47th World Hit Festival | Draft Thread | CLOSED

by **Britonisea** » Sun Jul 14, 2019 1:00 pm

WELCOME TO THE 47TH WORLD HIT FESTIVAL DRAFT THREAD
Kyvivre, Britonisea

These dates are only provisional and are subject to change;

The Official Draft Thread Opens - 14th July 2019, 21:00 GMT
Sign Ups for the 43rd World Hit Festival Close - 27th July 2019, 00:00 GMT
Draft Thread Closes, 24 hours to make last changes - 28th July 2019, 23:00 GMT
LIVE Draws and Running Order - 28th July 2019, 23:10 GMT
Voting lines Opens, the IC Thread is Available - 29th July 2019, 23:00 GMT (Voting for JWHF6 Bids Opens!)
Voting lines Closes - 4th August 2019, 21:00 GMT (Voting for JWHF6 Bids Closes!)
Results Day 1 - 5th August 2019, 22:00 GMT
Results Day 2 - 6th August 2019, 22:00 GMT
Results Day 3 - 7th August 2019, 22:00 GMT
Results Day 4 - 8th August 2019, 22:00 GMT
Results Day 5 - 9th August 2019, 22:00 GMT

Entries

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

Helping Your Host: I am most probably going to use my own formatting for everybody's entry, to make it look uniform, which has been done in other editions, my previous edition of hosting included. I would appreciate if you could keep your formatting of your entry very simple (just text and the 'BOX' tag would be fantastic, no need for colours, bold, italics and underlining - unless they are keys or backing singers etc). You can align everything to the centre if you want to keep in neat, but it would help me very much to keep it quite minimalist. If you don't though, it doesn't matter.

WIP Entries: It would also help a lot if you put a "WIP" or Work In Progress sign somewhere obvious, preferably in the subject or at the top of your post if you don't want me to notice that as finished (but this will not come in to play by 29 July 2019)...

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

Headers: Well, below you will be able to find a format of a very, very simple header that will help me in the long run.

Reminding You and Miscellany

Nations who have expressed interest to participate will receive a telegram 24-48 hours before the Draft Thread closes. Also, nations that are yet to vote will receive a telegram 24-48 hours before the Voting Lines close.

The IC information is below...

by **Britonisea** » Sun Jul 14, 2019 1:00 pm

In Arenakyvivre, you could fit around 21,000 spectators in there which means that we will have a packed and filled audience for the Festival. We hope that this will create a fantastic atmosphere and will appear great on the television too. Arenakyvivre will have large floor space where we can fit as many fans in as possible, with very high one tier seating which will stretch around the whole of the arena. We are looking forward to seeing the thousands that will fit into Arenakyvivre. Below, you can find information regarding the stage and what will happen inside of the Arenakyvivre.

WATCH: The Stage In Action! Get Ideas Here!

When it comes to the World Hit Festival, the Britonish are known for having huge stages. With the 47th World Hit Festival, we wanted to create a huge stage for viewers across the Multiverse to enjoy - with there being a huge LED wall (52 metres width, 9m high) which will be mounted at the back and stretch from one side of the arena to the other. We don't want nations to feel as though they have to use all of the wall or it at all - we have other things in place to make sure that your performance can stick out from the rest. Feel free to look at the images below spoilered and more information.

Now, what I could do is lie to you about everything, however, I am just going to quote things from the official makers (OOC but let's pretend it's IC) of the stage that we will have at the 47th World Hit Festival. robe.cz

The stage: Nearly 300 Robe moving lights - 80 x MegaPointes, 166 x Spikies and 52 x LEDBeam 150s.

Moving back onstage at the RAI gig … a 52-metre-wide by 9-metre-high LED wall defined the stage area and in front of this each side were structures providing three vertical strips of positions for the Spikies, repeating the form of the ‘plus’ video sculpture.

Above and below the main section of this video wall were 10 x MegaPointes and 10 x strobes for silhouetting and accentuating the depth of the performance area. The balance of MegaPointes were rigged on three concentric arc trusses above the stage.

Out in the house, the LEDBeam 150s were located between each of the LED / MegaPointe / Cyberhoist pods. They provided additional effects, fabulous beams, more crowd interaction and effectively lit the audience for an upcoming You Tube stream.

As well as the Robe fixtures, the design featured 76 x LED strobes, 100 x 1-lite blinders and 21 x 4-lite blinders, all supplied to the show by lighting vendor Focus / RentAll.

Above the audience, there will be a large grid of lights and pyro effects, you can find the information here - robe.cz

The grid of MegaPointe / LED pods above the crowd was created utilizing 30 of the Robe MegaPointes each rigged on an individual Cyberhoist motor for up / down movement.

The ‘top’ of each hoist pod was clad in a 3x3 metre square of 3.9MM LED screen with a gap in the centre for the aluminium tube. The home position was 10 metres above the floor which was as much headroom as they could squeeze out of the RAI.

The only difference is that...there isn't a large plus in the middle of the stage!

World Hit Festival: WHF47 Proceedings

- World Hit Festival Indent
- World Hit Festival 46: Recap & Remembering the winner
- World Hit Festival 47: The Parade of Nations & Introduction of the Hosts
- World Hit Festival 47: Host Intermission
- Acts (Including Intermissions)
- World Hit Festival 47: Lines are open! Recap of all Songs
- Vhe Qí WHF46 Winning Entry
- Vhe Qí new single & Chat afterwards
- World Hit Festival 47: Final Recap of all songs
- Host Intermission
- World Hit Festival: Lines Closing
- Exclusive Performance by Artist
- Confirmation of Results
- Voting Reveal Phase 1
- Voting Reveal Phase 2
- Winner Revealed

by **Nightom** » Sun Jul 14, 2019 1:40 pm

NIGHTOM
Sam Rixton - "Nothing"

Trigramme: KNI
Language: English
Music: Sam Rixton, DJ FunTimes
Lyrics: Sam Rixton, Bill Willis
Tune: Simon Peyron - Breaking Up (Audio)

Sam Rixton at WHF47: Sam will be representing Nightom at the Festival, hoping to improve on Nightom's very bad record at the World Hit Festival.

Nightom returns to the World Hit Festival for the first time since the 44th edition in Anollasia, where Nightom placed 14th out of 15th places, narrowly missing the bottom after receiving more amount of votes. Nightom hopes to better their result in Britonisea...

Nightom has had an on and off record at the World Hit Festival. Statistically, out of all of the ABSN nations, it is the nation that has achieved the least though this must be because of the nation's participation at selective editions such as this one. The World Hit Festival Nightom last participated in with a bitter pill to swallow for the nation, narrowly avoiding last place by technicalities. Nightom and KVC does not want to be in that position this edition. At the edition in Burgendore, Nightom placed a measly 17th place showing Nightom's calling most certainly is not at the World Hit Festival. However, Nightom hopes to change it fortunes with Sam Rixton, who is sending a contemporary song which a catchy hook with some spectacular staging too - which will hopefully catch the hearts of some World Hit Festival fans. A KVC spokesperson has said that Nightom is hoping to enter the top 5, an achievement Nightom has only done once before at World Hit Festival.

At the start of the song, it was just him on the stage with the camera looking up at him from a low angle shot. He was looking down at the camera, smiling as he sang. He was wearing a crisp white t shirt with black jeans and white shoes as well. The stage was blue and purple which came into sight more as the camera slowly moved up. You could hear the audience faintly in the background singing along with Sam. They seemed to be excited for this song....

Oh, when I look at you,
I feel so blessed, I'm lucky to have you (Yeah)
Did you know you're the best?
And no one can ever replace you (Yeah)

Girl, I promise, listen to me
Not lying, I've got loyalty
You're always on my mind
I can't do more to reassure you

During the verse, as the drum beats came in, the lights around the whole arena - including The Grid- flashed to make it seem more dramatic with the main LED also flashing. The camera then focused on someone appearing from the back of the stage, before the camera focused on a second person. They both appeared from behind looking out towards Sam who stood on the middle of the stage. They were wearing the same thing as Sam. They ran up to Sam as the cameras focused on them, with another one greeting them as they greeted Sam on that stage. He looked at them and smiled before he looked at a camera looking at him from the side.

My life is nothing without ya
My life is nothing without ya
(Yeah) My life is nothing without ya
My life is nothing without ya
My life is nothing without ya

At this point, Sam was on this large podium that stood in the middle of the stage. The camera kept on zooming in on Sam when he kept on singing a line of the pre-chorus, with him looking out to the audience each time he sang. The final camera came on him face-on, with him looking at the camera. The lights in the arena switched off with the audience being heard screaming and shouting. As soon as the chorus came in, colour filled up the arena with the camera quickly zooming out over the audience who started jumping up and down. The lasers that the Kyvian production employed came into full effect here with the lasers scanning the audience up and down. The cameras frantically zoomed in and out on Sam and his backing dancers who stood up on the podium with him. Some of the camera shots were even zooming into some Nightomese members of the audience too. The arena was set alight with emotions.

Nothing, Nothing, Nothing (no-no-no-no-no-no)
Nothing, Nothing, Nothing (no-no-no-no-no-no)
Nothing, Nothing, Nothing (no-no-no-no-no-no)
Nothing, Nothing, Nothing (no-no-no-no-no-no)
Nothing, Nothing, Nothing (no-no-no-no-no-no)
Nothing, Nothing, Nothing (no-no-no-no-no-no)
Nothing, Nothing, Nothing (no-no-no-no-no-no)
Nothing, Nothing, Nothing (no-no-no-no-no-no)

The camera zoomed in on Sam, with it being held at a stand still as he looked down and crossed his legs before he snapped his figure. The lights in the arena returned to how they were at the start of the song - the same bluish purple colour that it was previously. A Steadicam came on to the stage, with Sam following the direction at which it was going. He slightly bended his knees as the camera passed him. He flicked his hair back and smiled sheepishly as he sang the verse.

I wanna hold you close
And when I do, I won't ever let go - no
I know you want me too,
I think your guilt's telling you what to do oh

Girl, I promise, listen to me
Not lying, I've got loyalty
You're always on my mind
I can't do more to reassure you

He stood up straight once again as he came up to the pre-chorus. As the drum beats came in, the lights flashed in a similar fashion to the previous verse however this time, some of the flashing lights were kept throughout the pre-chorus as well further adding to the suspense of what could happen next. He really looked like he was enjoying himself on the stage with him smiling with his teeth showing all throughout this section.

My life is nothing without ya
My life is nothing without ya
(Yeah) My life is nothing without ya
My life is nothing without ya
My life is nothing without ya

Sam took a huge deep breath as he looked straight to the audience and made a "no" movement with his figures. The camera then faded out with the lighting in the arena also doing the same. Suddenly, all of the lights in the arena went a tiny bit crazy including the LED screen. For the viewers at home, the screen appeared quite distorted too.

Nothing, Nothing, Nothing (no-no-no-no-no-no)
Nothing, Nothing, Nothing (no-no-no-no-no-no)
Nothing, Nothing, Nothing (no-no-no-no-no-no)
Nothing, Nothing, Nothing (no-no-no-no-no-no)
Nothing, Nothing, Nothing (no-no-no-no-no-no)
Nothing, Nothing, Nothing (no-no-no-no-no-no)
Nothing, Nothing, Nothing (no-no-no-no-no-no)
Nothing, Nothing, Nothing (no-no-no-no-no-no)

Pyros were set off on the stage, with flames being shot metres into the air. The audience screamed as the heat was turned up for them. Also, steam was shot into the air too. Sam slightly bent and turned a bit red as he was singing the section before the last chorus of the song. The dancers were doing some dancing around him.

My life is nothing without ya!
My life is nothing without ya!
(Yeah) My life is nothing without ya!
My life is nothing without ya!
My life is nothing without ya!

At this point, The Grid also joined in on the action, with the LEDs on top of the audience also flashing on and off in the colours that came from the stage - which was all the colours of the rainbow. As the camera zoomed in and out and did what it had to do, occasionally the camera zoomed in on a light making it look really effective on camera. Sam jumped up and down on the spot and banged his head back and forth as he sang. He was really enjoying his moment on the stage. The dancers next to him where just dancing - doing their own thing.

My life is nothing without ya!
Nothing, Nothing, Nothing (no-no-no-no-no-no)
Nothing, Nothing, Nothing (no-no-no-no-no-no)
My life is nothing without ya!
Nothing, Nothing, Nothing (no-no-no-no-no-no)
Nothing, Nothing, Nothing (no-no-no-no-no-no)
My life is nothing without ya!
Nothing, Nothing, Nothing (no-no-no-no-no-no)
Nothing, Nothing, Nothing (no-no-no-no-no-no)
My life is nothing without ya!
Nothing, Nothing, Nothing (no-no-no-no-no-no)
My life is nothing without ya!
Nothing, Nothing, Nothing (no-no-no-no-no-no)

At the end of the song, Sam Rixton jumped forward off the podium to the sound of the Britonish audience cheering their Western neighbours. Sam smiled and bowed to the audience. "Merci, Brityunik. Fico Teis!" He screamed into the microphone slicking back his hair that flopped in feont of him. He then enthusiastically ran off the stage as the next proceedings happened.

by **Britonisea** » Sun Jul 14, 2019 1:56 pm

BRITONISEA
Naomi Assan-Duke - "Her Last Breath"

Trigramme: BRI
Language: English, Britonish
Music: Tahafa Talagi
Lyrics: Naomi Assan-Duke
Tune: My Indigo - Where is My Love

You swept in and conquered all: Naomi is ready to break her silence at the World Hit Festival 47 in Kyvivre, Britonisea!

In what will be Britonisea's 11th consecutive participation at the World Hit Festival, Britonisea's hopes for yet another win lies with the talented Abjan singer, Naomi Assan-Duke, even after what has been a hectic build-up for the nation at the Festival.

At the World Hit Festival 46, it was the edition that Fabio McAlpine had organised to celebrate five editions since he took the reins of overseeing the World Hit Festival from Izmeduan Ivan Sandic. It was a glorious moment for Fabio and he was happy that there was an alright turn out to what was a divisive contest which resulted in some broadcasters not participating for that reason. Britonisea and BVC were unsure about what to send to that edition, with Guy Autriche not sure whether Britonisea should send something experimental and outlandish or send something that was safe and would get the nation in the top end of the scoreboard. Guy Autriche was good at making it work for Britonisea, with the nation always finishing on the left-hand side of the scoreboard since he became the Head of Delegation for Britonisea at the World Hit Festival. In the end, Guy Autriche decided to go for outlandish with Guy's intention for the Festival was "if we are going to flop, we might as well do it with noise and a huge bang!". The loud bang was in the shape of Doportedasian 22-year-old, Vhe Qí, who did not receive the best of responses when his song was released to the world. Critics thought that the entry by Britonisea at the 46th World Hit Festival was "unbritonish" and unlikeable. BVC had to respond to the critics of their decision, announcing that BVC wholeheartedly had faith in Vhe Qí and his ability to win the World Hit Festival. Though, despite BVC knowing that Vhe Qí had the ability to win the World Hit Festival, they were not prepared to actually go out and win the Festival. By the time it was the 46th World Hit Festival in Polumisec, Britonisea was not as much as a favourite as it usually was, with online commentary and TV stations' commentators being left rather speechless at the entry, Guy Autriche wondered how far Britonisea would fall in the placings. The voting started soon after all the songs performed, with Britonisea receiving quite a few points in Phase 1. By the time we reached the halfway point of Phase 1, with 33% of all points being given out, Britonisea was leading the way with 12 points. It wasn't odd for Britons to see Britonisea so high up on the scoreboard, with the nation being a familiar sight at the top as of late. As expected, Phase 1 ended with Britonisea not at the top, with the nation falling to 4th place behind Izmedu, Normandy and Picardy and Todlichebujoku - nations Britonisea is constantly in competition with for first place. The second phase was interesting for the nation, with two nations (Antahbrantahstan and Estogium) giving Britonisea 5 points, catapulting the nation into first place before it fell to fourth again with the other nations near the top overtaking Britonisea. Down to the last vote - Axuva - Britons were unsure as to whether Britonisea would win the contest or not it was finally revealed that Britonisea would win with 28 points - the same amount as Dean Boyst's win at the World Hit Festival 38. Britonisea took home their fourth win with their 26th effort...

It is fitting that Britonisea's 27th World Hit Festival will be held in Kyvivre, the heart of Britonish culture. Britonisea's lucky number is 27, with Britonisea's first hosting happening at the 27th World Hit Festival and with the now fourth contest happening on the 20th anniversary of Kyvivre '27, BVC wanted to bring the contest back to Kyvivre to host the competition. Kyvivre is one of BVC's favourite cities to host international song competition, with Kyvivre also having hosted the WorldVision Song Contest too making Kyvivre the only Britonish city to host an international song competition more than once (3 times). Kyvians are lucky that the Festival is coming back, with Arenakyvivre being lit up once again. BVC wanted to send an entry to the World Hit Festival that would live up to the hype of going to the Cultural Capital of the nation and they decided to go with Naomi Assan-Duke - an Abajan national.

ORIGINAL POST;

With Britonisea winning their 4th title in Izmedu, BVC is hosting for the second time in Kyvivre and fifth time overall. Abajan singer, Naomi Assan-Duke will fly the Britonish flag with a song loosely about the Britonish occupation of Abaja.

Britonisea's 27th participation at the World Hit Festival is being held in Kyvivre, which hosted the 27th World Hit Festival - 20 editions ago. Britonisea's BVC decided to host in Kyvivre once ago due to it being the anniversary since Britonisea's first-ever win and hosting of the World Hit Festival. BVC did not expect to win the World Hit Festival last edition, but it was a nice surprise for it to have happened and are more than delighted to bring the contest back to Britonisea with a hope that more nations will participate than the previous edition. This edition, BVC decided to take another large step by having Abajan singer, Naomi Assan-Duke representing Britonisea.

Abaja, a nation which gained independence from The Grand Britonish Kingdom in 1936 after the bloc divided, is a nation still heavily influenced by Britonish culture but is still quite different from Britonisea itself - Abaja was a part of The Grand Britonish Kingdom 1805 until 1936. The song, "Her Last Breath" in particular hints about why the Britonish occupied Abaja and how it was like for those Abajans who had to work for the sake of the GBK who sold gold, silver and diamonds to nations such as Anollasia and Elykyellek - two nations that Britonisea still trades with today. With Britonish being a national language in Abaja and with shared names in cities such as New Telm from Telm City and New Plymouth from Plymouth, the relationship between Britonisea and Abaja is still necessary with no hard feelings between the two nations in the current day.

