World Hit Festival 42 - Altan, Kalosia | IC Thread

by **Kalosia** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 2:04 pm

OOC THREAD

(to be completed)

List of Competing Nations

01
Fromulya
Satu — Fromulyan All-Stars

02
Vartugia
Sad Song — Kam Jang Un ÿ Danald Tropm

03
Darkmania
Min Sang — A Guy and His Guitar

04
Tödlichebujoku
Fighting to Win — Kaapo Séélinen

05
Anollasia
42 — Lindsey Douglas & Hanna Adams

06
Normandy & Picardy
Feu — The Tapestry

07
Kalosia
To e mo — Les Sórs du Nord

08
Scottish Socialists
Spooky Time — Mr Whatshisface

09
Polkopia
Alone — Nikolai Borischev

10
Izmedu
The Fighter — Gabrijel Celina

11
Llalta
Start a Fire — Esther Winterbourne

12
Grellenbyooša-ga
Rikki Sakarni — Karališkas

13
Estogium
On Trial — SKIDMORE

14
Titaniumland
Consequences — Alessia Manere

15
Hlhata States
Spread Your Wings and Fly — BoNina

16
Adab
Metropolis — Shana Arkasy

17
Pan-Asiatic States
Bahay-Silanganan — Batalyon Kalayaan

18
Mercedini
Truth or Dare — Tre Cuori

19
Britonisea
When Our Eyes Meet — Evangeline Hope

20
Todaskakys
Kylye — Kaloraju

by **Kalosia** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 2:06 pm

8:00 CET

It was time. Having gone through the final checks, the production crew spearheaded by Radiu-Televižio Kalosia finally initiated the live broadcast of the 42nd World Hit Festival in Altan. The RTVK theme played, indicating that it was a Kalosian broadcast, while the audience in the arena cheered. There was a quick 1-minute montage of people throughout Kalosia being moved to turn on their TV sets, and people in Altan to get going into the Festival venue. It soon ended and it was time to actually see what's going on inside.

Opening Act
"Your Song" - Magdalenë Ferer
tune: Tip Top — Nuša Derenda

Now on the TV screens was shown a panning of the exterior of the Altan Arena, where the contest was taking place.Then it switched to what appeared back stage, where a man in a tuxedo walked down a corridor into a dressing room. A lady is sitting there, wearing a glittery bathrobe and sunglasses, sipping iced coffee using a metal straw. The man hands a letter to the lady, who promptly reads it. She slowly takes off her sunglasses, as if in disbelief, and then puts the letter down. She suddenly gets up, takes off her robe to reveal a green pantsuit. The scene cuts to her strutting down the corridor, where she reaches the end of the hall, barred by 2 doors.
She, with all her might, pushes a big red button that looks like the one used in emergencies. An alarm appears to go off (like in the tune), the doors open, and the lighting makes it so it appears she is walking into white light. She slowly makes her way through the door.

That woman is Magdalenë Ferer, host of the 42nd World Hit Festival.

Now the audience can finally see actual footage from the live arena. We can see a silhouette slowly walking onto stage. The lights shine on her in time for her singing to begin.

The moon is rising surely
The night is coming around
You’ll show your colours, truly
And we’ll party ’til dawn

The LED lights begin to flash to the beat in the background, and Magdalenë begins to make a few movements. The cameras change dynamically in every line in this next part.

We gather around
The music in town
Creations from work and play
You will blow them all away

She is now joined by 4 backing dancers dressed like this (without the masks). They do some pretty upbeat choreography, of course Magdalenë's moves not being as fast-paced since she's singing and all.

Your song — it is bursting with power
Your song — feeling sadness or glee
Your song — it will grow by the hour
Like a tidal wave at sea

Your song — Come and wave your flag proudly
Come and sing your song loudly
It’s who you want to be
Who’ll win the World Hit Festival?

The dancers move away and the camera focuses more on Magdalenë now. The lights become subdued and stop flashing.

The vibe, it drives you crazy
A truly beautiful sight
The L-E-Ds feel hazy
It’s a disco tonight

Lights become flashy again.

We gather around
The music in town
Creations from work and play
You will blow them all away

And again the backing singers join her once again.

Your song — it is bursting with power
Your song — feeling sadness or glee
Your song — it will grow by the hour
Like a tidal wave at sea

Your song — Come and wave your flag proudly
Come and sing your song loudly
It’s who you want to be
Who’ll win the World Hit Festival?

The stage lights go off but the LED lights remain. You can only see silhouettes of those on stage now, as they perform a dance number. The camera angles deliberately choose close-ups of the figures on stage to add to the intimacy of this part. The lights then come back on as Magdalenë vocalizes and now it's time for a new set of dance moves, slower ones, although the LEDs pulsate still.

Your song — it is bursting with power
Your song — feeling sadness or glee

Now the backing dancers are back to the moves from before although Magdalenë is focusing on her voice, opting for power poses and moves instead.

Your song — it will grow by the hour
Like a tidal wave at sea

Your song — Come and wave your flag proudly
Come and sing your song loudly
It’s who you want to be
Who’ll win the World Hit Festival?

Now the dancers gather around Magdalenë to make the final moves of this performance.

Who’ll win the World Hit Festival?

As the song ends, a quick shot of pyrotechnics are launched and the audience cheers.

hosts intervention

The camera pans towards the audience while the backing dancers leave the stage, leaving behind Magdalenë to carry out her duties. Then as the crowd calms down the camera goes back to Magdalenë, who now has a set of cue cards in her hand.

Good evening world! My name is Magdalenë Ferer and I will be your host for tonight.

Tonight, we are all gathered here in the Altan arena for a mission. A HUGE operation involving personnel from 20 countries. Tonight, delegations from 20 states will present their sounds to the world. You will be expected to here 20 different musical contributions encompassing life, the universe, and everything — hence the Festival theme.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to vote for the best song of the night. You will be guided through the use of our voting graphics, which will provide you with sufficient information that would be needed for you to carry out your duty. You will need one cellphone, which you will have to provide yourself. Further information will be provided once we reach the voting segment of this show, but for now we must execute the first leg of this mission, which is to evaluate all 20 songs. Do not disappoint me.

Good luck, and let the 42nd World Hit Festival BEGIN!!!!!

More pyrotechnics came out as the crowd cheered. Now it was time to view the first postcard of the night, and it was of the Republic of Fromulya.

by **Kalosia** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 2:10 pm

These boxes will be replaced by the postcards as they come.

01. Fromulya
"Satu" - Fromulyan All-Stars
Title Translation: One
Language(s): Indonesian
Lyrics: Fromulyan All-Stars
Music: Fromulyan All-Stars
Tune: Song of Victory - Various Artists (Asian Para Games 2018 Official Theme Song)

The Fromulyan All-Stars are an ad hoc group of Fromulyan artists from all over the country who agreed to meet with the goal of collaborating on a song that would send a message of peace and unity across Fromulya. This act was done in response to the ever-heating state of Fromulyan politics, unfortunately following a pattern that is all too common now across the world.

This is a quite unique entry from the archipelago. We have never seen Fromulya do something quite like this, so will this be the breakthrough they are looking for?

As the song begins, one can hear some drums and the sounds of traditional chants. Slowly, one by one, the members of the Fromulyan All-Stars step forth. Each of them wear traditional Fromulyan clothing from their own respective regions (something like this but perhaps with more men). The stage is still dark though, so you can only see their silhouettes.

Eh oh
Oh eh oh
Eh eh oh
Oh eh oh

The lights are now on and you can see all members of the Fromulyan All-Stars standing together in a single-file line, side by side.

Oh
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh

Oh
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh

The singers take turns singing these lines. The camera focuses on them as they sing. In the background, various short video snapshots of life in diverse, cultural Fromulya can be seen.

Dalam masa yang sulit
Jangan sampai hati menjadi sempit
Dibawah satu langit
Tuk tumbuh kita menanam bibit

All together. Occasionally the cameras pan to members of the audience, specifically fans supporting Fromulya. Just like the performers, some of them are also wearing traditional garb.

Oh
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh

Again, more singers get their turn.

Kita punya harapan
Untuk bersatu, jalan bersama
Ini bukan balapan
Kita menghargai perbedaan

They sing this next part, the chorus, together. The LED lights behind them are truly coming to life to the rhythm of the song.

Dalam segala penjuru negeri
Kitalah keindahan dunia
Kita tak akan sungkan berbagi
Bersatu demi Fromulya

More audience shots in between shots of the singers. In fact, this song is catchy enough that now the audience, not knowing a word of Indonesian, knows what to sing together with the singers:

Oh
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh

Oh
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh

Another few singers get their solo part. This next verse appears to have a few more cultural sounds in it.

Punya visi dan misi
Untuk rukun dalam berbedaan
Hati tetap berisi
Dengan harapan, dengan impian

And all together.

Dalam segala penjuru negeri
Kitalah keindahan dunia
Kita tak akan sungkan berbagi
Bersatu demi Fromulya

As they go again, the audience joins them, creating a very lively atmosphere fostering the feeling of togetherness among both Fromulyans and non-Fromulyans alike. It was hoped that this type of emotion would be what would be felt by Fromulyans in their own country — a sense of unity among diversity.

Oh
Oh oh oh (Bersatu demi Fromulya)
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh (Bersatu demi Fromulya)

Oh
Oh oh oh (Bersatu demi Fromulya)
Oh oh oh (Bersatu demi Fromulya)
Oh oh oh

And the song ended. Rather abrupt it may have appeared to be, but the audience cheered for them. They all held hands and took a bow, and then together said "TERIMA KASIH!" before leaving the stage.

by **Kalosia** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 2:12 pm

02. Vartugia
"Sad Song" - Kam Jang Un ÿ Danald Tropm
Language(s):English, with lines in Robloxian
Lyrics: We. Want. Points. Now
Music:Please. Give. Us. All. Your. Point
Tune: Amaia y Alfred - Tu Canción

Kam Jang Un and Danald Tropm are two lovebird who has a love of nuking, singing sad song and somehow breaking the 4th wall accidentally. They are gonna sing "Sad Song" as they are just here to confuse the eff out of yall.

Danald Tropm are all alone on stage with a generic dress. Kam Jang Un wears the most beautiful dress you can idmastion as the writer ends up writing a typo, fuck! We will only hear Kam`S voice as Kam hasn't entered the stage yet. They peform their song out of tune and they sing awfull. Also, they do so bad stagepeformence, it too spicy for this thread. So just think of a train-wreck instead.

L. O. L We sing song
Now we are helding a microphone
To sing and we`re sad
Etiriseriuitgrv æøåøåøåååååå+å qurey
(And to cry like yall do)

Out of nowhere, Kam Jang Un enters the stage with the dress.

I love nuking
Me too, Donny

Dabbing.

Singing a sad song. Oh God, we are crying
The tears are flooding the venue
We are sad. Oh my God. Smash the like button
Singing a sad song. Oh God, we are crying like you know who

The tears begin to roll. ~~Izmedu will be proud of us.~~

Thjrbtqr er wiotqocncc w4iutpoqwhn ov
(I swear that we gonna cry now)

45TER 69 EOIRQOERH NRLYI VOTE US!
(We`re sad so please vote us!)

Now we are guaranteed a fiver from Izmedu
And Y`all gonna cry and sob with us n00bz

Dabbing.

Singing a sad song. Oh God, we are crying
The tears are flooding the venue
We are sad. Oh my God. Smash the like button
Singing a sad song. Oh God, we are crying

They pull out a big red button with the text "NUKE DARKMANIA" in comic sans and they press it.

I love nuking
Me too, Danny
Let us sing
A sad song *long badly sung note*
*More screaming than singing*

They nuke "Darky".

Singing a sad song. Oh God, we are crying
The tears are flooding the venue
We are sad. Oh my God. Smash the like button
Singing a sad song. Oh God, we are crying like you know who

The audience have left and there is only empty seats.

by **Kalosia** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 2:18 pm

03. Darkmania
"Min Sang" - A Guy And His Guitar (Danÿel Rÿstad)
Title Translation: My Song
Language(s): Norwegian
Lyrics: Danÿel Rÿstad
Music: Danÿel Rÿstad
Tune: Iron & Wire- Naked As We Came

Danÿel Rÿstad (25th June 1991) are the darkmanian repenentiive for World Hit Festival, who bring his old guitar as he just want to play on his guitar in front of the other as he belive the music presented in WHF is "too much plastic pop and untanlented, auto-tuned gibberish. Why care of calm music when you can get someone who dosent even speak english to sing?"

Danÿel is all alone on the stage, dressed in casual clothes. The LED background is just a still image of a forest. He has his guitar and a mic stand, something he will always have doing this performance. He is placed in the middle of the main stage. It

Her er min sang. Spiller til alle sammen.
(Here is my song. Playing it to everyoen)

Jeg har laget denne sang
(I have made this song)

Hvorfor skal vi stresse oss når vi kan ta noen minutter rolig?
(Why shall we stress us when we can take some minutes calm?)

Jeg har min gamle gitar med meg Jeg har min gamle gitar med meg
(I have my old guitar with me)

Noter fuller rommet, fra min gitar
(Notes are fulling the room, from my guitar)

Håper at du får en rolig glad følelse av min sang
(Hoping that you gets a calm happines of my song)

The audience gives a clue that they like the song as it clear as Danÿel is smiling as the audience likes his song.

Jeg står alene her på scenen
(I am standing alon on the stage)

Og tryller frem magi
(And it make some magic)

Øyeblikker blir magiske når noter blir spilt
(Moments gets magicals when notes gets played)

Jeg har min gamle gitar med meg
(I have my old guitar with me)

Noter fuller rommet, fra min gitar
(Notes are fulling the room, from my guitar)

Håper at du får en rolig glad følelse av min sang
(Hoping that you gets a calm happiness of my song)

He steps several steps away from the mic stand as a steady cam from the left sweeps around him as he plays the last notes of his song. The mostly just has his main focus toward the audience and doesn't look at the camera.

The audience gives a sound wave of positive noises as Danÿel are seen happy. "Molte gražie, Kalosia. Thank you!" Danÿel waves and thanks to the audience. A sea of flags from the venue has seen someone who just came to play on his guitar.

by **Kalosia** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 2:24 pm

04. Tödlichebujoku
"Fighting To Win" - Kaapo Séélinen
Language(s): English
Lyrics: Kaapo Séélinen
Music: Kaapo Séélinen, VY
Tune: Zayde Wolf - King

"Sometimes your greatest enemy is yourself. Once I figured that out, every setback was less of a dead end and more of an opportunity."

"But don't you still have crises? How about when people don't take you seriously? When you're sidelined in favor of someone else? Isn't that a real-world realization of your deepest trauma and fear??"

"Well, I mean yeah I have my moments and such, but I think you're reading a bit much-"

"Like how about when you're touring and people scramble to meet you but it's all really just because you're a generic famous person that they're going to go home and brag to their friends about?? Brag about how a celebrity simply breathed on them? Or made eye contact? Isn't the soulless commodification of your image and the mindless praise really all only a force to hollow out your success and feed on your formerly repressed scars? How does that force you to view your past? Is your upcoming participation in WHF just a last-gasp attempt to connect with a long-denied childhood fantasy? A final attempt at pursuing a fulfilling variety of fame to bring a sense of closure to a troubled past and a tumultuous career??"

"Uh... well, I suppose that's what I get for accepting an interview in Izmedu, heh... I think it's best we go into this some other time maybe, I really do have to go."

- Kaapo Séélinen, in an interview with Jure Badbić, notorious Izmeduan host

So SterGo100 had been missing from WHF for quite some time. Though the broadcaster had often noted its intent to participate in previous editions, efforts did not pan out and so it would perennially withdraw from competition. However, with the auspicious number 42 arising, SterGo100 was fully intent on a complete participation in WHF. And not just any old participation. The broadcaster had opted to bring back its glory days, before the One Chance series had set in with mid-table rankings, and embarked on an intensive search for entries of appropriate qualities. The perfect storm of song, style, and performer came along in the form of Kaapo Séélinen's "Fighting To Win", which was soon prepared to perform in Kalosia. Obviously, the broadcaster's budget came into consideration, with the money saved from abstaining from earlier contests combined with the fruit from various earlier investments allowing for a properly polished performance. In the spirit of cooperation and international aid, SterGo100 has also been contributing to the RTI Help Fund to sustain that broadcaster's culture of emotion in art. All said, the Tödlichebujoki broadcaster has become fully committed in what will hopefully be a knockout show in Altan, Kalosia.

Born in the outskirts of Éuszerstenkeiken but raised in nearby Sinnlichšukai, Kaapo had always had a fascination with music. From the temple hymns of his early youth to the hard-hitting experimental material he turned to when family drama began to break, music was a constant in Kaapo's life. His style is highly tuned to this latter stage of his life, where his extended family began to fracture over a witch's brew of personality conflicts and financial dishonesty. With a barrage of high-pitched arguments conducted over a number of holiday gatherings and the delicate game of invitation and dis-invitation that his parents had to navigate constantly, Kaapo was desperate to avoid any memory of a lesser time, diving into a final fantasy composed of eight primary artists that provided music he could reliably escape to. Blessed with parents that were able to keep the nucleus of their familial unit together, and tolerate Kaapo's less-than-traditional musical inclinations, Kaapo was able to weather to the worst of the vile relations without becoming the center of any rifts. However, he did not escape without internal turmoil, which he had kept repressed for years after his parents had escaped the majority of the fallout. Lately, in an interview by an Izmeduan journalist driven by that nation's intense ~~fetish~~ fixation on emotional strife, Kaapo revealed how he unpacked his feelings and what the process had revealed.
The constant setting of drama had instilled in him a concept of a world of dishonesty, distrust, and universally hateful people, and had driven him to believe that if nearly everyone else had these attributes, then he must as well. Even his parents had to engage in the odd regrettable maneuver (that those on the receiving end had considered filthy backstabbing) when attempting to be rid of an undesirable situation. And so Kaapo himself found evil in nearly everything that he did, and the constant self-criticism wore him down to a nub. It took several major breakdowns- in school, at home, while working odd jobs, and finally in the studio- before he finally found peace. Sometimes the flaws weren't worth worrying over. Sometimes the flaws weren't flaws at all. And most of the time, worrying just made the tea go cold. With a new mindset, Kaapo finally began to be able to bring the full force of his passion into his working life, and eventually began to climb the ladder of success. Even so, Kaapo was shocked at being selected as the Tödlichebujoki representative in the 42nd World Hit Festival, believing he was hitting far above his station. Despite the patient assurances of one of his major industry mentors, he took quite some time to adjust to the reality.

Sinnlichšukai glimmered in the rising sun as Tödlichebujoku entered into a new day. Fog seemed to lap up against the coastal foothills from Kaapo's view from a shoreline cliff. He turned to his good friend and mentor Heinrich, whose face seemed radiantly red in the waxing light as the two rested on their brooms, breaths rising like miniature versions of the great mass of fog below. No words were needed. Enough had been said, again and again before. The dark trees rustled in the cool breeze, their piney scent light and fresh in the chill. Far away from others, it seemed like the moment would never end, a holy moment when the powers above seemed nearly tangible. And Kaapo savored that closeness. There was hope, and there was beauty. There was silence, and there was peace.

