (born 16th March, 2000). After getting enough money from a part-time job to afford a guitar, even if it was a cheap one, the trio would play together and with other people in a variety of other bands; they were mostly passion projects, jam sessions, Battle of the Bands stuff or people with high hopes but a short shelf-life, as opposed to anything with an actual chance of making it to rock stardom.

However, the trio wouldn’t get around to forming a proper band until the Summer of 2018. While they went by a carousel of names at first (with their longest-lasting name literally being El Carrusel de Nombres), they would eventually settle on the name Los Cobaltos. Why that name? Because Lucas had liked the word “Cobalt” and indeed was originally going to use the name “Cobalt Blue”. However, that name was already taken by a popular 60s rock band who had a string of hits throughout Elejamie and possibly elsewhere and the Spanish language version “Azul Cobalto” was taken by a cover band. So this was pretty much the next best thing to keep the lawyers happy. Álvaro and Marco liked it enough for them to keep it, even if it wasn’t their favourite, and so the name stuck. A few months later, in January 2019, Mateo Luis Rodriguez Castellanos (born July 4th, 1999) would join the band on rhythm guitar, turning the trio into a quartet. While Rodriguez would figuratively be a bit out of tune with the rest of his new bandmates, instead going for a generic alt-rock sound when the other three would eventually settle for something that wouldn’t be out of place in the mid-90s, he would soon find his footing and end up meshing with the rest of the band musically.

After about a year of playing gigs, with breaks in between just so they could do their day jobs, they would eventually get around to recording a four-track all-original demo. After sending it to a number of labels, they would manage to get signed in October that year. They would get a bit of hype when they released their first single “Naranja Roja” that same month, with their second single “¿Puedes Escucharme” released the following month. While neither of them managed to chart highly and eventually only made it onto the imported version of their debut album, it was their third single (and first from their deubt) “Sentirse Bien” that managed to make its way up the charts to #16. In late February 2020, the band’s self-titled debut album would be released to positive reviews and a good amount of sales, with a follow-up single “Azul Oscuro” being released a couple of week later as the second single from the album. Things were looking up.

At least, it would’ve until the coronavirus pandemic forced them to cancel any plans for a tour to promote it. While they and their label did donate a portion of the profits, the four would eventually decide to break up the band in April that year. While they would still get profits from their songs and would return to their day jobs when things started to open up, they also stated that they wouldn’t be re-uniting for quite a long time. Lucas would eventually do an acoustic solo career that lasted a couple of years and Mateo, Álvaro and Marco would have occasional unplanned reunions when they end up having to work as a backing band for someone but that was about it as far as their music careers went. On the upside, everyone was still on good terms so at least that was able to dispel any rumours of them feuding.

In March 2022, nearly two whole years after the band broke up and during a concert in Playa de Rocas, Lucas brought in Mateo, Álvaro and Marco in to be his backing band as part of an encore. After playing an acoustic version of Sentirse Bien, Azul Oscuro and a few other songs, he announced that the band would be re-uniting. They would manage to re-sign with their old label, a process that took a bit longer than expected for various reasons, before they went on a mini-tour of VADO and NUPA to try and drum up support. It sold fairly well and a comeback single “Corte de Papel” managed to shift enough copies to top out at #20, so which managed to bide well for them. Eventually their second album, “Conmigo Un Peso, Un Dólar”, would be released in November to positive reviews and three singles: A cover of the 80s song “Vamos a la Playa”, “Sonos Más” and the song “Dime Por Favor”, which would end up being their song for the 68th World Hit Festival in Santa Ana over in the Achaean Republic. While things are still looking up for the four, it’s just a question of whether or not they’ll be able to keep this high going or it’ll be the start of the end.