However, 83 years after Britonish (and other now ABEN) forces moved out from Abaja, some members of the public feel as though it is inappropriate to send a song about the occupation, with some regarding it as "highly distateful" and "disrespectful at a home Festival" with BVC pushing to send this entry especially at this World Hit Festival in Kyvivre, which is known to be the Britonish cultural capital - thinking it would be fitting.

A few MPs denouncing BVC for portraying the nation in a bad light. Brityunik Vefecosoin Cairkovoin has responded to this stating;
Brityunik Vefecosoin Cairkovoin's role in Britonisea is to fairly and accurately educate and inform people about Britonisea in the past, current day and future by providing the Britonish audience with a window to the world. Regardless of whether it portrays Britonisea in a positive light or not, Brityunik Vefecosoin Cairkovoin is determined to make sure that the information given is nothing but the truth. Our aim is not to indoctrinate Britons into believing that Britonisea is a perfect utopia but to give every Briton an opportunity to make their own decisions about what they think about the nation that they are living in and how they can better it.

While it may seem odd to send a person who is from another nation to a contest by Britonisea, there was a reason as to why BVC decided to make sure a divisive move. Naomi hails from one of Britonisea's former colonies - Abaja - who's culture is deeply invested in that of Britonisea's. Abajans can speak Britonish, and a few of the city names in Abaja are taken from Britonisea's names such as Telm and Plymouth. Loads of Abajans have Britonish names - both first and surnames with the "Duke" in Naomi's surname being a showing of this. Naomi's announcement caused some controversy within Britonisea not necessarily because she was picked to become the Britonish representative, but because of the meaning because of some of her lyrics within the song.

Despite all the drama, Britonisea is ready to take on the larger field of the nation at this upcoming World Hit Festival - with BVC planning a large contest. Naomi, while scared is excited to perform in front of thousands in person and millions on television. Britonisea is also ready to host the best ever World Hit Festival...

Naomi Assan-Duke slowly walked towards the stage, taking a breath as she walked closer and closer to it. It was the Britonish postcard being displayed on the screens all around the arena with the audience shouting and chanting after the nation. She felt excited to finally get onto the stage and sing her song. It was quite a large setup for the Britonish entry this edition, with a sculpture as for a boat that she would stand on. The sculpture was her on a podium with the sides of the boat around her. She was the only one on the stage, with the seconds coming down before the start of the entry. She was wearing clothes that didn't seem modern, to say the least. Naomi looked as though she was wearing worn-out clothes - off-white and grey. The audience came in with a huge roar as the postcard finished and the lights in the arena darkened. The lights flashed before the whole arena submerged into darkness - it was time for the entry.

What did you say to mama?
She's been gone for days
When will mama return here,
Who's driven her from home?

Silence, I was silenced
Silence.

Everything was quite dark, with the sides of the "boat" being lit with yellow lights around it. The camera slowly zoomed out, exposing more and more of the stage as it did. There was little fog, with the LED floor being in a blue-ish colour representing a boat in the water. There wasn't much colour around, with the stage LED behind being a picture of a moving galaxy, moving very slightly. You could see the stars in the sky sparkling with constellations being slightly brighter than the rest of the stars. As the chorus was about the start and the camera moved out, a Britonish flag rose from a flagpole that was on the boat with her, with the flag getting higher and higher with a light being trained onto it. The flag blew in a wind that was fixed on it. Some members of the Britonish audience, perhaps ones that don't necessarily understand what this meant, cheered as they saw the Britonish flag hoisted into the air.

Her eyes they shone, they were diamonds
I didn't know they were only reflections
Oh she dug for days, just obey they'd say
One day she had enough,
And Mama stood up
She didn't know that day she'd
Take her last breath
Take her last breath

The camera moved from the Britonish flag, which had now filled up the whole of the screen to Naomi who was looking up at it before looking out to the audience. Some lights flickered as she finished the chorus, but nothing too exciting as of yet. Naomi wanted to swiftly move on to the next part of the song, with her looking off to the side with a camera joining her there. The Britonish audience waved their flags as one of the most spoken about lines was just about to be sung. She pointed her fingers out to the audience as though she was singing to all of the Britons in arenakyvivre, blaming them for replacing love with hatred.

You swept in and conquered all,
Not just land but love
You replaced with your hatred,
That's unforgivable

Silence, I was silenced
Silence.

Naomi retracted her hand as she moved on to the pre-chorus of the song, instead, putting her hand over face each time she said silence. The camera went out of focus each time Naomi sang silence. As we move on to the chorus, an orangey light was shown on the stage, with some of the lights flickering around the stage. More fog was on the stage with the stage seemingly getting busier - building up to something rather dramatic happening.

Her eyes they shone, they were diamonds
I didn't know they were only reflections
Oh she dug for days, just obey they'd say
One day she had enough,
And Mama stood up
She didn't know that day she'd
Take her last breath

(Take her last breath, take her last breath)
(Take her last breath, take her last breath)
(Take her last breath, take her last breath)
(Take her last breath, take her last breath)

As she finished the chorus, the sides of the boat that she was in fell down, with Naomi standing on a platform that was in the air. As this event happened, the camera was further away so we could see everything that was happening. Naomi, herself, started to pull down the Britonish flag from the pole that it was on. As she got the flag down, she ripped it from the mast and let go of it with the flag blowing itself to the back of the stage. Naomi turned around and looked at her audience, with the camera capturing her eyes. The colours on the stage remain rather dark, with the stars in the back staying and the blue LED floor that was mainly covered by fog.

I would cry into my pillow at night
But wishing upon a star
Asking for you home, but you're too fa-aa-ar
I know now that you suffered
You would return if you could
But we both know you can't
(Take her last breath, take her last breath)
(Take her last breath, take her last breath)

Her eyes they shone, they were diamonds
I didn't know they were only reflections
Oh she dug for days, just obey they'd say
One day I had enough,
Mama, I stood up
Mama, I knew this day I'd
Take my last breath

Right before the last chorus, there was an establishing shot of the whole arena, with a large bang being heard in the arena with gold being shot from The Grid which was above the audience. Some members of the audience were not expecting it, with many of them looking up to see what was going on. During the last bit of the chorus, Naomi was on her knees - almost as though she was praying. The camera slowly zoomed out with the lights around the stage flashing (white) on and off. As the camera zoomed out, it captured many Britonish flags waving in the audience - which was done on purpose. She carried on praying for some time as the lights began to flash. After a while, Naomi's face started to flash on the LED screen in and amongst the constellation on the screens behind her.

(Take her last breath, take her last breath)
Mama, I follow in your footsteps, oh
(Take her last breath, take her last breath)
And I'm not scared
(Take her last breath, take her last breath)
(Take her last breath, take her last breath)
Mama

(Take her last breath, take her last breath)
(Take her last breath, take her last breath)
Oh no!
(Take her last breath, take her last breath)
(Take her last breath, take her last breath)
Take your last breath.

At the end of the song, she lifted her head up in the sky with the wind blowing beneath her and her hair flowing upwards. She slowly swayed from left to right as she felt the end of the song. The fog billowed from beneath her, with the camera slowly zooming in on in a low angle shot. She looked out to the front, to all of the audience with the final camera shot meeting her eyes as she said the last line of the song...

Her eyes, they were like diamonds...

At the end, the camera went out of focus with the audience coming in to make the loudest response they had made all night. Although it was a divisive song, it seemed as though when it counted, in Kyvivre, all of Britonisea could come together and be proud of the song that is representing them. Naomi smiled to everyone before putting her hands together, "Thank you everyone, thank you Britonisea!" She took another deep breath before she walked off of the stage ready for what was happening next on the stage.

by **Normandy and Picardy** » Sun Jul 14, 2019 2:04 pm

Normandy and Picardy
Antoine Beauregard - "Même Tes Rêves Les Plus Fous"

Trigramme: NPR
Translation of Title: Even Your Wildest Dreams
Language: Normand French, English
Music: Antoine Beauregard, Josef Hauteville, Gerad Grisson, Martine Macuchon
Lyrics: Antoine Beauregard, Josef Hauteville
Tune: Alessio Bernabei - Nel Mezzo Di Un Applauso

Here's an image of Antoine somewhere nice and warm, by the looks of it.

After the embarassment of WHF 45, albeit one that was self inflicted, many had worried about Normandy and Picardy's future in WHF, but any doubts were dispelled by the country's performance last time around in Izmedu, placing a very respectable 3rd place with 25 points, a result which left the new delegation under Marcel Pisson feeling much more certain, and of course delighted. Some even claim that SRNP now have plans in place just in case they win and thus win the right to host, although SRNP have denied the claims, whilst welcoming the optimisim of the fan community. Just hours after the contest had ended, Pisson was already thinking about the next contest in Britonisea, and knew that even though he had done well last time, nothing was guaranteed at all.

The success in Izmedu had make the executives of SRNP more open to helping the WHF delegation, as they had shown they could do very well, although certain figures were worried about the prospect of the country doing too well. However, Pisson managed to secure an increase in funding, and after the 3rd place result, he found it much easier to find interest in competing at the contest this time around. Whilst on the one hand this made his life a lot easier, not having to chase around and desperately seek out talent whilst bigger names (and even many smaller names) avoided the contest, it also meant he had a lot more music to sift through, have a lot more meetings with potential acts, and ultimately spend probably even more time. Of course, matters were simplified by the closed selection process Pisson had used last time around, and that the various Normand delegations under different guises had often used for WHF, but even a request to a small record label could lead to at least 3 or 4 songs being put forward. How times had changed.

After many many meetings, lots of listening to different songs, trying to put together ideas, and many sleepless nights, Pisson finally had his act. Normandy and Picardy finally had its act. That act would be the singer-songwriter Antoine Beauregard, 30, and his song, "Même Tes Rêves Les Plus Fous" (Even Your Wildest Dreams). Whilst the song is in many ways rather cliched, with its message of perseverance and the encouragement to "Dare to Dream" (serving that Tel Aviv realness), it does come from a place close to Antoine's heart. ~~Sob story incoming!~~ Antoine himself has suffered from mental health issues in the past that have held back his career, as well as having been homeless for a time, and has decided that he wants to help spread positivity and show there is a way out. So you know, the usual sort of thing.

It is up to Antoine to represent both his home town of Amiens in Picardy - making him one of the very few Picard representatives to ever represent Normandy and Picardy in either WV or WHF, a decision that has not gone without controversy - and Normandy and Picardy at one of the largest musical events in the world. How will he do? Let's see...

The first shot of the stage is, quelle surprise, pitch black, a clean slate if you will. Quickly, the background begins to fill, looking as if it is being painted in quite a youthful, childlike manner, wide brush strokes and pastel colours a plenty, mostly a shade of blue to look like the sky. The camera shot is quite intimate and close to the stage, and this "painting" on the LED background helps illuminate Antoine, who stands at the centre of the stage area. He begins to sing, looking directly at the camera. He is stood behind a microphone stand, one hand holding the stand near to the top without much force, and the other almost floating above the microphone itself. There is almost a forlorn feel, even despite the colours and perhaps also because of it; in any case, it helps show that, even because other people are doing well, it doesn't mean you are. But, of course, we'll get more uplifting later on. Not much changes over the course of the first verse, except that the painting stops, leaving a solid background.

Quelq'fois, ce sent comme qu'il y a un poids qui appuie sur toi
It sometimes feels like there's a weight pushing down on you

Et chaque jour se transforme en lutte sans fin, une couchemar
And every day turns into an endless struggle

Avec les gens qui te juge pendant que tu galères pour survie
With people judging you whilst you just try to survive

Mais t'inquiète pas, trouves ton force, il faut que tu luttes
But don't worry, find your strength, you have to fight on

As the song progresses, the cameras pull back slightly. The rough painted style is roughly replaced with block colours, which change between various pastel shades of blue, red and yellow. The expanded area shown behind Antoine as a result of the pan allows for sections of the lyrics to be shown in various different languages, including "They can't kill you" in English; think something like Italy's Eurovision staging in 2018, just from the LED screen, at various points around Antoine. He himself mostly remains stood where he is, but almost seems to build conviction over the course of this next verse.

Et bien que leurs mots puissent faire mal, il peut pas te tuer
And even though their words can hurt, they can't kill you

Oui, je sais que mes mots peut paraître en l'air, dénué de sens
Yes, I know my words might seem empty or meaningless

Et finalement c'est tes propres mots qui te définissent
And ultimately it is your own words that define you

As the prechorus begins, a series of lights at the back of the stage begin to flash ever so slightly, accenting the music and helping slowly build up the stage performance too. Antoine grabs the microphone from the stand and pushes the stand to one side, walking towards the front of the stage as the cameras give a series of panning, but still quite close (albeit not as close as at first) shots, including some that twisted in their orientation slightly, Antoine reaching out and somewhat moving around so as to follow them.

Alors chante ta propre chanson, ne les écoutes plus
So sing your own song, don't listen to them no more

Qu'il soit une symphonie tres beau ou un air plus doux
Whether it is a beautiful symphony or a quiet tune

Ne les laisse pas écrire ton histoire pour toi, non
Don't let them write your story for you, no

Ramasse le stylo de destin et le faire de nouveau
Pick up the pen of fate and make it all anew

The change in the colours becomes slightly more rapid as the prechorus continues. Antoine claps along with the beat of the song, encouraging the crowd in the stadium to do the same, and connecting both with the audience in the stadium and those across the multiverse, striving to fulfil his mission of showing people they can achieve anything. Hell, he'd made it to WHF, he knew you could make it if you put the work in. His belief and conviction hel power his performance on, and indeed he is still putting in the work even now.

Et il y a jours quand qu'il peut sembler
And there are days when it can seem

Comme tes désirs ne peuvent pas d'etre réalités, ouais, mais,
Like wishful thinking, yeah, but

Juste crois dans tes rêves et espoirs parce qu'ils peuvent d'être réels
Just believe in your hopes and dreams because they can be real

Les possibilités sont infinies si tu oses
The sky is the limit if you dare

As the chorus begins, there is a camera shot that begins at the back of the stadium, passing over the crowd. The LED screens above are shown to be filled with the same shades as the main LED screen is switching between, but such that each smaller screen and the main LED panels are all different colours. After the first shot reaches the stage, it moves around such that it is facing the crowd, with Antoine turning around with the camera and singing to it, before the viewers at home a series of panning shots.

Oooooooh, oooooooh
Même tes rêves les plus fous
Even your wildest dreams

Même tes rêves les plus fous, sont possibles
Even your wildest dreams are possible

Oooooooh, oooooooh
Avec un rêve tu peut changer le monde
With a dream you could change the world

As the chorus ends and the next verse begins, things slowly die down and settle a bit. The camera shots are much more intimate again, as Antoine turns around to see a young girl playing with a toy rocket, running about and pretending it is flying through space; a representation of the innocence of youth, and of course matching the lyrics of the song (which are no longer being shown unlike before). The background LED image changes to show a rather picturebook-esque space background which slowly comes to life.

Quand tu étais plus jeune, tu as rêvé aux étoiles et retour
When you were young, you dreamed up to the stars and back again

Mais maintenant tu es piégé en bas ici au monde
But now you are trapped down here on Earth

Le jeune, il existe encore?
Whatever happened to the younger you?

Veut il voler à nouveau?
Do they still want to fly?

As the prechorus begins once more, the cameras turn to focus on Antoine alone, so that he can do what he does best; work the cameras. Not much is different from the previous prechorus, except of course the space background, twinkling with stars, but in the same sort of picturebook style, rather than trying to replicate space properly or even in a BBC "we're going to do what everyone else is doing but cheaper and worse" manner (even if the simplicity of this performance makes it seem like SRNP are on an even tighter leash), so as to highlight the sense of youthful abandon and willingness to dare and to try.

Chante ta propre chanson, ne les écoutes plus
Sing your own song, don't listen to them no more

Qu'il soit une symphonie tres beau ou un air plus doux
Whether it is a beautiful symphony or a quiet tune

Ne les laisse pas écrire ton histoire pour toi, non
Don't let them write your story for you, no

Ramasse le stylo de destin et le faire de nouveau
Pick up the pen of fate and make it all anew

Et il y a jours quand qu'il peut sembler
And there are days when it can seem

Comme tes désirs ne peuvent pas d'etre réalités, ouais, mais,
Like wishful thinking, yeah, but

Juste crois dans tes rêves et espoirs parce qu'ils peuvent d'être réels
Just believe in your hopes and dreams because they can be real

Les possibilités sont infinies si tu oses
The sky is the limit if you dare

As the chorus begins, we are treated to another wide shot of the Arenakyvivre, as the light array above shine with various shades of blue in keeping in the wider screen and the space theme currently in use, as shown also by the affect created on the made background screens and the small LED screens (as well as the movement of the cameras) that Antoine and the arena were moving through space, changing slowly over the course of the chorus between the different shades rather than flashing brightly.

Même tes rêves les plus fous
Even your wildest dreams

Même tes rêves les plus fous, sont possibles
Even your wildest dreams are possible

Même tes rêves les plus fous
Even your wildest dreams

Même tes rêves les plus fous, sont possibles
Even your wildest dreams are possible

Avec un rêve tu peut changer le monde
With a dream you could change the world

The lights are dimmed as the second chorus ends, and the colour seems to be sucked from the LED screens, until Antoine is left with just a single spotlight, flickering slightly. We get a close up of Antoine's face, head slightly bent downwards but with eyes looking up towards the camera, and his charm still shining through, even in the more subdued environment around him. The camera zooms slowly outwards over the course of this section.

I know this isn't easy, but you have to say strong
Je vois tu n'ose pas espoir mais juste fais un essai
I see you don't dare to hope, but just give it a go

It's better to have failed than to have never tried
But I know you will make it

As the song begins to liven up again, a series of lights begin to flash with the beat. There were a series of panning shots. As you've no doubt realised by now, the staging is rather simple; you can't go over the top every time, and not all of us are Izmeduan, and of course you don't want to overpower the song. The important thing here, as aformentioned, is the connection between Antoine and the audiences in their homes across the multiverse, hence the more stripped back feel and the focus on him with the camera.