A flash of blue was quickly followed by flashes of white, as Kaapo stood in the center of the stage in black leather. A single red circle formed around him on the white stage floor. Aside from that, everything is in black and white. Kaapo slips into his "concert mode", finding a thrill in performing an act. There's a good reason he's been working out lately, and his results are visible even if they're well covered by layers. As he sings, he almost seems cocky, but that's just how he deals with stage fright in his "concert mode". Meanwhile, a similarly dressed man in a black cap plays on what appears to be a white piano with a glowing red underside, on the projecting platform

Tempting me with fate
Threatening with knife's-edge cold

He's dynamic, bouncing on his feet a bit. He now swivels to the side while still looking to the audience, one leg fairly ahead of the other, as if ready for a challenge. The red circle beneath him is jumping to the beat

As if I'll surrender
When I'm backed by swords of gold

A series of spotlights from behind the stage floor brilliantly flash gold for a split second. Kaapo turns back toward the audience, marching in place, his hips swaying with just a hint of fun. Two backing dancers in dark robes join him, and march in synchrony. Meanwhile, the rest of the arena's interior lights blink on and off to the beat, in a pattern that travels from the stage area to the back of the arena

We've been hunting our inner demons from dusk to dawn
And we've been soldiers of light but now we're far, too gone

He and his dancers stop, slash the air with an arm in an action that ends in a gestural "no" with a finger wag and then a thrust of the chin

But no we won't break
When darkness awakes
We're running a stranglehold

Spotlights swoop to the main stage. Together, Kaapo and the dancers turn to one side, still facing the audience, and dance as one, hands on their hips and launching a fist into the air at each repetition of the word "win". The background looks like a theater marquee, with glittering gold and white lights, and the stage floor is an expanding radial pattern of golden swords on a black and white background. Full of energy, Kaapo is living as he sings the chorus

We're fighting to win (-i-i-in)
We're fighting to win (-i-i-in)

The dancers withdraw as the excess lights fade out and the attention is on Kaapo and the pianist. Kaapo smiles into the camera, a captivating dreamy look on his face

(Oh..)
(Oh..)
My heart is beatin' crazy
And firelight burns through the sky

The stage floor is an animated pattern of criss-crossing red lines as Kaapo skips along the stage edge

Our arsenal is sacred
So we're not gonna stop til we die

He stops near the center and begins a languid, side-to-side type of dance. His dancers, well, sort of sashay in while executing that same dance, before they all begin to march toward the projecting platform and the piano

Not gonna stop!
We've been hunting our inner demons from dusk to dawn
And we've been soldiers of light but now we're far, too gone

Once there, they march in place at an angle to the audience before whipping their heads directly forward. That pianist is having one heck of a time playing the piano

We never will wait
Till evil abates
We're running a stranglehold

The stage lights sweep out as Kaapo and the dancers repeat the hands-on-hips, mildly gyrating dance they had done earlier, but this time they clap above their heads to the beat instead of fist pumping. You can tell Kaapo is having the time of his life. Meanwhile on the main stage floor, a number of golden swords converge on a point, tip first, in a repeating animation

We're fighting to win (-i-i-in)
We're fighting to win (-i-i-in)

The lights tone down, so that it is just Kaapo and the piano that are illuminated. He stops moving about for a bit as he pays his full attention to the audience and the camera, as if speaking to them

You're unstoppable

The lights darken further still. It is clear that the piano is being illuminated from within as well. Roving patterns of brilliant light arc across the back and sides of the arena and along the edges of the stage

You're unstoppable
You're fighting to win

You're unstoppable
You're fighting to win

The light in that piano is growing more intense, and one might be able to make out some other colors if it weren't for the camera's focus on Kaapo's focused expression, gazing deep into the audience and the camera view

You're unstoppable

The remaining spotlights cut out and now the arena is utterly dark except for a wild constellation of lights that blink to the drumbeats, briefly illuminating it from a variety of constantly changing angles, almost like a lightning storm trapped in an arena. At one point, a series of sparks bursts out from the piano area, but it is difficult to see what happened.

All of a sudden, Kaapo and company are once again illuminated, now with what is revealed to be a keyboard with a disco ball hanging in an aluminum framework. Multicolored LEDs line the framework, but the real lighting effect comes as a spotlight shines upon the disco ball, casting multicolored lights across the arena. The camera finally zooms into the keyboardist, revealing Heinrich, better known as Vulki, playing and having an excellent time at the bench. Kaapo sheds his jacket, to reveal a white shirt that slowly turns into an array of multicolored squares, as if the disco ball's colors had imprinted onto his shirt. Kaapo then focuses on singing and clapping, bouncing around the projecting platform and then on back to the main stage. His dancers follow suit, but in a much more organized and choreographed manner, continuing that dance from before. Back on the main stage, the stage floor is composed of a series of white-edged rainbow triangles whirling in and out of view on a black background. Arena spotlights criss-cross from left to right over the audience, along the interior of the arena

We're fighting to win (-i-i-in)
We're fighting to win (-i-i-in)
We're fightin, fightin, we're fighting for the win (-i-i-in)
We're fighting to, we're fighting to,
We're fighting to win (-i-i-in)

Shining just a bit with sweat, and on a euphoric high from the final chorus, Kaapo is back and centered on the main stage. The spotlights over the audience cut out, and all attention and light is on him

We fight, we're fighting to win

The lights quickly fade out with Kaapo with a fist high up in the air, and his dancers collapsed at either side but reaching up, as if supporting him

"Kiitos, gražia Altan! Kiitos kaikille!" shouted Kaapo with a bit of a wheeze before bowing with his dancers and Heinrich. Adrenaline pumping, he felt as high as if he had just performed in front of all his core fans back at home. And in a way, he was. Full of excited energy yet also quite winded from the performance, he was entirely ready to drop into his greenroom seat and party with the rest of WHF. Maybe chat with Gabriel Celina as well, they had similar styles and that surname similarity was definitely a talking point!

by **Kalosia** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 2:25 pm

05. Anollasia
"42" - Lindsey Douglas and Hanna Adams
Language(s): English
Lyrics: Lindsey Douglas, Hanna Adams, Michael Bergan, Thomas Bertrot
Music: Lindsey Douglas, Hanna Adams, Megan Keilburg, Sercan Azak, Yusuf Tokcan, Mert Callough
Tune: ABBA - Waterloo

Lindsey Douglas and Hanna Adams appear on stage, dressed in white frilly dresses. The backing band starts playing the music and the two singers join in. The lights flash with each "bang bang" in the music.

My my
It's forty-two, I never thought we'd get here
Oh yes
Britonisea is now overseer, Izmedu make way
An era has now reached its end
Now here's what I have to say

The singers extend the last verse in unison and then chorus starts, also inviting the saxophone to come in. Lindsey and Hanna starting moving about, twisting their hips and kicking their feet.

Forty-two!
The number that's my own wonderwall
Forty-two!
It's time for us to reveal the score
Forty-two!
Would you believe the answer's in front of you?
Forty-two!
No it's much more than just one or two
Forty, forty, forty, fo-
Forty-two!
Told you the answer is forty-two

Lindsey and Hanna scream briefly. The saxophone is once again silenced, but the rest of the band and the singers are still going with the same light flashes in the intro.

My my
Can this go on for so much longer?
Oh yes
Let's try to get to World Hit Festival number sixty-nine
It's time for us to let loose
Come on, free yourself from your noose

The saxophone is back and once again the singers sing the groovy chorus and dance their groovy dance.

Forty-two!
The number that's my own wonderwall
Forty-two!
It's time for us to reveal the score
Forty-two!
Would you believe the answer's in front of you?
Forty-two!
No it's much more than just one or two
Forty, forty, forty, fo-
Forty-two!
Told you the answer is forty-two

The singers stop dancing and sing a short bridge.

It's time for us to let loose
Come on, free yourself from your noose

They're back to the chorus and dancing with glee. The blaring saxophonist is breathing life into his instrument and the rest of the band is playing with vigour as well.

Forty-two!
Would you believe the answer's in front of you?
Forty-two!
No it's more than just one or two
Forty, forty, forty, fo-
Forty-two!
Told you the answer is forty-two
Forty-two!
No it's much more than one or two
Forty, forty, forty, fo-
Forty-two!
Told you the answer is forty-two

The sound is gradually lowered and they finish the song. The audience cheers, to which Lindsey replies with a "thank you" and they leave the stage, with the band packing up as well.

by **Kalosia** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 2:28 pm

06. Normandy and Picardy
"Feu" - The Tapestry
Title Translation: Fire
Language(s): English, Normand French
Lyrics: Marcel Poisson, Jean-Phillipe Ferdanne
Music: Marcel Poisson, Hervé Alaphillipe, Jean Rousseau
Tune: Saint Motel - Move

Translation in brackets and italics

The stage was completely pitch black, not a single light to be seen. Beyond the slight murmuring of the crowd, it was silent as well. All of a sudden, the sound of clapping which forms the opening of the song can be heard. All the viewers saw was a pair of hands that seemed to appear out of nowhere, lit by a bright light; they were lit up to the wrist, with the veins brought out by some makeup work (this is deliberate). Then, another pair of hands was shown, this time lit by red and covered in red, as if drenched in blood. Then, when the third round of clapping began, the camera zoomed out suddenly, showing the two pairs of hands to be on opposite sides of the stage. In the middle, a lone man was lit by a faded white light, with his back turned from the audience on the camera. Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and the camera zoomed in rapidly. The man turned around on his heels and turned to face the camera as the lights in the arena came to life. It could be seen that the man in the middle was Marcel Poisson, lead singer, and the two pairs of hands on either side of the stage belonged to Hervé Alaphillipe and Jean Rousseau, the two other members.

Feu! (Fire)

The background showed the hills as they are meant to be depicted, and as in the logo, but instrad of the sun we have a full moon, and the light screen at the lit so as to make the screen look the night sky with stars twinkling. A series of spotlights from the back of the stage move around. Overall the appearance is meant to look something like the hills above Hollywood, sans the sign. As the verse begins, after some camera panning, the camera zooms in to show Marcel. He is sat behind a cutout of a TV screen, the edges of which will matxh up with the edges of the TV's of the audience at home. Marcel picks up some papers from the desk and shuffles them, looking up to the camera and singing. At the end of the first line, with the repeated 'o-o-o', Marcel leans forwards and twists a knob at the side, temporarily breaking the illusion. When this happens at the end of the second line, the TV screens falls over flat and the cameras zoom back. It turns out even the desk was a lie, just a bit of cardboard sticking out of the back.

This boy, this lonely little boy who thinks he controls the o-o-oceans
This man, this lost little man, setting events all in mo-o-otion

As the prechorus began, the lights in the arena suddenly turned red and began to pulse. The camera view, starting out over the audience after a sweeping panoramic shot, twisted in, zooming in on Marcel, and ending up upside down when it finished zooming in, just before the chorus began. Marcel acted as if nothing had happened, and just shrugged at the camera.

Won't hear it, won't see it
He'll throw his the toys out the pram
And we're the ones who will know

The lights suddenly changed to normal (ie a mix of white and gold) as the chorus began, and the rest of the band (who had just been pretending to perform on stage) joined him at he middle, with them all just acting like old friends, in a total (and deliberate, it should be added) juxtaposition to the lyrics. In the background, the word Feu! is suddenly lit up, and looms much like the Hollywood sign. There were a series of panning shots and shots over the audience, alongside some closer ones of Marcel and friends all looking like they're having a jolly.

Regardez la, ouais, regardez la, feu! (Watch the, yeah, watch the fire)
Écoutez des, ouais, écoutez des, cris! (Listen to, yeah, listen to the cries
Tout le monde, nous allons payer la prix! (Everyone, we'll pay the price)
La la la la la, ouais, ouais, ouais, ouais

See it all burn, see it all burn, feu!
This ain't a TV show any more, kid
So keep pushing the button, yes
La la la la la, ouais, ouais, ouais, ouais

As the verse began, Marcel patted Hervé on the shoulder and walks out towards the catwalk (although he doesn't reach it). The camera kept relatively close to him whilst keeping him in full view, and behind him a series of freestanding LED screens brought in by RTN-NTV showed a series of glowing neon signs etc., adverts for all sorts and the like. As he walked on, one of the screens we can see a TV screen with a presenter who looks like Marcel presenting the news whilst fire rages in the studio. This happened at the end of the first line of the verse, causing Marcel to seem to get stuck for a moment. He continued walking past the screens onto the catwalk, leavinf the camera behind him.

This girl, this girl who is lost inside her great dreams of pow-ow-ower
Too small to look, too small to see beyond the edge of her to-ow-ower

Pretty much the same here happened as with the first prechorus, except each band member was shown in turn; each one began turned away from the camera and proceeded to flick their head towards the camera.

Won't stop now, can't stop now
A tear and we're washed away
And there's nothing we can say

Once again, the lights returned to white and gold. However, the "Feu!" in the background suddenly seemed to explode and set aflame, which naturally is not a good sign. Marcel and friends crossed the catwalk and onto the forward stage platform thing. Marcel reached down and high-fived members of the audience as the band generally just larked around a central platform. Spotlights did their thing as the fire slowly began to spread across the hill.

Regardez la, ouais, regardez la, feu! (Watch the, yeah, watch the fire)
Écoutez des, ouais, écoutez des, cris! (Listen to, yeah, listen to the cries
Tout le monde, nous allons payer la prix! (Everyone, we'll pay the price)
La la la la la, ouais, ouais, ouais, ouais

See it all burn, see it all burn, feu!
This ain't a TV show any more, kid
So keep pushing the button, yes
La la la la la, ouais, ouais, ouais, ouais

Suddenly there was a wash of red over the stage and the lights, and some fun camera effects were put into place (by which I mean they were cool in the 60s and 70s, but now were probably the result of an intern playing around on some editing software). The audience were shown a screen with 3/4 black, and the top left corner showing Marcel's face, profile towards the camera. Then, as he said "deux "(or rather Hervé, who sang this section), the top left corner was filled with Marcel's face from the left side, then with "trois" his face from the right, and with "quatre" his front profile but upside down. This split effect remained for the next line, showing him singing in all different sides. Then, a band vertically upwards appeared covering a 1/3 of the screen from the left appeared showing Hervé, full body, singing and playing the guitar. Then, with 'B', another 1/3 was covered on the right with Jean, also generally playing and grooving to the music, and with 'C' the central remainig third was filled with Marcel. For 'D', the screens at home will have suddenly flashed the image of a group of toddlers dressed up in various army uniforms all playing around a big res button, before the view returned to the arena where the band where shown, in a near complete square with Marcel forming the front face/side and Hervé and Jean two of the other sides.

Un, deux, trois, quatre (One, two, three, four)
Le monde entier est dans nos mains (The entire world is in your hands)
A, B, C, D
Soyez sage, juste pour un jour (Please behave, just for one day)

When the word 'red' was sung, a TV error screen type thing like the BBC Test Card appeared, but the middle circle showed the view in the stadium with the band continuing to play. Then, when 'north' was sung, an image of what appeared to be a nuclear submarine, which was then revealed to be a toy in a tub with some ice cubes, being moved about by a young kid, was shown on TV screens around the multiverse. With 'East', the image if marching boots over a square, like some sort of military parade, where shown, with the camera moving up to show it was children, all of who creepily looked like Marcel, who were marching.The feed returned to the stadium once more to show Marcel, hand pointed at the camera, and after he sung the last line of the bridge he winked as the camera zoomed past his head.

Red, green, yellow, blue
Try to think before you do
North, South, East, West
Don't worry baby, you're always the best

As the final chorus began, it became apparent that the fire from the Feu! sign in the background was beginning to rage out of control on the hill graphic. Smoke began to appear provides by some handy smoke machines, and a crack was superimposed over the camer view. The band came back over the catealk and past the large LED screens where the signs were flickering and falling off. The screen with the Marcel-like news presenter was shown again, with the presenter engulfed in flame but still carrying on. As they walked past, it seemed like flames were beginning to flicker at the bottom of the screens. The smoke became denser and the camera shots became more erratic moving this way and that. The band, however, carried on as if everything was fine. They reached the TV screen cutout, which the lifted back up. They all got behind the screen, with the camera trying to remain focused on it like at the beginning but moving around. With the first repetition of the final line of the chorus, Hervé reached out and tried to hold the camera in place before returning, which seemed to do the job. Smoke was wisping behind the screen and, given the angle of the camera and where the cutout was placed the fire from the hill was all that could be seen in the background. With the second repetition, the lights suddenly seemed to cut before flickering back into life, and with the final repetition the lights cut off completely.

Regardez la, ouais, regardez la, feu! (Watch the, yeah, watch the fire)
Écoutez des, ouais, écoutez des, cris! (Listen to, yeah, listen to the cries
Tout le monde, nous allons payer la prix! (Everyone, we'll pay the price)
La la la la la, ouais, ouais, ouais, ouais

See it all burn, see it all burn, feu!
This ain't a TV show any more, kid
So keep pushing the button, yes
La la la la la, ouais, ouais, ouais, ouais
La la la la la, ouais, ouais, ouais, ouais
La la la la la, non, non, non, non

That was it, it was all over. There were the usual customary "Merci"s and all that jazz.

by **Kalosia** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 2:29 pm

07. Kalosia
"To e mo" - Les Sórs du Nord
Title Translation: You and me
Language(s): Cafalonesque
Lyrics: Matilda Marchjand, Veroniche Marchjand
Music: Valentin Chjarpentir, Matilda Marchjand, Veroniche Marchjand
Tune: Will You Dance with Me? — Noa & Mira Awad

Following the victory of Corpus Calosum in Polumisec, the band's home nation celebrated. Radiu-Televižio Kalosia willingly accepted the honour of hosting the 42nd edition of the World Hit Festival. But a question persisted: Who will it be to take up the grand task of following the footsteps of the victors of the World Hit Festival?

The 36th Festival dele Melodie Kalosiane was to be held as normal. A couple of editions ago, after many many months of lobbying, organizers agreed to make a minor change in the criteria of songs: the rule originally stating "competing songs must have a majority of its lyrics in Kalosian" was changed to "competing songs must have a majority of its lyrics in a language native to Kalosia." Just as the change was subtly made, its publication was too — RTVK had not announced this change nor discussed its implications. But legally, it was clear that songs in local dialects of Kalosian as well as regional languages spoken on the island of Kalos were now eligible to compete in the country's national final for the World Hit Festival.

That being said, it had seemed that songs not in standard Kalosian had never made the cut. Sure, a song with Armenian lyrics was entered and won the festival a couple of editions back, but that was a decision allowed by the broadcaster on a case-by-case basis. Although a few songwriters would submit songs not entirely in standard Kalosian, RTVK seldom deemed them good enough, always citing other reasons such as the tune or musical composition.

This edition, that changed. One of the many submissions was a song entirely not in Kalosian. It was in Cafalonesque (Langó Cafalonesche), a regional language spoken in northern Kalosia, with many of its speakers being centered in the city of Kafalon. But not only was the song entirely not in Kalosian — musically, it was deemed a contender for the FMK title. Long conversations and discussions on whether it should be accepted or not were reportedly held in the broadcaster's offices. Ultimately, it was decided that the rules were rules, and that this song was to be accepted.

The song was written by Valentin Tšarpentjer and sisters Matilda and Veronikë Marčand, with the lyrics by the two sisters only. The three are Cafalonesque musicians, who, despite their Kalosianized names, have used Cafalonesque pen names in their work. Officially, as the songwriters of this song, they are credited as Valentin Chjarpentir, Matilda Marchjand, and Veroniche Marchjand. And the Marčand sisters together are a duet called Les Sórs du Nord (Cafalonesque for the Sisters of the North).

In fact, the song's artist officially is Les Sórs du Nord, and the song is called To e mo (Cafalonesque: You and me). In addition to being not in Kalosian, the lyrical content of this song also prompted those rumoured long discussions due to its nature. The song appears to have the theme of the suppression of Cafalonesque identity by Kalosian society. Indeed, the use of the Cafalonesque language was looked down upon during the reign of the Kingdom of Kalosia, and it some instances banned. In the years following the establishment of the Kalosian Republic in 1925, Cafalonesque and a few other regional languages spoken in Kalosia were officially recognized by the new government and granted protected status, although Kalosian remained the standard official language across the island. The sisters have said that the lyrics of the song was inspired by a letter they read, written by a victim of the Kafalon Riots in 1924, an incident where anti-monarchy protestors targeted Cafalonesque-speaking communities in Kafalon. Although the historical event is not considered a taboo or highly sensitive subject today, the changing face of Kalosian society has brought into question the treatment of minorities, and this song can perhaps be interpreted as a continuation of this discourse.

Ultimately, To e mo was accepted to compete at the 36th Festival dele Melodie Kalosiane. The sisters' performance on that night was well-received by the audience, and they subsequently won the right to represent Kalosia on home soil.

Now here they are, a few hours south of Kafalon, in a town in the Kalosian highlands called Altan. For the occasion, they have put on black gowns to match the rather somber nature of the song.

As the Kalosian postcard ended, there was a huge cheer in the audience as they welcomed the home entry. As the song began, the camera showed Matilda, standing alone on the main stage, as she sings this first part.