There were high hopes for Elejamie going into the 67th World Hit Festival. After all, they had won the previous contest and were hosting it. They weren’t expecting back to back wins and CRTS even admitted that if they would win they’d hoist the job over to someone else. But they still had to get a good result to show that Aurora’s victory in Valletta was not a fluke and that they should be a force to be reckoned with. A top ten finish was the main goal, although there wouldn’t be any issues if they placed lower. There was a small snag in that industrial group Fernsehturm was chosen with their song The Church, a tune about human rights and slave labour in a far away land, but hey, maybe something weird and experimental could lead to a good result simply because it’d stand out a bit more.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. For a start, they would only receive points from three countries (Aenglide, Moorland and the Fatimanian Federation). Normally that wouldn’t be bad, hell the country managed to get ten points total from them which was enough for fifth place (just behind Malta Comino Gozo on tie-breakers). The bad news was that all three sets of points came in the first half and they were completely shut out in the second. As a result, they would go on to finish in 11th place, just missing out on a tie-breaker due to fewer countries voting for them and only ahead of StrayaRoos and Norrp (the latter of whom would get absolutely nothing from the juries). The more things change, the more they stay the same. However, it wasn’t as bad as the WorldVision. First, they still managed to snag a set of five courtesy of the Fatimanian Federation. Secondly, it wasn’t the worst collapse as Moorland went from first place (with a comparatively high six point lead over second) at half-time to third place and a single point behind the winner. And, thirdly, eventual winner Nessa Navarro from the Achaean Republic was half-Elejamian herself which meant that, much like Brooke Galea winning in Avon at WV90, the country still managed to win the contest in some fashion. Hell, at the very least, you could give Elejamie props for sending something weird and experimental to make sure they don’t host twice in a row, unlike some real life Eurovision entries I could mention (Latvia 2003, Norway 2010, Sweden 2016, arguably Portugal 2018* and the Netherlands in 2020 and 21) where they just sent something boring instead.

No matter, it was time for the next contest. A clean slate for them to work with. And, with that, the popular alt-rock group Los Cobaltos was selected. After all, they had reformed after a two-year hiatus brought on by the coronavirus pandemic and had become quite a household name so why not give them the opportunity to capitalise on their fame by sending them to an international music competition. The WorldVision may no longer be a possibility but there is the World Hit Festival as a back-up, especially since they’d probably have more of a chance there. Los Cobaltos were on board with it and, with that, they would make their way over to Santa Ana to perform at the contest, shoot a video for a song if they get the time and maybe follow the Sun while they’re there.

So what did they do while they were in Santa Ana? Mostly just hit the bars and have a few pints. Not enough to get drunk but enough to have a good time. And maybe do a karaoke session or hold an impromptu concert, much like they did on the grounds of the University of Zacatecas. They also paid a quick visit to the Zoológico Nacional, not only because it was a giant zoo with plenty of animals for them to see but they might as well get that crossed off the list of “things to do while we’re here” they had made. Bassist Álvaro Fernández and his boyfriend Gustavo also made a quick visit to Manizales, mostly because of how LGBT-friendly it was but also to try and see if the local indie scene would give him any ideas for what could be the band’s third album. And, of course, they travelled to where they needed to go so they could shoot their postcard. All in all, a fun excursion all-round.

And the song itself is something completely different for Los Cobaltos. For a start, it’s the first song of theirs to have English-language lyrics; while all four band members have quite a good grasp of the English language due to it being the most widely-spoken language in Elejamie, drummer Marco Bernardino is half Anglo so he was tasked with helping bandleader Lucas Montero write the lyrics. Why English lyrics? While it was primarily an attempt to break into a market that spoke a different language, it was also because Lucas wanted to give himself a challenge even if it won’t be one he’ll repeat. Fortunately for the band’s primarily Spanish-speaking fanbase, not only were there still some lines in that language but there was also an all-Spanish version of the song, which was used for the album, will be performed at all concerts following the World Hit Festival and was also tacked on as a single alongside the all-English version. Also, despite having quite upbeat music, the song’s about heartbreak, namely someone getting dumped by their partner for reasons unknown and then trying to figure it out, which is quite fun I guess.

Anyway, by the end, everyone was ready. They had rehearsed and gotten everything down to their liking, from what they were going to do and how they were going to do it to effects and how they wanted the stage to act and behave. They had all picked out what they were going to wear, even if it was all casual wear and not any fancy outfits. And they were all feeling pretty confident. Did they have any high hopes of winning it all and potentially bringing the 69th contest back to Elejamian shores? No. Although they were hoping for a good result, especially since they were in a fellow Hispanophone nation, they weren’t exactly that bothered with where they’ll end up. All that matters is if they put on a good show and they were sure they could do just that. And, when their names were called up to get on stage, they grabbed what they needed and got right into position. Here’s hoping the people of Santa Ana, nay the multiverse, would enjoy the song that was about to be performed to them.

*In all fairness it’s not that bad a song, I personally quite like it, but the problem is that it only works when you’re not really listening to it as strange as it sounds. If it has your full attention then it kind of sounds unengaging and uninteresting.

Also apologies in advance if my RP's a bit terrible. ICly it's a band who doesn't put on big shows no matter how big the stage is, OOCly I'm kind of winging it in an attempt to get it done before the deadline.