Sing your own song now, sing what you want to sing
Just let the words flow out, take control of the symphony
Don't let them tell you what to say or the way things must be
And dare to create your own story, your own destiny

And even though it may seem too hard at first
You have to keep going on, you have to keep your head held high
Just believe in your dream, and one day you will be living it
Everything and anything is possible if you believe

The backing singers, who had been hidden before this point, come out to join Antoine as the final chorus begins. After "they're possible", there is a sudden explosion of light across the arena as it was bathed in gold, a wave spreading out from the central LED panel and across both the stage and the LED panels above, whilst the lights on the back move about slightly, adding a slight white accent to the scene. As this explosion happened the camera feed suddenly pulled backwards to show the Arenakyvivre filled with golden colour.

Oooooooh, ooooooh
Even your wildest dreams
Even your wildest dreams, they're possible
Même tes rêves les plus fous
Even your wildest dreams

Même tes rêves les plus fous, sont possibles
Even your wildest dreams are possible

Avec un rêve tu peut changer le monde
With a dream you could change the world

As the song draws to a close, we get a final close up shot of Antoine and the backing singers, stood in the centre of the stage, basking in the dying, fading gold light that filled the arena. Antoine has a broad, welcoming smile on his face which almost seem to reach out through the camera. He ends the song with a wink to the camera.

It only takes a dream
Juste un rêve pour changer le monde
Just a dream to change the world

"Merci Kyvivre! Merci tout le monde!" Antoine shouts as he leaves the stage. He's done all he can; now all he can do is wait and see if the multiverse has received his message well.

me · by **Loulanguo** » Sun Jul 14, 2019 7:33 pm

LOULAN (WIP)
CIPHER ft. SHIYANA GURJARADESH - "Dewâr Ke Sâxtim"

Trigramme: LOU
Translation of Title: The Wall We Built
Language: Tokhari
Music: Jahân Heydari (Cipher) and Shiyana Gurjaradesh
Lyrics: Jamshed Rahmân (Cipher) and Shiyana Gurjaradesh
Tune: Sifar | Akshay Agarwal | Shivangi Bhayana — Teri Baatein

by **Besen** » Mon Jul 15, 2019 5:41 am

Besen
Sandcastles - "Alone"

Trigramme: BES
Language: English
Music: Amaia Masnier & Martino Doloria
Lyrics: Martino Doloria
Tune: Kadie Elder - First Time He Kissed A Boy

Martino Doloria, 23, started Sandcastles as a way to disassociate himself with his own life, an escape. He has endured critical acclaim for his work, which leans more along the soft rock side - although he has made ventured into more ambiguous genres in the past. Originally, he shared the band with two friends whom played drums and guitar, but it eventually went south, temporary ending the group's career together. Sandcastles returned with Martino alone in the band, in January of 2017, with the biggest success in the discography so far. The album, "Heart" was a massive hit on streaming services, where he retained attention from a younger teen audience not only because of the music but because of Martino's character himself.

Doloria is openly into guys, and has been for the duration of his time in the public eye. He has managed to inspire many young people with his messages of freedom in his songs, and also the way he has always not made a big deal out of the male pronouns or the romantic tracks about past lovers. It seemed to normalise the idea of difference of identity in music, and especially the pop industrial machine. So his journey to recognition was speedily accomplished, without having to play off his sexuality.

The path to the 47th World Hit Festival was a complicated one, with BSB being the main culprits behind Sandcastles being the representatives. They approached a lot of artists for the title, but a few declined and some couldn't do it because of schedules which left around 5 up for consideration ultimately. Sandcastles felt like the way to go because of their uniqueness in terms of sound, as the other four were more pop-based singers. They also were the biggest name out of those left - although Martino himself pointed out that isn't always the best quality to go with. In the end, "Alone" was submitted and BSB shortly discussed its potential and announced that Sandcastles would be going to Kyvivre for Besen.

As the postcard ends and the transition into the main performance begins, a neon spectacle appears, with four separate coloured rectangular shaped boxes, each with a different brightly lit theme. The first shot is a wide one, which embraces the feeling of the audience for the purpose of emotional payoff back home. The world sees Martino centred in the blue box first of all. The box is more tall than wide, and surrounds him nicely. There are four microphone stands in each of the areas, obviously with three vacant as he stands in the beginning one. Martino positions himself turned around from the camera, then turns for the first verse. As for his outfit, he stands in a full black jacket and trouser combination, which looks almost old-fashioned in the neon illumination.

Heading into into the pre-chorus, Martino's voice is stiff in in it's emotional capacity, but there is a certain motivation in his charismatic movements that accompany the lyrics. In a way the stage design does not fit well with the vibe of the track - even though the atmosphere of the neon seems to oddly supply clarity to the theme.

I find a trace, of love that’s gone
I’m trapped into one place, slowly falling

I guess I’m just, young and free
The sight of your face, I can’t breathe

Coming into the chorus, the colours of the boxes switch rapidly in a rainbow formation, which feels suited to the romantic idea between two men. And then as this happens Martino drops from the small elevation supplied by the structures, to follow through to where he is very near to the edge of the front of the stage. He hops and bounces along to the grooving production, seeming to exaggerate the excitement of the crowd. Again, there feels a contradiction from the lyrics to what happens on the stage but it doesn't mean much when other elements of the design fit so well.

I believed in forever boy
Again and again alone
Remember what I was told
“He’ll come home”
I believed in forever boy
You left me so alone
Remember what I was told
“He’ll come home”

Martino begins to set off towards a set of stairs which leads up onto the fourth box, which eventually settles on a strengthened yellow, complimenting the blankness and darkness of the back of the stage nicely. The use of the simplicity in the performance comes across effectively on TV, as viewers are able to make judgements about the performer first of all, which so far had been impeccable in terms of passion. He takes his time to sing each word in the second verse, matching the break up of the synth beat.

All I am, is all we were
It wasn’t even worth it, all this time
All my time

He reaches his arms out while he rests the microphone in its stand. And the music escalates to its peak - as does the stage production. The camera picks up this acceleration and speeds up in its changes, shifting from shots much quicker.

I believed in forever boy
Again and again alone
Remember what I was told
“He’ll come home”
I believed in forever boy
You left me so alone
Remember what I was told
“He’ll come home”

Martino swings around the box along the platform that supports it, looking out into the audience. He encourages them to begin a clap to accompany the bridge and his voice. On each word, the other three boxes stop projecting light, and one shines, in a chain until the final chorus is reached. Martino's face during this almost feels achy with joy, as the crowd does initiate the clap.

Love lost, love lost, love lost, love lost
I’m lost, I'm lost, I'm lost, I’m lost

The lights on the boxes stop showing single colours for the last chorus and instead project a swirling technicolour pattern, followed by the whole stage from the floor to the LED background. He jumps down gently from this scene, and this time goes to the maximum edge of the stage, where he interacts with the crowd, like a rockstar. He goes crazy for the instrumentation which succeeds the last vocalisations of the song up until the repetition of the chant from the bridge. As this occurs, he stands with pride with his body language very opened up, taking in the moment he will remember for the rest of his life.

I believed in forever boy
Again and again alone
Remember what I was told
“He’ll come home”
I believed in forever boy
You left me so alone
Remember what I was told
“He’ll come home”

(Love lost, love lost, love lost, love lost)

by **Samudera Darussalam** » Mon Jul 15, 2019 3:40 pm

SAMUDERA DARUSSALAM
BERLIAN & ARYA - "MERANTAU"

Trigramme: SMD
Translation of Title: "Journey"
Language: Gadangese, English
Music: Arya H. 'Arya' Dharmasada
Lyrics: Berlianti 'Berlian' Dharmasada
Tune: Ipank ft. Kinanti - Bakilah ka Rantau

Love at first sight, is what the various gossip tabloids in the Crowned Republic would include in their articles about the couple. Yet, though many of the details of their love story as what written in the magazines are dubious at best, Arya H. Dharmasada (nee Tanjung) and Berlianti Dharmasada did begin their relationship after their duet in a musical show for a fundraising event in 2015.

After their marriage, the couple who is now known with their stage names as “Berlian and Arya” always performs together as a musical duo. Their songs and music often resemble that of the traditional and folk music style of the Gadang wilayat (region) of Samudera Darussalam which also becomes one of the primary sources of inspirations for their works that mostly tell the experiences of teenagers growing up with tradition and culture; something that appeals to the many of the citizens of the country where much of the traditional values are still being preserved in spite of its rapid modernization.

When Samudera Darussalam’s first official debut in the 47th World Hit Festival in Kyvivre, Britonisea was made public, the Televisi Royal (TVR) began to search for potential candidates for the country’s representatives, compiling a list of various Samuderan emerging musical icons and their works. It is finally decided that the musical duo, much to their surprise, will be tasked to represent the country with their new song, “Merantau”, which tells the story of a young man who is leaving for a journey far from his hometown and leaving much of his life behind to reach his dream.

As the postcard ends, the arena fades to black. The audience, who was curious with next act began to quiet down save for a few murmurs. Some wondering what or where the country of Samudera Darussalam is located, since the nation itself is not really well-known in the international stage. For the small crowd of Samuderans that managed to get into the WHF arena in Kyvivre, this is one of the most thrilling sensations that they feel as their country finally decided to make its debut in an international music event.
In the dark, a lone sound of a keyboard captured the attention of the audience. Many eyes were directed towards the stage, looking for any act that is going to be played by the next performance. The camera caught the moment as the graceful sound of the keyboard suddenly replaced by a loud thump of a drum as the lights abruptly went on in a soft purplish-blue haze, illuminating the stage’s sides in sync with the musical notes that were being played. Still in the dark, a young woman in a red-colored dress was moving her body with the music. With a microphone in her right hand, she sung in melancholy tone as she walked down the right side of the stage with the stage lights on her, the camera zoomed over to her position.

Uda bajalan ka rantau urang
You are going to a foreign land

Berlian moved her left hand to her chest, as if she is singing from her heart. Her brown eyes momentarily closed as she sung the next line, still using the same tone. For those who were watching at home, the soft purplish-blue colors turned into a shade of white. The camera moved to take the view from her left side.

Jo lapang dado,
With patience,

denai lapehkan
I let you go

Jagolah diri, usah tadayo
Please take care of yourself, don't be led astray

Here with our love,
I'm thinking of you

With the last line, the camera moved back to show her front side and Berlian moved her hand to her left side, spreading it wide. She showed a small smile to the audience as she slowly moved her hand back to her side. The camera pans over to the audience was cheering and waving their nations’ flags.
The stage lights in the other side of the stage then went on. The camera moved to show Arya, who was wearing a black coat with his right hand holding the other microphone. He smiled for a moment before he sung his part, walking to his counterpart for a few steps before he stopped with the camera tailing his movement.

I walk through the night,
to a land so foreign
I leave my beloved across the ocean
Oh, I feel ache all over
I deeply miss our homeland
Here in the promised land
I'm all by myself

He closed his eyes as he lifted his clenched left hand up to the level of his chest, with the camera swiftly moved to show both of his left and right side. The camera then turned to show the audience, focusing primarily on the cheering Samuderan audience who waved the national black, red, and yellow flags. As the next line was sung, the camera then turned again to Arya, who closed his eyes during the performance. The arena went dark for a while before the lights suddenly exploded in a bright white color that fades in and out in sync with the music as Arya began to sing.

Sayang, nantikan uda di kampuang
Sweetheart, please wait for me in our homeland

Do'akanlah uda sukses di rantau urang
Please pray so I may be successful

With that, the camera moved to show the still smiling Berlian. She locked her eyes with Arya and traded her smile with Arya as both of them walked to each other’s side, amidst the cheering of the audience. They turned their face to each other’s direction, as Berlian opened her mouth to sing in return.

Uda sayang,
Honey,

denai nantikan di ranah Gadang
I'll be waiting for you in the lands of Gadang

The colors that were illuminating the stage turned into a soft shade of purple as Berlian closed her eyes for a while before she opened them again, still smiling. She moved her left forefinger while facing her counterpart as if to warn Arya of something important. The whole scene was shown perfectly by the camera. She then sung her next part in a soft, motherly tone.

Ingeklah sayang,
Please do remember, honey

Jan sampai titian patah
never destroy the bridge of trust

The camera then followed Arya as he smiled and nodded his head to the music. Still facing the young woman, the man lifted his hand up to Berlian’s direction, as if he wanted to make a declaration.

My love, please take my promise
I'm going to realize our dream

The camera moved to show both of them who were moving their bodies to the music under the soft purplish color of the lights, before it changed its position to Berlian who began to sing her part.

Just remember to be careful,
and don't forget us who you've left

When they reached interlude, the lights that were illuminating the stage turned to white again as Arya and Berlian turned to face the audience; the camera zoomed out to show their entire form, moving both of their bodies in sync with the music. Their smiles grew slightly wider as the audience clapped and cheered. They released their hands as Berlian walked to the audience and began to sing again.

Uda bajalan ka rantau urang
You are going to a foreign land

Jo lapang dado,
With patience,

denai lapehkan
I let you go

Jagolah diri, usah tadayo
Please take care of yourself, don't be led astray

Here with our love,
I'm thinking of you

She traded smiles with Arya as she backed down, giving Arya the room. The camera zoomed over to Arya as he sung, lifting his clenched left hand to a position just slightly above his chest.

I walk through the night,
to a land so foreign
I leave my beloved across the ocean
Oh, I feel ache all over
I deeply miss our homeland
Here in the promised land
I'm all by myself

He traded smiles with Berlian as he began to sing, the lights dimmed before they exploded in white color that brighten up the stage, fading in and out in sync with the music as they reached the climax.

Sayang, nantikan uda di kampuang
Sweetheart, please wait for me in our homeland

Do'akanlah uda sukses di rantau urang
Please pray so I may be successful

Berlian walked to Arya’s side again. Her left hand was placed over her chest as she sang. The camera turned to follow her movement.

Uda sayang,
Honey,

denai nantikan di ranah Gadang
I'll be waiting for you in the lands of Gadang

The camera quickly turned over to the audience, who were waving their nations’ flags in sync with the music, before returned to show Berlian and Arya, who were smiling at each other. Berlian then placed her hand over Arya’s shoulder and sang in a soft, motherly tone. The lights turned from white to soft purple.

Ingeklah sayang,
Please do remember, honey

Jan sampai titian patah
never destroy the bridge of trust

As Berlian released her hand, Arya placed his hand over his chest and began to sing in return, moved his hand to her direction as if making a declaration.

My love, please take my promise
I'm going to realize our dream

To which, Berlian closed her eyes and sung back. The camera zoomed over to her face.

Just remember to be careful,
and don't forget us who you've left

The couple then holding their hands again and began to move their bodies with the music as the camera zoomed out and moved to show the audience. It focused and zoomed over a Samuderan flag for a while before it turned back to show the stage as the music began to fade, signaling the end of the act. The camera zoomed over to Berlian and Arya who smiled to the audience before both bowed in a sync amidst the cheers. They are glad that their act went well.

by **Amuaplye** » Thu Jul 18, 2019 5:50 pm

AMUAPLYE

Andrew Porter - Dance!

Language: English
Music: Andrew Porter
Lyrics: Andrew Porter
Tune: Simarik - Tarkan

Andrew Porter.

The stadium lights up, as on a tall podium, stands a DJ, who starts the song. Porter comes out 11 seconds after the song begins, with a group of people carrying the flags of every country participating in the song. Porter heads to the microphone, as the flag carriers stand on the perimeter of the stage. The camera alternates between looking at Porter, and the flag carriers.

Ladies and gentlemen of the world
Are you willing to dance with us tonight?
Here I am on the international stage
Ready to make you dance now

The flag carriers twirl their flags over their heads, and in circles in front of their chests. Porter's girlfriend enters the stage at the 35 second mark, in the gap between the Amuaplyean flag and the Britonish flag. She stands next to Andrew. The camera follows her as she does so.

With a nice beat and a very good rhythm
It might get stuck in your head
However it will make you stand up right now
And dance all night long

Porter and his girlfriend hold hands, and he pulls her closer, as the cameras first pan to show all of the flag carriers, and then focus on Porter and his girlfriend.

Chorus (x2):
Get a couple of friends with you
And follow these simple steps too
Take them by the hands and start to
Dance all day long!

Porter stands away from the microphone, as he starts to dance with her, showing slightly above-average dance skills. He isn't horrible, but he isn't going to win anything because of it. The camera follows the two, as the flag carriers take several steps toward the two.

(x2):
Everyone in Izmedu
Kalosia and Natanya
And Britonisea as well
Should now dance!

The Izmeduan flag carrier takes several steps more, then the Kalosian, the Natanyan, and then the Britonish, in the order they are mentioned in the song. Once the Amuaplyean steps up to them, they hold hands, and spin around the two, following them. The camera captures the 5 flag carriers walking up to them, and then shows a bird's eye view of them spinning around the two.

Ladies and gentlemen of the world
Are you willing to dance with us tonight?
Here I am on the international stage
Ready to make you dance now

His girlfriend and the flag carriers walk away from him, following him as he walks up to the microphone, and shuts off his collar microphone and starts to sing from it at "Here I am on the international stage". The camera continues the bird's eye view of Porter, until he sings that part, where it focuses on him.

With a nice beat and a very good rhythm
It might get stuck in your head
However it will make you stand up right now
And dance all night long

His girlfriend spins around Porter in a clockwise motion, as the flag carriers follow her, going counterclockwise. The camera goes back to a bird's eye view for this.

Chorus (x2):
Get a couple of friends with you
And follow these simple steps too
Take them by the hands and start to
Dance all day long!

The DJ comes down from the podium, the camera following him until he reaches Porter's girlfriend, in which he locks hands with her. Nicholas Morales and Fyodor Petrov (Of Love and War and A Few Men, respectively), also join in, creating a conga line with Porter's girlfriend and the DJ. The camera also follows them, and switches to the bird's eye view after the conga line is created.

(x2):
Everyone in Izmedu
Kalosia and Natanya
And Britonisea as well
Should now dance!

The flag circle is broken, as they all form a single file line, in the order they are mentioned, they then start to leave as the verse is repeated for a 2nd time. The rest of the flag carriers also leave, in alphabetical order, then Morales and Petrov, then the DJ, then Porter's girlfriend, and then Porter himself.

by **Cleaca** » Fri Jul 19, 2019 1:38 pm

Cleaca
RamRod - "I Fell For You"

Trigramme: CLE
Translation of Title:
Language: English
Music: Armond Tufalu
Lyrics: Isaac Blue
Tune: Wig Wam - ''I Turn To You''

RamRod is a glam metal band originating from Tushlark, Togonistan. Formed by Armond Tufalu (vocals), Eli Benjamin (guitars), Isaac Blue (bass) and Frank Snow (drums), the band titles itself as ''The first Togonistani glam metal band.'' The band saw rather widespread success in the early 2000's, mostly due to their unique outfits and stage performances. The band has been nominated for the annual music awards two times, but never won any titles.