NOTE: these words would be pronounced as you would read Italian (NOT FRENCH) with the additional notes: Ç is pronounced S, Ó is pronounced like Ö or Ø, LL is pronounced like Kalosian Ľ or Italian GL, CHJ is pronounced like Č, and GJ is pronounced like Kalosian Ǧ or English J.

L’avtoma arive encora
Les foilles devenen óllet
Com çes memores de nostre passet
Mais gje ai to, tu as mo, nós vivons, si, to e mo

The camera now switches to one showing Veroniche, who stands on the satellite stage. The camera is angled so you can see Matilda in the background. You could also see that the lights above the background screen appear to emulate a starry night.

Gje ne pó cror che çe n’est ier
Cuand nós avons marchjet ensembla
Atraves la rua des espines
Mais gje ai to, tu as mo, nós vivons, si, to e mo

Now Veroniche starts walking towards the stage. In the next part Matilda sings the first two lines, followed by Veroniche singing two more, and then one each, and then the last line is sung together. So basically like the original tune.

Les annes ne ont nos guari
Le dolór est encor’ fraichje
E gj’ai l’espor en mon cur che
Tróverons la verta
Çeste verta
Nostre verta
Gje ai to, tu as mo, nós vivons, to e mo

The two are now together on stage, singing their story out to millions of viewers. Matilda sings the first line, then Veroniche, then Matilda, then together.

Tus nos resves ont disparu e
Le solil ne est revenu
Mais nós continons a le chjerchjer
E gje ai to, tu as mo, nós vivons, si, to e mo

Les annes ne ont nos guari
Le dolór est encor’ fraichj
E gj’ai l’espor en mon cur che
Tróverons la verta
Çeste verta
Nostre verta
Gje ai to, tu as mo, nós vivons, to e mo

The sisters now danced together, something like a waltz. In the background screen, you could see what appeared to a silhouette be a pair of children dancing this way, who then become teens, who then become young adults, you get the pattern all the way until they become elderly. The elderly couple dance on the screen until the end of the song. As the next part begins, the pair stop dancing.

Les annes ne ont nos guari
Le dolór est encor’ fraichj
E gj’ai l’espor en mon cur che
Tróverons la verta
Çeste verta
Nostre verta
Gje ai to, tu as mo, nós vivons, to e mo

Gje ai to, tu as mo, nós vivons, to e mo

Halfway through the next part the two do a little waltz again before continuing with the song.

Gje ai to, tu as mo, nós vivons, to e mo

The lights fade away and a spotlight remains on the two of them. The camera fixates on them as they look into each other's eyes and sing the last line of the song.

To e mo vivons

The crowd went wild. "Gražia Altan, Merçi Calosia!" the sisters exclaim before leaving the stage for the next entry.

by **Kalosia** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 2:32 pm

08. Scottish Socialists
"Spooky Time" - Mr Whatshisface
Language: English
Lyrics: Mr Whatshisface
Music: Mr Whatshisface
Tune: Donald Glover - Redbone

Spooky
I wake up feeling jealous of your beauty
I used to think that you were just a cutie
But then I looked right in your eyes

So wrong
The thoughts I used to have of you, so wrong
When you spoke to me, I tried hard to stay strong
I just could not resist your smile, oh

Feelin’ spooky, yeah
You got beauty, oh, oh, oh
Not a cutie, ooh
In your Suzuki, oh
Feelin’ spooky
You got beauty

Just go home
Peeps be creepin'
They gon' spook you
Gon' spook you stupid (oh)
Now go home
Peeps be creepin'
Just run right to your home

Scary
You just wanna go home, but now it's scary
These creepers coming out at night are hairy
I'm trying to make sure you're fine

Feelin' spooky, oh
You got beauty (you got beauty)
Not a cutie (revenge is a dish best served cold)
In your Suzuki, oh
Feelin’ spooky
You got beauty, ah!

Just go home (go home)
Peeps be creepin' (yeah, they creepin')
They gon' spook you (they gon' spook you)
Gon' spook you stupid (gon' spook you stupid, just gotta stay near me)
Now go home
Peeps be creepin'
Just run right to your home

Just go home (ooh, ah)
Peeps be creepin'
They gon' spook you (they gon' spook you)
Gon' spook you stupid (gon' spook you, gon' spook you, ooh)
Now go home
Peeps creepin'
Just run right to your home

Gonna see some skeletons
Oh, gonna see some skeletons
Oh, oh, gonna see, gonna see
Gonna see some skeletons
Gonna see some skeletons
Gonna see some skeletons
Spooky time
Spooky time

by **Kalosia** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 2:35 pm

09. Polkopia
"Alone" - Nikolai Borischev
Language(s): English
Lyrics: Nikolai Borischev, Ivan Borisov, Mariya Ellisova
Music: Mariya Ellisova, Nikolai Durmentsev
Tune: Ola - All Over The World

Nikolai Borischev is the youngest son of Fyodor Marshpan who had a hand in producing several of Polkopia's earliest Worldvision entries. His most well-known piece, One Thousand Notes, placed second in the 26th edition of the contest, and also happened to be his last time writing for Worldvision. Be that as it may, one would expect his children to have some sort of musical background. Nikolai and his five siblings all attended the same musical academy in Vlaska, Polkopia, although Nikolai is the only one of the five to focus primarily on vocals. Three of his siblings, Johanna, Anna, and Anatoly, all steered toward classical music, whereas Daria, the oldest of the five, emerged as a drum player for a band. Nikolai's success after graduating was questionable, however, as the city of Vlaska was heavily lacking in the music industry, and Nikolai was stubborn in his early adulthood and refused to leave the city he grew up in.

Six months after graduating, Nikolai decided to take to the internet to get discovered and posted several covers of popular songs all around the Internet. While these covers reached a broad audience and generated many views, it did nothing for Nikolai, who was still without a music contract. A year passed and his father hooked his son up with his colleague, who was desperately trying to stimulate the growth of the music industry in Vlaska, and in doing so, Nikolai was given a two-year contract. From there, he produced the single, "With You" and climbed to #33 on Polkopian clarts. Some time later, Nikolai's other songs earned placements in the Top 100 in Polkopian charts, and he began to draw talent from other areas of Polkopia who flocked to Vlaska to get discovered. Currently, Vlaska is listed as Polkopia's most up and coming city for those seeking employment in the music industry, and Vlaska is poised to bid to host the Worldvision Song Contest in the near future.

The lights dimmed shortly after Polkopia's postcard was shown, and a series of spotlights flashed on-stage in sync with the beat. As soon as a group of lights flashed onto the stage, others flashed off. This pattern repeated until Nikolai began to sing. Nikolai, meanwhile, was absent for a majority of this opening, but was seen walking forward toward the front of the stage during the last few moments of this pattern. He eventually stopped near the perimeter and started to sing, puffing out his chest in sync with the beat as he did.

Now it felt so long ago
They way you left
I fell like a domino.

But I want to let you know
I picture it
Just like it's a photo.

Dancers emerged from the side of the stage and four of the dancers moved near Nikolai with two on either side of him. The rest of the dancers - 6 or so, were in the background repeating these same movements. Nikolai walked to his right, and the dancers followed, kicking upwards at every third note, eventually falling to the floor the third time they did this. They rolled to the side, picked themselves up, and engaged in a routine that consisted of punches and flips.

'Cause I can't take much more of this
I need to know why you left.

I'm over you now anyway
But I'm just dying to know

Nikolai had returned center-stage at this point and extended his free arm out, while the other one held the microphone close to his face. The LED lights activated, and it resembled light blue lights which were shown at a rate that made it look as if though blue lines were darting across the back of the stage.

Why did you leave me all alone?
And broken in million tiny pieces,

Baby, you left me all alone.
And life will never be the same again

And I won't forget
Your face, your touch
And I told myself
This hurts so much.

Baby, you left me all alone.
The heartache hurt me so bad.

Now we're both miles apart
You and me
It's way too late to restart.

But that's all fine by me, now
I'm so high
Don't try to disagree.

'Cause I don't have to deal with you.
And I finally feel free.

And I don't want to see your face.
But I'm just dying to know

Why did you leave me all alone?
And broken in million tiny pieces,

Baby, you left me all alone.
And life will never be the same again

And I won't forget
Your face, your touch
And I told myself
This hurts so much.

Baby, you left me all alone.
The heartache hurt me so bad.

Baby you left me all alone... alone... alone... alone

And I don't need you, I'm a
millionaire.
And I'm high on life, I've been
everywhere.

I wanna enjoy my life
All day and all night
Don't call me tonight.
You know it now.

I'll party until midnight
Dance in the spotlight
I won't ask now...

Why did you leave me all alone?
And broken in million tiny pieces,

Baby, you left me all alone.
And life will never be the same again

Why did you leave me all alone?
And broken in million tiny pieces,

Baby, you left me all alone.
And life will never be the same again

And I won't forget
Your face, your touch
And I told myself
This hurts so much.

Baby, you left me all alone.
The heartache hurt me so bad.

by **Kalosia** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 2:38 pm

10. Izmedu
"The Fighter" - Gabrijel Celina
Language(s): English
Lyrics: Gabrijel Celina, David Raguz
Music: Gabrijel Celina, David Raguz
Tune: Zayde Wolf - Rule the World

“I never thought I'd be back here again, and in under much different circumstances too... Back then it was different, I was still trying to find out who I really was as an artist and what the name 'Gabrijel Celina' really meant. I come back trying to reclaim that again after being under scrutiny. The things you write have a weird way of catching up to you long after the words have been made. What was meaningless to me then... Now has too much meaning.” - Gabrijel Celina

Gabrijel Celina was of two minds in taking up the reigns of being Izmedu's World Hit Festival participant once more. Returning to the contest, even if it was now being held in Kalosia versus his first appearance in his home country, felt like coming back to a home he hadn't visited in a long while. He enjoyed the rush of adrenaline he felt as well as the highs of going through the World Hit Festival process. At the same time, what felt different was how he got here. He was at the crossroads of becoming a mid-career singer, a phase of one's career in the Izmeduan music industry that many feared to go through. He'd gone through the national final gauntlet versus being directly selected; which was a boon insofar as Gabrijel was allowed more time to finesse the entry he brought to Izmepisma. What plagued him was... why? Why was he here? Why was he fighting for a long-term music career? What was beyond the early motivation for paying tribute to a singer he long admired as his start?

He thought he was past the struggle of trying to find who he was. Life was rarely, if ever, that simple. The question renewed itself once more, eating into his mind and threatening to uproot the answers to the questions he thought he answered.

Life after the 31st World Hit Festival saw Gabrijel Celina change and mold his image. He struggled in finding his footing as a singer after the contest, realizing he was stuck in a rut as to what he should be as an artist. From the surface, it seemed as if Gabrijel walked away from his first World Hit Festival participation with the gilded career that it often awarded its alumni. He was active within the Izmeduan music scene, having successfully transitioned from once background singer to an artist with his own style. While this did cause him to be typecast for movie trailer-esque music and world-beating pop that had a more chamber-filling sound, this helped Gabrijel to become somewhat of a vaunted and valuable name within the Izmeduan indie music scene. He was slowly becoming the gold standard for the modern 'epic pop' crossover sound that would marry powerful vocals and accessible instrumentation. In contrast to his emotional debut, his material took on a much more war-like bent; which also made Gabrijel stand in stark contrast to the Izmeduan pop scene. While most were content to sing about the intensity of their emotions, Gabrijel's voice would soar to the heavens in epic scenarios driven by the need for a larger-than-life setting.

This bore fruit with a semi-regular Izmepisma occurrences, one of which resulted in a respectable 3rd place finish and another that was his ticket to the World Hit Festival. However, his success only belied the tension between the artistry that was clearly making him a success and the artist he sought to become in his mind. To Gabrijel, he felt as if he lost his footing by quickly pigeonholing himself to that kind of sound, finding that he was slowly becoming disillusioned by what his team and his management were sending him. While it was a much better existence than the paycheck-to-paycheck life as a background singer, Gabrijel felt as if he'd been 'on-rails' for much of his post-World Hit Festival career. He felt invisible, losing touch with his own emotions and quickly subsuming his instincts and desires to meet the goal of furthering his career. It was a dangerous mindset, but Gabrijel thought he could keep his instincts at bay as long as he focused on developing on the craft that his management set out for him. If he could just focus on 'being a more successful singer,' the pieces would fall into place.

That mindset worked only temporarily. Eventually, the hyperfocus on success turned out to backfire before he would write what would turn out to be his 42nd World Hit Festival entry. In the lead up to promoting his second studio album; he would face early demos being leaked due to errors and lapses of judgment within his record label (in which this leak also affected his labelmates, with Katarina Zunic and Marina Radonic among them). This leak saw unmastered yet nearly complete versions of his second album tracks, of which its planned lead single (a song titled “War Call”), as well as “The Fighter,” and four other album tracks were the ones that were leaked. Gabrijel and his management, understandably, were not prepared for the situation at all; and this caused Gabrijel's career to go from stable to in jeopardy.

Outside of the legal ramifications of the leak, Gabrijel's newer material was the nadir that brought Gabrijel's creative struggles to the forefront of his most ardent listeners. A common concern among his fanbase was the worry that his material was beginning to sound similar to each other, with 'you listen to one Gabrijel Celina song, you've listened to them all' a particular criticism that turned into an in-joke. His newer material, largely written in a rush for Gabrijel and often was written in a flight of inspiration from fantasy and action movies, was the flashpoint in which Gabrijel had to confront that his creativity had run dry. His material was criticized by fans and music press for quickly becoming stale, bland, and predictable. At best, they were passable copies of his first album and subsequent non-album releases that were bait for trailers. At worst, Gabrijel had become a shallow songwriter that rested too much on his laurels. He was writing for and by committee and his ambitions to continue his music career for the sake of continuing just the career were nakedly transparent.

Submitting “The Fighter” was a desperate effort for Gabrijel to try and at least divert the attention away from the negative press. It was a haphazard plan, considering that “The Fighter” was never meant to be for WorldVision or the World Hit Festival, instead being co-wrote by Gabrijel himself and David Raguz (one of Gabrijel's trusted co-writers) as a song to shop to movie and TV studios if they needed material. The rationale for Izmepisma was thus... The album needed to be canceled, but “The Fighter” was deemed to be the best song by his record label and fortunately enough, by the listeners that followed the public scandal brought about by the leaks. The hope was that, a possible WorldVision or World Hit Festival participation would aid in bringing more positive press, and allow Gabrijel to work in peace.

The following result was the most ideal that Gabrijel could've hoped for. The hype surrounding Dijana Jurina allowed Gabrijel to comfortably take the responsibility of representing Izmedu for the 42nd World Hit Festival due to his 2nd place finish. As it was a long-term project, Gabrijel had the chance to be able to lie low and take stock of his career, his aims, his music, his now WHF entry, and ultimately his motivations for becoming a singer. “The Fighter” represented everything he wanted and didn't want. It was his chance to represent Izmedu once more, it was symbolic of the kind of song that propelled him to success, but it also represented what nearly sank his career. It was his birth and destruction, encapsulated in one package. With his mindset at the time, there was no reconciling that.

He needed time. He needed space.

During that time off, Gabrijel took stock of what made him want to go to music in the first place. The period as a background singer was merely a stopgap, a necessarily thing to do to get his foot in the door. The one moment he kept reflecting back on was “Darkest Hour.” Ultimately, it was a connection with his emotions that was the first spark in starting a music career. It was his tribute, his plea to a singer that deeply moved him, an intrinsic focus and passion, that allowed Gabrijel to work in-sync with Anita Valcic. He had no such influence anymore, with only a once-passion for larger-than-life sounds driven to only a forced machine-like interest to pump out music. He realized then where things had gone wrong. He'd become too comfortable in letting pieces of himself split to the point where he only cared about success.

He felt melancholic and lost... Anger would come right after, loathing at himself, loathing his circumstances. From anger came a motivation he hadn't felt in years.

He reevaluated what he and David wrote for “The Fighter,” having left the song untouched since being selected for the 42nd World Hit Festival. The words may not have been written with intensity and passion, but Gabrijel began to find meaning in the words he wrote long ago. What he once saw as a song written to sell entertainment, now he saw as a narrative of determination and standing strong against hopeless circumstances. They were all themes to which he related intensely to. He found passion within the words, a meaning, a connection to emotion that he thought he lost. He found meaning to the song on his own terms, and now... He had a new goal.

It was a risk. Gabrijel knew this song wasn't going to win him any new fans or progress his music. However, he knew it needed to be sung. This was the gate he needed to break through in order to find peace. This was what he needed to sing in order to prove to the world, and to himself, that he knew the next step forward. These were the thoughts swirling in his mind in Kalosia. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

Gabrijel saw the Izmeduan Head of Delegation, Pavao Sintic, give him an encouraging look when his performance slot was up.

“This is your moment, your stage to own. Show them what I see in you.”

I am strong. I am determined. I am a fighter.

Focus on your breathing, focus on your control. You've done this before. Focus... Just focus...

Stage lights billowed down to the center of the stage amonst a flurry of crowd cheering. Gabrijel stood at the center of the Altan Arena's stage, his eyes closed and his body postured straight. For him, the cheering was almost muffled in one ear by the earpiece and almost too clear at the other. Despite being here before, seeing this kind of audience always blindsided him into absolute nerves. He heard the little cue coming from his ear-piece and he locked one hand on the microphone, encasing it in a vice-like grip. It was time.

The camera was at a mid-way view from the Altan Arena's main stage. A red hue began to coat the stage as there were rumblings from the speakers that played the background track. This caused the cheering to finally quiet down as the Izmeduan entry finally began in earnest. It began with a hard beat complemented with the plucking of an electric guitar. The beat was timed to a march-like rhythm, with Gabrijel nodding his head and tapping one feet to the rhythm. Accordingly, the camera would switch angles to the beat. Streaks of white light, timed to the beat, would flash from the LED lights on the back wall. The yellow sun and the gradient were also both coated red to match the thematic lighting. At each beat, the camera would switch angles, affording the viewer only a brief glance. There were angles that showed Gabrijel tapping his feet, his face covered in shadow, and angled views of the stage that fit the mysterious yet frenetic mood of the intro. It wasn't until the last few beats that the camera views would stabilize into a more straight view of Gabrijel, showing him gaze into the camera with an intense expression on his eyes. Gabrijel got into position and began to sing...

Wake up, in the darkness
Of this battle-broken land
Caked in blood and madness
Only loss and death behind

The camera remained fixed on Gabrijel during the first verse as his eyes smoldered with the intensity of a fellow soldier waking up his comrade to move. The atmosphere and the music were grim, and his vocal deliver was suitably so. Unlike the gentle pleading of his 31st World Hit Festival performance, there was a grit to his voice, his movements, and expression. He pointed towards the camera with one free hand, nodding along to some lines and raising his hands akin to giving a command to rise up. Behind Gabrijel, the gradient would change from a solid red to showing a scene of a ravaged battlefield in a red-brown pastel filter, with the camera subtly moving in an almost dynamic and cinematic-esque filter to super-impose Gabrijel against the background (doing so in-between the second and third line). At the end of the fourth line, Gabrijel would begin to cup his free hand into a fist, placing it close to his chest as the song was beginning to make its move toward the pre-chorus. The camera would move closer to his face, with the red hue almost making Gabrijel look menacing.

This world is bereft of heroes
Only survivors remain still
In adversity we stand
We are the world's last legacy

This pre-chorus saw Gabrijel's vocal tenor subtly motion towards a call for survival to an increased grit that caused his voice to gurgle into a slight growl, emphasizing the nigh-hopelessness and immense strength needed to survive in this world. He started to move towards the audience for a few steps (primarily during the first two lines), with the camera accordingly moving backwards. He would make hand motions of rejection (swiping one arm to the left with a cupped fist), and a point towards the audience and the camera. His eyes and body language were brimming with aggression, with any visible signs of skin showing a visible strain with only faint moments of relaxation. At the end of this pre-chorus, Gabrijel stepped back and the camera went for a wider view of the stage.

The instrumentation would pare back to consisting of a lighter beat. This brief instrumental interval saw the red hues disappear as a haunting yet fleeting background vocal, consisting of wordless and brief chants, played soundtrack to an array of white lights flashing throughout the stage. These white lights would disappear as the red hue would return for the brief second of build-up that led to the chorus. Then, before long, the chorus hit...