When the postcard came to an end, we’re greeted to a scene of the four band members on the stage. They were in a diamond shape with Marco behind his drumkit at the rear of the stage, Álvaro and rhythm guitarist Mateo Rodriguez in front of him on opposite sides of the stage, and Lucas front and centre immediately in front of Marco. The camera was also slowly trucking towards the stage, although the camera didn’t tilt down or anything like that. The band members themselves were just standing there, with the sole exception of Marco who was just sitting down on his stool. They were calm and ready to play, despite the fact that they still weren’t really used to performing on an actual catwalk as opposed to a proper stage, all they were waiting on was for the audience’s cheering to die down so they could actually get around to performing their song. They didn’t have to wait long before they got their wish, as the audience’s cheers died down and the lights slowly dimmed.

At that point, Lucas looked behind him and in the general direction of his bandmates. He pointed in a rough direction of the back of the stage and counted down to help get them all ready, with it just being picked up by the mic: “Uno, dos, tres, cuatro.” Just after that last number, the lights immediately shot on as they all began to play their instruments. Lucas moved around the stage as he strummed while his bandmates stayed in place, although in all fairness to Marco you try drumming along while you’re gliding around. After a brief instrumental intro, Lucas returned to his microphone, got into place and started to sing into it while he played his guitar, with the shots mostly centring on him and either being from different angles or different distances. As for what he was wearing? An Argentina away shirt from about four years ago, a pair of blue jeans and a pair of black and white trainers, as well as a pair of black sunglasses and a white jacket that was unbuttoned all the way down.

As for the staging itself? During the into itself, the floor went from black to white every couple of seconds while a negative of the band's logo popped up in a random place with every colour change. While the ceiling lights stayed a normal colour the spotlights just waved back and forth, changing colour every few seconds from red to green to blue before back to red again to start the cycle again. When it came to Lucas singing, the floor faded to white (although parts of the stage looked like they were breaking off with the spotlights not only changing their colour to a different shade of white, one that also seemed to have tinges of yellow to it, but also each individual beam of light coming together to form one circle which then shone down on each individual band member.

Don’t know what to say
Don’t know how much longer my heart can take it
Don’t know what to do
Gave you my heart but you had to break it
Don’t know what I did
I didn’t cheat or lie
But I have to say goodbye

As the song moved on to the pre-chorus, we cut to Marco drumming the start of the pre-chorus. After that, the camera mostly returned to Lucas and mostly centred around him; there was even a shot that started from his left side before the cameraman walked around in a giant semicircle around him, stopping when his right side was in frame. He didn’t get all of the focus, though, as there was a brief shot of Álvaro plucking along on his bass; he was wearing a burgundy coloured shirt that was buttoned up all the way, a pair of black jeans and the same black and white trainers as Lucas, while he was playing a bass that had a sunburst-coloured body with a black pick guard. The stage, meanwhile, was mostly the same as it was in the last verse but with a couple of extra features, like the black holes being made in the stage slowly filling up with water and a couple of blue lights shining over the audience in a random pattern (although fortunately it wasn’t bright enough so that any unlucky audience member who decided to look up would have their retinas burnt).

As I see you leave and I start to cry
I’m left right here and I’m wondering why
Have you moved on and found another boy?
Or was I nothing more to you than just a toy?
Dime, ¿Por qué rompiste mi corazón?
Dime por favor, debe haber una razón

Then it was time for the lead-in to the chorus. Starting with Mateo on the left-hand side of the stage, the camera slowly panned to the right until it stopped at Álvaro all the way on the right. The three of them were playing their instruments while going “Ooh.” in harmony, with Marco having to straighten his posture a little bit more than he would like to to reach the microphone, something that’d inevitably lead to back pain later on in life but then again this would probably be the only time he’ll ever need to do something like this. Besides, the bit in question was only added because a purely instrumental passage would seem a bit empty and, much like with Creep, one of the members (Mateo in this case) didn’t like the song that much and made an attempt to ruin it, only for it to actually improve it.

After a lingering shot on Álvaro, the camera then returned to Lucas who walked back to his microphone after he moved around, standing to the side of it and twisting his head to sing a “Yeah” into it. After a quick shot of Marco drumming along, there was a wide shot of the stage and an explosion of bright lights. The stage itself saw a thick black line pass through it from the back to the front before going all the way back, as if it was clearing the stage and wiping it clean. The lights also waved back and forth and, occasionally, went in random directions with lights going from white to blue to red before going back to white to begin the cycle. Once the stage was all clear, there were some black cracks beginning to form on the display before they got wider and joined together to form the band’s name. And the band themselves, rocked out too while they carried on doing that vocalisation, with Marco still having to straighten himself just to sing into his microphone. He was wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, a pair of black trousers and some black shoes, while his drum kit itself was just a simple black 5-piece one with two cymbals as well as white skins.