To celebrate the 20th birthday of the band, RamRod decided to go on a world tour and start it off by representing Cleaca in the 47th World Hit Festival. The band was chosen by CBC through closed internal selection, although there are unconfirmed rumours that RamRod paid CBC a certain sum of money in order to get them chosen as representatives.

In WHF47, they are performing their song titled ''I Fell For You'' which is the band's newest song written specially for the World Hit Festival.

Performance:

The stage is lit up. RamRod can be seen on the stage and crowd in the arena starts cheering as the band starts playing. They wear colorful outfits with lots of glitter added to it. The whole stage theme is very shiny and glittery, with silver being the dominant color. All around the arena, white lights are blinking on and off with different time delays. Armond clings to the microphone stand and starts singing.

When the times are dark and I feel I can't stand
When inside I feel empty and bland
When the night arrives you are my only light
That I can keep right by my side

Armond puts his arms wide open and starts pointing to the audience while singing the chorus. The rest of the band keeps playing their instruments.

I fell for you
Like a rocket crashing towards the land
I fell for you
'Cause you're the one I need
Who can turn me around, bring me to ground
I fell for you

Armond grabs the microphone stand with his right hand and starts walking around the stage with it while singing the second chorus, doing various hand gestures with his left hand at the same time.

When my insides are rotten inside me
You're the medicine that will revive me
You be my salsa, I'll be your rice
I'll stick to you, no matter the price

Armond places the stand back to the stage floor and starts nodding his head and left knee to the rhythm, doing various hand gestures every once in a while as well.

I fell for you
Like a rocket crashing towards the land
I fell for you
'Cause you're the one I need
Who can turn me around, bring me to ground
I fell for you

Suddenly, stage theme changes from the usual silver glittery to more of an orange lighting. Armond bends his knees and tilts the stand along with him while singing. He looks at the camera as it rotates around him, before zooming out.

What do I need?
Where'd I head to?
If you didn't carry me through
I see stars sparking in your eyes
You fell for me and I fell for you

Eli steps forward and starts his guitar solo. Camera focuses on him during his solo. As the solo ends, Eli steps back and Armond steps forward again. When it is time for Armond to sing again, the stage lighting turns back to white colors again, recreating the usual silver glittery stage theme. On the either edge of the stage, two huge pyrotechnical volcanoes erupt and start bursting out sparks. The band performs their last part of the song.

I fell for you
Like a rocket crashing towards the land
I fell for you
'Cause you're the one I need
Who can turn me around, bring me to ground
I fell for you

I fell for you
Like a rocket crashing towards the land
I fell for you
'Cause you're the one I need
Who can turn me around, bring me to ground
I fell for you
I fell for you

The band members raise their left fist up as the song ends and audience starts cheering. ''Thank you! Rock on!'' Armond says before the bands leaves the stage.

by **Estogium** » Fri Jul 19, 2019 3:25 pm

Estogium
Tony Alanis - "Hiding No More"

Trigramme: RWH
Language: English
Music: John Shark, Tailor Baker-Well
Lyrics: Tom Brilliant
Tune: Peter Joback - Shape of You

After Estogium received it's third left-hand side finish at the World Hit Festival, Estogium returns to the World Hit Festival to Kyvivre, to what will be the closest World Hit Festival to Estogium since Kyvivre last hosted.

Estogium recently participated in their fifth consecutive participation at the World Hit Festival, with the result of that being an 8th place with 12 points. While the 8th place is the lowest score that Estogium had received since the 44th World Hit Festival in Anollasia, Estogium has not been in the left hand side for this long for a very long time. Hunter Malden finally got the chance to represent Estogium with his song "Remercio Teis" which saw Britonish being entered into the World Hit Festival since the 39th World Hit Festival. Receiving 12 points in total, a large percentage of those points came from Kalosia who awarded Estogium 5 points making it the second edition in a row Estogium has received that all-important 5 points. This edition, it's time for Tony Alanis to keep Estogium's recent results to the same level or even better them. Estogium is hoping not to dip into the results it had been getting at the start of the 40s decade. Estogian wonder to themselves how their neighbours, Britonisea are hosting the competition for the fifth time while Estogium hasn't even come close to being considered. They all believe something needs to change.

[Insert image]

As the postcard finished playing, the audience came in with a huge roar with Estogium being one of the more popular nations performing tonight due to it being Britonisea's neighbouring nation. The lights went down in the arena with the audience dying out at this point. The music soon started with the camera being poised on the middle of the stage which appeared to be out of focus for those watching on the screens or on television. As the music started, a figure could be seen walking to the middle of the stage, with the audience cheering as the man came nearer to the centre. He was wearing something that made him look expensive; a nice tuxedo - black and white from top to bottom. His curly hair slicked back to make him look straight out of a 70s movie. He brought the microphone to his mouth as he sung...

You had me chasing after you,
Because you loved it.
It didn't matter how I felt, no
No it didn't

Soon enough I found the light,
I had to go
But I had to leave, say goodbye
So I walked out that door

After he started singing, another shot from the side of him was pointing at home but unlike the first shot, it was in full focus. At this point, Tony turned around and looked at this camera, singing deep into it. For those watching at home, colours that were mainly shown were the shades of grey, black and white which followed the colours of his costume. He bobbed his head back and front as he was getting through the song, tapping his feet and enjoying himself as he reached the bridge of the song. The camera quickly cut to another section of the stage with a group of people - with faces you couldn't see - singing along with him for the upcoming section...

(I am free) and I feel so good
(I can be) the burden has gone
(Who I want) Oh, darling
Now you can see me for who I am

You never saw the true me
The man you wanted me to be -
He's not real, and I'm sorry
I am hiding no more, no, no

The camera zoomed over Tony as he was singing the chorus, with the camera also appearing over the audience - many members of which were holding Estogian flags - waving them back and forth. The turnout of Estogian fans were high. Tony looked up at the camera as it zoomed past him (an aerial shot), with the stage being shown as the next shot showed it from far away. You could see Tony standing on the middle of it, with a large grey back drop plastered across the large screen. You could see his tiny self on that huge stage with the group of people also on the stage. On the grey LED, it looked as though there were diamonds swimming through a sea of greyness. It looked expensive, especially when looking at it from afar.

I'd hate to cut it short,
But yeah I have got to go
I had to leave, say goodbye
So I walked out that door

(I am free) and I feel so good
(I can be) the burden's lifted
(Who I want) Oh, darling
Now you can see me for who I am

The camera zoomed up on him in the verse before the pre-chorus. Each time the backing vocalists came in, the camera quickly cut to them singing before it came back onto Tony, who was looking deep into the camera. This happened a few times until Tony sang the last bit of the pre-chorus. He made a drum beat motion with his hand as the camera quickly zoomed out. The next shot was in the middle of the arena, on a trolley zooming from one end of the arena to the next with all of the flags flying in the shot. Tony stood where he was, jamming to the song he was enjoying singing.

You never saw the true me
The man you wanted me to be -
He's not real, and I'm sorry
I am hiding no more, no, no

Hiding behind the façade
With all consequences gone
Finally I can take it off
No more hiding behind the façade

(I am hiding no more) I am hiding no more!
(I am hiding no more) I am hiding no-
(I am hiding no more) Oh yes, the façade has gone

(I am hiding no more) Don't make me feel bad
(I am hiding no more) I had no choice
(I am hiding no more) I was hiding be-
-hind the façade baby!!!

At this point, he was at the final section of the song where the backing vocalists came up.in the background quite strongly, with a lot of power. The camera zoomed out to display the whole of rhe arena, with it being lit up with the golden sparkles falling from the rigs in the sky, making it look very pretty from far away. Tony Alanis stood in posititon as the backing vocalists came closer and closer to him. The LED floor started to turn the same colour as the sparkles that fell from the rigs on the ceiling. The audience watched the spectacle in front of them and behind Tony.

(I am hiding no more) You never saw the true me
(I am hiding no more) He didn't exist, no
(I am hiding no more) Woah!!!
(I am, I am, I'm hiding no more) I am hiding no more!

(I am hiding no more) I am hiding no more, oh
(I am hiding no more) I am hiding no more!
(I am hiding no more)
(I am, I am, I'm hiding no more) Oh yes, the façade's gone

(I am hiding no more) Oh yes, the façade's gone
(I am hiding no more) Oh yes, the façade's gone
(I am hiding no more) Oh yes, the façade's gone

I am, I am, I am hiding no more...

At the end of the song, the camera zoomed slightly in before pausing with him looking directly into the camera. The audience came in with a big cheer for the nation. "Remercio Teis, Brityunik" the man said in Britonish to the audience, thanking them for being such a good audience. He took a deep breath before applauding himself and the audience before he slowly walked off the stage happy with the performance that he had just given.

by **Llalta** » Sat Jul 20, 2019 3:20 am

Llalta
Chiara Albanthia - "Timeless"

Trigramme: LLA
Language: English
Music: John Marshall
Lyrics: Esther Winterborne
Tune: Mononoke Hime - Joe Hisaishi ft. Masako Hayashi

Last edition for Llalta was rather embarrassing. 9th out of 13th is the worst result yet for Llalta statistically, even worse than 17th place gotten by Esther in the 40th World Hit Festival. The LBN realised they had to step up their game, bring something new and breath taking onto the stage. Something that'd leave the audience with nothing to say but "wow". And so, John Marshall, Llalta's best composer to write a song that could transport the listener to another world; a world that lay deep in their Imagination. With Esther Winterborne writing the lyrics, as she most well known for, "Timeless" was written. And so, after over half a year of hard work, the song was finally finished. However, it was originally planned for Esther to sing, meaning Esther would return to the contest a 4th time. Despite, Esther being a veteran at the prestigious contest, the idea was decided against as her voice didn't seem to fit the tone of the song. No other singer in Llalta seemed able to sing such a powerful and emotional song, and it seemed the song would have to be scrapped or given to some other international artist to sing, something they'd rather not do. Fortunately, that's when renowned opera singer Chiara Albanthia stepped up to the job of singing it, known as Llalta's best vocalist. Her impressive vocal range as well as having the emotion and strength in her voice led to her being the perfect choice to sing the dramatic power ballad. From that point onwards it was certain she would sing the song in Britonisea, one of Llalta's closest friends. Unfortunately, last time the contest was held in Britonisea for the 43rd edition in Burgendore, Llalta came a meagre 10th place out of 20. This was following a string of impressive results of 2 2nd places, impressive for such a small nation. However, the WorldVision superstar Patricia, Llalta's native drag queen, flopped considering her impressive feat if 4th in the 65th WorldVision. However, Llalta is hoping to change it's recently disappointing results.

Chiara Albanthia is a 37-year old opera singer born and raised like any other Llaltese, in St. Christopher. She began singing from the age of 6, and studied at Britonisea's most prestigious music school from 18. After graduating, she returned to Llalta and began her opera singing career, releasing her first album at 22. She was known as the rising opera star, having a voice most 22 year olds could only dream of. Despite her talent however, she really only took off a couple years later with her album, "Rebirth of the Phoenix". This album broke the rules of opera and classical music alike, each song written with a modern twist. She then became renowned for her pop opera, often using electronic beats and sounds alongside her orchestral, and elegant music. Her song, "Fateful Turn" even hit number 1 in many classical charts around the world, and lead an onslaught of pop opera hits from 2008 to 2016. Despite all her fame and fortune, she lives with her husband of 37, 2 children and 2 dogs. In St. Christopher she lives a very down to earth lifestyle, never seeing paparazzi or the sorts in her traditionally peaceful Llaltese lifestyle. Since 2016, she has taken a break from music to focus on her children and family, but now is ready to return to the spotlight. With the entry, "Timeless", already a hit in Llalta, she hopes to restart her music career and is planning to release the album "Timeless" later this year.

The song itself, "Timeless" tells the tale of a world, once alive with gods, titans and beasts that would tower over skyscrapers. However, this mythical and magical world fell to the humans, someway or another, and is only a mere memory, a fairy tale. It is very traditionally Llaltese, hopeful yet solemn. Poetic and elegant. The staging on the hand, is a lot more subtle and minimalistic. Rather than showing the lands described showing on the LEDs, the performance will be simple to allow the viewer to imagine it themselves. This allows the viewer to focus on the song, lyrics and her voice, rather than the stage itself. Transporting you into this otherworldly place, without showing you. The song is 3:00 long and is a classical opera song, with some modern twists in the song writing to add drama and emotion. The LBN hope that you can embark on this quest to explore these lands afar, through your mind, and maybe even relive worlds and places you once created. Whether it be childhood lands or places you dreamed of on your average Monday morning as you ride a bus to work or wherever.

As the postcard ends, the arena fades to black. The audience cheers for their favourite tiny island nation for a while, before it quietens down to a couple mutters and shouts. Before long, the arena is silent and pitch black, like an empty vacuum of space. Then in the silence, the piano begins to play. Each single note echoing ever so slightly in the arena, like the drop of morning dew in the silence. As the piano introduction is played, a single soft golden spotlight slowly begins to light up from the back of the stage. As the spotlight grows brighter, a silhouette can be made out onstage of a woman, Chiara Albanthia. However, the light is not bright enough to see her fully, so only her silhouette being able to be seen. At this point, the mist cloaking the floor of the stage can be seen, swarming like the sea at Chiara's feet. Then, as the two harsher sounding piano notes are played, the camera angles suddenly switch with each press of the keys. As it does this, the lights flash gold softly, before fading into black as quickly as they appeared. With each mild flash, Chiara's face and outfit can finally be seen, but just for a moment. Her face looks youthful for 37, but the creases of worry and resent make her face look wise and mature, and her chestnut hair is braided in a bun at the back of her head. Her elegant dress falling to the floor of the stage, covered by the thick carpet of mist. She looks almost god like, bathing in the dim golden light, as if she were a mere memory or dream. Her face emotionless apart from flickers of solemnness in her eyes, as if mourning. As the introduction nears to a close, and the final piano key is played, the lights slowly dim to black except from a single golden spotlight, lighting her up. Though she looks small and lone on the big stage, the camera angles are close up, to make the performance more intimate. And so the introduction ends, facing forward lone on the grand stage, ready to bring the performance of a lifetime.

She begins to sing the sombre verses of the song, looking out into the audience, one hand clutching the microphone on the stand. Her hazel eyes painted with gold lights, shimmering and shining. The camera movements and slow and flowing, matching the mood of the song, being sombre yet mythical. She stares longingly of into the distance, her deep brown eyes shimmering in the golden light. The audience remain somehow silent and motionless throughout the performance, few flags waving. A couple lights are waved in the audience however. Her voice is calm and solemn. Hollow yet full of stories untold. There is no urgency in her voice; just regret. Throughout the sing, she doesn't move from her spot in centre stage. Rather she makes small, subtle gestures with her hands, telling a story. Sign language with no true meaning, just emotions with no way to translate. But yet one could understand the meaning perfectly.

The never-ending search for nowhere
Hidden in the cloak of time
Like a fairy tale, an eden of true
Where embroidered pearls paint twilight

As the verse builds up, and violins join the piano, a couple more golden spotlights slowly light up on Chiara. She glances up at the lights before tracing the walls of the arena with her eyes, looking at the audience too. The fog is still as thick as it was at the start of the performance, surrounding her as if it were the ocean. As she sings, one might notice the tinge of sorrow in her voice, which melodic as it is, holds the raw emotions. Like a geode, raw gems shimmering from inside. Her eyes so sorrowful, as if it held many scenes better left unseen or broken promises and never said goodbyes. As the third line is sung, Chiara's hand drifts towards the skies, as if reaching for something lost many aeons ago, so long ago that she was breath taken to find it again, before slowly lowering it. The camera takes a body shot from the front and begins to steadily zoom into her face, as Chiara turns her head to face the camera, her eyes fixed forward, shimmering with hope.

Forgotten dreams drift past the heavens
Waltzing in the arms of the wind
Soaring in the skies where gods once roamed
A remanence of the world we once had known

As she soulfully sings the bridge, she steadily raises her left hand to the skies, a little shakily. Her eyes glimmering in gold, follow suit and looks at her hand, raised. Slowly, small white lights begin fading into view from the back of the stage like stars, twinkling subtly as they shine. However, there are very few. She lowers her hand, whilst a head shot is taken of Chiara, who stares straight into the camera with such pain yet such hopefulness. As she sings the third line, she raises both arms up the skies, twirling slowly yet so mesmerizingly. However, she quickly puts her hand on her heart and shakes her head, telling the tale to the audience subtly. Her hands appear to be shaking a little yet her voice remains intact and perfect, as she continues her melodic symphony, thousands of eyes watching her from across the globe. And yet, she managed to shrug off that thought. Her mind fixated on the song and conveying this mythical and never seen before world to the audience.

Where titans held up the sky and moonlight sang
Somewhere we seek yet we had once destroyed
Where beasts volant in the infinity of skies
A place where we can be
Timeless legends as free

As she finishes the last line of the bridge, with each syllable a white light falls on Chiara from the back of the stage, building up for the climax of the song. Whilst she sings the final note of the bridge, the bright white lights billow outwards, glimmering as it passes over the camera. The sudden boost of energy in the song is met with an applause from the audience. As the instrumental draws nearer, two sets of golden lights flash harshly, corresponding to the piano chords played. The sombre, painful, and yet somewhat uplifting music begins, met with more white spotlights billowing outwards, starting pointed at Chiara before travelling to the sides of the arena. More lights rise from the back of the stage too, giving the sudden burst of power in the song dramatic lighting to match. The cymbal clashes and the arena flashes white and gold. As the instrumental begins, Chiara begins belting out the high notes with such raw power and emotion, goose bumps on the arms of many who watched. The lights continues their dramatic presentation, in an illustrious gold and white whilst they dance and tango around the arena. Chiara on the other hand is bathed in a golden spotlight, complementing her jade green dress. As she continues to sing throughout the instrumental, the backing singers also sing, almost like a chant. Despite this, Chiara remains the only person onstage, lone and powerful she stands in the midst of the flurry of lights roaming the arena. Each moment of lighting is made to match the music, lights flashing as the cymbals clash, like lightning in a storm. The camera takes a couple wider shots, further emphasizing how lone and small Chiara is on such a big stage. However, she still manages to stand out even in the dance of bright white and gold. The climax begins to near its end, and Chiara prepares for the final note. She has a determined glimmer in her eyes, pained but not hopeless. The moment draws closer, and the spotlights quickly travel back on Chiara, as if she were a black hole dragging in the lights. Met with a jet of steam that is sent upwards, Chiara belts out the highest and longest note of the song. The camera steadily zooms into her as she sings the note, Chiara surrounded by the ring of steam, as if she where the eye of a hurricane.