Stand up, stand tall
Fight to your dying breath
Push through, stand tall
Fight to your dying breath

The chorus was a burst of energy after a verse and a pre-chorus that focused more on building the song's threat and narrative. The Altan Arena burst to life in a maelstrom of color, primarily red and white, as Gabrijel's vocals soared for for these four lines. The camera remained distant from Gabrijel for the first line, emphasizing the scope of the song and how the lights and the screens were working in tandem to create the room-filling mood. The lights shined to a chilling white that were flashing to the intense vocals that Gabrijel was exuding. Additionally, the moon and the gradient mountains were flashing a haunting hue of red, almost blood red. At the second line, the camera focused on Gabrijel belting out the song's line, singing towards the camera with fire and determination in his eyes. He raised one arm out, appearing almost like the lone survivor amongst the carnage. His expression, especially as the camera would close up on him briefly, remained unwavering even as his vocals were at their most powerful for this point. The lights would then transform into red for the latter half of this section of the chorus, with him pointing towards the camera at 'push through,' and looking upwards at 'stand tall.' The lyrics transformed into a rallying call as his free arm was spread out, extending his presence even as the camera view would pull out to reveal Gabrijel's presence as an imposing shadow against the hue of threatening red lights.

There is no glory nor fame
We struggle for a fragile peace
Stand up, stand tall
Fight to your dying breath

The second half of the chorus saw the camera emphasize this shadowy view, with the gradient light now revealing the same ravaged background scene from the first verse. The first two lines of this second half saw the return towards a more intimate view, with Gabrijel stepping back to allow the audience at home to see Gabrijel from the knees-up. He was once more imposed on that battlefield that was displayed on the mountain-shaped screens, with torches of artillery, gunfire, and destruction going on behind him that was only filtered by a blood-red gradient. He delivered those first two lines with ferocity, harkening back to the his almost spoken delivery of the verse and the pre-chorus yet never decreasing the intensity. His movements were animated, his eyes glancing towards the camera and then downwards, struggling to be the bearer of the message. However, he had no choice but to push on, closing out the last vestiges of this chorus by 'swiping' the camera away for a larger view. His vocals were aggressive right down to the last note, the instrumentation rumbling throughout the arena to match the full-on intensity in display. At the end of the chorus, every single light and screen went dark sans the red moon. Gabrijel let out a breath, but it was no time to rest.

Boots down, no time to rest
From these merciless bullets
Conflict never ceases
So push past the hopelessness

The second verse saw the camera fixate back to Gabrijel, this time, there was a camera on the stage itself to focus on closer views on him. The instrumentation now had an additional layer to it, a strong bass that accentuated the beats to create a further sense of urgency and foreboding to the proceedings. The lights themselves would come back in a muted setting, white and red flashing and alternating between one another as the mountain screen remained blood red. This time, the gradient would display the lyrics as Gabrijel sang them one by one, being displayed in a rough-looking white font. Around Gabrijel, faint traces of holograms began to appear nearby him. These holograms consisted of soldiers who were reaching towards the heaven, almost flickering against the aggressive light show with their faces and bodies only just barely visible. The desperate actions that these soldiers were doing almost contrasted with Gabrijel's aggressive yet steely delivery, which was emphasized in the latter two lines. One particular camera view involved a clever shot trick of one hologram and Gabrijel's face, position to the right and left respectively. Gabrijel sang 'so push past the hopelessness' as the hologram became fully visible, punching the air and looking triumphant in the face of hopelessness.

This world is bereft of heroes
Only survivors remain still
In adversity we stand
We are the world's last legacy

The hologram that played host to the end of the first verse disappeared when Gabrijel started the pre-chorus. His delivery and vocal tone were attuned from the cool, almost spoken-esque were now laced with an additional nuance of aggression, much the same way the previous pre-chorus was delivered. The instrumentation only maintained the urgency. The mountain-shaped screen would cease displaying the lyrics as it now then began to display a war-torn background, appearing like a torn patchwork that provided a background to Gabrijel and the holograms that were fading in and out across him. The camera view was now one that was mid-way from the stage, seeing Gabrijel gaze at each hologram (of which a majority were adjacent and close to him) that would reflect, either partially or fully, the lyrics at each line. There was almost an eerie effect of Gabrijel singing to the holograms that were staring at him as he would glance at each one for these four lines. Both performer and hologram would lock eyes for only a faint lick of a second, with the holograms' solemn yet determined looks accentuating the atmosphere. These moments were fast and fleeing, the lights once more dying down quickly at the end of the pre-chorus.

Never surrender
Never surrender

There was a brief build-up to the chorus itself. This moment saw the instrumentation being pared back, only an undercurrent of sporadic beats that helped keep the song from going completely silent. Gabrijel's vocals remained no less intense. He held one arm out as a white spotlight would shine on him for this brief extension of the pre-chorus. 'Never surrender' became an anthemic shout, with Gabrijel visibly hanging back and stepping backwards. Then, just as quickly as this pre-chorus ends...

Stand up, stand tall
Fight to your dying breath
Push through, stand tall
Fight to your dying breath

The chorus roars the Altan Arena back to life. Gabrijel's vocals once more rose to the heavens, him belting out these lines with passion, ferocity, and determination. The lights shined a blinding array of reds and whites, the threatening red hue returning once more. Gabrijel's motions with his arms and stomps were what drove this chorus, with the camera closing up on pivotal moments (especially during the second and fourth lines) that would see him be at his most passionate, his eyes closing and his body letting go of the tensed up energy he had been holding in. However, the camera mostly maintained a wide view, allowing the viewers at home to see the carefully timed hologram effects, silhouettes of soldiers, appear around him. These hologram soldiers appeared determined, each looking towards each other and to Gabrijel as their pillar in this chaos-filled world. The holograms, by the end of the chorus, each were standing tall and looking determined, standing side by side and ready to truly be fighters.

There is no glory nor fame
We struggle for a fragile peace
Stand up, stand tall
Fight to your dying breath

The holograms would remain for the second half of the chorus, but Gabrijel's movements were the changes to this chorus versus this first. His vocals were more resonant, his movements were far more animated, and he exuded a determination that seemed emanate from being surrounded by his holographic company. At some parts, he was nearly punching the air from the pinched nerves he was singing from. He deftly went from the fast-paced tone of the first two lines to the massive vocals needed to make the song work. However, the end of this chorus was different. The camera maintained a mid-wide view after primarily focusing on him for these lines.

The time is nigh, it's time to rise
The end is here, our time of judgment
There is no escape from this war
Never surrender
Never surrender

Immediately following this chorus was this bridge, bringing on a further call to action as the camera shots would switch between Gabrijel looking upwards towards the ceiling to the various holograms on the stage. Many of these holograms were again fading in and out of focus, creating an effect in which they seemed to be moving about and reacting to the lyrics. Some of them were pushing on their own, their faces mirroring Gabrijel's determination, while some looked towards him. Especially poignant was one camera shot during the third line, where the camera focused on a hologram of a soldier who gripped their hands solemnly in prayer and opened their eyes towards the audience as Gabrijel ended the line. Gabrijel's vocal delivery remained suitably intense, going from reflective to charismatic as he sang 'never surrender.' He visibly stepped back as the bridge ended, the lights and holograms all fading except the red moon and deliberate flashes of pockets of white LED lights.

The camera took a wide view for this instrumental interlude. An array of white lights would flash first heralding this primarily drum-driven interlude. Gabrijel stood stock-still and strong as the song was now driven by the drums, with the lights reflecting each drum beat. At each larger beat, Gabrijel could be seen swiping both of his arms in a fist, locking his arms into a position where he was slightly holding out both of them. For the next beat, he would step forward as if he were in a march, taking one step forward. As soon as he took two steps forward, he would cease walking and look down, gazing at the camera as holograms began to appear around him, frozen in various stages of mimicking his actions. The music would coalesce once more, the holograms appearing all at once appearing to be almost reflections of Gabrijel himself, an intricate effect of being rubber-banded towards Gabrijel himself being applied timed to the music's sudden increase in volume.

(Never surrender
Never surrender)

A background singer would sing these two lines as Gabrijel himself began to move his body to the music, stepping backwards and almost preparing for battle. A seeming 'enemy' hologram began to appear in front of him, almost 'assaulting' him on stage by aggressively grabbing his arm. Gabrijel caught the hologram on its violent act, looking strong enough not to be hopelessly pinned down. The camera would maintain a close view as the background singer would finally sing the first iteration, timed to the hologram actions. Gabrijel was now locked in a visible struggle, a cascade of drums that were then also timed to Gabrijel breaking free. He pushed against the hologram, with the drums seeing him shove down the hologram to the floor and almost dramatically breaking in digital fashion. The background singer would sing the second iteration of 'Never surrender' as Gabrijel stood up with one arm held out. The drums would then cascade once more, ending in a triumphant set of beats as the lights would simultaneously flash white. The Altan Arena went dark as the instrumental interlude ended...

Stand up, stand tall
Fight to your dying breath
Push through, stand tall
Fight to your dying breath

This was the final chorus of the song, the moment where everything would come together. The lights flashed dramatically for the first line, with the Altan Arena flashing in an array of white lights that were coordinated with Gabrijel's powerful vocals. At the second line, the arena roared back to life once more. The mountain gradient combined the effects from the first and second choruses, showing a smoldering battlefield with the lyrics in white font imposed on that image as Gabrijel sang them. The holograms were now moving with much more animation and clarity, flashing in and out only to preserve a sense of image quality and to prevent a case of the uncanny valley. Gabrijel's vocals and movements were at their most intense, with the camera focusing on mid-shot views of him as he gazed at the camera with unfettered resolve. The instrumentation was now at its most intense, an intense bass supplying the undercurrent, and a strong set of drum beats that heightened the urgency and the scale.

There is no glory nor fame
We struggle for a fragile peace
Stand up, stand tall
Fight to your dying breath

For the final set of lyrics for the chorus, Gabrijel would step forward even closer to the audience. The holograms, by this point, were coalescing into images of soldiers marching alongside him. Each movement that Gabrijel made as he sang also created ghostly holograms that tracked his movements, akin to a ghostly trail effect that would disappear in a few moments after he made the move. The camera began to hung back, taking on a mid-view angle that was only a bit away from the stage. Gabrijel's passionate singing was then marked by holograms of soldiers that stood by him, standing stock-still but accentuating the immense passion he was displaying on the stage.

Never surrender
Stand up, stand tall now
Never surrender
Push through
Never surrender
Stand up, stand tall now
Never surrender
Fight to your dying breath

The outro of the song saw Gabrijel stepping backwards, looking upwards towards the ceiling and crossing one hand over his heart. His vocals may have been more muted for this part, reprising earlier lines as one last shout to fight on. He glanced at the holograms as they began to fade one by one, nodding towards him as they faded. The instrumentation was building up towards its end, Gabrijel stepping backwards until he was back at the center of the stage. He held one arm out as he was now midway through this outro, nodding to the camera as it would follow him as well. At the last four lines, he stopped moving as the lights would begin to coalesce around him. A set of white lights began to flash intensely on him as the last hologram disappeared, shining brightly on him at the second-to-last line. The music would hang back as Gabrijel vigorously delivered the last line, raising one arm up as the final lyric was proudly displayed on the mountain-shaped screen as the song's final statement. There was only then a brief outro that was muffled by the crowd cheer as Gabrijel kept holding his arm out, visibly taking deep breaths to calm himself.

He staggered back slightly as he took in the cheering from the Kalosian crowd. He tried to say Gražia, but his mind was too blanked out and his body was too exhausted. Gabrijel finally was able to slowly put his arm down, throwing a kiss to the crowd as his silent way of saying thanks.

Before long, he was led backstage, desiring much rest and hoping for the best.

I have no idea where this is going to lead me, but... I did it. I did all I could.

by **Kalosia** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 2:43 pm

11. Llalta
"Start A Fire" - Esther Winterbourne
Language(s): English
Lyrics: Esther Winterbourne
Music: Esther Winterbourne
Tune: Shine - Sofia Nizharadze

Esther Winterbourne, 18-year old singer song writer who represented Llalta in World Hit Festival 40, 41 and now 42.

The World Hit Festival 41 was a somewhat turbulent time for the LBN, as the broadcasting network had witnessed two strong contenders in WorldVision not even reach top 15. And along with the nation's last debut and attempt in the World Hit Festival being rather unsuccessful, the LBN were wary of their chances. Not to mention the lack of money within the LBN, it was a very tough decision whether to participate in the Contest. Alas, Esther returned to the contest with the sweet piano ballad "Like Memories", a Llaltese hit, but would it prove successful on the world stage? Fortunately, the song managed to reach 2nd place, the best result in any contest for the miniscule island nation, giving the island hope. Not only that, but Llalta also participated in the Junior edition of the prestigious contest, yet again reaching 2nd place out of 15 with the song "My World" by rising star Olyvia Kingsington. This brought much needed hope to the contest.

Esther Winterbourne, (born December 25th 1999) the Llaltese representative who performed in the World Hit Festival of 40, 41 and now 42. Born in the tiny mountainous village of Lilliannes, she has grown quite the reputation in Llalta and the rest of the world. She is most famous however for her amazing second place at World Hit Festival 41, in Polumesec, Izmedu. She sang the sweet piano ballad, "Like Memories" and gained an astounding 36 points, one behind the deserved winners of the contest, Kalosia. This is the best result in World Hit Festival for Llalta and also marks the start of hopefully great things to come for the island nation. Since then, she has released her first major album, "Like Memories", a hit in Llalta and beyond. And now she has come for the prestigious title of winner of the World Hit Festival.

As said, she was born in Lilliannes and lived with her parents, David Winterbourne and Ellamora Winterbourne. It was said that ever since she could talk she was up and about singing, being the star in each school play. She also learned her other passion, the piano at 6, taught by music prodigy John Marshall. She is most well known for her free pub performances from 14, where she wrote her first proper song, "Dancing with the Gone", a song about dead people. Though at first the song wasn't particularly successful, she would later compose and perform hits such as "If We Could Be" and "Unity". However, internationally she was completely unknown. Now 18, Esther Winterbourne is currently taking a gap year to focus on her music career and travel the world before going to Britonisea to study at the University of Telm, where she will study Healthcare and medicine. She says that, “While I love making music and singing and so on, I want to do something more with my life, helping people and others in need.” She plans to get her degree and become a doctor back in Llalta to help those less fortunate than her. “I want to make people happy; save lives; make Llalta stand out for it’s amazing healthcare.” She said in an interview.

However, World Hit Festival 40 rolls around and Esther wakes up to a message from the LBN, who invited her to represent the nation in Musiki, Izmedu. Accepting the offer, she took the opportunity and wrote the song, "Free', and inspirational song about being yourself. However, the song didn't catch on too well, not qualifying for the final placing 17th out of 30 nations. This pushed her to come back to the contest, and avenge her original attempt. And so, she returned with "Like Memories". And we know what happens next. And she returns to the contest for the third time in a row, with the song, "Start A Fire".

The song is about the current refugee crisis in a nearby country, where many people are risking their life for the safety of their families and themselves, escaping the conflict. Esther was appalled at the attitudes of some people who labeled these people as mere terrorists or criminals, and this pushed her to write the song. And after an emotional visit to a refugee camp to listen to the stories in her most recent documentary, "Those So Called Terrorists", which taught her new things she'd never knew before. She dedicated this song to Muktar, a 16 year old refugee she met at the camp who has to look after his 3 year old sister after his family passed away in a gas attack. The song recounts his stories and his hardships.

As the postcard finishes, the Kalosian crowd applaud and the lights in the arena fall and it turns pitch black. The last mutters of the audience quieten and silence descends on the arena. As the soft piano starts to play it's melodic symphony, a single weak spotlight falls on a dancer who runs in from the right of the stage, looking panicked as if he is being chased by something before he takes a couple breaths. He looks around a bit, looking lost and wondering slowly around, taking in his surroundings before turning around so he faces the way he came onstage. He then slumps to the floor, ending up so that he sits, curled up in a ball. His face is covered up but it is clear he is sobbing. The boy looks around 16, maybe older, and he has dark, middle eastern colour skin. His cropped, brown hair is ruffled and messy. His face is thin and gaunt, just like his body. He is relatively tall. He wears a scruffy white shirt, unbuttoned messily at the top revealing the top of his chest. On his bottom half he wears black, long slim jeans. Half of his shirt is scruffily tucked into his jeans, the rest is let loose. He is bare foot as well, wearing a single leathery anklet on his right ankle. His harsh brown eyes appear empty, like a shattered piece of glass. He's seen things no 16 year old should have to see.

Another weak spotlight appears, shining on Esther as she begins singing, her mic attached to her face rather than in her hand. She is sat back to back with the boy, who is the same height, as she sits with her legs out in front of her, knees raised up in front of her face casually, legs spread just slightly. She wears this dress which is elegantly sprawled across the floor around her and her brown hair flows elegantly down to the top of her chest. She is also bare foot. She has little make up, yet she looks stunning and natural. Some may notice a silver necklace with a single Christian cross on it. The camera circles the two performers, sitting back to back, two single weak spotlights pointing their direction, though many shadows are there to create a slightly ethereal atmosphere. Other than that though, there are no other lights in the arena apart from a couple cameras and phones from the audience. Esther begins to sing the verse, with a melancholy tone of voice. On the second line, Esther and the dancer tilt their heads back so that their heads rest on the other's shoulders. They look up to the ceiling of the arena dreamily, eyes glistening in the light. The dancer during this movement opens up from his curled up ball, and his legs move outwards, spreading his legs out a little to mirror Esther.

As Esther somberly sings the final line of the verse, they remove their heads from each other's shoulders. The two performers then slide on the stage and end up so that they have swapped positions. Only this time, they are facing each other on one knee, like an exact mirror image of each other. Their eyes are level with each other as they stare blankly into each others eyes, slowly rising from one knee to a stand. The camera circles the two once more in this section, before taking another close up from the back of the stage, Esther and the dancer staring at each other stood up with the audience watching them intently. The two performers stare, both confused and nervous, not knowing what to think of the other. Despite their bodies facing the front, their heads are turned towards each other. This is all while Esther sings the verse with note perfect singing.

The shattered eyes that tell a million tales
That bear the weight of never said goodbyes
Teardrops etching marks along his muddied face

As the bridge starts, the male dancer runs desperately to the front left of the stage, somehow being elegant and theatrical whilst doing it. However, he stops abruptly moments when he reaches the edge of the stage, as if he was having second thoughts. His deep brown eyes then drift to his left shoulder, where a hand is placed on it. The camera shifts a little, to reveal Esther behind him, her hand holding onto his shoulder as if she were trying to stop him. The camera then takes an aerial shot of the stage, the only lights still being the two spotlights on the performers. On the second line, he grabs her hand, still on his shoulder, and removes it forcefully of his shoulder, before walking backwards cautiously. Esther glances from the left of the stage, her right arm reaching out towards him longingly. He shakes his head before turning to perform a one footed twirl on the spot, synchronising with Esther who also twirls on the spot her white dress twirling elegantly. Her vocals are slightly breathy during the twirl, but remain perfect otherwise. The two performers then runs towards the centre pf the stage, Esther stopping halfway to turn her head away, so that she faces left, from the male dancer who goes to perform a perfect straddle leap (picture for reference) back towards the centre of the stage. He ends so that his back is faced towards the audience, centre stage, his head turned towards the right of the stage.