Dime por favor
Dime que te quedarás
Por favor no me dejes, me dejes
No me dejes atrás
¿Qué puedo hacer?
No quiero que te vayas
Trato de decirte, decirte
Pero me dejas atrás
Dime por favor
Dime que te quedarás
Por favor no me dejes, me dejes
No me dejes atrás

Once the chorus came to an end, Lucas strummed his guitar and then proceeded to jog around the stage while playing his solo. The camera then cut to an overhead shot of the stage to not only give a better view of him, where it showed that he was also jumping around from time to time but also Mateo and Álvaro were moving about a bit as they also played along. Marco, on the other hand, had to stay behind his drum kit for obvious reasons. Towards the end of the instrumental part, Lucas headed back to his microphone to get ready to sing his part, with the camera operator staying still and panning as he ran past. He got there just in time to take a couple of breaths before he began to sing. There wasn’t much going on in this bit, mostly a number of shots of him singing and playing along as well as an overhead shot that faded in and out and showed Mateo and Álvaro walking back to their positions. The staging was pretty much the same as it was during that first verse, with the sole difference being that the black line showed up to wipe the stage clean before what seemed to be a calm, blue pool of water was projected onto it. It even went as far as to fade onto the screen itself as opposed to just showing up or any other effect.

Don’t know what to say
As the realisation slowly hit me
Don’t know what to do
Lying here, wallowing in my pity
I go through the days
Finding where I went wrong
All while I sing this song

After another shot of Marco drumming, we then cut to a series of shots of Lucas playing his guitar while he sang the pre-chorus. There were a few other shots too, including a few of Álvaro and a couple of Marco but there was one lingering shot of Mateo playing his rhythm guitar. He was dressed in a black leather jacket, a plain white shirt, black cargo pants and black trainers. He had the same guitar as Lucas: same make, same model and even the same colour scheme. However, there were a couple of slight differences between the two; the first was that Lucas’ was a standard right-handed guitar whereas Mateo’s was a left-handed one, and the second was that there seemed to be a sticker related to the hit Waisnorian TV show Shield near the top somewhere. There was also an MR written on the back but since the camera wouldn’t really pick it up there was no need to comment on it. The lights did the same thing they did in the last pre-chorus whereas the stage underneath carried on showing the calm blue pool from the last verse, although as the verse went on the water started to slowly turn grey and get a bit choppy.

As I see you leave and I start to cry
I’m left right here and I’m wondering why
Have you moved on and found another boy?
Or was I nothing more to you than just a toy?
¿Qué puedo hacer para compensarte?
Solo porque no quiero dejarte

It was time for another lead-in to the chorus, except this time it went a bit differently. There were a series of cuts to Mateo, Marco and Álvaro doing their vocalisations, with no real order to which shot was shown. There was even a wide shot of all three of them doing it and even a couple of shots were it was either Mateo and Marco or Marco and Álvaro singing together. Towards the end of that segment, we then cut to Lucas dancing on the spot as he waited for his turn to sing. It wasn’t anything special really, just him holding onto the neck of his guitar with his eyes closed as he moved his body from side to side. After that, there was another cut to Marco drumming the beginning of the chorus before there was another explosion of lights and they repeated a few of the things they did the last time. Namely them having the same lights waving back and forth in a pre-determined set of colours that it went through, the same camera shots and cuts even if the band themselves were doing different actions and black cracks forming on the stage, although there were a couple of differences in that it didn’t spell out the band’s name nor was the stage wiped clean just so it could be shown. It did, however, drain the water in the projection and just showed a completely white stage.

Dime por favor
Dime que te quedarás
Por favor no me dejes, me dejes
No me dejes atrás
¿Qué puedo hacer?
No quiero que te vayas
Trato de decirte, decirte
Pero me dejas atrás
Dime por favor
Dime que te quedarás
Por favor no me dejes, me dejes
No me dejes atrás

After that last line, Lucas walked away from the microphone and over to his bandmates. He, Mateo and Álvaro formed a small triangle as they played their instruments while the camera cut over to a side shot of Marco drumming along, although the cameraman moved behind him to show the drummer in the foreground and the rest of the band in the background, a little bit out of focus, while the stage underneath them began to turn off. After that, we cut to an overhead shot of the stage, which was starting to turn grey before it eventually switched off. While the stage lights were dimming, the three guitarists moved around a little bit before it was grey enough for them to stop. At that point the entire band did a little flourish before they stopped playing to mark the end of the song.