The music instantly softens as she finishes the note, the stage looking like the beginning of the performance. Chiara onstage surrounded by thick fog and lit up by few golden spotlights. She sings the penultimate line of the song, hands tightly clutching the microphone, eyes glimmering with gold. Creases are etched on her face, showing her pain as she sings, shadows dancing across her face. Her hand slowly gravitates to her heart and is held in a fist. The camera takes a shot of her upper torso upwards, a shot so intimate corresponding to the peacefulness of the song. Where only Chiara is lit up throughout the entire arena, the rest lying in complete darkness.

A place where we could be
Timeless legends once free

The music draws to a close, a resolute and final sound to it. The spotlights steadily fade off of Chiara, the arena in total darkness until golden lights at the back slowly appear from behind Chiara, creating a silhouette, similar to that of the beginning of the entry. Chiara's arms are raised up like warrior who won the war, and even in the darkness we can see her beaming with joy. The performence ends with Chiara's silhouette in a powerful pose with golden beams of light behind her like sunset. The lights come up and we see Chiara onstage smiling as the audience cheer for one of their favourite island nations. She bows politely before shouting to the audience: "I love you all so much, 'Alvagar al somme igla! (Never lose the past!)'" She can be seen crying of joy as she stumbles off into the green room.

by **Achaean Republic** » Sat Jul 20, 2019 9:17 pm

Achaean Republic
ARTIST(S) - NARINHO-"Tabacaria"

Trigramme: ACH
Translation of Title: Tobacco Shop
Language: Portuguese
Music: Félix Móstoles, Narinho
Lyrics: Narinho
Tune: Dilsinho - Refém

Nelson Pereira Gómez was born somewhere in Brazil in 1989. He always said somewhere" and not someplace, because he never remembered exactly where in Brazil was he born––perhaps in the bucolic streets of Sao Paulo? The dazzling, crime-ridden favelas of Rio de Janeiro? The forested wonders of Manaus? Nobody knew where was he, and he always spent time asking himself, who was he? Nelson was never a very “Latin" name, to be honest, and he always toyed with the idea as a kid to change it, perhaps to José, or Jesús, or Adalberto. He hated the name Nelson, much like he hated the fact that he never knew exactly where was he born in Brazil.

WhatsApp rumors circulate that his mother abandoned him to his grandma’s care when he was two years old because she was a junkie and a prostitute, who then took him to an orphanage because she couldn’t take care of him herself. Other conspiracies say he was the son of a powerful drug dealer who was shot and killed by police in one of those infamous Rio shootouts. Still, others believe that the poor boy was a botched abortion gone wrong, and he was a seven-month-old baby that survived the forcible extraction on the womb of a sixteen-year-old mother. It never mattered to him, because he was adopted by two stern, yet kind Achaean missionaries on a field trip to South America. His adoptive father was Don Boris Pereira, a pastor from a small Mission Board church in the outskirts of Corola. His mother was Doña Alicia Gómez, a gospel singer who released many songs that are still sung in Achaean churches today, like La Santidad Aún Existe (Holiness Still Exists), Arrepiéntete, Pueblo Mío (Repent, My People), and Salmo 119 (Psalm 119). Needless to say, they always remember this story with tears in their eyes, they saw a small, shirtless, breathless boy playing with a rubber ball and humming How Great Thou Art with his friends. That convinced them. They needed to adopt this young boy.

Much of young Nelson’s life is murky from this point on: At what age was he adopted? He couldn’t answer. At what year did he move to Achaea? He couldn’t remember, nor his elderly, fragile, senile adoptive parents, who just retired from ministering in that very same Mission Board church. Why did they adopt him, when Doña Alicia was still in her childbearing moments? What does matter to his story is that, once he arrived, he quickly picked up Spanish, learned how to play maracas and guitar at church, and excelled in music classes at school. He had an ideal childhood, albeit a bit restricted by the influences of the world from his adoptive parents. That being said, he still enjoyed listening to the typical pop stars of his era, like Madonna and Michael Jackson and Chayanne. Not until “favela fever,” that crazed moment in the late nineties and early noughties where Brazilian pop culture became a hit in the Achaean Republic, did Nelson rediscover his actual roots. It bothered Don Boris and Doña Alicia a bit, more so because they could never grasp the language, but still supported the safe––albeit restricted––exploration into Nelson’s true identity.

But does that matter to Narinho, the artist? It shouldn’t. Nor could his adoring fans care so much about it. The Achaean Academy of the Spanish Language, the snooty, quasi-governmental structure dedicated to preserve and perfect the Spanish language, was already giving him all kinds of hell for sending a song in Portuguese, a language so very foreign to Achaean ears (even though they consume everything Brazil sends them, like telenovelas and churrasquerias and sexy musicians and sultry porn stars), browbeating their misplaced patriotism at a humble pagodeiro who only made money doing what he loved best––singing. It was a slow news day when the story broke out, and it almost derailed his chances of going to Kyvirie and practice his very, very broken English.

He was internally selected from a handful of musicians, approached by Instagram scouts preying on talent to make a fool of themselves in the international stage. Some say that he would only be filler, given that Achaea has never done well in international competitions before. Perhaps they wanted warm bodies or some way for the delegation to catch a free trip, flirted some cynics. It doesn’t help that, per broadcaster rules for WorldVision, songs selected for the contest needed to have some Spanish in its lyrics––to which stunted many listeners who assumed that this rule would carry to World Hit Festival. Of course, Narinho promised he would reprise the song in partly Spanish if he won the competition, and would heavily promote the Spanish version of the song in Achaea if the critics would shut up for a moment and let him sing. Nobody complained when he released Despacio (Slow), with some words in Portuguese. Nor when he reached his number-one hit on the Achaean charts, Assanhado (Excited), with an entire chorus in Portuguese. For him, it was an ear training of sorts, so that Achaeans can get used to his new vision. Pagode was a style he wanted to offer to the world, something different from what both Achaeans and outsiders can expect from a tropical nation.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After the postcard, the lights on the stage flash an orderly succession of red, blue, and green, the national colors of the Achaean Republic. The stage fades to black. As the music begins, the LED screen turns into scenes of a cigar shop with a picture of Fernando Pessoa on the top, noted Portuguese poet and the inspiration for this song. On the left, two women in black dresses are holding panderos in the microphone stands. A man beside them has a surdo, a large bass drum tapped to his waist. To the right, another man is sitting in a wooden chair, playing a cavaquinho, a small, guitar-like string instrument similar in sound and form to a lute or a ukelele.

Narinho has a cream-colored fedora with a black jacket covering his shirtless body but exposing his many chest tattoos. He also has black jeans with Converse sneakers, his preferred style over the stuffy, almost stereotypical look of many pagodeiros. He walks towards the front camera and begins to sing.

Nada sou eu
Nada sou eu, e não vou encontrar
a dor do meu coração encaixar
os sonhos do mundo
Vencido eu
Como si estivesse pra morrer
a esperança nunca vou perder
os sonhos do mundo

The camera shifts to the left, and Narinho with it. The chorus and the musicians begin playing their instruments while humming their lyrics.

De tantas cores os sonhos vividos
sair reduzidos ao povo do mar
Em um insulto aos egos feridos
A fumaça enérgica do teu lar
Filosofías de homens iludidos
quantos sou segredos sem nenhum impar
A realidade e tão furtiva, ¿né, meu bem?

For the chorus, the camera pans open as Narinho walks across the stage, microphone in hand, shuffling his feet to the crowd and holding another hand to his chest. The camera follows along with him, moving his shuffling feet to the beat of the samba and stretching his free arm while holding it at the same time. Viewers could appreciate the shifting screens of the roda de samba outside the cigar shop pictures, and the earthly brown-red-green colors emanating from the lights.

Não encontro nada
Tô na tabacaria, você deusa humana
princesa mentirosa, patricinha chata
marquesa das verdades do meu coração
você tem razão

The camera quickly pans to the crowd, with special focus to the Achaean contingentin the front lines, the vast majority of them women, screaming and swooning to the song. The camera also pans to the roda playing its instruments while singing the chorus in well-thought unison. He even shows off some passista moves, not skipping the beat as he continues to sing the chorus.

Tenho uma vara
A máscara pegada estava a minha cara
Tratando todo mundo como joia rara
Continuo jogando praga ao fumador
Na tabacaria encontro algo mais que amor

The camera returns to Narinho with his jacket already uncovered, showing more of the tattoos that race through his ripped body. He walks through the beat as the lights flicker in white, and he sits on a small, wooden chair beside an elongated table one could find in Achaea’s old-fashioned cigar shops. He grabs a(n electric) cigar, puffs on it (he actually hates smoking, but––by reluctant agreement from the delegation, they had to keep that bit), grabs his microphone, and repeats his first verse.

Nada sou eu
Nada sou eu, e não vou encontrar
a dor do meu coração encaixar
os sonhos do mundo
Vencido eu
Como si estivesse pra morrer
a esperança nunca vou perder
os sonhos do mundo

Narinho takes a swig of the brandy on the table. The brandy is strong, yet smooth enough to make it palatable to his taste. The camera pans to the screen, as the images of the cigar shop begin fading to sepia tones, and then black and white. In another scene, the backup singers continue swaying their bodies alongside the pandeiros, never skipping a beat. Narinho grabs his smooth hands and grazes his chin, licking his lips and sings.

De tantas cores os sonhos vividos
sair reduzidos ao povo do mar
Em um insulto aos egos feridos
A fumaça enérgica do teu lar
Filosofías de homens iludidos
quantos sou segredos sem nenhum impar
A realidade e tão furtiva, ¿né, meu bem?

Narinho raises his voice one more time, lunging for more air in his lungs. The chorus, animated, keeps playing their instruments with gleaning faces full of joy and happiness. They are engrossed by the music, as if they were in a roda de samba back home. But small worries kept them on their toes as the group sang: Will the crowd understand their songs? Will they find Portuguese...tacky, for an international crowd? It garnered them criticism from misaligned patriots and bored rabble-rousers. But nevertheless, Narinho is feeling his music, closing his eyes and opening them to the adoring crowd.

Não encontro nada
Tô na tabacaria, você deusa humana
princesa mentirosa, patricinha chata
marquesa das verdades do meu coração
você tem razão
Tenho uma vara
A máscara pegada estava a minha cara
Tratando todo mundo como joia rara
Continuo jogando praga ao fumador
Na tabacaria encontro algo mais que amor

The camera retreats and white lights in the stage light up to the beat of the surdo, standing up to rest his back and move to the beat of the pagode. The crowd waves its arms to the beat of the music, swaying them from side to side, following Narinho's lead. He attempts to cautiously clean the sweat off his brow with the same discretion. Some of the sweat drips down his shirtless chest. It was a moment of excitement, but also of extreme caution. This could be the moment Achaea takes it. Or not. But was he enjoying this moment! Llegó la hora. It's time to take this home.

Não encontro nada
Tô na tabacaria, você deusa humana
princesa mentirosa, patricinha chata
marquesa das verdades do meu coração
você tem razão
Tenho uma vara
A máscara pegada estava a minha cara
Tratando todo mundo como joia rara
Continuo jogando praga ao fumador
Na tabacaria encontro algo mais que amor

At the last strings of the cavaquinho and the repique, the music falls silent. Narinho open his arms as the center camera pans to a final shot of his whole body. Smiling coyly at the camera, with a cute smirk in his dimples, Narinho sings his last verse.

Na tabacaria encontro algo mais que amor

Narinho winks to the adoring crowd. Flags wave below him as he especially notices the Achaean flags. The crowd cheers as he especially blows a kiss to the crowd, moreso to his Achaean fans, who start shouting "¡Fue-gue-ro! ¡Fue-gue-ro!" Narinho speaks in very broken English, "Thank you, Multiverse!" He repeats in Spanish, "Gracias, Multiverso! Gracias, Acaya! Obrigado!" while screaming at the microphone and waving his hands in the air to the crowd alongside his trusty band.

by **Vartugia** » Sun Jul 21, 2019 11:31 pm

VARTUGIA
You - "AAAAAAA"

Trigramme: VAR
Translation of Title:Do i realy need to do that?
Language: Ja
Music: Yes
Lyrics: Si
Tune:Lady Gaga - Bad Romance, but she is drunk

You are a singer who got yours dream to peform at ~~Worldvision Song Contest~~ World Hit Festival. And You celebrated by drinking a shit ton of beer.

You enter the stage.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

You do some drunk dancing that is so bad, it becomes an internet meme

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Loud booing

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

You sing so badly, the songs end and we have only as 4 minutes left. ~~I don't want to use effort to write the song better, so ill leave it here in an awkward place lol~~

by **Togonistan** » Mon Jul 22, 2019 8:44 am

Togonistan
Marco Cobra & DJ Striker - "Rising Sun"

Trigramme: TGN
Translation of Title:
Language: English
Music: DJ Striker
Lyrics: Marco Cobra
Tune: Headhunterz - ''Orange Heart''

Marco Cobra (real name: Rangi Faamoana) is a 21-year old Togonistani singer and social media star born in Hwoarang. He started singing at the age of 7, when his parents singed him up to a music-oriented school. During his school years, he was described by his classmates as a shy, introvert person. Rangi had social difficulties, which caused him to be dropped out of the school. His parents were deeply disappointed in him and as soon as he turned 18, Rangi decided to leave his home and move to Tushlark to study hairdressing. During his studies to become a hairdresser, he started posting hair tutorials to social media under his 'alter ego' Marco Cobra and started gaining fame through that. Eventually, Rangi finished his studies and had gathered enough money to open his own hair salon. It was at this time he also came out of the closet, revealing himself as bisexual. There were various reactions to that, with the majority of his fans being very supportive, yet there was a contingent of people who started online bullying him after that.

Having studied music before, he decided to write a song inspired by all this. He said that his goal was to ''raise empathy and understanding amongst the people.'' The message of his song, Rising Sun, is to not hide who you are and be proud about it. When writing the song, Marco teamed up with DJ Striker, a widely respected Togonistani EDM artist.

Performance:

The stage is dark with Marco's silhouette being seen on the stage. As the music starts playing, a ray of reddish-gold light lands on Marco's face as the camera zooms up on him. Marco looks into the camera and starts singing the first verse, expressing some deep facial expressions while doing it. Throughout the verse, some orange free-form lines start forming on the huge background screen, starting from the bottom and branching out as if they were some sort of trees growing up. By the end of the verse, the huge screen is filled by those lines.

There's a beauty inside
You can no longer hide
Climb out from the box
Closed by society's locks
With the power of love
I can see my kingdom
Built up to the sky
where we see our rising sun

Stage lights up as the camera zooms out. Background screen has transformed into a mixture of orange-red colors with a big orange sun rising up. The arena is lit up on the orange-red color scheme and Marco can be seen in his full height singing on the stage. He is wearing an outfit consisting of a golden hoodie, a pair of tight golden leggings and a pair of white sneakers.

Up to the sky, see it go rise
Building it up, up
To the rising sun

LED lights on the ceiling screen start flashing in red light scheme to the rhythm of the music. On the large background screen, faces of people of various ages, races, genders etc. can be seen fading in and out through the overall red-orange color scheme.

Rising sun

Marco has his head lifted up as he is walking around on the stage with his arms open. Camera takes a few shots to the audience, showing them jumping up and down to the rhythm of the beat. Meanwhile, the background screen shows the orange sun again. In fact, the picture there zooms in on the sun and while doing it, the arena lights up more and more until, eventually, the sun fades out. The stage gets dark again and Marco can be seen sitting on the edge of the stage, being lit up by a single beam of light. He starts singing another verse as he bows towards a member of the audience. Looking deeply into the person's eyes, he sings the first two lines of the verse while gently touching the person's cheek.

Then, Marco stands up again and starts walking on the edge of the stage, doing a few hand gestures on the way. Eventually, he makes his way to the middle of the stage, where he stops and stands facing the audience. Camera focuses on him as he raises his arm up and looks up to the sky.

No longer have to hide
Whatever's on your mind
Without a single glare
We can all come to share
As this is our kingdom
We can go all sky high
'til we see the rising sun

Ceiling lights start flashing again to the rhythm of the music, as Marco bends his knees a bit and keeps singing. Background also starts to light up again in the red-orange color scheme.

Feel the power inside you
Time to unveil what is true
All together, it don't matter
How different we all are
It's our movement, it's our pride
To awake and come alive
It's provided, we can't hide it
Release the truth inside you

Lights flash on the arena for a moment. Marco stands up straight and does a set of hand gestures aimed at the audience. Orange sun on the background starts rising up again, lighting up the whole arena more and more. Camera zooms up on Marco for a moment and some tears can be seen dropping down his eyes, before the camera zooms out again and takes a far-away view of the stage.

Up to the sky, see it go rise
Building it up, up
To the rising sun
No need to hide
Stay side by side
Lighting a fire
This is our rising sun

Rising sun

Stage lights up even more as red and orange spotlights start rotating around the arena. Camera shows the grid ceiling for a moment, from where some sparking red pyrotechnics can be seen lighting up the arena even more. Meanwhile, Marco is walking around on the stage, bowing towards the crowd at the edge of the stage and doing various gestures to them, as if he was communicating with the crowd. A lot of the people at the arena can be seen dancing and for a brief moment, camera focuses on a pair of fans from Togonistan. They show the nation's flag while jumping up and down with a smile on their faces.

Eventually, as the music calms down, pyrotechnics stop and lights stop flashing as well. Instead, the bright red and orange light and color schemes slowly fades more into a gold-ish tone, before fading out completely and leaving the arena in darkness. Crowd starts cheering as the song ends. For a brief moment, the stage lights up again and Marco can be seen bowing to the audience and sending blow kisses to them. ''Thank you Kyvivre, thank you so so much!''

by **Nekoni** » Mon Jul 22, 2019 1:38 pm

NEKONI
Les Dahlias Noires - "The End of the Line"

Trigramme: NEK
Language: English
Music: Elizabeth Malmédy, Ginny Balthaire
Lyrics: Elizabeth Malmédy
Tune: Kyoka suigetsurou (TËЯRA Edition) // TËЯRA

Les Dahlias Noires are (from left):
Ginny Balthaire - Rhythm Guitar
Elizabeth "Ellie" Malmédy - Lead Singer, Lead Guitar
Alice de Fleurs - Drums
Mylène Delacroix - Bass

Les Dahlias Noires were, until the arrival of the 70th edition of the WorldVision Song Contest, an amateur band playing at open-mic sessions in their hometown of Varea, Nekoni's capital. Found by a committee executive that just happened to be in the bar they were playing at, he gave them studio time to make the nation's entry their first professional song, and, one miraculous contest win later, they came back from Talvezout as stars, and surely they would not need to rely on a global singing competition such as the WVSC again...until a new channel came knocking.