Lost in the patchwork of green
Running from the person he used to be

As the chorus approaches, the lights shift from spotlights to the golden row of lights at the back, so that Esther and the dancer appear more like silhouettes with little light, only enough to see basic features. The camera takes full advantage of the effect, taking mostly close up shots throughout the emotional chorus. As for Esther, she elegantly runs towards the male dancer, her dress flowing like a river behind her. She runs to centre of the large stage and leaps as beautifully as a gazelle as she passes the dancer, who picks her up mid leap. He spins her around with ease, Esther moving her legs so that she is pretending to run on air gracefully. The long back part of her dress yet again trails elegantly behind her as she is span mid air. After a couple seconds he puts her down onto the stage floor for the second line where Esther elegantly twirls on one foot, synchronised with the dancer who does the same just a metre or two behind her, before falling dramatically to the floor in a heap of brown hair and white dress as the second line ends. The male dancer kicks his long muscly yet thin legs over Esther as she is curled up into a ball on the floor. He is obviously stretchy as his feet easily are raised to shoulder height. Esther then rolls to the side so that she ends up with the side of her body pressed against the stage floor as she leans on her shoulder and looks up desperately and sorrowfully at the male dancer, who looks down at her with a blank yet cold expression on his face, her upstage arm slowly and shakily reaching up at him throughout the duration of the third line. As the fourth line is begun, he grabs Esther's hand and lifts her up off the ground. Esther then walks around him slowly in a circle her hand on his shoulder and a slight smile, the camera following behind her, before twirling, ending up so that she is in front of the dancer who wraps his arms around her lovingly. Her hands rest on his. They stay still for a moment enjoying it, both eyes closed shut peacefully. She then spins out of his arms and both the dancer and Esther perform a graceful leap, tossing their heads backwards as they leap, their athletic legs showing. They both then land on the floor and roll, ending up on one knee, the dancer behind Esther, reaching outwards. Esther is breathy throughout, yet her vocals remain strong.

Lost and alone he runs ‘till he’s free
No one cares
Cares for the people that suffer beneath
Pray, Pray, pray all you want but then
What God can save his soul, amidst the pain

The lights shift so that it was like the beginning, two spotlights still shining on them, shadows dancing across their faces with every movement. The camera throughout the verse is taking close up to mid shots, with very few far out shots. The piano and guitar start playing for the verse. As for Esther and the dancer, they rise to their feet quickly before performing a kick in an arch shape, both feet going as high as their shoulders, though the male dancer's leg goes slightly higher, due to more training. Using the momentum of the arched kick, the two performers pirouette gracefully, one leg spinning outwards, before landing as they had started. The two performers then leaped backwards, Esther kicking the train of her dress midair so that it is splayed outwards. They land and turn around, so that Esther's body is now facing the dancer's back. Their heads however, are turned to the left of the stage. This is all in quick yet graceful succession, each move transitioning perfectly with each other. Esther's voice trembles a little during the leap but she takes a breath afterwards and continues her so far perfect vocals.

On the second line, the camera takes a further out pan of the beautiful stage, feeling rather empty with the only two spotlights for Esther and the dancer to match the mood. The male dancer drops desperately to his knees, his back arched and his head buried in his hands. He pushes his cropped brown hair back and shivers very slightly. Esther runs elegantly towards him, before placing her back on his back so that they are back to back and performing a mock cartwheel with her straight legs flipping in the air. Her feet find Toes pointed, the feet go in an arch motion until they reach the other side of the male dancer. her feet find the stage floor after she does the flip, and stands, ending up so the she begins twirling gracefully. The male dancer quickly rises to a stand, before grabbing Esther as soon as she finished the twirl. At first he spins, holding her close to his body as they spin swiftly. Esther heads resting tightly against his chest, eyes shut tightly. Her hands grab onto his shirt desperately, legs twisted around his lower torso like a koala to a tree. The male dancer embraces her tightly too, hands lost in the white fabric of her dress. After a few seconds Esther lets go of his thin body and leans backwards, her head close to the floor as they spin. Her arms are outstretched freely, possibly to balance her. During the spin her vocals are slightly breathy but pitch perfect. Only her legs remain wrapped around his pelvis as they spin rapidly.

He begins to slow down his rapid spin, before grinding to a halt, Esther's dress flopping back to her body. Esther cartwheels expertly out of the male dancer's grip before reaching out to the opposite side of the stage, taking a large breath before she sings. Her back leg is lifted high up behind her, the other on it's tiptoes on the ground. The male dancer is tightly gripping onto Esther's other hand, which is outstretched behind her. The two performers then twirl elegantly, before leaping like deer towards the front of the stage. However, the male dancer dramatically and spontaneously falls to the floor, only stopped by his hands so that he ends up doing a plank. Esther meanwhile places one foot on the male dancer, applying pressure. It remains like this for a moment, Esther applying more pressure each second. The camera faces towards Esther who reaches out towards the camera, her face seeming almost angry. Then, Esther performs a multitude of smaller backward leaps, whilst the male dancer hops to his feet in one swift jump. He then kicks upwards, his knee millimetres away from his face, which faces upwards, eyes shining. Esther then does a quick spin so the two performer's backs are facing each other. They then run backwards as if they were being dragged violently until the meet in the middle back to back. Their hands meet shaking, before their fingers interlock.

Remembering the bloodstained streets he once had known
People he once loved buried under charred stone
Their twisted empty faces haunting the past

The spotlights slowly fade out and are replaced with the spotlights at the back, making both Esther and the dancer look like silhouettes. Only basic details can be made out. The camera takes close up shots of Esther and the dancer throughout the short bridge. The male dancer spins and then falls to his knees dramatically, his shirt untucked from his trousers, as he holds his head as if trying to quieten the thoughts in his mind. During the first line he violently shakes his head from side to side to the beat, his messy brown hair covering his eyes at times. By the end of the line he is on his hands and knees violently shaking with his head twisted in anger, sorrow and anguish. During the male dancer’s dramatic sequence of moves, Esther stands behind him with her hands hovering over his head, moving in exactly the same way as him, like a puppeteer and her puppet. She belts out the words with an angered tone. When he shakes his head from side to side, Esther also does the same, only stand up behind him. And when he falls to his hands and knees, Esther is behind him, whipping both her arms out powerfully.

On the second line, the male dancer rises sharply back to his knees once more, only this time he mimes screaming out in anger. His face is both terrifying and sorrowful, his ace distorted in such a way that it conveys so many varied emotions. He then falls to the floor, only his bottom slightly raised up from the floor. Esther pirouettes over his body, her muscly legs swooping over his shaking body. The male dancer then rolls from side to side, before staying slightly to the right to reach his hand up almost zombie like, his head miming a scream. The lights hide much of the detail but still creates a scary atmosphere nonetheless, maybe even more if the lights had been normal. While he performs this sequence of moves, Esther belts out the bridge passionately. Meanwhile she sings, she also swings her head and body from side to side, synchronised with the dancer, her hair flipping from side to side. Near the end whilst the dancer reaches upwards, she kicks her leg in an arch over his twisted hand, before turning around so that her back faces the front. The lights brighten as she is facing the back, creating a dramatic lighting.

Explosions ring in his mind
And screams pleading help they’ll never find

The arena lights up in white for the very first time in the song, Esther and the dancer at last being seen fully with few shadows. The camera takes a wide shot of the stage, taking in all the light. The lights on the back wall are lit up randomly like a sky of stars, glimmering and shimmering. The audience is seen waving their flags to the song, a couple Llaltese flags being shown at the back of the of the arena. Some lights are also seen in the audience, from phones and wristbands. Meanwhile, Esther grabs the male dancer's bony hands and lifts him off the floor, the male dancer rising to a stand. The end up so that Esther is behind the male dancer. He then holds onto one of Esther's hands and spin her until she is by the side of the male dancer, who despite having his body facing the front, his head is turned towards Esther. Esther then leaps dramatically before performing another twirl on the other side of the dancer. After the twirl in which her dress stays airborne throughout, she reaches her arm out, pushing the male dancer away, who performs yet another beautiful straddle leap before using the momentum to kick his leg up high, his knees touching his chin. By the second line, Esther stretches her arm out and in front of her before elegantly moving it backwards in an arch. She bends her back so that she can arch it backwards, kicking her leg out to balance herself. Her hair flows downwards like a waterfall. Around a couple metres away, the male dancer performs a forward roll to the opposite direction of Esther, ending on one knee with his arm reaching towards the camera which is in front of him. His eyes shine in the and there is a moment of lens flare behind him as he stares sorrowfully into the camera.

For the third line, the male dancer stands up sharply and looks at Esther who is slowly returning back to a stand. She takes a breath, and they stare at each other sadly for a couple moments, before running towards each other. However, as they pass, they both perform a straddle leap, Esther in front of him. They land and twirl elegantly, synchronised. They then end up side by side, and give each other a quick and solemn glance at each other as they take a well deserved breath, before raising their arms up, hands in fists. They soon after however lower them swiftly, and fall to their knees. They then swiftly transition so that they are on all fours, before moving forwards using their arms and legs like animals. However they only perform the move for a couple moments to keep the dance snappy. They glare into the camera as it looks at their direction, eyes twinkling in the light. The male dancer has his mouth snarling whilst Esther sings the chorus. Then, Esther performs a roll similar to that of a pencil roll, however more free and wild. She rolls, he dress fluttering elegantly in the air, and rolls to the right so that she swaps place with the male dancer. Whilst she rolls, the male dancer performs a cartwheel from the floor over her body, his legs not entirely straight for style reasons. They both swap positions and rise so that they are straight, but still on their knees. Esther and the dancer take a deep breath before the fourth line begins.

The fourth line rolls around and the male dancer kneels, his back bent slightly as he shuts his eyes tightly. He puts his hands together praying, and begins to mime muttering words. He subtly rocks back and forth, whilst Esther sings beside him, standing up. As she sings each “pray”, she kicks her leg up high as she walks around the male dancer as he prays, her dress flowing and fluttering as she kicks them into the air. And as she finishes the line she twirls to the left side of the male dancer, still praying, before lifting her right arm up slowly. However, her hand swirls and twirls as if it were dancing as it slowly makes it’s way upwards, her bright eyes watching every movement. She then beautifully moves her arm arm over her head in an arch shape before performing a dramatic dance move that is a mix between a spin and a leap, legs flailing elegantly as Esther she leaps. She ends up rolling on the floor and and standing up only to kick her leg up straight in the air, her back arches and head leaning backwards. The camera pans around Esther as she flips and kicks.

The final fifth line begins, Esther swiftly stands up straight and grabs her silver necklace with a cross on it and yanks it off, beads falling everywhere as she throws the cross pendant to the ground. She thenspins gracefully around so that she faces the male dancer, who rises to a stand swiftly and Esther pirouettes away from him, consecutively nailing each spin before leaping high up into the air. She ends by kicking in an arch direction, her feet reaching as high up as her head. Meanwhile, the male dancer twirls elegantly on the spot for a couple moments before reaching out his long gangly arm towards Esther longingly. His eyes grew desperate as he saw Esther on the other side of the stage. Esther glances back solemnly, before running like a deer towards him. As she nears him, he bent down slightly, so that when she cane he was ready to lift her up. She was lifted into the air, held by the arms which were outstretched to the side like Jesus on a cross as she sang the last long note of the chorus. She shut her eyes calmly, bathing in the spotlight; in the moment. The camera panned around her, looking upwards at her presence. Then the camera took a further out and wider shot of the beautifully crafted stage. He placed her down soon after as the lights darkened and dimmed.

Lost and alone he runs ‘till he’s free
No one cares
Cares for the people that suffer beneath
Pray, Pray, pray all you want but then
What God can save his soul, amidst the pain

The arena turns dark once more, with only two single spotlights directed at Esther and the male dancer respectively. The male leaps desperately into the air, towards the front. He mimes a scream and shout, his dark thin eyebrows furrowed above his lifeless brown eyes. He lands and immediately curls into a ball, his head tucked into his arms tightly. Esther walks solemnly and steadily, cautiously taking steps until she is slightly behind and to the right of him. Her eyes look sorrowfully into the sea of audience, and her hands gently making movements as she sings softly. The camera takes a closer up shot of Esther, capturing each emotion and each shadow that dances across her face as she moves. Esther glances down at the male dancer who begins to shake subtly but still noticeable. As the second line begins, she shakes her head sadly and steps away slowly. Her head can’t stop looking as she walks away to the back of the stage, leaving the male dancer alone. Eventually the spotlight that is focused on Esther fades as she walks away, until you can’t see her. There is a intimate moment of just a single spotlight illuminating the male dancer, shadows covering his face and much of the small details. Esther begins to belt the lyrics, “War” and then suddenly, the lights flash brightly. The arena is lit up once more with the golden LED lights glimmering like little stars. There is a cheer of approval in the arena. The LED screen shows a gradient, with a golden light at the bottom of the screen like a bright sunrise against the black. Esther is also shown at the back of the stage emotionally belting the line.

He suffers in silence alone
Forgotten in the prison of war

The arena is lit up in a golden hue as Esther belts the final line of the bridge, over the top of the backing singers. The male dancer, at first begins to peek up from his ball, hope in his eyes, now filled with life. He then begins to swiftly uncurl from his ball, eventually, although still on the floor, on all fours looking forward, a smile beginning to form on his face. He looks up, his eyes beginning to tear up and shimmer in the golden light. He then hops up onto his feet, and although landing in a squat, he swiftly yet cautiously rises to his feet. He smiles to the audience for a moment shifting on the balls of his feet before twirling round, his shirt now undone and loose, swirling majestically around him. His chest is now exposed too, showing a muscly yet thin physique. Meanwhile behind him, Esther continues to sing the line almost in tears, walking slowly towards the front. Creases are etched on her face as she shakes her head, raising her arm up to about half way, her hand switching from an open and inviting palms up to a fist. The camera meanwhile takes a wider shot of the stage, each golden light glimmering and shining as the performers do their thing. A quick shot of the audience, who continue to wave their flags and hands to the song.

As the second line is belted passionately, Esther runs dramatically towards the male dancer, who as he turns around lifts Esther up into his arms. She is at eye level with him as she faces the male dancer. Her legs are outstretched behind her as she leaps into his arms and the remain behind her during the lift as well. She now holds onto him as she is span once, before he places her on the stage floor once again. Her eyes are shut tightly, a small tear glimmering in the lights it’s it rolls down her cheeks. His hands are holding on tightly, not to let go of her once during the spin. They spin once, Esther’s dress trailing behind her like a trail of stars, and he places her down. During the spin, they look into each other’s eyes in wonder, eyes twinkling in the light as they share the close moment together. A single glistening tear rolling down her smooth cheek. Using the momentum of the spin, Esther and the male dancer run out and perform a straddle leap as the third line begins, Esther singing the song emotionally. A sense of hope and happiness fills the arena like an infectious disease. They land in perfect sync and twirl with elegance, the male dancer in front of Esther by a couple metres. The male dancer then staggers backwards, looking rather distraught and terrified, almost falling over at some point. However Esther leaps on the spot and holds her arms out strongly as the male dancer falls. He falls into her thin arms and Esther leans backwards, crouching further down to accompdate his weight. Holding onto him tightly not to drop him, she glances dreamily down at his face before slowly lifting him back up to a stand. During this, the dancer’s eyes are shut tightly and his head rocked back off her arms. Not only that but after she reaches near the bottom of the floor with the male dancer, he makes exaggerated walking motions with his legs until he reached the top, his muscly legs staying stable throughout. Esther takes a large breath as she belts the final chorus.

For the fourth line of the final chorus, they both twirl in sync with each other, both bathing in the golden lights that filled the arena. The audience begin to cheer loudly again. The camera panned across the audience, flags waving and arms flailing; a sea of people feeling the emotions onstage. Some could even relate to the lyrics and the song. Anyhow, the two then leap in sync as the second “Shout” is sang passionately by Esther, who is obviously exhausted yet still sings perfectly. Esther hops into his arms, her chest close to his chest and her head resting on his shoulders, hair falling from her head. Her eyes open calmly, glistening in the golden light and her legs are left dangling. The camera takes a bird eye view where both Esther and the dancer stare into the lights above, twinkling golden lights reflecting and shining everywhere. So, the dancer spins her round in a circle, Esther’s legs moving in a running motion as she is span round. Finally, she cartwheels out of the spin, and reaches her arm out longingly to the audience as the penultimate line comes to a close. Her eyes sorrowfully laced with hope, stares out into the distance, her arm halfway between choosing to stretch out but fighting against it. The male dancer joins soon after, copying her motion right next to her and the stage grows calm. The male’s eyes finally grow colourful; soulful. They feel alive with stories to come and stories of the past. A wind machine is turned on as Esther’s hair and dress flutter elegantly behind her and the male dancer’s shirt flaps in the wind. They both share a moment; a scene for mere moments before their hands retreated to their bodies as they turned around and walked back to centre stage slowly.

On the final line, they reach centre stage and they turn back round to see the audience. Esther begins singing the final line, tears pouring out of her brown yet kaleidoscopic eyes that shift colour in the light. The song means a lot to her. She’s seen it with her own eyes. Ears. She sings the last line as if it were her last line. She takes a deep breath just before the final note. The audience cheer loudly and sparks begin to fall from the ceiling, creating an emotional scene that’ll bring a tear to every Izmeduan. He lifts her up and Esther steps on his shoulders, she begins to belt the final note with note perfect precision. Sparks begin spewing out of the sides of the stage as Esther can be seen overlooking each spark and looking over the audience. Sparks are flying everywhere as she looks up at the ceiling, tears pouring out like a waterfall. There is a final flash of light to end the dramatic song.

But together we’ll run ‘till we’re free
You’re not alone
We’ll care for the people that suffer beneath
Shout, Shout, suffer in silence no more
Start the fire

There is a huge roar from the audience as the last of the sparks fall from the ceiling. Breathy and exhausted, the male dancer and Esther embrace emotionally, Esther sobbing into his shoulder. After a couple moments, they stand side by side and bow, the audience still cheering loudly or Esther. "Thank you and Start the fire!" Esther shouts, stopping midway to sob, her eyes glittering in the lights before walking offstage.

by **Kalosia** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 2:45 pm

12. Grellenbyooša-ga
"Rikki Sakarni" - Karališkas
Title Translation: Broken Symphony
Language(s): Taploukki
Lyrics: Kiku Širmer, Maila Siimes
Music: Maila Siimes
Tune: Ayree - Мұңайтпа енді

Kiku Širmer glided through the ancient halls of the Yamašilossan Šventedvi, pausing at a niche in the passageway. A mirror sat there, rippling like a silver lake. She whispered tender words to the living glass, an shifting scene visible beyond the solid curtain, and began to burn some incense. Gazing beyond the pale, thoughts and images connected themselves in her head, weaving a tapestry of concept that gave her the assurance to continue. She took a breath, thanked the spirits, and left the incense to burn as it would. The glossy panels of the multicolored lacquerwork reflected her as she strode softly back out into the warm sunlight. The lush gardens were slowly turning their colors, and a palpable fragrance emanated through the air. There was hope among the disappointment, promise among the loss. A balcony provided a stunning view of the waters beyond the city below, glinting back as the afternoon sun shone over just behind her. Her ancestors would support her in representing the land of their origin. There was more to come.

Maila approached her from behind, having been reclining in a nearby pavilion.

"Are we ready, dear?" she asked softly.

"Yes," Kiku breathed. "Let us go."

The couple climbed upon their modest rug and set flight back down to the streets and chatter of the city by the sea.