Shortly after the song came to an end, the audience broke out in a round of applause. There were a few shots of the audience clapping for the entry they had just watched before we then cut to the band standing in a nearly straight line with their equipment behind them. They did a bow before Lucas held the microphone up to his mouth and began to speak into it: “¡Gracias Santa Ana! Ahora, ¡qué tengas una buena noche!” They then did one last bow before they headed back to where their equipment was. While the camera returned to the audience, the band helped the stagehands clear the stage so that it could be ready for whoever needed to come after them before they headed back to their table. They felt they had put on a decent show, nothing groundbreaking but hopefully the song would be good enough to get some points. But would they improve on the poor placing their country had gotten in the last contest? That was to be decided...

by **Achaean Republic** » Mon Jan 16, 2023 6:30 pm

After the final song is performed and the audience applause becomes rapturous, Y-Jacie and Carolina reappear enveloped by the audience. Shots of the celebrations—since in Achaea, everything is a celebration—ensured, with panderos and pilones and chaos and music and rum, with others joining in as they saw the ruckus in many areas, waving their flags and trying to practice their butchered Spanish.

Y-Jacie switched his mustard yellow dress with full-white Armani suit and accented brown moccasins and pleather belt (but he was almost cancelled when people confused it with real leather!). On the other hand, Carolina had a cream dress with similarly colored heels as the dress she was wearing. She tied her hair in a ponytail knot and kept her bling to a minimum. Not that she was afraid that she’d get robbed—there was a reason she only wore a replica of the Miss Acaya crown whenever she had any official engagements. She only wanted to get something clear and breezy for the warm evening of being wrapped by the fans.

Y-JACIE: Well, here is our last performance! Yes!

CAROLINA CHOI: Oh, my God, this is my favorite part! The voting lines are about to be open!

Y-JACIE: Mine, too! Don’t forget you can call, text, app, website, or even WhatsApp your favorite entries up to 20 times. You at home will get to choose the winner of the World Hit Festival.

CAROLINA CHOI: The moment is yours! You have fifteen minutes on the clock which should be riiiiight…about…here…somewhere…oop! There it is! Fifteen minutes to vote and choose your winner.

Y-JACIE: Can we get to say it? (Carolina nods in agreement.) Okay.

BOTH: Start voting now!

A replay of all the songs are shown on-screen. Later, Y-Jacie disappeared and Carolina remained standing in the same place.

CAROLINA CHOI: Keep voting, Multiverse! You’re doing OK! (The people behind her cheered.) Now, we’ve got some time for music, so…Erm…Where’s Y-Jacie? He was beside me a few minutes ago. Maybe he had a bathroom break. Maybe he met someone cute in the audie—Oops! Should not have spilled that one out, though! Very Achaean of us! But maybe he is on stage with new folk-electro-indie band Kamehameha to reveal his new release, please give a warm welcome to Y-Jacie and Querida!

by **Achaean Republic** » Mon Jan 16, 2023 6:32 pm

VOTING INSTRUCTIONS

You have until Monday, January 23 at 6:00 AM EST/11:00 AM BST. Buena suerte!

TO VOTE: Please send a TG to Achaean Republic or Discord DM to je-repac#4995 with a full ranking of all participating entries (excluding yourself, of course). You will also send an image of a spokesperson with a short bit of dialogue for the five points. You can use the following as a template:

Code: Select all: [b]Nation:[/b] [b]Picture of Spokesperson:[/b] (please make it as big as possible, preferably portrait) [b]Name IC of Spokesperson:[/b] [b]RP:[/b] [b]Ranking:[/b] 1- (FAVOURITE 5 POINTS) 2- 3- 4- 5- 6- 7- 8- 9- 10- 11- 12- 13- 14- 15-(LEAST FAVORITE)

Reminder TGs will be sent at least 48 hours before the voting deadline. Good luck!

by **Achaean Republic** » Mon Jan 16, 2023 6:33 pm

Querida
No te quedes solita
Déjame abrazarte
Querida
Tanta frescura precisa
Aún así más he de querer
Perdóname otra vez, vez

La soledad es pequeña
Y es tu grandeza que me hace bien
Escúchame, linda, la noche es joven
Ven y no me sueltes más

Querida
No te quedes solita
Déjame abrazarte
Querida
Tanta frescura precisa
Aún así más he de querer
Perdóname otra vez, vez

La soledad es pequeña
Y es tu grandeza que me hace bien
Escúchame, linda, la noche es joven
Ven y no me sueltes más

La soledad es pequeña
Y es tu grandeza que me hace bien
Escúchame, linda, la noche es joven
Ven y no me sueltes más

Querida
Querida
Ven, ven, ven, ven

by **Achaean Republic** » Mon Jan 16, 2023 6:34 pm

He didn’t win Eurovision, yes. But he did win the game of virality.