Step forward nk.TV, a new television network privately owned and ran by an eccentric young billionaire aimed square at the younger market. Having been on the airwaves for a few months, the network was doing fine for itself, but really needed a killer app, and Nekoni's long-awaited debut in the World Hit Festival looked exactly like the sort of shot in the arm the enterprise needed, and for an artist to send, it absolutely had to be the girls, who had a proven track record of winning. However, this was the WHF. A completely different playing field with a whole new weight of expectation upon their shoulders, could lightning strike twice?

The stage has four individual circular podia for each group member: a large one for the drummer at the back, smaller ones to the sides, one large one at the front for the lead. They are increasing in height the further towards the back they go, to show the audience all of them at once. The outfits for the girls are sarcastically inspired by the "storybook" themes of the song. All four of them have black/dark purple generic 'princess dresses' with punk modifications: strategic rips along the sleeves, the long skirts cut short to reveal long striped stockings (or in the case of the lead singer, Ellie, fishnet tights), band patches over where normally flower motifs would be, etc. Ellie, as leader, has a silver tiara. Mylène, on bass, has a black lace masquerade mask on, as well as a mini top hat fascinator. Ginny, the rhythm guitarist, has her hair kept back with a simple purple headband, whereas the drummer, Alice, has her now trademark black snowboard goggles pressed up to her forehead to keep her hair out her face.

The song begins with the camera focused on just Ellie's face, all the stage light either pointing at her or off during the intro. She isn't playing guitar at this moment. On each 'hit', the lights behind her flash, revealing briefly the other performers. The guitar riff was recorded in advance by Ginny, who doesn't normally do the squiddly solos, but needs must.

You thought you
Could steal my heart away from me
But then I turned into someone new
And the reincarnation of me, it was
The end of the line for you

The instrumental comes, and with it, the lights are fully up, revealing the entire stage. The camera darts between the newly-illuminated members, with extra care being taken to show the drummer when her fills get a bit mad. Ellie has now joined in on guitar, taking over the solo riffs whilst Ginny has moved back to chords. The backing LED screen pulses in that black-and-white pulse you pretty much get from a Nekoni entry on a daily basis.

The verse focuses the cameras on Ellie as she sings without her guitar. As the camera pans around the band, we can see the background screen's video in full. The screen displays a video in greyscale of Ellie in a forested area outside what looks like a generic castle. She is dressed in what she's wearing for the performance, but with all the rips, cuts and patches gone. She walks down the path in the forest slowly, holding in her hand a neatly cut and wrapped bouquet of flowers.

(0'29)
Love, it's a pendulum swing
And I've grown far too tired to push back
And you've not found another 'her'
Are you not as good as you thought you were, dear?

As she reaches the end of the path, she turns right into what appears to be a grassy courtyard area with a single apple tree in the middle. Additionally, next to the tree stands a man wearing a full tuxedo and tails. His entire head is obscured by a full-face wolf masquerade mask made of black metal. The camera cuts to her face, shocked at the man, who gestures her to come closer. She obliges.

Once, you told me I was your princess
In your greatest fantasies, but
My glass slippers have long been shattered up, and now
The clock has stuck twelve, it's time to wake up

As the bridge is reached, the wolf grabs an apple off the tree, and hands it to Ellie. She takes it off him, dropping the flowers as she does, and lifts it up to take a bite.

(0'51)
Since you won't learn
I'll sing it over and over
'til the words begin to break through

Just before the chorus hits, the backing video version of Ellie bites into the apple, and the screen and lightning erupts in an explosion of colour, the video replaced with a bright purple on black lightning visualisation, the Grid flashing white in time to the kickdrum pulse just before the chorus. The camera now focuses on Ellie pretty much exclusively throughout the chorus, with intermittent camera cuts to panning shots across the band, and the occasional crowd shot, to show that The Grid is being used, pulsing along to the beat in a luxurious purple.

(0'57)
You thought you
Could steal my heart away from me
Like a dumb storybook fantasy
But I am not a damsel in distress
And I don't need you to rescue me

The background video at this point is interspersed with clips of the video shown in the chorus, particularly the part where she bites into the apple.

I nearly bit the poisoned apple
But then I turned into someone new
And the reincarnation of me, it was
The end of the line for you

The post-chorus section is very much the same as the initial one before the first verse.

There is another video for the second verse, with the camera direction focusing on both the band playing and the video without either dominating. In this segment (in colour), Ellie, wearing the same dress as she did in the first video, is inside the castle itself. The main room of the castle appears to be a long banquet hall, decorated as if it were a wedding, but with no guests. At the end of the room is a long table with a large wedding cake. The scene has clearly been there for a while, as cobwebs line the room, the decorations and banners have degraded from a pure white to a decayed puce, and each of the banquet hall tables contain food that has been overcome with maggots.

As the verse continues, Ellie walks alone down the centre of the hall, the bouquet she once had in hand, looking genuinely distressed to be there, but still continuing to walk. As she does, the video cuts to establishing shots of the decorations eroded away and close-ups of the rotting food.

(1'31)
Merde, that is all that you speak
And as your jaw continues to move
You're making a noise but the words don't come out
Nobody cares what you have to say, now

Once she reaches the end of the aisle, the man in the wolf mask appears to walk on by her side, as if by magic. He is brandishing a large knife. He walks up to the cake on the altar, and cuts a slice. Pulling the slice out from the cake, it reveals that the inside is rotten flesh, which oozes out of the sides. The camera cuts between the inside of the cake and Ellie's shocked and disgusted face.

'We', it's the lie that you made
While you were claiming we had something
There was nothing there in the first damn place, you'll see
You've wasted your time trying to chase me

During the bridge, the camera focuses on Ellie again. She takes her hands off the guitar, and wrenches the tiara off her head. She looks at it, singing the second half of the bridge whilst her face writhes in almost digust as the camera pans around her.

(1'53)
Your fake bonhomie is doing nothing for me
So take the L, goodbye, now go home
I don't care if truth made you cry
I don't care, just get out my sight

As the chorus hits, she snaps the tiara in two, and tosses the halves into the audience. They'll be for sale online at 1am sharp. The chorus is played in the same way as the first one, with the background video displaying the same erratic clips of the video we have just seen.

(2'05)
You thought you
Could steal my heart away from me
Like a dumb storybook fantasy
But I am not a damsel in distress
And I don't need you to rescue me

I nearly bit the poisoned apple
But then I turned into someone new
And the reincarnation of me, it was
The end of the line for you

The solo comes, and the camera focuses on both Ellie's guitar work at the same time as the background video. The video displays Ellie as the princess running from the castle through the forest, which is now at night and raining. She has mascara running down her face, and whilst she runs, she frantically rips at the dress she is wearing, the muddy forest floor splashing up onto her dress as she runs. The video part ends when the solo ends, the rest of the performance being stage-based.

As the acoustic verse plays, the other band members rip off their head/face accoutrements and snap them in half too, throwing them in the audience...which the exception of the drummer, who, in an act of defiance, pushes the goggles down from her forehead onto her eyes. Even in a female alt-metal band, Alice has to be the different one.

(2'44)
You thought you
Could steal my heart away from me
Like a dumb storybook fantasy
But I am not a damsel in distress
And I don't need you to rescue me

At this point, both rhythm and bass guitarists join Ellie on the main platform, taking their instruments with them, Mylène playing her bass as she goes. Ginny, rhythm guitarist, takes an apple from behind the platform that she was originally on, and places it on the floor, centre of the front platform, right in front of Ellie.

I nearly bit the poisoned apple
But then I turned into someone new
And the reincarnation of me, it was
The end of the line for you

Ellie, at the moment the band fully kicks in, stamps on the apple, sending pieces flying. As she does, eight blasts of CO2 surround the platform with the three women playing their guitars, as does one in front of the drummer (this is probably why she had the goggles on).

(3'07)
And you can't steal my heart from me
Like a dumb storybook fantasy
'Cause I am not a damsel in distress
And I don't need you to rescue me

The three guitarists continue, with Ellie gradually moving in front of the two. As she reaches the end of the final line, she is down on one knee, facing left, ready to shred the solo.

I nearly bit the poisoned apple
But then I turned into someone new
And the reincarnation of me, it was
The end of the line for you

The ending solo plays out, and the effects go wild, with the white/purple/black visualisations on the background screen all in full force, with a few extra strobes for good measure. Ellie's pretty heavily into the solo, thrashing her hair around now the tiara's been unclipped, as are the rest of the band members. Alice on drums has been thrashing hers since the beginning. On the final note of the solo, Ellie lets it ring as long as possible, on both knees, with her guitar in one hand and her raised fist in the other crushing what was left of the apple. As the rest of the band hit the final fill, a lovely bit of pyro hits up from the front of the stage.

The crowd goes wild. Britonisea has always had a soft spot for Nekoni's more rockier numbers, and today was no exception. Alice bounds off her drum kit to hug with the rest of her bandmates on stage, screaming "Merci, Kyvivre!" at the audience. This was Nekoni's first bite of the WHF cherry, and the only question after that was what took them so long.

by **Mercedini** » Mon Jul 22, 2019 3:01 pm

Mercedini
NiiNA - "Open Air"

Trigramme: MRC
Language: English
Music: N. Pesconti, M. Cartei
Lyrics: N. Pesconti, L. Leonra, K. ze Lowra
Tune: Simone Emilie - "Anywhere"

Following a national search by Mercedinian national broadcaster ENM, in conjunction with the Mercedinian Football Association, twenty-two year old singer-songwriter NiiNA was announced as the act selected for the 47th World Hit Festival, with her song 'Open Air'. A late addition to the participants list in Kyvivre, ENM executives cited the success of Mercedinian music abroad and previous victory at the WorldVision Song Contest prompted a return to the contest for the nation in blue and black. A number of high-profile vocalists were anticipated to be announced, but the Zoloroni-native beat out competition in the hundreds of eligible artists to secure her name and song as the Mercedinian representative.

NiiNA was present for the opening match of the 82nd World Cup campaign, where she headlined of the pre-match entertainment, singing 'Open Air' in the Zoloroni Sports City Stadium in front of nearly 75,000 fans before the home match against Lisander. It was the first iteration of what has been tipped to be a regular occurrence for Mercedinian music featured in the World Cup ethos, with fans and musicians hoping it would expand the knowledge and awareness of Mercedinian music in competing nations. With World Cup Qualifications secured last edition, songs to capture the imagination of a nation will return shortly for the start of 83rd World Cup campaign, while previous anthemic singer NiiNA moves onto the World Hit Festival, as she sings in Kyvivre with her song 'Open Air'.

The lights in the Kyvivre go dim as the crowd cheers for the opening chords of the song. A single spotlight is placed upon a black piano which is being played by a young male in a black suit, the camera pans over to NiiNA who is slowly walking towards the centre of the stage. The surrounding expanse of the crowd has been lit up with the lights of phones from all around the arena, which is captured as the camera sweeps around NiiNA in the centre of a small stage. The small instrumental piece after the end of the first verse lights up the rest of the stadium in many different colours, causing a rainbow effect in the crowd beneath her and in the stands.

Baby, can you take away everything so it's us two
We can turn the page and make it feel brand new
Playing all the same games

NiiNa now walks along the front of the stage where excited crowds are situated beneath her as they wave their flags and film the Mercedinian performance with their smart phones, the feeling of familiarity takes over NiiNA as she begins to relax in the surroundings of a friendly crowd. The stadium microphones pick up a growing movement as the crowd begin to clap along to the song, NiiNA smiles as she hears the audience encourage her from all sides, with even some fans of other nationalities enjoying the music as the camera pans along the many faces that line the outskirts of the stadium, this song has been a hit before, meaning all of the fans know the words and the melodies enough to sing along. A single spotlight tracks her movement towards the stage as the second verse comes to end.

When all around are crashing, can you lift me up?
When we're on a high, I don't want it to stop
We can move it forward, but we ain't got time

The circular stage glows in a series of different colours as lights as NiiNA turns to face the front camera in the arena, which is broadcasting to many different television sets not just in Mercedini, but in millions that are watching the festival from around the multiverse. The flowing white dress reflects the numerous colours that are emitted from the stage as it sways delicately in the stadium breeze. As the pre-chorus comes to an end, the footage fades to black to begin the choreography for the chorus, not before NiiNA blows a kiss to the camera.

Oh-ooh-oh-ooh-oh
They sometimes say that it's a waste of time
When pressure's high, that's when we grow-ooh-oh-ooh-oh
Look to the stars and when we both just look around...

The ArenaKyvivre stage floor is lit up with colour as the chorus plays out around the arena. The projection originally begins from the circular platform which the performer is standing on, and slowly spreads out to engulf the expanse of the audience, which is rewarded with a large cheer from the crowd. A camera elevated above the crowd begins to slowly sweep forward from the stands towards the centre of the stage as the Mercedinan performer reaches her arm out towards the camera as it flies past to cover take in the rest of the stands which are illuminated in a deep blue, representing the Mercedinian colours in a patriotic nod to the national colours. Not that the locals would mind too much.

We can breathe the open air (mmmm)
Let us fly through open air (mmmm)

The beat finally kicks in to the song as NiiNA switches the song's language to her native Mercedinian, with subtitles on screen for international viewers who many not be able to follow the foreign lyrics. A number of lights from around the arena light up and converge on the performer in the centre of the stage. She walks around the edge a manned-camera moves up onto the stage and circles NiiNA, capturing the waving lights in the stands and the colours which are mixing in with each other to form a technicolour pitch beneath her feet.

Mi fai del mio meglio, veru
C'e una lunga strada da percorreru
Ogni giorno sgna il potenziale
Sogna grande, vai avanti
I'd try my best for us, will you?
There is a long road ahead of us
Everyday I dream of the potential [we have]
Dream big, move forward

A number of dancers now grace the pitch as they move their way towards the stage, where the Mercedinian vocalist has already taken a knee with the colour draining out of the performance. The camera footage cuts to a small orchestra in the rear portion of the ArenaKyvivre stage, just out of sight from the audience, before NiiNA returns and it slowly rising to her feet for the beginning of the second chorus. She clutches her heart as white lights fill in the picture, acting as a transition for the second chorus.

Oh-ooh-oh-ooh-oh
They sometimes say that it's a waste of time
When pressure's high, that's when we grow-ooh-oh-ooh-oh
Now here's our chance, this is a moment you can't miss.

A more upbeat start to the second colours, as a second round of colours fills the arena and begins to blead into the stands as the twenty-thousand or so audience members all hold up white bracelets which allows the colours to be transmitted digitally away from them and be seen more vividly from an aerial angle as the camera sweeps forward once again. Coloured lights flash around the stadium to add the production value of the performance, making it a special moment for the young Mercedinian performer and those in Kyvivre, making it feel like a party atmosphere inside the arena.

We can breathe the open air (mmmm)
Let us fly through open air (mmmm)

We can breathe the open air (mmmm)
Let us fly through open air (mmmm)

The colour fades away once again as NiiNA walks forward from the main stage and onto the very front edge of the stadium, just in front of the audience members waving their arms for the performance, she turns her back to them and gives the viewers at home a more intimate performance, with the Mercedinian singing into the camera with twenty thousand spectators behind her, clapping and singing along in this magical three minutes for the young performer. NiiNA offers her hand to the camera before the camera fades to black for the third and final chorus.

We've been here for centuries
Growing strong from who we meet
We've been here for centuries
Growing strong from you

NiiNA belts out her note in front of tens of thousands of spectators and millions of viewers as the audience explodes into colour, with sparks flying from the stage and around the arena in a mini-festival of light and colour. The audience lifts their bracelets once again to transmit more colour back at the camera flying around the stadium. This time, the national colours of all competing nations swoop around the audience, creating a little window for each nation to be represented, with the blue and black of Mercedini most recognisable to the performer, but the blue, red, orange and white panel in the centre of the audience receives a small cheer when it appears on the arena-screens, reflecting the TV performance that millions are seeing at home.

We can breathe the open air, yeah
Let us fly through open air (mmmm)

We can breathe the open air
Open air to fly through

The Mercedinian flag settles in the stand behind NiiNA as the performance draws to a close. NiiNA offers her hand to the camera for one final time to the camera as she sings the final line of the song. The colour drains from the stadium following the three-minute performance which officially marks the return of Mercedini in international contests. The Mercedinian performer cracks a smile as the crowd erupts into loud cheers and chants as she waves to her fans around the arena and thanking them in her native Mercedinian, "Grazije Mercedinia, Grazije Bretonezia. Andiamo!". With the next performance only moments away, the crowd waves goodbye to NiiNA as she soaks in the final moments of her performance, she couldn't have sung it any better than that.

by **Izmedu** » Mon Jul 22, 2019 7:13 pm

Izmedu
Gdica Snjez - "Heal"

Trigramme: IZM
Language: English, Izmeduan
Music: Gdica Snjez, Cvita Snjez
Lyrics: Gdica Snjez
Tune: Tamara Todevska - Proud

“I'll be honest with you, I've probably spent more of my career trying to prove and justify to myself and to others why I'm still even doing this. No matter how much I succeed, that little voice in my head will always tell me I'm not enough. Things in life are going to confirm that little voice and sometimes, that voice wins out. I've seen it happen to so many artists that sometimes, being in this music industry feels like seeing a long list of names that disappear into the ether never to heard be from again. They're all broken down, overworked, made to feel guilty if they don't do enough, and spat out without any mercy. I've been through that and I was one of the few to remain intact, but I was lucky. Yet even then... It's never gone away, and I write this song for them. That broken down singer, down on their luck and at the edge of giving up. It's what I wished I heard...” - Gdica Snjez

The world is a crazy place... thought Gdica Snjez in a calm afternoon at her residence.