The opening drumbeats reveal a mysterious silhouette, a lady in a veil with a faint figure looming behind. Backlit by the ominous green and blue lit background pulsing to the drumbeats, the lady turns to ignore the figure behind her, and is illuminated as she steps forward, with the background lighting being replaced by a projection of a leafless forest. The lady is revealed to be Kiku, wearing a trailing black dress with what seems to be frost covering the backside, with fog covering the stage floor and obscuring her feet. She closes her eyes and turns her head back toward where the looming figure was as she begins singing, then slowly looks back toward the audience. There's a faint Maleficent vibe to the staging as Kiku slowly and deliberately strides along the stage

Rekstaren, küsüntá on kuin, yáinen tuuli, selláleni
The queen's, demand is like, an icy wind upon, my back

She falls to her knees at the stage edge, as if singing to those audience members directly in front of her. The lighting is soft, as she shakes her head on the second line and then climbs back onto her feet and walks back to center stage, launching a glare behind her as she walks away, before turning to face the audience once again

Mun alistuminen
My submission

ei peruste sortoa
not grounds for oppression

Te kumartamaan mutta má káün pois
You bow down but I will walk away

Yatka laulaa ettá
Continue singing that

Rikki sakarni
Broken symphony

The stage lighting suddenly takes on a desolate tone, with cold shades of blue, and wind blowing on Kiku. Deep blue lights reveal a large group of drummers and instrumentalists behind the stage, all adorned in dry reindeer antlers, reindeer skulls, dry vines, and twigs, somehow seeming to glow black in the intense blue light. Kiku herself is lit in ice blue that flickers into a white like lightning. The flashes reveal metallic beads woven into her dress that reflect the intense light. She gestures outward, gaze distant

Nüt tuulet ulvovat
Now the winds are howling

Nüt sateet yáádüvát
Now the rains are freezing

Nüt seisomme táállá,
Here we stand,

peestinieksit, jokáán
pawns being played

Nüt palot polttavat
Now fires are burning

Nüt áidit itkevát
Now mothers are weeping

Nüt haavat laulavat
Now wounds are singing

kipua ya kostoa
of pain and revenge

The column of air above the stage fills with mist, like a vortex of fog lit in shades of dark blue, aside from a pillar ice blue on Kiku, who contorts into tribal-esque dancing

Nüt sudet ulvovat
Now the wolves are howling

Nüt tulvat yáádüvát
Now the floods are freezing

Kidutetut kielet
The tortured strings

kasvavat kovempaa
are growing louder

Nüt muistot polttavat
Now memories are burning

Nüt lapset itkevát
Now children are weeping

Nüt sielut huutavat
Now souls are screaming

ühdessá laulussa
together in a song

The stage lights are normal and white again, the mist dissipating. Now at the front of the stage, Kiku is lit from below, the silvery beads in her dress really standing out now. She stands magnanimously facing the audience

Te, oryat, tule ulos, on aika seistá ya taistella
You, slaves, come out, it's time to stand and fight

Her expression intensifies, with the camera view catching a gleam in her eye. A determination as she stares straight into the audience as if giving commands

Lopettakaa hápeá
End the shame

Teroita terát
Sharpen blades

Haryoita lapsetsi
Train your children

Suunnittele hüökkäüksesi
Plan your attack

Keskitá aistit
Focus senses

Pelasta sakarni
Save the symphony

The lights become a deep purple and the spotlights along the stage floor swing outward. The lights pulse with the drumbeat, and the instrumentalists in the back grow more animated, and begin to proceed onto the stage

Nüt tuulet ulvovat
Now the winds are howling

Nüt sateet yáádüvát
Now the rains are freezing

Nüt seisomme táállá,
Here we stand,

peestinieksit, jokáán
pawns being played

Nüt palot polttavat
Now fires are burning

Nüt áidit itkevát
Now mothers are weeping

Nüt haavat laulavat
Now wounds are singing

kipua ya kostoa
of pain and revenge

They pick her up just as the lights switch to a pulsing, beating red, and carry her so that she is lying horizontally upon their hands, above their heads, and they proceed to the projecting platform. Mist covers the stage floor, but it does not look ethereal, and instead looks foreboding. Projections of howling wolves appear momentarily on the background, where the mountains are black and the sky is the color of dried blood

Nüt sudet ulvovat
Now the wolves are howling

Nüt tulvat yáádüvát
Now the floods are freezing

Kidutetut kielet
The tortured strings

kasvavat kovempaa
are growing louder

Nüt muistot polttavat
Now memories are burning

Nüt lapset itkevát
Now children are weeping

Nüt sielut huutavat
Now souls are screaming

ühdessá laulussa
together in a song

Suddenly a fall of what appears to be rain mixed with mist obscures the entire procession from view, before revealing Kiku sitting up, still elevated by the antler-adorned (former) instrumentalists. The lights are no longer a threatening, pulsing red, but are now a serene sea green with golden highlights, but there is still a subtly threatening pulse with every beat. The lighting is ethereal, the floor mist rises higher. Kiku seems much more golden than previously. Her eyes are closed and she seems to have escaped to another world as the rising platform brings her ever higher

Nüt koirat ulvovat
Now the dogs are howling

Nüt herkut yáádüvát
Now the treats are freezing

Parantuvat kielet
The healing strings

kasvavat kovempaa
are growing louder

Nüt nuotiot polttavat
Now campfires are burning

Nüt lapset nauravat
Now children are laughing

Nüt sielut laulavat
Now souls are singing

ühdessá laulussa
together in a song

The lights fade out, with a soft light lingering on Kiku while a single intense flickering light illuminates a single antler-adorned instrumentalist on center stage playing her strings

"Kiitos! Kiitos Altan!" It so turned out that the single instrumentalist at the end was none other than Maila, and the two bowed together as one, being careful with the antlers.

by **Kalosia** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 2:48 pm

13. Estogium
"On Trial" - SKIDMORE
Language(s): English
Lyrics: SKIDMORE
Music: SKIDMORE
Tune: Foo Fighters - The Pretender

DARLINGTON, ESTOGIUM - It was announced by the Estogian broadcaster, RVC, that the boy group based in Darlington, SKIDMORE, will be representing Estogium at the World Hit Festival 42, which is due to take place in Altan, Kalosia. This will mark Estogium's return to the competition after Viv Rumie successfully took Estogium to the Grand Final of World Hit Festival - coming 5th in the first Semi Final before placing a respectable 8th in the Grand Final. Estogium is yet to finish in a podium position, a goal which RVC are aiming for.

In what will be the 15th participation for Estogium at the World Hit Festival, the 42nd World Hit Festival marks 10 editions since a male last represented the nation, Reis Malik, who came 8th in Euskirribakondara - an eight-place jump from the edition before. In the anniversary since Estogium last sent a male, RVC has decided to send a group of males in the form of SKIDMORE to represent the nation with a new genre of music Estogium has yet to try at the contest.

Estogium last send a group at the 28th World Hit Festival, Palladium, who still has the nation's best record (4th place) and RVC are hoping for similar success by sending SKIDMORE.

KEY

Bold, no colour - Whole Ensemble
Bold, Blue - Main Singer
Bold, Orange - Second Singer

At the start of the entry, all of the members of the band stood in their positions. They all looked at each other and gave each other a thumbs up before looking towards the audience. The postcard for Estogium had just finished and the hospitable Kalosian audience cheered for the performance which was about the start. There was silence in the arena. A single spotlight came on to the main singer very slowly as the electrical guitar came in. The camera quickly zoomed in as the song progressed.

In the endless pit of darkness, no escape
In free fall - can't stop, oh I'm out of control

And it's because of you,
You are the one who pushed me in, oh yeah!
So don't act innocent,
You're far from perfect - you and I both know that
We both know that!

Now, all of the stage was lit up - the LED cut-out in the back was the grey static that you might have seen in many other performances. The lights behind it were also going crazy. From what it was before, the screen turned from 16:9 to 18:9 and a different video format to make the performance seem a bit more furious and movie-like.

You went out of your way,
To keep your record clean!
You did not care
Who you would hurt on the way.
You marched on top, over them

Left them bleeding,
Left them crying,
Left us aggrieved.

The camera focused on the drummer who was going ham on the drums in front of him. He really was getting in to the song.

What do you have to say for yourself now?
What do you have to say for yourself now?
Don't you blame me -
You're the one on trial, come on boy, it's your cross examination!

What do you have to say for yourself now?
What do you have to say for yourself now?
Don't you blame me -
You're the one on trial, come on boy, it's your cross examination!

After the first chorus, the boys got out of the positions that they were in before meeting with other band members. The main singer, though, stood in the position that he was in at the start of the song only. He didn't move. He was singing straight in to that microphone and stand. Slowly nodding his head along to the beat of the song.

Don't leave, the truth is told!
I know that you are scared - oh well! Oh well!
You didn't think of that
You didn't think at all when you were so bad,
You were so bad
You did not think!

When the chorus started, for the people who were watching the World Hit Festival from the screens or at home, they would notice that transparent skulls were being over what was happening on the stage to create a more...dangerous looking performance. Red and grey were the main colours being used by the lights - with the colours spinning around the whole arena. The four members of SKIDMORE were all moving along to the song - looking at each other as they were coming up to the chorus.

What do you have to say for yourself now?
What do you have to say for yourself now?
Don't you blame me -
You're the one on trial, come on boy, it's your cross examination!

What do you have to say for yourself now?
What do you have to say for yourself now?
Don't you blame me -
You're the one on trial, come on boy, it's your cross examination!

At the end of the chorus, the camera quickly zoomed out and showed the whole stage. As the guitarist was playing his instrument, one of the steadicams really focused on him strumming that instrument! Fog started to fill the the floor of the stage and by the time the camera zoomed out again, you could see that the smoke was getting more and more intense. The lights - of course - were going crazy.

Look at you, you're getting scared
Golden to my eyes.
Maybe now you will realise
How you made me feel!

The truth will always out
It will make you squeal!
Pray to God, seek forgiveness!
But God, he won't help you.

Come on, speak out
Come on, speak out
COME ON, SPEAK OUT!
COME ON, SPEAK OUT!

At the end of this, there were a few steadicams which were going around the four band members currently on the stage. Each of the guys were headbanging along to the song. Beads of sweat were dripping down each of the band member's faces - especially after that bridge. As they started to sing "Come on, Speak out!" the camera zoomed outwards and spun on it's axis - with fire coming from every corner of the stage. There was a sudden pause, with another coming from under the stage to meet the main vocalist singing...before....more pyros!

In the endless pit of darkness, no escape

What do you have to say for yourself now?
What do you have to say for yourself now?
Don't you blame me -
You're the one on trial, come on boy, it's your cross examination!

What do you have to say for yourself now?
What do you have to say for yourself now?
Don't you blame me -
You're the one on trial, come on boy, it's your cross examination!

The camera went crazy - in a frenzy. Using a variety of shots, from long shots, wide shots, close ups - the Estogian delegation wanted to create a sense of anarchy, especially after the silent bit before the final chorus. All the guys on the stage furiously jammed along to the song - moving their heads, hands and legs. The LED cut-out screen behind showed grey static shots with red going crazy. There were also pictures of moving skulls in the back too. These images were similar to the ones that appeared on the screen earlier.

In the endless pit of darkness, no escape
What do you have to say for yourself now?
What do you have to say for yourself now?
Don't you blame me -
You're the one on trial, come on boy, it's your cross examination!

In free fall - can't stop, oh I'm out of control
What do you have to say for yourself now?
What do you have to say for yourself now?
Don't you blame me -
You're the one on trial, come on boy, it's your cross examination!

Come on, speak out
Come on, speak out
COME ON, SPEAK OUT!
COME ON, SPEAK OUT!

At the end of the song, the four members of SKIDMORE all jumped in to the air with either their microphones or instruments still on them. Pyros shot metres in to the air alongside fire at each of the beats at the end of the song. As they all got back down to the floor, all of the lights dramatically turned off. The audience came in with a roar as the stage lights slowly turned on once again, "Thank you, Kalosia!" they all said together before walking off the stage.

by **Kalosia** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 2:51 pm

14. Titaniumland
"Consequences" - Alessia Manere
Language(s): English
Lyrics: Alessia Manere
Music: Jesse Gnini & Alessia Manere
Tune: Rayssa Dynta - Hands

Alessia Manere performs genre-blurring R&B influenced by electronic music, swing jazz and indie pop. Her major-label debut, 2017's Chapters, helped Manere receive the Best New Artist award at the 2018 Titan Music Awards. In addition, she became the first woman to top the chart in her first try with debut single "Flight Navigator".

Born on August 2, 1995, Manere was raised in the capital city of Henium. She left her hometown to pursue her interest in anthropology at Titan National University where she joined the college's music label, Lille Records. She started performing from a college festival to another, before she met the A&R of well-known Embrace Records, Gabriel Richie, who offered her a recording contract after seeing her performing at the Fusion Festival.

After graduating of college, Manere received an interesting job offer in a "prestigious" company, but later she turned it down, due to her love in music and songwriting. She rose even more after collaborating with another R&B darling Karla Xi ("Save It for Later") and indie pop band Sparks ("Natural Bravery"). Later this year, she was asked to represent the country at the Worldvision Song Contest with number-one single "Needed Me", which bends her genre capacity to electronic dance music, placed thirteenth. Her controversial act displaying blood also made headlines. And now, her chance to represent the Titans also made our return at the World Hit Festival after numbers of editions.

The song she chose to perform at the WHF was "Consequences", which she wrote with award-winning record producer Jesse Gnini who also worked on her debut album. She wrote this track six months ago in a retreat she took in the hood. The track told about a woman who carried on her relationship with her lover, even though people around her said bad things about them. She couldn't wait to share the music and perform in Kalosia.

The stage is completely dark. The light spots on Alessia. She is wearing this black outer with thigh-high boots. She is singing the intro, while two shirtless male dancers are approaching her. The camera shoots from different angles once she finishes singing each line. The dancers keep dancing surrounding her but stops every time the camera changes its angle.

0:00
Aah, aah
Aah, aah
Aah, aah

After singing the intro, the camera shoots the stage in full. Alessia is accompanied by a band, consists of synthesizer, snare and keyboard. The band is dressing in all white. Alessia is interacting with them while singing the verse, while the dancers are following her. The background vocals are taken from Alessia's vocals during the intro.

0:24
You convinced me again 'bout love
Fit into each other like gloves
Someone I would've let go of
Concludes all of their thoughts

During the "Aah" breaks, Alessia is walking through the catwalk, while moving and dancing with her dancers. The camera shoots close-up, Alessia is singing while the dancers covering her eyes with their hands, before the camera zooms out.

0:49
Gonna take all the consequences, consequence
Make you trespass over my fence
You better coming to my senses, to my sense
Prove them wrong so be the best

Alessia is now back on the stage. There are now three chairs on stage, she is sitting on the right. She creates making movement, then her dancers follow her. (similar to this)

1:14
You're everything I can see
There's no one else that got me
But you
Don't let what they say come true
Just remember that I have
Warned you

During the "Aah" part, Alessia with the dancers also the band stand and hopping around. (similar to this) Alessia is back sitting again then her dancers are laying down pulling her left hand but she is still stable.

1:51
Ruining the reputation
Send me your donation
Tryna break all the formation
Save all your temptations

Alessia is walking towards the catwalk, while moving and dancing with her dancers. Alessia and her dancers laying down on catwalk in the same line while the camera shoots from above.

2:15
Gonna take all the consequences, consequence
Make you trespass over my fence
You better coming to my senses, to my sense
Prove them wrong so be the best

The camera shoots the band. Then, Alessia and the dancers are standing on the catwalk while doing the movements. The camera shoots from the side (similar to this) And the camera shoots from the front, Alessia is walking to the camera, and the camera moves backwards.

2:41
You're everything I can see
There's no one else that got me
But you
Don't let what they say come true
Just remember that I have
Warned you

Alessia is back on stage. She is walking to the band and the lights are slowly dim. Smoke spreads out the stage.

3:06
I know what's best for me oh baby
So you will never ever again, take control of me
I know what's best for me oh baby
So you will never ever again, take control of me

Alessia and the dancers are moving front to the center. They carries Alessia up while she is laying. Alessia then flies from the dancers. She is now up in the air. She is moving then gone from the stage nor the camera. Before leaving the stage, she shouts "Thank you Kalosia!"

3:34
You're everything I can see
There's no one else that got me
But you
Don't let what they say come true
Just remember that I have
Warned you
No one else that got me
But you
No one else that got me
But you
No one else that got me
But you

by **Kalosia** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 2:53 pm

15. The Hlhata States
"Spread your Wings and Fly" - BoNina
Language(s): English
Lyrics: Jerome Brown, Josie, Kim Kardashian West & Bonnie Carrionne
Music: Oskar Kaarlsson, Marion Johannesburg, Josie, Jerome Brown & Nina Nett
Tune: Smile - Butterfly

After a rather disappointing 17th place for the miniscule island nation, the national broadcaster, HCTIB, decided they had have enough, claiming the contest to be drowned in corruption. So the HCTIB decided to quit the contest, leaving the Hlhata States no hope to ever return to the contest. However, the 36 who live in Hlhata States decided to create their own broadcaster so that they could return to the contest. So the BBL was created. And here we are, again.

This song is gr8

Bonnie
Nina
Both

Ayaya
Ayaya
Ayaya
Spread your wings and fly

When the days are rough and sad, and the path hazy
Don’t give up, be strong and stand your ground
Maybe the light is gone, and you think you are lost
Be yourself let your soul shine through the dark

Ayaya
Spread your wings and take you high
Be my butterfly and fly to the sky
Ayaya
Spread your wings and take you high
Be my butterfly and fly to the sky

Ayaya
Ayaya
Ayaya
Spread your wings and fly

When the days are rough and sad, and the path hazy
Don’t give up, be strong and stand your ground
Maybe the light is gone, and you think you are lost
Be yourself let your soul shine through the dark

Ayaya
Ayaya
Ayaya
Spread your wings and fly

Ooooh
Ooooh oh
Ooooh
Ooooh oh

Ayaya
Spread your wings and take you high
Be my butterfly and fly to the sky
Ayaya
Spread your wings and take you high
Be my butterfly and fly to the sky

Ayaya
Spread your wings and take you high
Be my butterfly and fly to the sky
Ayaya
Spread your wings and take you high
Be my butterfly and fly to the sky

Ayaya
Spread your wings and take you high
Be my butterfly and fly to the sky
Ayaya
Spread your wings and take you high
Be my butterfly and fly to the sky

Ayaya
Ayaya
Ayaya
Spread your wings and fly

Ayaya
Ayaya
Ayaya
Spread your wings and fly

Ayaya
Ayaya
Ayaya
Spread your wings and fly

by **Kalosia** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 2:56 pm

16. Adab
"Metropolis" - Shana Arkasy
Language(s): English
Lyrics: Shana Arkasy, Kinan al-Salaman
Music: Shana Arkasy, Kinan al-Salaman
Tune: Lady Gaga - The Edge of Glory

Shana Arkasy at the Palm Awards

Background
Adab's participation in the 42nd World Hit Festival marked the end of an era; the country's song would be the last - including the WorldVision Song Contest and Junior World Hit Festival - to feature any kind of contribution from Kinan al-Salaman. Al-Salaman represented Adab onstage for twenty-one consecutive WorldVision contests, before stepping back from the spotlight to assume songwriting duties for artists of his own choosing. But even that was coming to an end; al-Salaman was now focusing on running his business empire, and though he himself would continue his music career, he had explicitly ruled out coming back to WorldVision or the WHF either as a singer or a songwriter, instead hinting that he would play an advisory role for future contestants. This was not much of a surprise to those who followed the Adabian music industry closely. It was an open secret that al-Salaman had been gradually handing over the reins to his artists in terms of songwriting, and that his own contributions - especially in the last few songs on WorldVision and WHF - were no more than a few lines and suggestions to revise some other lines. Nevertheless, he still received credit as songwriter along with the artists, and for this song it would be no different, even if his personal involvement would again be close to nonexistent.

This time, al-Salaman's choice fell to the 22-year-old Shana Arkasy. Shana hailed from a middle-class family in Arish, capital of Sinai Governorate, where she still lives. Her singing ability was uncovered at an early age; she had been singing in schools and talent shows since her childhood. Yet it was not her voice but rather her acting which catapulted her to national fame. At the age of 17, she appeared as the girl Maria in the tragicomedy If It Isn't a Funeral, Is It a Party? - having turned up for the audition almost literally at the last minute on her drama teacher's suggestion - which became a surprise box office hit. She translated her newfound fame - combined with her singing - into a widely-acclaimed starring role in the musical The Resurrection of Esarhaddon Haykeli, Superstar which became an even bigger box office hit and landed her a Best Actress win at the Palm Awards, Adab's national film awards.

Though she certainly had a bright future ahead of her as an actress, Shana was itching for a music career, which had been her childhood dream. Banking on the goodwill generated by Esarhaddon Haykeli, Shana wrote and recorded a few pop songs, which resulted in an EP titled simply Shana Arkasy. The EP, released on indie label Pop Pop Pop, was very well-received and reached number ten on the national charts, with critics praising her "natural" and "compelling" singing. Al-Salaman himself was impressed by the EP and offered to sign Shana to Al-Salaman Records. Shana was initially hesitant at the prospect of signing with a major label so early into her career, but al-Salaman managed to convince her to sign by offering her a spot on the World Hit Festival, which would give Shana and her singing a global exposure.