After his top-ten placing at the 103rd WorldVision Song Contest in StrayaRoos, and accumulating lots of goodwill from social media—in particular the TikTok dance craze created in Achaea and spread out around Latin America and the Caribbean in the bucolic party scene. The song was peak pop simplicity. The dance moves were peak TikTok dancing level, with enough movement that made the song look complex, but active enough to amp up the intensity and make it a popular song ready-made for Zumba. This queen knew he was well below pop-icon diva status, that with iconic divas such as Olivia Newton-John and Cher and Madonna and Boy George and George Michael (why was everybody being surprised when he came out as gay? If one could know!) At this time, he’s getting ready to launch his first CD, Quise Hacerte Feliz (“I Wanted to Make You Happy”) in early 2023, with twelve new songs along a revamped version of his hit song. It was an interesting Christmas gift, one that allowed him to perform at the hottest clubs, gay clubs, and even at the famously infamous Constantinople Bathhouse in Corola, proudly tracing his steps to that time Bette Midler sang at the Continental in New York. God, he could’ve put double-duty at that place!

The Achaean Republic had an awkward direction after the first contests of WorldVision’s new century. The songs presented by the delegation made enough traction on social media, but it wasn’t enough to gain traction in the Multiversal charts. Ratings were stable, but middling enough that many executives were reconsidering the budgeting spent by recruiting artists to compete in WorldVision: La Nacional or the channel-sponsored investment that could attract talent and increase the company’s bottom line. Success in the charts is needed to lead to success in the company coffers. Case in point: last edition, the country reached middling results with a high margin on the right-hand side of the board, an all-too-common occurrence. Many musicólogos in and out of the country questioned the country’s stunning decline from winning the edition almost eight editions ago to not cracking it in the top five, not even at least the top 10, in few editions in a row. What could be done in order to reverse the decline?

Marco Tolentino was approached by the Achaean delegation’s board of directors, who liked his eighties-style, bubblegum pop-infused musical style that was radio-friendly enough and ready to fire up as a TikTok dance craze (because we all know a song is popular enough when somebody decided to make up a TikTok dance for it). Marco was a bit weary about this sudden approach (he was getting ready to launch his first LP by December, right in time for the holidays), but decided to take his time and evaluate the tempting offer. He wanted to reach fame and success—in his own way, so no wonder there was reluctance on corporate media that wanted to either Flanderize or de-queerify his message. (“I have no message,” or so he said in an interview to Rolling Stone Latinoamérica a few days after the internal selection was completed.) But I guess that message—and the money—was too important to pass up.

The stage was set for Marco’s performance. The butterfly-like stage set had somber, darkened colors while the postcard was passing on the Multiversal television screens. He was ready. He was nervous. He was excited. He and his band of merry queer dancers (it seemed like a running trend for Achaean performances) were trying to get their blood pumping, getting themselves primed and ready for the show. The four dancers were wearing plain-colored leotards with garish, neon colors that could only be found in the eighties—sizzling lime green, Miami Vice orange, sky blue—with white fimbriations on the edges that showed their bulging muscles, with short-shorts sponsored by Adidas that eerily matched their dresses and protruded on their bulging bulges. They also had white socks with blue and red lines, black Classic Reebok shoes and bands sweat bands along their heads as if they were trying to soak up the sweat bursting in between the lights and the dances. It was physically demanding. It was queer, but maybe not queer enough.

So it was important to take stock of Marco, who wore a green mesh top he bought at Sheen days before a party at the Constantinople, which showed off his quite rippled chest and tattoos arching around the sides of the back. He also wore wristbands and sweatbands, and carried a bottle of water with a plastic water bottle, spraying cold water on his face before beginning the performance. He needed to be careful because he needed to sing and dance without ruining his microphone and making himself trip and fall or his dancers.

They were stretching at the beginning of the song, doing slight pirouettes while other dancers were trying to show off their muscles. The stage was set into an eighties’ style vector art screensaver poster one could see on memes, projected behind the dancers and covered with neon lights reminiscent of a cheap Tron parody. He was ready to play with mannerisms and fiddle around with a boombox as he was shown hearing in full masc form when the camera impressed himself upon him. He then skipped and hopped to the center of the stage where a camera panning to the center saw them taking a pose and stretching together, Marco playing the part of a very enthusiastic aerobics coach.

Déjame saber cómo fue
Lo que era, pasó
Un gancho al corazón

Another camera angle to the viewer’s right showed Marco and the dancers inputting energy by quickly sliding front-to-back and back-to-front, switching places around him while marching and prancing (maybe prancercising?), shuffling and placing their hands as if they were driving and revving up a motorcycle. Marco looked intently at the camera and pointed at it as if he were pointing at the viewer, sliding to the left and right, gyrating his hips and slowly arching his back and showing his booty. If it was too gay, he wouldn’t apologize. It was his time to shine.