She could only stroke the piano keys with a certain tinge of regret and sadness. Writer's block returned to prevent her from making any discernible melody, or even start with a single note. She gazed out into the window, the Izmeduan weather only faintly overcast hints of gray skies. There was a report from earlier that speculated that it was due to rain either tomorrow or throughout the week, depending on how patterns shook out. She sighed as she crossed her arms, only playing a single chord and not feeling any single melody come to her mind. If anything, Gdica's mind was elsewhere. Her mind wandered to the rumors she heard from her record label just earlier. The new artists that were recently signed were suddenly not appearing to label meetings, becoming unresponsive. The crop before them were deemed to be 'disappointing,' with label management being forthcoming that 'more promising artists needed to be signed.'

Her heart reached out for those new artists. Some names she recognized, some names she didn't. Yet, no matter how familiar she was with them, she could only find a strong sympathy for their plight. Gdica laid her hand on one chord, playing it over and over softly, looking over her shoulder to make sure that her sister Cvita wasn't nearby. She played that chord over and over, doing so in soft intervals as her mind recounted a long experience of being in that position... When she was the first to put the Snjez family's name into the Izmeduan music industry, paving the way for her younger sister to take the fold. She remembered the pressure, the feeling of precarity, the feeling that one second that her career could be wiped out... Or the feeling that, no matter how hard she fought, her career was over before it began. She knew and tried to heed the warnings. The Izmeduan music industry was a meat grinder from the legends to the newbies. It was merciless, sometimes incestuous, benefits some disproportionately, and pushes so many into a proverbial (and sometimes literal) abyss.

Gdica, through pure luck and dogged determination, prevailed alongside her sister. But she knew that determination came at so many costs. These were years spent on precarity, years spent on fretting and worrying, the inadvertent health and stress problems that were brought on, and a feeling that even her current fortune would all be wiped in a second. Gdica kept and lingered at that chord, the only relief from these emotions being that she had a foundation of a song to build off on. These memories and these conditions had led her to now have something to say. As to what?... Gdica knew, subconsciously, the kind of theme that she wanted to work upon. What she needed was more time to think, precious time she needed to figure out how to squeeze around the myriad of projects and appearances that were booked in both the near and distant future.

The death of a fellow artist, even for someone that not many in the label were familiar with, was beyond swallowing bitter pills or acceptances. It was a shock to the system that was inconceivable, with no right way to react or respond.

Gdica knew that artist's name when she went into the building with her sister, Cvita. The mood was somber, a hollow emptiness that caused the usual buzz of management and recording activity to be left in a standstill. The circumstances surrounding that artist's death and that day's events were a whirlwind in Gdica's mind. She could barely remember what happened except being told in the office and going home with her sister, not many being forthcoming with the details for understandable reasons. Gdica remembered his name, Patrik Mauzer. He was one of the brand new artists brought onto the label after being scouted in an online search. Patrik was a popular covers artist who began to catch viral fire for his unique delivery on popular Izmeduan songs. That clout was enough for him to begin writing songs independently and seek out opportunities, one of which was the record label that Gdica belonged to.

It all seemed like a storybook fairytale beginning to a career that should've been prosperous. Gdica remembered the fete and press release parties that involved the signing of Patrik and another artist. Almost consistently, she noticed a pattern of being distant and forced happiness, as if Patrik was trying to force himself to go through the motions. He would rarely speak unless he was prompted to, a far cry from his persona in his cover videos. He seemed emotionally distant, not wanting to speak to anyone, almost despondent. Gdica and the young singer only had a brief interaction, one where she remembered hugging him briefly as a congratulatory measure. She had only seen him a scant few times, considering that most of their work in this industry was done independently. From there, he almost existed as an artist within the label in silence. There would always be whispers of his imminent debut, a potential that was 'this close' to blossoming. It was potential that was never realized.

His death was sudden, almost swift. It hit the label with no warning. There was nary an explanation to be given, only an instructions to go back home and either work on new music or take a break. Instead of reflection, the whole label treated it as an period to be quickly repressed and forgotten. There was no time of mourning. This handling and quick repression of an artist's death is what sparked Gdica to not only truly think about the implications of a singer's career in this country, but to continue forth writing that song she had in heard precisely about this. She had a feeling of what happened to Patrik Mauzer, but she didn't dare talk about it out loud. She could only redirect the feeling of grief, even if it was for a stranger, the anger towards her label, and that sense of loss that could've been prevented.

Sickening, but not surprising. Gdica felt as if that phrase was becoming only more and more true as she spent more days working as a singer.

“I like the song, Gdica... But are you sure this is going to be a good idea to send to you know... them?”

“It doesn't have to be. I could always just keep it on reserve,” Gdica said to her sister, rummaging through the music program they were using to create the orchestral demo.

Cvita Snjez, the aforementioned sister, shrugged and kept plugging along. It was weird hearing Gdica's vocals being modulated in the rough demo they were creating. It was usually par for the course that both sisters would work on their material independently, meaning that neither really produced each other's songs or did collaborations with each other. Cvita was used to producing pop bangers and dance tracks, maybe some ballads in occasion, but Gdica's song was another kind of track entirely... She hadn't seen Gdica put this much personal conviction or pathos in her work for years, especially with the albums that she was contractually obligated to pursue. She was intimately involved in each and every step, listening to the way her voice contoured to the music, figuring out what notes needed to be made soft and belted, and even down to modifying the lyrics bit by bit throughout the demo stage.

They were gonna need a real orchestra for this at this rate, Cvita knew that for sure. And even if it cost money, she was glad.

For the first time in many years, Cvita saw a raw fire and determination in her sister's eyes.

The World Hit Festival, from submitting the entry at the last minute, the whirlwind surrounding the channel, and the circumstances behind the channel boardrooms that led to performing in Kyvivre was something that Gdica didn't want to contemplate. All she knew now was that she had this chance to perform. She never made this song for a contest, she wasn't even sure she had any intention to release the song to the outside public. It was a return to what she longed for. A return to the production of music that was untethered by the forces of needing to survive, of needing an audience. It was a return to the innocence that she knew would never come back. This song was as much her plea to the singers that were lost and down just as much as it is for herself.

This was not just an anthem for those who left, but for those who have been turned away, those who were lost along the way. This was a plea for those unwritten and unheard stories of those who were this close, but were left in the abyss. For Gdica, they mattered too, even if she knew that those singers were now left anonymous and obscure. If for 3 minutes, she can give them in any sort of comfort or solace in their worlds, for which they were more used to silence and apathy, then perhaps that was a good first step. She knew she wasn't going to be a panacea. She knew that this was only a gesture from the side of luck. Yet... She still kept on, bore on even despite the current of fear, failure, and paranoia.

She knew, deep inside, that she needed this as well.

Stage lights billowed down to the center of the stage in the Arenakyvivre. The crowd cheer only caused Gdica's breath to hitch as she closed her eyes, hearing the faint effects that preceded the beginning of her entry. She stood alone on that stage, right at the very center. With only a line microphone to her person, she knew exactly what kind of image she was going to project. She was a woman, standing and singing alone to the audience, hoping that her message would be caught from her voice and delivery alone. It was the kind of image that she knew had been deployed before from her own country. She nodded as she felt her in-ear ring with the cue that the music was set to begin. She gripped the microphone tightly, knowing that the gaze of 21,000 eyes in the arena and of millions through the television screen was due to appear soon. With one deep breath, she steeled herself and in her mind, she was right back at home with her piano... Playing this song in full for the first time.

The initial backing track was soft and sparse. The Arenakyvivre's stage was covered in an almost overwhelming darkness save for a single spotlight on Gdica herself. The crowd cheered had subsided by then, the camera making a tentative but careful survey of the stage. The backing track was a gentle series of chords on a piano, with each soft chord growing progressively but only slightly louder. After a bit, the camera would fade to a view of Gdica looking down with her eyes closed, her face finally revealed to the audiences at home in the arena. Her eyes would open, catching the camera's gaze. Her expression was fragile and gentle, yet also carried with it an undercurrent of pain. She's a woman with years behind her expression, having carried the weight of her world and her heart. As the camera inched closer to her, and the beginning of her singing was due, she put the microphone up to her mouth and began to sing...

Kor, I see your tired, dark, and weary eyes
You've been defeated and torn
Your faith's been shaken and you feel lost
And I know, I've been down that road too

Her voice was soft and yet husky, a comforting tone to her voice. Yet, it was laced with the weight of experience, a slight edge and heft to it that belied a maturity to it. The way she delivered these lines was deliberate, taking each and every syllable somewhat slowly and clearly. She gazed at the camera as if she was speaking to a close friend of hers, with the camera never letting up on this same view or fading to another. This entire verse was a close interaction between her and the audience she had imagined in her head. The instrumentation remained soft, only softly playing along to her soft and hushed vocals. She reached a fragile arm towards that camera, another hand of hers slowly reaching up to her heart and clutching her chest and caressing her hair. Much of the verse remained calm, until the final line belied a sense of greater urgency... The switch to the second verse was quick, with not much of a pause or a break after the final line of this verse.

Kor, the world's torn apart your dreams and hopes
Their voices scream
Nemamo nade tebe
It's easy to let them win and give up...

The instrumentation began to build slightly. Gdica's voice went from that hushed calmness to a further emotional urgency, her voice and timber just that bit by bit higher. She shook heard at some parts of each line, her eyes closed, her face grimacing slightly from the emotions beginning to pour out of her. Each note she pinched, and yet delivered to the best of her ability. The lights around her would begin to intensify, going from a total darkness to a fragile and soft light, dancing around her as she performed. The instrumentation caught onto this, with an undercurrent of a cello joining the proceedings, especially as Gdica's voice began to utilize her falsetto for each line ending. She delivered these lines relatively quickly, the second chorus verse passing by and with the verse imminent. She reached a hand up towards the camera for the last line, delivering it entirely in a falsetto and becoming almost visibly breathless as she finished it. She regained her breath in preparation for the chorus, using that brief break between verse and chorus to do so, taking a step back and opening her eyes towards the camera.

Hold on
Take one step and never look back
Stand tall
There is a light inside of you
And say
'Sam fuart, I will rise up and heal'

There was a slight flourish in both the instrumentation and her vocals, arcing up towards a higher tone and intensity. Gdica would hold one arm out towards the camera as it switched between various views of the stage, looking almost like a montage as the camera views would 'fade' and bleed into each other instead of fast cuts. There were moments in the first half of the chorus where Gdica could be seen gazing towards another direction. There were angles, especially in the part more declarative/shorter parts of the chorus, where the camera would focus on side profiles of Gdica's face. They focused on the way her face shimmered against the sparse lights, the way her eyes, even from the side, shone with a broken yet fiery determination. To whoever she was singing this song to, it was clear that Gdica cared, and she exemplified this even further when the camera would return for a more direct view of her. The lights surrounding her began to shine even more bit by bit, intensifying as signs of a fuller instrumentation began to manifest.

Promise me, hold on
Take one step and never look back
Stand tall
There is a light inside of you
And say
'Sam fuart, I will rise up and heal, and heal, and heal...'

For the second half of the chorus, undercurrents of an orchestra began to pare through the instrumentation. Gdica would especially hold her chest and step forward, belting out some parts and letting her vocals soar for those choice few moments. However, she deliberately held back, utilizing this chorus as a way to build-up and set the stage for what was to come. The camera kept alternating and fading between angles slowly, a deliberate move to make sure that all of the attention and action was concentrated on Gdica's emotive vocals and expressions. At the last lines of this chorus, she ended it with a sideways glance, raising one hand up as the spotlight on her darkened for each vocal. She raised that hand up to her and visibly closed it, her expression grimacing into a near-sob. As soon as the chorus ended, she would turn her back on the audience and look up and towards the screen.

For this brief instrumental bridge, an solemn line of cello would play. Images of Izmeduan artists who have passed away, deliberately chosen from artists who did not attain much recognition, had their black and white pictures played on the screen. The camera's wide view would allow the audiences at home to also see the montage being played on the screen. Many of the artists that Gdica, the audience in the arena, and the viewers at home would only have been unfamiliar with many. For Gdica, some of them she only met once or twice, or only heard of in passing. However, in some form or another, they all shared one simple fact: their careers and lives were cut short. As soon as the cello's part of the song was complete, the camera would fade back to a view of Gdica. By this point, she was now glancing at the audience, visibly preparing for the last minute of the song. She caught the camera's gaze once more. The screens may have went dark, but the lights around her only began to intensify and brighten.

Kor, know that you will have to keep fighting
Don't give in, I will be with you
Biti ple, you're never alone

The third and final verse of the song saw Gdica begin to truly go at it. All of the build up for the the first two minutes of the song was now nearing its imminent payoff. She intensified her vocals further, belting out and singing these lyrics with defiance and plea. Her face showed a greater determination than before, but the sympathy and her care in her eyes never disappeared. The camera would focus all its attention on her for this verse, even as the lights around Gdica began to finally intensify and light up the Arenakyvivre. The instrumentation itself also began to pick up, with the orchestra finally beginning to make itself apparent on the backing track and an even greater sense of urgency and drama than before. The instrumentation, the lights, and her delivery kept getting more dramatic for every, building up to a near fever pitch. Gdica pointed towards the audience and the camera, making sure to emblematize and deliver this message with all of the power she could via her voice, arm movements, whatever she needed to do.

Promise me

This brief line was an interval from verse to chorus. A dramatic arm movement followed by a dramatic sequence of flashing lights, woven and framed by a wide camera view. The instrumentation swooned only slightly, the strings in the backing track carrying the song to its final chorus. Before long, the song had finally reached its climax...

Hold on
Take one step and never look back
Stand tall
There is a light inside of you
And say
'Sam fuart, I will rise up and heal, and heal, and heal...'

For the final reprise of the chorus, Gdica gave it all that she could and more. From a controlled delivery to now belting out the song. Her eyes were closed, her concentration firmly set on her vocals, emotions, the camera, and the audience. The lights around swelled and shine dramatically around her, entire arrays and rows of white lights giving light and framing the tragedy and hope surrounding the song's mood and message. The Arenakyvivre's interior, as Gdica dramatically belted out each line, was now at its brightest. At each line and at each note, the viewers at home and in the audience could see Gdica's body wrack and keel slightly over each note, her voice keeping par with the dramatic instrumental. She would end this half softly, her eyes closed and pointing one trembling finger towards the camera. Now, it was time for the second half...

Promise me, hold on
Take one step and never look back
Stand tall
There is a light inside of you
And say
'Sam fuart, I will rise up and heal'

For this, she gave it her all and left everything on the stage. Gdica let her vocals rise and belt for as powerfully as she feasibly could, saving all of the pent up energy not just from the song's build up, but from each rehearsal, each moment writing this song, each moment thinking about this song. The camera switched between close and wide shots, the lights concentrating on Gdica as she sang. She stepped forward at each line, Gdica now finding herself closer to the audience than ever before. Her hands trembled, her voice was at its limits, and she wasn't sure how long she could keep this up. However, she never let up or relented. For the fourth and final line, that was the glory moment of the song. One wide stage view, the lights coalescing darkening and then flashing intensely, and Gdica belting out 'and say' with as much power as she could. The camera would return back to her for the final line of the chorus, ending with eyes closed, her eyes and face towards the ceiling. Her voice lilted with power for as long as she could, the lights fading except for a solitary spotlight...

Kor...

She ended the song with that final line. Gdica was too lost for words when the song finished, the lights darkening and the camera turning back to the crowd for a shot of some lucky Izmeduans waving their flags. She had no idea how to take in the cheers or the reactions, only gazing with gratefulness and emotion brimming with her eyes. She couldn't hold it in anymore, too overcome with the complex package of emotions associated with the song to say any words to the crowd except for pinching her nose, on the verge of sobbing.

She blew a kiss to the crowd and walked backstage, hoping that no matter what happened tonight, this song mattered to someone. Moved them, set them on a path towards healing and happiness...

If that happened... That was enough for Gdica to feel fulfilled.

by **The Sarian** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 12:06 pm

NEW SARIA
KLAUDIA - "gabriel."

Trigramme: TSA
Language: English
Music: Klaudia Hurst, Lucy Dunn, Ross Voaden
Lyrics: Klaudia Hurst
Tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goH0I0aLTS0

New Saria return to the World Hit Festival for the first time since WHF25, which was hosted on home soil. The entry chosen is Klaudia's 'gabriel.', a song about her husband who died two years ago.

As the music starts, the camera is overhead yet close up on the fingers of a pianist playing a black grand piano. As Klaudia starts singing, there is a soft transition over to her. The camera is initially close on her, but slowly pans out as the verse progresses. Klaudia is standing in the middle of the stage, dressed all in black. A light smoke effect means that the bottom of the stage is covered, giving the illusion of Klaudia being atop a cloud.

You’re gone
Left to join the angels
Still holding your hand
Can’t let go or you’re gone

You were taken too soon
Gone for eternity-eee
All I want is more time
Miss you all of the time

Ooooooooo-ooooOOOOooo-Ooooo-Oooooooh
Ooooooooooo-ooOOooo-ooo-ooooh

The smoke intensifies, filling the stage.

You’re gone
Left to join the angels (join the angels)
Still holding your hand
Let go and you’re gone (you’re gone)

You were taken too soon (ooh-oooh-oooh...)
Gone for eternity; all time
All I want is more time (ooh-oooh)
Miss you all of the time (ooh-oooh)

Ooooooooo-ooooOOOOooo-Ooooo-Oooooooh
Ooooooooooo-ooOOooo-ooo-ooooh

The choir, which could previously be heard but not seen, burst out from behind a wall of fog. It is a diverse group of different ages, sexes and ethnicities. Each are wearing a a white t-shirt with a deceased loved ones name printed on it.

Don’t forget me
I’m marching
Toward where you are

When I get there
I’ll tear down heaven’s gate,
My love!

Ooooooooo-ooooOOOOooo-Ooooo-Oooooooh
Ooooooooooo-oooOOOoo-OO-ooo

Don’t forget me
I’m marching
Toward where you are

When I get there
I’ll tear down heaven’s gate

Don’t forget me
I’m marching
Toward where you are

When I get there
I’ll tear down heaven’s gate

The camera chicaines upward, to the tune of the final ooooh.