"Metropolis", the song which Shana would sing on the WHF stage, describes someone's encounter with nightlife in their city (not necessarily Adab City, although Shana and al-Salaman composed the song with that city in mind), and their desire to have their significant other with them to enjoy the night. Shana and al-Salaman were credited as co-songwriters on "Metropolis", although al-Salaman himself appeared to confirm in an interview that this was largely a formality. Al-Salaman contributed no more than five lines; the rest was, in his own words, "her baby".

The performance
The appearance of the postcard generated loud cheers and applauses from the Adabian delegation, with some even rising to their feet to show their appreciation. The LED screens in the background were showing shades of red, glowing dimly in the darkness that pervaded in the venue; everything was pitch black around the pathways of the stage. The audience waited patiently for the act to come onstage, with the Adabians in the venue talking to each other in whispers, waiting, waiting, and waiting for their heroine to show up. Finally, the LED screens changed to show a video of the sun sinking over the Adab City skyline, as the fading sunlight gave way to the blue night. The Adabians quickly recognized their city on the screens and cheered loudly in approval. The stage remained dark, but those who were on the front rows could see the faint hints of a shadow coming into the place and the sound of shoes clashing against the floor. The cheers increased and increased, and reached their peak when Shana Arkasy made herself visible to the thousands in the venue. She was wearing a glowing red dress, which made her stand out in the abject darkness.

Mic on hand, Shana assumed her place at the center of the main stage. A spotlight, crystal clear, fell upon her in order to make herself more visible to the audience. As Shana readied herself for the performance, her backing band marched onto the main stage behind her: a guitarist, a keyboardist, a drummer, and a saxophonist; they received their own spotlight. "Bonë serë Altan! Good evening everybody!" she called out to the audience, all smiles, waving her free arm at the thousands before her. Behind her the band began playing. "It truly is a pleasure to be here. I can't... I can't really express just how grateful I am to be here. This is really a dream come true, for me and for the wonderful guys who are playing with me tonight. Thank you, thank you very much Altan!" She took a step forward, and another, a nearly subconscious move to bring herself closer to the audience.

Italics sung by backing band

See all the lights shining right on me now
The stars they've come out (The stars they've come out)
And I feel the strong rush, that blinding spell, so let me in alright (Alright)
I need no reason, but just please let me be here
The stars they've come out (The stars they've come out)
The streets are teeming with all kinds of life tonight

I can't deny the call, the beautiful thrill
Please stick with me tonight, we'll make a run for it
In the soul of metropolis

For two seconds, the music stopped. The venue was suddenly deprived of sound. Shana fell to her knees quietly and wordlessly, and the band stopped playing. Behind them the LED screens were now showing videos of the streets of Adab City at night. The audience watched with eyes wide open, turning their heads and wondering what was going to happen.

And then it happened: the pyrotechnics.

With one loud boom, fire and smoke of various colors shot up to the ceiling a few feet behind the band. Red, blue, yellow, and green. Lights turned on around the stage, sparkling white. The venue, previously dark, was suddenly bathed in lights and colors. The audience, stunned and amazed, remained largely silent for another second. And then they rose to their feet, jumped, cheered, shouted, clapped, and hollered at the sight of it. Shana was still on her knees, gazing up, one hand holding on to the mic and the other reaching for the ceiling. She nodded and smiled widely, if momentarily, at the audience. Then she turned towards her band for a second. A few more nods were exchanged between Shana and the band before she turned once again to the audience, still on her knees, with the mic facing downwards towards her mouth. And then the music came back in.

I'm on a rush to the line, and I'm on the peak of euphoria
I'm on a rush to the line, so just put your trust in myself
I'm on a rush, a rush, a rush, a rush, a rush, a rush, a rush
I'm on a rush to the line, so just put your trust in myself
On the rush with you tonight

Shana was now walking on the pathway, making her way over to the satellite stage as the crowd in the front slowly inched closer towards the stage and the woman standing on it. She extended her free hand to the crowd, waving at them as she arrived at the satellite stage. The smoke was starting to subside, but the columns of fire were still going strong in all their variety of colors. The lights around the stage mostly began to fade, and soon everything around the stage seemed to be fading to pitch black, with only the fire and Shana in her glowing dress refusing to sink into the darkness. The spotlights remained firmly on Shana on the satellite stage and the band on the main stage.

All the people in all their finest clothes
The stars they've come out (The stars they've come out)
Music's coming out of the pub and we're running to the beat tonight (Tonight! Tonight!)
Go down the street with me, I promise it'll be good
The stars they've come out (The stars they've come out)
We'll take the elevator to the sixth-floor bar tonight (Tonight! Tonight!)

I can't deny the call, the beautiful thrill
Please stick with me tonight, we'll make a run for it
In the soul of metropolis

The lights once again burst into bloom around the stage, though this time they were not accompanied by another explosion of fire and smoke. The fire burned still, while what remained from the smoke continued rising to the ceiling. This time, however, the stage floor - both the main and satellite stages - turned into a bright, flashing mosaic of red, blue, yellow, and green. The LED screens were showing people going about their business at night in Adab City, along with several shots of busy intersections and people enjoying themselves in bars, hotels, and nightclubs. Now at the edge of the satellite stage, Shana once again dropped to her knees, though this time she did it in order to make it easier for her to shake hands with the fans while singing.

I'm on a rush to the line, and I'm on the peak of euphoria
I'm on a rush to the line, so just put your trust in myself
I'm on a rush, a rush, a rush, a rush, a rush, a rush, a rush
I'm on a rush to the line, so just put your trust in myself
On the rush with you tonight

On the rush with you tonight
On the rush with you tonight
(You, you, you)

The spotlight suddenly dimmed on Shana and the satellite stage, leaving her glowing dress as the only indication that she was still there. The floor of the satellite stage was once again plain black. This left the venue with only one spotlight, the one shining down on the band, and even this spotlight was now narrowing and pointing down at the saxophonist and only the saxophonist, for this was his moment. As Shana sauntered back to the main stage, he launched into a lengthy solo, much to the elation of the crowd, especially the Adabians among them, and he was deservedly greeted by loud cheers and a standing ovation by large sections of the crowd. By now Shana had made her way back to the main stage, and her spotlight came back on, while the other spotlight once again widened to include the entire band.

I'm on a rush to the line, and I'm on the peak of euphoria
I'm on a rush to the line, so just put your trust in myself
I'm on a rush, a rush, a rush, a rush, a rush, a rush, a rush
I'm on a rush to the line, so just put your trust in myself
On the rush with you tonight (Tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight)

The music gradually faded away, and the LED screens went off. The drummer was the first to stop, followed soon by the guitarist and keyboardist, leaving the saxophonist as the last man still playing onstage. When he, too, stopped, Shana gathered the band at the front of the main stage for a final bow to the audience. The cheers and applauses were deafening, and there were chants of "More! More!" and "Shana! Shana!" emanating from the Adabians in the crowd. "Thank you, thank you very much," said an emotional Shana, smiling, not realizing that a tear was running down her cheek, and another. "It's been a pleasure to be here. You've been a very wonderful crowd, and... I don't know how to say this, but you're great, the greatest. You're the best, all of you, and I really mean it from the bottom of my heart. Gražia Altan! Thank you everyone!" Having finished her speech, Shana led her band out of the stage and out of visibility, even as the chants continued almost unabated.

by **Kalosia** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 2:59 pm

17. Pan-Asiatic States
"Bahay-Silanganan" - Batalyon Kalayaan
Title Translation: The House of the (in the) East
Language(s): Filipino
Lyrics: (Qingdao Records) Armando Gengxin
Music: (Batalyon Kalayaan) Ebi Valenzuela, Liu Zhong, Sasha Liu, Benito Manzano
Tune: (Folk Song) - House of the Rising Sun

The stage lights dim. After a few minutes, "Batalyon Kalayaan", Freedom Battalion, the band, emerges out of the dark- dressed in historical attire of the Third Pacific War (pictured above). Ebi and Sasha, the lead guitarist and the female drummer, posed in traditional clothes worn by civilians during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Zhong, lead vocalist, and Benito, the bassist, wore military uniforms of the rouge, resistance People's Republic of the Philippines.

Zhong approached the mic, without a sense of nervousness.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. Tonight, we perform one of the most controversial Rock songs ever released in the States. One of resistance, one that has posed discourse, one that rebels against the ideal Supranationalism of our government- a folk expression of Free Speech.

Having that said; we hope you sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. Sasha, drop the beat!"

Mayr'ong bahay sa Bagong Tondo
(There is a House in New Tondo)

Ang 'ngala'y Bahay-Silanganan
(Bearing the name, the House of the East)

Kay rami nang luhong na-bilanggo
(So many treasures have been incarcerated)

Diyos ko po, alam ko po, pati ako.
(And my Lord, I know, I'm one)

Kung ako'y pumatong sa tuwid na daan
(If I had set myself on the right path)

Dili tahana'y landas ko sana.
(I would have ended up at home)

Muwang ay sa aki'y 'di pa na kamtan,
(Wisdom had yet been acquired by me)

Kahirapan ang aking sinta.
([For] suffering is my lover)

Patnubayan ang aking alagang kapatid;
(Warn the sibling I've taken care of)

Sa patali'y huwag-na-huwag kumapit.
(Never to grasp the knife)

Lumayas sa mga kantong may dugong bahid,
(Stay away from the alleyways stained by blood)

Sa Bahay-Silangana'y huwag lumapit.
(Never go near the House of the East)

Inay ko'y taga-iyak sa patay,
(My mother was a "Weeper-of-the-Dead")

Iniyak niya 'king inumin.
(She weeped me something to drink)

Si 'Tang ay 'sang namamahay,
(My father is a household servant)

Tagapagsilbi sa Tsinong kulugin.
(Serving the Chinese weeds)

Babalik ako sa Bagong Tondo-
(I'm going back to New Tondo)

Ang nasa ng aking budhi.
(The desire of my gut-feeling)

Sa Bahay-Silangana'y ako tutubo,
(In the House of the East, I shall grow [old])

Roon ako mananatili.
(There, I shall stay)

TRANSLATOR'S NOTES:

An ancient Filipino figure-of-speech, meaning, to do vile things out of desperation.
In Chinese tradition, especially in immigrant Sino-Filipino families, it is believed that heaven is better-accessible for a dead man, the more people cry at the his/her funeral. This supposedly signifies that the man had achieved many charitable acts during his lifetime, because many people will miss him; which is why families of the deceased choose to hire "Weepers-for-the-Dead".
The term "weed" is used for the sake of better rhyming. The way it is used here is tantamount to calling the Chinese "leeches".

by **Kalosia** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 3:03 pm

18. Mercedini
"Truth Or Dare" - Tre Cuori
Language(s): English
Music & Lyrics: Tre Cuori (R. Tanti, A. Rizzala, P. Christante)
Tune: Years & Years - "All For You"

Tre Cuori take the Mercedinian baton back to Kalosia for the 42nd edition of the World Hit Festival, eager to be the band which claims the hattrick victory for the blue and black nation, which hasn't won in the six editions following their first-second-first run between editions thirty-four and thirty-six. ENM are eager to host another song contest in the coming editions, with only the World Hit Festival left to host out of the triple crown. Daniel Alishkaerni and M'folo Asante remain the only representatives to come away with the World Hit Festival title, Tre Cuori hope to win on their first go after both winners have also tried and fail to win WorldVision. The three-piece were selected as yet another internal selection from the Mercedinian National Broadcaster following their decent record of selecting popular artists, with Mercedini never dropping out of the top ten in any of their previous attempts in the World Hit Festival.

The song goes back to the pop roots of Mercedinian music as artists continue to develop for their own commercial and competitive gains. Tre Cuori are a new band discovered from their viral music of popular WorldVision winners, which led to them getting the call-up from ENM to trial their own original song on an international stage. Altan awaits for them following the Kalosian host acceptance in the previous contest. for Mercedini, they will go full circle in the World Hit Festival scene as they return to the nation where they made their debut, way back when Syren, Rhythm DMZ and Charlie Donliffe finished 5th in Kasin for the country's national debut. Everything has been cultivated to give the crowd in Kalosia a great show.

The performance begins with the two of the members elevated by their DJ stands which rises high above the stage floor, while the remaining member of the group, the vocalist, stands on the stage floor at the front of the stage. The stage design revolves loosely around religious iconography with lights shining through long columns, dispelling the light across the arena. A central shot high above the audience moves forward towards the stage as the shot gives the audience at home a good view into the staging visuals of the performance. The stage slowly glows until the Mercedinian act can be seen for the first verse.

It's the weekend
Gonna put all of my problems to bed
O-oh
Ivory towers
I'll destroy all their foundations they laid

After beginning the start of the song at the front and centre, Albin then walk to the left of the stage from the camera's perspective, with a side camera sweeping towards the stage before retracting away. The long brown robe he is wearing now waves with his movement across the Altan stage-floor, while the two supporting performers stand on their pedestals. There are three further performers off-stage providing backing vocals, making sure the band squeezed everything they can out of the production. Albin walks back to the centre of the stage for the chorus, conveying natural gesticulations to the camera before the song beat kicks in

Shot of a gun can't take me down. Yeah, I've come prepared
Oh, I'm on a mission
The aura that caught my eye has fallen away
Will I ever give in? No!

Lasers provided by the Mercedinian national broadcaster are now seen emitting from the DJ stands and at the outer edges of the stage. They shine in all directions with the audience and the performers all being traced by the colourful beams of light wandering aimlessly around the arena. The camera focuses intently on the main vocalist of the song, but is then intertwined with wide shots of the arena and relative chaos that is happening with the Mercedinian lighting combined with the music. The rode that Albin is wearing disperses most of the light that hits it, giving the Tre Cuori vocalist brief glowing moments.

It's just a game of truth or dare
All these feelings in my head
You healed my wounds when my mind saw you
I'm over this adrenaline
The boundaries here are paper thin
It all ends the same when I feel brand new

O-oh, o-oh, o-oh
I feel brand new

Time for the second verse, where the lasers have faded away into the darkness and it replace by a faint white light which flickers off and on in time with the clicking of the beat in the second verse. The lyrics seem more personal that last time with Albin staring intently into the camera as he sings the self-written words to the song. He gives a final point into the central camera before chaos returns for the second chorus.

I'm going nowhere, take me forth to where no man can break in (Mmmm)
Time to give in, I'm not fighting for the one who wont heal. (Na, na, na)
And I have held my fear, that I'll still end with all of the same
Ah, yeah
What they can't take from you, will come through, to hurt my heart instead
I bet you would wish that, oh.

More of the some in the second chorus from Mercedini with crazy light shows and sweeping camerawork being the dish of the day in Altan. Albin is there in the chaos with his vocals once again while the supporting DJs get the crowd and the audience at home hyped up for the song. On a night where plenty of big names and big songs take to the stage, Tre Cuori want to be the one left standing at the end of it all, and they are throwing everything at the performance to do their nation proud. The futuristic displays on stage reflect the futuristic sound of the song as it moves forward second by second.

It's just a game of truth or dare
All these feelings in my head
You healed my wounds when my mind saw you
I'm over this adrenaline
The boundaries here are paper thin
It all ends the same when I feel brand new

O-oh, o-oh, o-oh
I feel brand new
O-oh, o-oh, o-oh
I feel brand new

The lights recede once again in the song for the interlude between the penultimate and the final chorus of the song, with Albin kneeling down on the floor with all of the lights point down onto him. His robe stretches down onto the floor and flows outward. The main vocalist looks down at the floor as the camera comes towards him and circles around him. As the song begins to pick up the pace once again, he gets back up onto his feet with the camera orbiting him quicker and quicker, whipping up a frenzy in the audience. Albin breaks free of the camera and strolls forward for the third and final chorus.

Following's incessant, colour me impatient
All this music, heals my senses
Taking all my seconds, running out of patience
All this music, heals my senses
You pull, I push
Can't take too much
Your soul, I trust
You're making me feel brand new
You pull, I push
Can't take too much
Your soul, I trust
You're making me feel brand new

Cannons of confetti are shot into the air along with the epileptic scale of the lasers which return to the song. The confetti and lasers combine to mean whoever is streaming the contest online has just said goodbye to their bandwidth, although Mercedinians have great internet so that should be a problem. Albin moves around the stage and has begun to enjoy his time on stage, with the lights and colour surrounding him, his bandmates and the audience. It will last less than four minutes, although the memories will likely last a lot longer than that.

It's just a game of truth or dare
All these feelings in my head (my head)
You healed my wounds when my mind saw you (oh you healed my wounds, yeah)
I'm over this adrenaline
The boundaries here are paper thin
It all ends the same when I feel brand new

The song draws to a close as the last pieces of confetti drifts down from the air to be caught by the audience. The pedestals begin to shrink in size as the remaining two bandmates come down from their elevated position and come towards the stage floor. The religious iconography returns to the forefront of the visuals as all three band members put their hoods up to disguise their faces from the plethora of lights around the stage.

Lift my soul up, lift my soul up
Lift my soul up, I feel brand new

Lift my soul up, lift my soul up
Lift my soul up, I feel brand new

At this point in the performance, the audience have already started to applaud their performance, but the dong continues for another ten seconds before the Mercedinian performance officially draws to a close in Altan. Albin thanks the crowd while the other two members wake to the audience, paying special attention to the small pocket of blue and black fans. The camera then moves into the group of fans who are screaming and blowing kisses into the camera before a transition is made for the next performance of the night.

by **Kalosia** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 3:12 pm

19. Britonisea
"When Our Eyes Meet" - Evangeline Hope
Language(s): English
Lyrics: Marie Agent, Holly Smithers, Jessie Anon, Evangeline Hope
Music: Marie Agent, Evangeline Hope, Veronica Campbell
Tune: Ella Henderson- All Again

Ella Henderson - All Again (alternative link)

Evangeline Hope in Altan: Evangeline has been to many different countries - she can now add Kalosia to her list!

Britonisea returns to the World Hit Festival in Kalosia, in what will be it's sixth consecutive participation. After a rocky road to the contest, Evangeline Hope has been picked with the song "When Our Eyes Meet"

Britonisea returns to the World Hit Festival with a vengeance this edition after the disappointing contest the nation had at the 41st edition in Polumisec. Even though Britonisea had gone to Izmedu with high hopes - hoping that the #41 would give them some sort of good luck as it did in the WorldVision Song Contest, the nation failed to deliver when it came to the Grand Final of the competition. Guy Autriche's first ever World Hit Festival Entry as the Head of Delegation for Britonisea had landed him in 7th place, a place which - while isn't bad for some nations - was quite a shock for the nation after the highly successful Head of Delegation reign of the now World Hit Festival Overseer, Fabio McAlpine, who took Britonisea through a win and three runner-up places in the space of seven editions. What's more, the nation dipped under twenty points for the first time since the nation's shocking freefall at the 33rd World Hit Festival held in Normandy and Picardy which resulted in the immediate firing of the then World Hit Festival HoD for Britonisea, Luke Small. While others nations who participate in the contest would look with disdain at the nation's reaction to Jasmine's placing at the World Hit Festival 41, it seemed like a lot of the blame fell on BVC and they needed to do something about it quickly.

As Britonisea took on the Overseership of the contest, the nation's place at the 42nd World Hit Festival was just assumed instead of the broadcaster actually announcing Britonisea's intention in participating. At the World Hit Festival 41, Jasmine was announced as the World Hit Festival representative as soon as the lines open for artists. Though this time, Britonisea was one of the last nations to confirm their participation - which had avid fans of the World Hit Festival confused as to why that is. People thought that BVC were going to take a break from the contest, especially after their strongly worded press release regarding their withdrawal from the Junior World Hit Festival - with Britonisea's Aloquirbic population going on to come 4th at the contest. It was then announced that Evangeline Hope would be the one who would represent Britonisea at the World Hit Festival - in a great push to try and retain the profile of the World Hit Festival in the nation as BVC assume many would be turned off by the nation's sudden dip of fortunes.