Te complací al final, pero no pienses
Que lo nuestro era un adjunto
La pasión dice más cuando alguien
Como tú mereces alguien estable y no oculto

Y mi cama grita por placer
Pero no te quiero conocer, ¡no!

For the chorus, the eagle-eye view of the stage focused on Marco and his dancers, who were in a cross-shaped, x-like fashion. They extended their hands to the viewer’s left, flicking their wrists. They extended their hands to the viewer’s right, flicking their wrists again. They stood in position, as if they were in attention, with Marco bending over and puckering his lips and blowing air kisses three times—from the left, the center, and the right—snapping fingers and swaying to the left and right as if he were doing the Carlton, moving the arms and body in a circular motion in a demonstration of pop cultural ridiculousness. I mean, he enjoyed ridiculousness and diversion if it meant things could finally be fun. Might as well.

Yo quise hacerte feliz
Pero ya no podía sentir
Yo quise hacerte feliz
Pero ya no podía sentir
Ven, vuela alto y buscarás
Alguien más que quiere entregarte así, lo sé
Yo quise hacerte feliz hasta aquí

Yo quise hacerte feliz
Pero ya no podía sentir
Yo quise hacerte feliz
Pero ya no podía sentir
Ven, vuela alto y buscarás
Alguien más que quiere entregarte así, lo sé
Yo quise hacerte feliz hasta aquí

Once again, Marco needed to repeat the song. At least the tune was easy enough and the music was catchy, the dance was also simple enough that the audience could at least try to lead its way into it and make TikTok videos on it. He lightly snickered to himself whenever he was asked to do a silly challenge or when he was cajoled into making one with his dancers like the #QHFChallenge that quickly overtook Achaean TikTok with a fabulous response. As the camera angles glazed and switched over and the projections rose to create a valuable performance wiling to engage with the crowds in the Multiverse and the people of StrayaRoos as well. Maybe even with the emus. It would be funny if the emus suddenly grew arms and began dancing as well, with their beaks lifted up in the air. Hopefully the Vartugians didn’t notice. Or the Placely Placingtonians.

Déjame saber cómo fue
Lo que era, pasó
Un gancho al corazón

Once more, Marco had his prancersicing skills on point and to the test with the sliding camera angles and the chaotic energy the dancers providing, quickly sliding front-to-back and back-to-front, switching places around him and marching and prancing and following his lead, shuffling and placing their hands consciously and impulsively, almost instinctively, gazing and trying to remember the steps. Dancing was a methodical exercise. But it was also emotional, and Marco of all people knew that sometimes the moves switched and swerved depending on the fashion. Once more, Marco looked intently at the camera and pointed at it as if he were pointing at the viewer, sliding to the left and right, gyrating his hips and slowly arching his back and showing his booty. If it was too gay, he wouldn’t apologize. It was his time to shine.

Te complací al final, pero no pienses
Que lo nuestro era un adjunto
La pasión dice más cuando alguien
Como tú mereces alguien estable y no oculto

Y mi cama grita por placer
Pero no te quiero conocer, ¡no!

Now the chorus was finalizing. The cameras transport once more to an eagle-eyed view of the stage with the same dances by Marco and his team, this time with a focused intensity and an air of breathlessness over the intensity of the song and the music, trying to remember all the technicalities involved and the lyrics and the steps while enticing the public (and the emus) to join on the music, who were in a cross-shaped, x-like fashion. They extended their hands to the viewer’s left, flicking their wrists. They extended their hands to the viewer’s right, flicking their wrists again. Stand in position. Bend over and pucker up. Blow kiss, kiss, kiss. Move the hips. Jazz hands! Snappy fingers. Go be ridiculous. Have fun. Be ridiculous. That’s what the world needs: more people who aren’t afraid of being ridiculous.

Yo quise hacerte feliz
Pero ya no podía sentir
Yo quise hacerte feliz
Pero ya no podía sentir
Ven, vuela alto y buscarás
Alguien más que quiere entregarte así, lo sé
Yo quise hacerte feliz hasta aquí

Yo quise hacerte feliz
Pero ya no podía sentir
Yo quise hacerte feliz
Pero ya no podía sentir
Ven, vuela alto y buscarás
Alguien más que quiere entregarte así, lo sé
Yo quise hacerte feliz hasta aquí

He quickly unfurled an Achaean pride flag and waved it with pride. “Thank you! Thank you so much!” He said to the audience that was cheering him on and applauding him. It was thrilling. It was exuberant. It was everything he needed for a moment, ready to pursue much more.

by **Achaean Republic** » Thu Jan 26, 2023 1:43 pm

The countdown was completed, and the people in the arena were anxiously waiting for the results. After a short break, Y-Jacie and Carolina appeared, side by side, behind a huge electronic table in the center of the stage.