Ooooooooo-ooooOOOOooo-ooooo-oooh
Ooooooooooo-ooOOooo-ooo-ooooh

by **Antenovaria** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 3:45 pm

Antenovaria
Oxigênio - "Pain"

Trigramme: ANA
Language: English
Music: Oxigênio
Lyrics: Oxigênio
Tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahuCf2SN75Q

You took my name
And gave it to someone else
You took my name
And shredded it to die

You gave me the pain
You took my heart and
Tore it away
You gave me the pain
It’s like I never existed

It really stings

I regret the day
You gave the stolen gem
You took my pain
And ran away with it

And I feel the pain
You took my heart and
Tore it away
The touch of a snake
The venom stays longer
Put my heart to sleep

You dont feel the feelings
You dont know what you’ve did to me
Gave me torture to the root of my brain

And I feel the pain
You took my heart and
Tore it away
The touch of a snake
The venom stays longer
Put my heart to sleep

The pain you gave
Is endless
You took
My heart from me
Give it all back to me

by **Todlichebujoku** » Sat Jul 27, 2019 1:47 am

Tödlichebujoku
Outoya Avaimia - "Chasing"

Trigramme: TBJ
Language: English
Music: Esu Yárvinen, Onni Nauseeda, Altrich Ueno, Torsti Mákelá
Lyrics: Sikivri Takala, Altrich Ueno
Tune: SIAMÉS - The Wolf

Outoya Avaimia is a band formed in Saureai, composed of five members- Sikivri Takala, Onni Nauseeda, Altrich Ueno, Esu Yárvinen, and Torsti Mákelá. All from musical families, the members had known each other from the constant gatherings and collaborations of their parents in the close-knit Saureai music community, and soon became friends only to be split up by diverging university plans. While Altrich, Esu, and Onni managed to graduate, Sikivri and Torsti dropped out to focus on their music, performing in venues around the province, mainly in and around Saureai with some occasional gigs in Estegoa. A few years later, the crew reunited and decided it would be fun to perform together, and began to release both covers and original works on the crystallomatrix in addition to performing locally. Unexpectedly, their performance of what they had considered to be a rather niche song blew up on the matrix, and within weeks the band had amassed a sizable following. The gods were kind, as within that new following were members of the Estegoa100 WHF team, who soon scouted out the band's live performances and paid close attention to their activity. When Outoya Avaimia dropped "Chasing", the WHF team quickly contacted the band and soon the plans were set. It would be the first time they had performed outside the nation, and for Esu and Torsti, the first time they had left the nation.

The stage is at first lit in blue. A white spotlight illuminates Sikivri as he begins on the keyboard, and soon the rest of the band is lit. Behind them, an animation of a road plays, the lane markers golden and running up through the center and over the audience via the LED ceiling panels. Torsti grabs the mic stand and holds it close to his lips, looking out toward the audience with a devilish gleam in his eyes

Looking for some spice
Just a taste of fury
Flying high tonight
Passing by, one by one

Radiating from the stage, the lights attain a more amber and sepia hue, the air seemingly a bit more misty and thick than before. Torsti has backed off from his more aggressive mannerisms and now leans back before tilting his head forward and glaring into the camera view with an intense look, his voice deep and heavy like the imagery he invokes

In the summer heat
Somehow ever gloomy
Take a wild choice
Make me terrible

Onni, on the guitar, joins in with Torsti on the chorus vocals. Torsti's eyes are shut tight, as he grips the stand and moves his body to the beat. Around him, the lights go red and white, interspersed by stark darkness, as mist shoots out from around the stage edge

Now we're lost and we're found
Now we're screwin' around
'Cause we're chasing what we never
Could ever deserve to

We're lost and we're found
Got us screwed going down
We got an ache for desire
It's tearing us apart

The stage lighting becomes less intense, but retains the red and white color scheme, with a single star-effect light shining from over the audience to the stage. The road animation also returns, but now darkened and tinged with deep red. The lighting directly on the band makes them look silvery, almost metallic. Torsti gazes level with the audience

Can I feel your pain?
Take me to your starlight
Thoughts are in my brain
One by one, weaving lies

Let me catch the thrill
Before I fall in too deep
You can watch my heart
Driving me insane

With a final intense gaze by Torsti, a quick flash of light brings back the intense white and black staging from the earlier chorus, with flashes and throbs of red. All members of the band are very animated, feet stomping, heads rocking, bodies moving to the beat.

Now we're lost and we're found
and we're screwin' around
'Cause we're chasing what we never
Could ever deserve to

Sparks burst out from around the edge of the stage, as Torsti walks along the stage near the audience, before eventually returning

We're lost and we're found
Got us screwed going down
We got an ache for desire
It's tearing us apart

The lights cut out, leaving several spotlights scattered across the arena roving over the audience, with the band lit only from below. The camera view is composed of a combination of wide shots from across the audience, and some brief closer in shots of the band as they jam, without giving any eye contact to the camera

[instrumental]

The stage lights back up, but the lighting now entirely monochrome and the band is still primarily lit from below. They tone down their movements so that they seem almost robotic, with relatively limited motion. The graphics behind them have bursts of static and pixelation, and mirror images of the band propagate throughout the screens, so that it's somewhat difficult to find the band, if it weren't for the occasional static and pixelation over the copies

We're lost and we're found
and we're screwin' around
We're lost and we're found
and we're screwin' around

Red washes over the arena as the screens depict something like a starfield, points of white light hurtling past above and around. Spotlights once again illuminate Outoya Avaimia as a steady stream of sparks blasts outwards from the stage edge. They return to full vibrance and motion, going all out for the final run of the chorus

Now we're lost and we're found
Got us screwed going down
We got an ache for desire
It's tearing us apart

We're lost and we're found
Got us screwed going down
We got an ache for desire
It's tearing us apart

The lights flash and pulse, and the band members thrash their heads for a few seconds more, before they freeze and the spotlights converge upon them, and then cut out into darkness.

"Kiitos, Kyvivre!" they shout together before exiting the stage. It was their first real performance abroad, and well, they really did feel like they made their best shot here. With the high of the performance still pulsing strong, they find themselves looking forward to seeing the rest of the night ahead.

by **Lagoa** » Sat Jul 27, 2019 1:54 am

Eu sou apenas mais um trabalho em pajanga

I'm just another work in progress

by **Kalmarlund** » Sun Jul 28, 2019 7:19 am

Kalmarlund
Linus Eriksson - "Path to Exile"

Trigramme: KML
Translation of Title:
Language: English
Music: Arnold Karlsson
Lyrics: Linus Eriksson
Tune:Woodkid - ''Iron'' (Alternative Link)

Linus Eriksson (26 years old) is a Kalmarlundian singer from Strömby. He represents Kalmarlund in the 47th World Hit Festival with his song ''Path to Exile.''

Performance:

Stage design throughout the performance is rather minimalistic, with Linus standing on the stage wearing a white tank top and brown sweatpants. The stage is rather dark with beams of warm light running across the stage and arena throughout the performance.

Deep in misery, been ran away
Now I am walking my own way
Oceans away from home, I follow a path
Tired and injured, I am...

A traveller on a road that leads nowhere
I'm walking through the swamps, no fear
Only the pain that hurts in my heart
A new life but where do I start

During the break, Linus lowers his head and when it's time for him to sing again, he raises his head again and continues singing.

The sound of birds that sing above my head,
The sound that I hardly even hear
Over the mountains across river fords
I am condemned, not a ward

From the dawn to night to the morning light
From day to day I fight
I recall the faces of my companions
The ones I decided to betray

Linus looks up to the ceiling and lets the light beams slide across his face.

A traveller on a road that leads nowhere
I'm walking through the swamps, no fear
Having lost the hope I can only smile
I'm walking on the path to exile

The song ends with Linus lowering his head and looking to the ground. The audience applauds and Linus thanks them for that: ''Thank you!''

by **Kalosia** » Sun Jul 28, 2019 9:38 am

Kalosia
Mikhail Khaled - "San voš"

Trigramme: KLS
Translation of Title: I am You
Language: Kalosian
Music: Ǧordanu Vesutši, Luiž Kabeľu, Valentinu Marianu
Lyrics: Mikhail bin Khaled
Tune: Dis-le moi — Claudio Capeo

Mikhail Khaled was one of the lucky ones. When war broke out in his country in 2011, he knew that he was in danger. His Christian Arab family was part of a religious minority, whose community was very vulnerable and would often be the first to take the hit whenever any instance of conflict happened. Unlike many of his statesmen who followed only years later, his family was among the first to arrive in Kalosia as asylum seekers. Mikhail was granted asylum in 2013.

Although he was now legally allowed to live and find work in Kalosia, life still wasn't easy. He worked as a baker in a neighbourhood of Kasin, where he along with his family members tried their best to make ends meet. During the nights, he would look for opportunities to perform in bars and clubs. He had taken up music as a hobby long before his town started to feel the effects of the Arab Spring, and this was something he continued to pursue while adjusting to life in his new home.

Slowly, those gigs gradually started to pay off. In 2016, he was signed to a small record label. Although he did not find success right away, every little thing he did, all those songs he released and all those gigs he performed allowed him to grow his following. Soon, he found himself popular enough to make this his main hustle — he quit his day job at the bakery in 2018, although he always makes sure to visit whenever he's in Kasin. Also in 2018, he formally received Kalosian citizenship, having fulfilled the requirements to achieve that status.

As a former asylum seeker, he was initially careful not to make statements that could compromise his music career, but Mikhail has recently reached a point where he felt comfortable being vocal about an issue dear to his heart. His 26th birthday in February was his first one as a Kalosian citizen, and he celebrated it by releasing a song in which he expressed gratitude towards Kalosia — not just the government, but also the warm hearts and minds of the populace — for giving him a second chance at life. It went viral and soon enough Mikhail became a household name across the nation.

Mikhail competed at Festival dele Melodie Kalosiane 41 and subsequently won with a pop song influenced by the chanson styles of northern Kalosia. The song, whose title translates to "I am You (pl)", was inspired by the singer's firsthand experience being an asylum seeker in Kalosia. It is part of Mikhail's recent increased activism in which he aims to win the hearts and minds of Kalosians through music. It's a bit more upbeat than his usual type of music, but Mikhail has stated in an interview that he has been experimenting with more upbeat sounds in recent times and will likely be shifting in that direction.

For the big night, he was wearing a striped shirt with a tee underneath, and light khaki pants. He intended to replicate the exact outfit he was wearing when he first set foot in the country, although perhaps a bit neater. Performing last, the pressure was great and he wasn't exactly calm at the prospect of performing a closing number in front of millions of viewers across the multiverse. But he went on.

As the song began, the lights went on and illuminated the previously dark stage, and the camera, which started with a close up shot of Mikhail, slowly zoomed out. Mikhail himself was standing in the middle of the stage, singing behind a mic stand.

Staserë tšerku ja pëla veritë
E n’au oľatu lë miu skopu
Benkë gardi ja ale nuve
Mia testë polsa, lë kalor es tropu

The previously dark LED screens gradually started to show a starry background, although to be fair this was mostly white specs on an otherwise black screen.

Sapu lë vjažu erë duro
Ma la vitë ki a molte sëfide
Sto feliž per starë u la terë
Ma vidu di sangwo u toji oki

Now the camera changed angles to show a group of dancers who had just walked onto the stage. They were dressed in rags, all in different shades of grey. In an interview, Mikhail revealed that they themselves were refugees as well who found a new purpose in life at a Kalosian dance studio. They seemed to stumble upon the stage and seem confused, looking around.

Perkiz? Perkiz?
Staj anegandu ula rabë
Navigamu traversu lë mar
Ja voľu solu viverë ben

Now they start running around, all to different edges of the stage, but as they approach one edge they stop as if they had found a dead end, and then run to different corners of the stage.

Perkiz? Perkiz?
Ja voľu rialižarë miu soñu
Vidu la benvolenžë u tiu koru
Kredel kë ja san komë voš

The LED screens now showed abstract blue line-based graphics, intended to be interpreted as waves of the sea. The dancers now faced forward and extended a hand towards the audience as if begging to be taken. Slowly, they inched forwards, sometimes retracting one hand while extending the other. While the camera was focused on them, Mikhail took his mic stand to the corner of the stage (where it was handled by stage staff).

San voš
San voš
San voš
San voš

Now the camera focused on Mikhail as he walked from a side of the stage, passing by all the dancers who begin to follow him as he passes by.

Kon mia foržë frontu avante
Mia storia në es finitë
Kontu ja tude le minute
Le minute kë sonu pasatu

Now Mikhail stopped walking and was surrounded by dancers, who then broke into different kinds of choreography, showing emotions of despair. Interpretive dance, eh? Mikhail himself also seemed emotional and looked first around him and then straight into the camera, as iff desperately appealing for help.

Dišonu kë lë tempu gware
Ma miu tempu or es skaduto
Au la speranzë u miu koru
Ma vidu la porë u toji oki

Now the dancers disbanded/separated. On camera was just Mikhail, who put more emotion into his movements this time, having nowhere to look but straight into the camera, with the hope that he was establishing a connection with viewers at home (with his looks? I think he'd be establishing well a connection with straight female and gay male viewers).

Perkiz? Perkiz?
Staj anegandu ula rabë
Navigamu traversu lë mar
Ja voľu solu viverë ben

Slowly, he walks forward, full of emotion as ever.

Perkiz? Perkiz?
Ja voľu rialižarë miu soñu
Vidu la benvolenžë u tiu koru
Kredel kë ja san komë voš

Now it is revealed that he and the dancers form a horizontal line (him in the middle, two dancers on each side, equally spaced). The dancers at this point do some really fast-paced dancing, which Mikhail revealed in an interview was based off a fusion of Kalosian folk dances with traditional Arab ones. The camera switches to dynamic angles which add to the fast-paced beat of the song.

San voš
San voš
San voš
San voš

Now the camera switches to a close up of Mikhail, as the stage lights become dark.

Dopu k’au koruto
Dopu lë dolor
Dopu k’au kašuto
Dopu lë periľo

Au trovatu kazë mia ki
Ja komenšaru unë vitë novë

The dancers are back, but this time they have brought with them large panels, designed to look like the exterior of a boat.

Perkiz? Perkiz?
Staj anegandu ula rabë
Navigamu traversu lë mar
Ja voľu solu viverë ben

The panels are put together with Mikhail and the dancers between them and...

Perkiz? Perkiz?
Ja voľu rialižarë miu soñu
Vidu la benvolenžë u tiu koru
Kredel kë ja san komë voš

...oh it does look like they'e on a boat! As Mikhail sings the next part, zealous as ever, the camera does a few dynamic moving angles to make up for the lack of movement of the performers. In these wide shots you can see the crowd and they do seem to be enjoying it.

San voš
San voš
San voš
San voš

Now, Mikhail jumps out of the "boat" and runs a bit. The backing dancers follow, and after running a bit they start dancing as earlier, while Mikhail just stands. By now, for the final moments of the song, they are lined on the front edges of the stage, equally spaced.

San voš
San voš
San voš
San voš

As the song comes to a seemingly abrupt end, the five raise their fists in the air, and the stage goes dark except for the lights that illuminate our performers, each of them hyperventilating the way you would after running a hundred meters.
The crowd goes wild. Once Mikhail catches his breath, he brings his mic to his face and exclaims, "Thank you! Gražia! Šukrån!" before the leaving the stage for the hosts to proceed with the rest of the show.

by **Natanya** » Sun Jul 28, 2019 12:26 pm

Natanya
Ester Nihil - "Namelessly"

Trigramme: NTY
Language: English
Music: Ester Nihil
Lyrics: E. Nihil
Tune: SENNEK - Endlessly

Ester takes to the stage, stand dead set in the centre. The stage is dapped in darkness as the song beings, a sole dim spotlight shines down onto Ester. As she sings each line, two lights from stage to roof, on the symmetrical positions opposite each other on the stage, light up.

As I leave this time,
I leave it without a dime,
Faithfully,
Painfully.
Forget about this crime,
Help me stop this pantomime,
Faithfully,
Painfully.

As the backing singer's join Ester for the refrain, all draped in black suits and hanging back to the sides of the stage, more lights appear, however these ones criss-cross each other in random angles across the stage.

There’s nothing to feel now, save all your spiel now,
Now we’re just a you and me, namelessly,
So forget about this crime,
Help me stop this pantomime, painfully.

As the first short instrumental break occurs, the lights slowly pan out with the camera, with more appearing, some in shades of pink. As rising hues of pink starts to appear from the bottom of the LED screens as well. (The shades of pink being similar to that used on the album cover and lyric video). During the verse the camera pans around the audience at various levels of zoom.

We try and try and try but there’s nothing, nothing,
All that’s left is empty longing, longing,
We were meant to be fawning and falling,
But all we’re doing is prolonging.

In the pre-chorus, the camera zooms on Ester who sings directly into the camera, and the camera gradually lifts until she is out of frame, Ester reaching in the direction of the camera as it move away.

So I, I’ll leave this place,
And I, I’ll leave without a trace.

Once again the camera pans around the stage with Ester walking along side the front of the stage, the LED has a hue from pink to purple to black, showing different patterns interjected with short videos in this colour scheme, usually of general city environments, occasionally featuring Ester herself.

As I leave this time,
I leave it without a dime,
Faithfully,
Painfully.
Forget about this crime,
Help me stop this pantomime,
Faithfully,
Painfully.

There’s nothing to feel now, save all your spiel now,
Now we’re just a you and me, namelessly,
Forget about this crime,
Help me stop this pantomime, painfully.

At the second short instrumental break, all the moving and criss-crossing light start to line up with which part of the stage is directly in front of them, creating clean lines of spotlights. They flash with the 3 beats beat and as the vocals come back in the start to spread back out into the audience.

Time after time after time we stall harder and harder,
We should we stoke the fire, -ire,
We’re no longer fawning and falling,
So I’ll stop this prolonging.

During the pre-chorus, the lights one by one move left to right, creating a wave effect along the rows.

So I, I’ll leave this place,
And I, I’ll leave without a trace.

During the beginning of the chorus the light's all suddenly disappear a the camera focuses on Ester, with the build after the first line, silver pyrotechnic sparks momentarily erupt from the edge of the stage, afterwards the lights return, now criss-crossed again, and the chorus continues one like before.

As I leave this time,
I leave it without a dime,
Faithfully,
Painfully.
Forget about this crime,
Help me stop this pantomime,
Faithfully,
Painfully.

There’s nothing to feel now, save all your spiel now,
Now we’re just a you and me, namelessly,
Forget about this crime,
Help me stop this pantomime, painfully.
Namelessly.

During the outro, the lights and the LED's gradually fade out towards the centre of the stage, until there is once again only a sole, now pink, spotlight on Ester, whom is looking back up at it. After the song ends Ester thanks the audience and bows before walking away.

47th World Hit Festival | Draft Thread | CLOSED

47th World Hit Festival | Draft Thread | CLOSED

Stage Information // Please Read and USE!

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