Evangeline Hope is hugely popular in Britonisea. While you have two types of artists in Britonisea - the ones that aren't associated with television appearances (like Santiago Carillion before he hosted Vha Mehlodhivestoile) and those who are associated with television such as Mini Surrey North and Evangeline Hope, Evangeline manages to break those boundaries to still be one of the most successful of artists in the nation. Regardless, her previous appearances hosting and participating in Vha Mehlodhivestoile, World Hit Festival 35 as well as being the spokesperson for Britonisea on several different occasions cemented Evangeline being suitable for the role of representing Britonisea at the contest. Moreover, her appearance at the WorldVision Song Contest 45 in The Sarian gave Britonisea a 6th place - which at the time was the nation's sixth best result which was especially highlighted due to the nation's poor record at the song contest prior to the 45th WorldVision Song Contest. Evangeline has always expressed interest in representing the nation at World Hit Festival, and in a time when Britonisea needs a star like her to take the wheel, Evangeline's chance was finally here.

Marie Argent, the person behind the song “The Inevitable” had worked with Evangeline for weeks before the final track was ready for everybody to listen to. Marie was initially the one who was supposed to represent Britonisea at the contest - but as a songwriter and not a performer, she thought that it would be 100% better if Evangeline had sung the song for her. After it was announced Evangeline had produced the track, it was announced to the public and Evangeline moved to performing the song on a mock-up of the now-released stage in a studio in Britonisea. With BVC feeling the pressure of not only making sure that their entry was fine, but also making sure that the whole contest was just as fine too, those behind the Britonish entry for the 42nd World Hit Festival saw weaknesses in Evangeline's creative which they thought weren't fixable before the flight to Altan, Kalosia. In a frenzy, Guy Autriche withdrew the current entry of Britonisea in a similar situation to what happened at the 40th World Hit Festival when Sonya was withdrawn in place for Axis. Evangeline Hope was given another song from Marie Argent - a song which Guy Autriche had a hand in producing making his name on the credits for the third edition in a row. The nation is hoping the Guy Autriche which was present at the WV63 was here at WHF42.

The new song, “When Our Eyes Meet” has a slower feel to the song which represented the nation at the 41st World Hit Festival. The lyrics in the song aren't as clear as day, but have been left rather vague so that the audience at home can make what they want of the song. To Marie, the one who penned the song, she said that to her, the song is about falling in love with the wrong person. She exclaims, “You know...there are people out there who would try and explore your weaknesses and exploit you by exploiting those weaknesses. For many of us, the desire to be loved by somebody you might find attractive (not necessarily through looks, but personality too) is our weakness. It's belittling and leaves the person who is victim of this in such a vulnerable situation. I know many people - male and female - who have tried to just brush off somebody who they like because of who they are...this song explains that it isn't as simple as that. It really messed with your head.” When speaking to Evangeline Hope about the song, she agreed with Marie and spoke about how this song compares to “The Inevitable”. “I feel as though this song has a more personal feel than 'The Inevitable’. I could sing that song well, but I didn't connect with it because I didn't feel those emotions. With this song, exploitation is something that many people have felt - and I have definitely felt exploitation, you know? It's a bit of a shitty feeling but through those feelings that I have, I can make a great performance out of it. I want the audience to feel how I feel, how Marie feels, how the men and women out there who have felt used feel. I cannot wait to show what we have planned to everybody in Altan.”

Evangeline, Marie and the rest of the Head of Delegation arrived in Altan, Kalosia after having learnt a totally different routine to the one that they had learnt before. They felt more relaxed than they did initially with “The Inevitable” and felt as though some good could come from the World Hit Festival 42.

Even though Kalosia's broadcaster had argued that the stage wasn't too large - Evangeline most definitely didn't agree with them. The stage was absolutely massive, and for such a up-close and personal song such as “When Our Eyes Meet”, they needed to use the smaller stage which came out towards the audience a bit. Evangeline wore a flowy grey dress (without the flower) which looked rather beautiful, especially when there's a wider shot. She wore silver jewellery along her hands and in her hair. She took her position on the small stage - plonking herself right in the middle of it. By the look of her make-up, she looked as she was rather tearful before coming on the stage. On the main stage were a men dressed (around eight of them, sitting four on each side, two on each level of the centre of the main stage) in professional orchestra attire. For the a small majority of the performance, however, we wouldn't get a glimpse of them. We'd just hear them along with accompaniment from the backing track. As the Kalosian audience applauded after the Britonish entry, Evangeline composed herself as a spotlight focused on her sprawled out on the smaller stage. In the background, the eight-piece orchestra was dimly lit in blue. The song started...

Oh no,
Here we go.
I'm falling for you, I
Haven't forgotten you yet
I thought a break was good.
Evidently not - you're still here in my thoughts.

A camera had focused on Evangeline Hope throughout the entirety of the first verse of the performance. Evangeline was interacting with the camera as it very slowly moved around her, looking at the camera with her eyes full of tears ready to fall. The jewelry that she was wearing every so often flickered amongst the bright light which fell on top of her. As she sang “you're still here in my thoughts” the camera that was focused on her had blurred out. Another camera, which was further out had met her. A few audience members were captured in this shot, and as World Hit Festival audience do, turned on their phone torches which only added to the performance. The first of the men on the main stage started to play their strings instrument as she continued singing. The camera slowly turned around to expose a dim blue light in the background with people on the stage - but due to the bokeh effect, you couldn't see that far behind Evangeline.

I think you love to play me
Unlike yours, my heart is genuine
And I want to hate you,
But that is impossible.

As she sang “And I want to hate you,” the put her hand to her chest and closed her eyes but as she finished singing the pre-chorus of the song, she had reopened her eyes and nodded her head in accordance to the lyrics that she was singing. To accommodate the sudden pause in the music, the camera shot which was focused on her quickly zoomed outwards while also fading to black. In the arena, the light that focused on Evangeline had also faded away. For a few seconds, the whole arena - apart from the audience and their phones - was dark. Evangeline Hope started to sing the chorus of the song before a lights around the small stage lit up to show her face. A camera from further away zoomed slowly into her face, going across the audience during this this.

I have tried to
Separate heart from mind.
As I'm the one hurting,
I see you - and you're fine.
I have tried to
Protect my heart from breaking
But it's when our eyes meet,
It's in that moment,
That I fall in love with you.

The orchestra men in the back were getting slightly louder as Evangeline Hope sang the first chorus. There was an sincerity all over the face of Evangeline as she sang the first chorus. As she sang the final line of the chorus, the next shot was of the stage in its entirety, and with the sound of the large drop, the lights at the back of stage all shone from one side straight to the other stage.

It’s tearing me apart
Oh my shoulders ache from the weight -
I can't think straight.
And I know you know what you're doing.
Do you find it fun,
Am I just your amusement?

I've been told to not follow
My heart because I'll be let down.
And I want to hate you,
But that's impossible.

There were more shots of the eight-piece orchestra who were on the main stage - with the camera slowly zooming in to the men playing their strings instruments con arco. The next shot was of the whole stage, slowly twinkling with Evangeline still on the smaller stage. The camera then slowly zoomed in to Evangeline Hope as she started to sing a tiny bit louder than she had sung in the past.

And I have tried to
Separate heart from mind.
As I'm the one hurting,
I see you - and you're fine.
I have tried to
Protect my heart from breaking
But it's when our eyes meet,
It's in that moment...

At the end of the second chorus, Evangeline had gotten up from her seated position and started to walk along the smaller stage to the main stage, where the orchestra were. She started to run along the catwalk as the line "Or maybe I'm wrong, I'm paranoid". As she started to run, the LED on the back was showing twinkling lights moving in the opposite direction that Evangeline was running to make it look as though she was running much faster. In addition, there was a large gust of wind hitting her face, with all of her hair flowing in the back. As she reached the main chorus, she stood in the middle of the eight-piece orchestra, who had ignored Evangeline as she solemnly came through.

You have got me, you've made me vulnerable
I feel tangled in your web, I'm stuck
You love seeing me this way.
Or maybe I'm wrong, I am paranoid
Your false sense of security
I don't know how to think.

She had stood in the middle of the main stage, with the eight-piece orchestra behind her lit up in a dim blue. During the first of the two final choruses, the spotlight had focused on Evangeline Hope. The camera was zooming in to her hand gestures, slowly zooming out as she lowered her hands to the floor or moved her hand away from her heart, for example. As the second of the final chorus came up, the whole stage lit up, exposing the faces of all of those playing the instruments behind her. The camera slowly zoomed out from Evangeline's face, revealing the twinkling lights of the stage wall behind her. The wind machines in the back gently blew back her hair over her shoulder. Throughout the final couple of choruses, there were a few members of the audience singing along with Evangeline, swaying gently along to the soft and vulnerable song.

I have tried to
Separate heart from mind.
As I'm the one hurting,
I see you - and you're fine.
I have tried to
Protect my heart from breaking
But it's when our eyes meet,
That is when I fall in love with you!

As she sang "in love with you", the pyrotechnics were set off, with a waterfall of gold falling along the back of the main stage. The female backing vocalists also came in very loudly too - with Evangeline singing the higher bits she needed to. The backing vocalists were taking hold of the song behind her. The camera was emotionally close with Evangeline as she sang the last chorus. She held the note off of "with you" for rather long, her hand without the microphone out in to the space of the stage.

I have tried to
Separate heart from mind.
Noooo, Nooo
As I'm the one hurting,
I see you - and you're fine.
I have tried to
Protect my heart from breaking
But it's when our eyes meet,
It's in that moment,
That I fall in love with you.

As she sang "It's in that moment", all the lights turned off except for one left on Evangeline Hope. At the end of the song, the camera panned to everybody in the arena before showing Evangeline's face again - "Molte gražie!" Evangeline screamed into the microphone before jumping up and down happily. The next proceedings on the stage was about to happen...

by **Kalosia** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 3:14 pm

20. Todaskakys
"Kylye" - Kaloraju
Title Translation: Listen
Language(s): Azadei, English
Lyrics: Erekanto Setareya, Ida Hayaši
Music: Selato Vysekaya, Erekanto Setareya, Henrikki Fujimoto
Tune: Scandroid - Neo Tokyo (Dance With The Dead Remix)

Ground level, near Taranuju, Komatar, Daskoxyan

Erekanto Setareya dreamed. A soft cocktail of drugs, hyraka, coursed through his system, heightening every sensation of his experience. Dreams, in the Daskoxyani experience, are a sort of self-entertainment, a form of interactive movie, an organic video game borne out of one's own mind. And here Erekanto lay, hammocking in a rustling grove of ancient trees, with the arcs of elevated roadways shimmering on the dark horizon. Striving to test the depths of his own psyche and discover perhaps a hidden truth to his being, he lost himself in his brilliant hallucinations. Only the noontime sun and rising heat of the next day would trigger his awakening, the sleeper rising through the depths of vivid slumber to the light of reality.
It was only too bad he could not dwell in his psyche's dreamworld, but alas the real world's demands proved too pressing to resist. Waking felt like traveling through universes, an internally derived transmutation.... Erekanto sometimes wondered if he thought too much. But thought was the underpinning of great things. Neural physics allowed for amazing interplanetary structures. Ideologies and beliefs united peoples. The advance of technology and spirituality was driven by thought. So a bit more than usual was fine. He packed up his things and climbed into his bronzy Tryyux tycera (think fun-sized hovercar, kinda like the equivalent of a Miata or a less derpy SmartForTwo), lifting off to join the airlanes to return to Taranuju. Selato, always the tireless worker, and the studio awaited. The fans, a bit of a wild crowd, were eager for some new pieces to play.

Daskozhantyka, Komatar, Daskoxyan

A culture far removed from his own, but still human... Erekanto was absolutely enraptured by the information about Tödlichebujoku and its environs. These people were still human like him, but of a substantially different stock. There was so much to learn, so much to explore.... the musicians, now a sort of cultural ambassador, had quite a bit to absorb. And of course there was the music, both modern and traditional. Of course, being an electronic-oriented artist, Erekanto quickly found himself particularly drawn to the former, even as Selato pored over the instrumentation and foundations of Taploukki music. Hm, there seemed to be a bit of a particular direction they could play with in their upcoming crossover collection..
Color leaped and bounced, spitting out in myriad directions as the music flowed forth. This would make a great selection of basic concepts, hopefully, to introduce to their collaborators. Erekanto shrugged and bounced the file over. Thank life that the link between the Daskoxyani data systems and the Tödlichebujoki crystallomatrix had been well reconciled by the tech jockeys. Erekanto turned to Selato, who had been watching and doing his best not to smirk, having molded the tunes to his specifications. "Ready to go yet, my lady?"

Erstikungnetsu, Kitaimaan, Tödlichebujoku

Ida Hayaši was tearing up as Selato dicked around on a strange little instrument they had picked up in an curiosity shop. To be fair, no one in the group had much of an idea how to play it, and the best anyone could do was Henrikki's rendition of what seemed to be a particularly melodic set of farts. Ah well, at least Selato was actually attempting to finesse the contraption. He was really taking it slow and steady, bouncing around different techniques to make a pleasing sound... and oh... ooh maybe that was it! Ida's eyebrows rose as she began to appreciate the instrument's qualities. Clearly it was someone's "futuristic" invention, at least "futuristic" back a few decades ago. But there was promise in that tackily attractive thing. She whispered in Erekanto's ear, who reacted with surprise.
The city's nightclub district was awash with glimmering neon light as spectral signboards danced in the air, visions of Saint Elmo's Fire given form. The group of musicians laughed at some terrible joke as they headed to trial out some tunes with the midnight party crowd. It wasn't anything like the scene in Tanaras' or Komatar, and that was exactly why Selato and Erekanto were here. And soon their best work would be performed on the international stage. Quite a change. And quite an experience to look forward to.

A mass of holograms spurts out from the stage as the music starts. Two large lime green ribbons with a barcode-like pattern ripple along each side of the arena. A series of golden-orange half domes rise up with a short series of drumbeats, then disappear. Meanwhile, the requisite concentric drumbeat rings play over the audience. The stage itself is dark and appears empty

Uade tosanodarya synteysa!
Create a new world in the future

Uade tosanodarya synteysa!
Create a new world in the future

The barcode ribbons disappear and what appears to be an ice-blue lightning bolt fires across the middle of the arena and stays there, rippling and crackling like an equalizer animation

Uade tosanodarya synteysa!
Create a new world in the future

Uade tosanodarya synteysa!
Create a new world in the future

Erekanto is now illuminated, in a neon light up bodysuit because aesthetic. Holographic animations pattern down across his body. He sings with an energy directed toward the audience, eventually looking up in into the heavens. Meanwhile, the lightning bolt hologram disappears, and instead, a rippling, dancing animation radiates out from the stage, in time with the music

We are two cousins lost by war
We are long-battered but our spirits work to rise once more
The universes bloom and fall
We travel in a submatrix where all existence grows to sprawl

Seven spectral holograms of various people appear in a ring around him along the stage edge. They move and gesture in a concerted manner as Erekanto walks over and passes by each of them. There is a general gold glow throughout the stadium

Kysai, fuosyn
Faces, look in

Sysai koye eraryn
Voices twist between souls

Teke, tovyn
Exist, one mind

Zhasana u'syyeryn
Everything is music

The holograms seem to zip away, then return, now emanating a radiant gold glow. They mouth words as Erekanto rises above them, leaning back, via his suit's antigravity

Reyke, reyne
Come, go

Kaykysnai horokule
Our bodies glowing hot

Esye, kylye
Call out, listen

Ronosysai ranykokazhe
Old voices slowly approach

The extraneous lighting cuts out so that there is only Erekanto and a radial, dancing orange-yellow holographic net rising and falling from the stage floor. Back on his feet, he whirls around back to face the audience, and feels up his body. He then steps to the stage edge and clutches at his heart before gesturing out to the audience

Our passions stand the test of time
The ages past have not deprived us of our hearts and minds
My core would always yearn for you
We dream as one despite, the lightyears that obstruct our view

The holograms of the people reappear as the arena brightens, this time within a 3-dimensional holographic constellation, almost like a static mist surrounding the main stage. Erekanto looks into the faces, turning around in a circle before returning his attention to the audience

Kysai, fuosyn
Faces, look in

Sysai koye eraryn
Voices twist between souls

Teke, tovyn
Exist, one mind

Zhasana u'syyeryn
Everything is music

He teleports to the projecting platform and is surrounded by a holographic representation of aerial traffic, streams of pathways around him. His suit glows in shades of fire, and spectral mouths speaking words appear around the arena

Reyke, reyne
Come, go

Kaykysnai horokule
Our bodies glowing hot

Esye, kylye
Call out, listen

Ronosysai ranykokazhe
Old voices slowly approach

The earlier holograms cut out, and the lightning bolt returns, with what appears with red flashing clouds and mist.

Now a holographic sun rises and replaces the lightning bolt, starting from the background sun that is part of the stage. It rises to the top of the arena ceiling, illuminating the otherwise dark arena. It feels like a sun as well. Erekanto sings while lying down, as if just waking up, shielding his face from the "sun", before getting back on his feet. He seems joyous, less serious than before

The sun is rising, a new day
Each night's long rest gives way to opportunities so great
We live, we laugh, we love, we're free
Don't falter when the galaxy is unconstrained like open seas

A whirlwind of holographic faces and forms surround Erekanto as he rises, first on the platform, then on his suit's accord. A number of spotlights flash their beams at him from various directions. He sings toward the ceiling, as if lost in a vision of the future

Kysai, fuosyn
Faces, look in

Sysai koye eraryn
Voices twist between souls

Teke, tovyn
Exist, one mind

Zhasana u'syyeryn
Everything is music

Reyke, reyne
Come, go

Kaykysnai horokule
Our bodies glowing hot

Esye, kylye
Call out, listen

Kayauade tosanodarya synteysa!
Let's create a new world in the future

The arena is flooded by a radial holographic representation of the electric guitar solo, a bouncing, seemingly iridescent plane of light that jumps and flashes just above the audience, and continues before fading out with the music

"Daye Altan! Gražia!" he shouts before exiting the stage. It was wild. It was a riot. It was all that he hoped for, and he would totally do it again.

by **Kalosia** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 3:20 pm

You can now vote. Kindly send your [b]full ranking by TG to Saviera or through Discord DMs, and please let me know as well your spokesperson (as well as what they look like — a picture of them or tell me who they're based on IRL) and optionally, anything you'd like them to say. Keep in mind that your spokesperson will only announce the 5 points. Good luck to all participants![/b]

As stated by the overseer:

Britonisea wrote:I'd just like to remind everybody to send in a full ranking to the Saviera - a new rule that has been implemented this edition.

Please make it clear who topped your vote by giving 1st place 5 points, 2nd place 4 points until 6th place to 19th place - they will get zero but could break ties, so as many full rankings as possible would be great.

Please provide the spokesperson's name and picture and also, remember that your spokesperson will give out only the five points so bare that in mind when RPing.

Reserved for hosts intervention

by **Kalosia** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 3:20 pm

Reserved for interval act 1

by **Kalosia** » Sat Nov 10, 2018 3:21 pm

Reserved for interval act 2

World Hit Festival 42 - Altan, Kalosia | IC Thread

World Hit Festival 42 - Altan, Kalosia | IC Thread

Opening act

01 Fromulya: Satu — Fromulyan All-Stars

02 Vartugia: Sad Song — Kam Jang Un ÿ Danald Tropm

03 Darkmania: Min Sang — A Guy and His Guitar

04 Tödlichebujoku: Fighting to Win — Kaapo Séélinen

05 Anollasia: 42 — Lindsey Douglas & Hanna Adams

06 Normandy & Picardy: Feu — The Tapestry

07 Kalosia: To e mo — Les Sórs du Nord

08 Scottish Socialists: Spooky Time — Mr Whatshisface

09 Polkopia: Alone — Nikolai Borischev

10 Izmedu: The Fighter — Gabrijel Celina

11 Llalta: Start a Fire — Esther Winterbourne

12 Grellenbyooša-ga: Rikki Sakarni — Karališkas

13 Estogium: On Trial — SKIDMORE

14 Titaniumland: Consequences — Alessia Manere

15 Hlhata States: Spread Your Wings and Fly — BoNina

16 Adab: Metropolis — Shana Arkasy

17 Pan-Asiatic States: Bahay-Silanganan — Batalyon Kalayaan

18 Mercedini: Truth or Dare — Tre Cuori

19 Britonisea: When Our Eyes Meet — Evangeline Hope

20 Todaskakys: Kylye — Kaloraju

Who is online