Y-JACIE: Stop voting now, Multiverse! All the votes have been counted, and we are ready to announce a winner.

CAROLINA CHOI: I’m so excited! I can’t wait! But first, we need to make sure that everything is done accurately as per the World Hit Festival rules. And for that, we have our Overseer, Madame Christine Perault, with us tonight!

Perault was located in another table with other supervisors and external auditors, making sure that the results were accurate. She was greeted with cheers and greets from the Achaean audience, quite overwhelmed with the raucous reception and exuberant celebrations.

CAROLINA CHOI: Bonsoir, Madame Perault! Bienvenue dans la République Achaenne! Bienvenidos a Acaya! How has been your stay in the country so far?

CHRISTINE PERAULT:Christine Perault : Bonsoir Carolina, Bonsoir Santa Ana ! Je voudrais commencer… ah, pardon me, I will try some English. I would like to start by thanking AS1 for being such excellent partners and putting on an excellent show ce soir. I have greatly enjoyed my time here, and the wonderful tropical spirit that the Achaean Republic always brings. Merci beaucoup!

CAROLINA CHOI: Please tell us, Madame Perault: Have you been able to enjoy the sunny weather in Santa Ana?

CHRISTINE PERAULT: Alors, alors, unfortunately my job has kept me very busy and mostly indoors, it is not… it is not easy running a contest of such size, as you at AS1 will be well aware. But what I have seen I have greatly enjoyed, and who knows, I may have a tan by the time I return chez moi.

CAROLINA CHOI: Well, here's the question the Multiverse has been waiting for: Do we have a result to reveal for this edition's winner?

CHRISTINE PERAULT: I am happy to confirm that we have a valid result and that should be being sent to you right now. All that remains for me to say is bonne chance à tous les concurrents et, maintenant, allons-y! CAROLINA CHOI: Thank you so very much for your responses! Au revoir! Buenas noches!

Perault had a curt smile, a small head-nod curtsey, and kept working in her computer.

Y-JACIE: There she is, ladies and gentlemen! La señora Overseer Christine Perault with us! And now, we can proceed with…

BOTHPhase One!

by **Achaean Republic** » Thu Jan 26, 2023 1:49 pm

Y-JACIE: Yes! First, only two countries received two points, the lowest scores of this phase…

by **Achaean Republic** » Thu Jan 26, 2023 1:51 pm

CAROLINA CHOI: Two more countries earned three points each…

by **Achaean Republic** » Thu Jan 26, 2023 1:53 pm

Y-JACIE: Two more countries managed to score four points each in this phase…

by **Achaean Republic** » Thu Jan 26, 2023 1:55 pm

CAROLINA CHOI: More points! This time, two countries managed to receive seven points each…

by **Achaean Republic** » Thu Jan 26, 2023 1:58 pm

Y-JACIE: We’re halfway there, Santa Ana! It looks like two more countries received ten points each from Phase One…

by **Achaean Republic** » Thu Jan 26, 2023 2:01 pm

Y-JACIE: So this is where it gets fun! The next country that received 13 points is…

Seems like we’re done with the duplicates, aren’t we?

by **Achaean Republic** » Thu Jan 26, 2023 2:03 pm

Y-JACIE: The next country that has 15 points is…

by **Achaean Republic** » Thu Jan 26, 2023 2:08 pm

CAROLINA CHOI: Next up, with 18 points, we have…

68th World Hit Festival|Santa Ana, Achaean Rep,|IC Thread

Achaean Republic: Postcard

11|Achaean Republic #ach

Ice States: Postcards

12| Ice States #tis

Malta Comino Gozo: Postcard

13| Malta Comino Gozo #mcg

Skanden: Postcard

14| Skanden #skn

Normandy and Picardy: Postcard

15| Normandy and Picardy #npr

Elejamie: Postcard

16| Elejamie #ejm

Voting Begins!

Voting Instructions

Y-Jacie & Los Badaleros-"Querida"

Marco Tolentino-"Quise Hacerte Feliz"

Countdown and a Chat with the Overseer

Phase One: The First Points

Phase One: Next Points

Phase One: Next Points

Phase One: Next Points

Phase One: Next Points

Phase One: More Points

Phase One: More Points

Phase One: More Points

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