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Kalosia
Beyond the Stars — Max Calder & Bella Verano
performed in English to the tune of Broken Heart — Amir ft. ABI [alternative link]
Kalosia
Beyond the Stars — Max Calder & Bella Verano
performed in English to the tune of Broken Heart — Amir ft. ABI [alternative link]
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the continued participation of Kalosia at the WorldVision Song Contest has been called into question. On one hand, there was a continued desire for the nation to continue its participation streak, having never voluntarily withdrew since its debut 60 editions ago. However, the pandemic had cancelled many events and made it harder for Kalosians to participate in any events that were still ongoing. Kalosian ports of entry/exit had also been closed to the general public, making it harder for people to travel.
Fortunately, the Kalosian government reached an argument with the state broadcaster, Radiu-Televižio Kalosia. On the basis of maintaning high morale of the Kalosian people, RTVK will be allowed to continue participating in the WorldVision Song Contest, with limitations. Under the agreement, the Kalosian delegation was to be as small as possible, with only solo acts being sent (duets may be considered on a case-by-case basis) and backing performers to be as few as possible. If possible, delegation members could assume multiple roles, as there is no rule saying that a technical staff member cannot also be a backing singer. In addition, RTVK is required to request special provisions from the host organizer (in this case the Kishraeli organizing team) to allow social distancing to be enforced, and delegation members were required to self-isolate for 14 days upon arriving in the host country, and upon returning from the host country.
For the 82nd WorldVision Song Contest, RTVK again decided to select an experienced artist to represent the country at the contest. Masimo Kalderon, known by his stage name Max Calder, had represented the nation at the 61st WorldVision Song Contest with the song "On My Way", where he came 7th. The 27-year old who previously worked as a personal trainer rose to fame after his first single, The High in Your Eyes, became a big summer hit in 2017. It was released on his online video channel after he had reached 10 thousand subscribers — he had previously posted covers of songs including Kalosia's WV43 entry "Where are You Now?"
This time, however, he is not alone. Joining him on stage will be his current girlfriend Isabelë Verano, using the stage name Bella Verano. Like Max, Bella is a video content creator and also rose to fame in her own right performing covers of songs. The two met in late 2018 as part of a collaboration project. The two currently share an apartment and thus WorldVision preparations could occur much more easily.
The song they have prepared was co-written by both of them. Called "Beyond the Stars", it has a rather intergalactic theme to it. Their planned staging for the Tiferet performance has been equally astral; keep reading.
To respect the provisions set in light of the pandemic, the Kalosian delegation departed to Ertzei Kishim on May 16th, 2020 — a whole three weeks ahead of the final. Upon arrival in Tiferet, they entered self-quarantine in their hotel rooms, as required by the Kishraeli authorities, and also following travel guidelines by the Kalosian Ministry of Health.
Throughout the journey, there was not much fanfare. Because they spent much of their time in medical isolation, they were able to receive minimal interaction with other people. Members of the press who came to document the arrival of WV82 entrants into the country were able to keep their distance thanks to the airport security staff, who were instructed to not allow unauthorized persons near the Kalosian delegation.
On May 30th, the Kalosian delegation reached the end of their quarantine period and were now allowed to partake in activities building up to the WorldVision Song Contest. Interaction was still limited and the events they attended were limited to only official events and rehearsals.
For the big night, Max and Bella were wearing all white outfits. Max having a suit, and Bella putting on a chic dress. At the beginning of the show, during the Parade of Nations, Max and Bella walked in wearing masks, while on the other end of the stage were the entrants from Placely Placington, E Oe.
E Oe later went on to perform 21st, and Max and Bella came on right afterwards. As the song began, a cloud of white smoke blanketed the stage. A camera approached Max who was slowly walking down the ramp, as he began to sing. His initial vocals were rather shaky, perhaps due to the initial nervousness that many singers undergo in the opening lines of their songs, but perhaps it could also be interpreted to reflect the ascent of darkness into the heavens that he was singing about, reflecting the fearful shivers that the everyday person experiences when a grim uncertainty blankets the hopeful optimism of their hearts, although quickly in the second line Max reassures the second person (can be seen as either Bella or the viewer) that all is not lost.
Note: Max sings in blue, Bella sings in red, and both together in black.
Nighttime sets as darkness fills the sky
But that doesn’t mean that we can’t fly
For you and I
The smoke clears, and the camera switches to an angle pointed towards the stage floor. There was a projection of Max who continued walking slowly as he sang, and then in the second line of the next part the camera looks upwards to reveal that it was in front of the ramp on the other end of the stage, and that Bella was walking down it. The crowd cheers a bit, enthusiastic about her arrival into the performance, and she too joins along and harmonizes with Max as they sing the final two lines of the next part.
Launch off from the world inside your mind
Is it worth leaving all behind?
What will we find?
In the first line of the next part, the camera switches to a close up of Max, and then for the second line the camera switches dramatically to a close up of Bella. Both of them looked rather... wistful, as if this separation (them being on opposite sides of the stage) deepened their longing for each other. But at the same time, the glisten in Bella's eyes as she supported the second line below also showed a sense of optimism. In a world of uncertainty and fear, isn't love the answer? Surely it was a quality that the pair wished to cherish and bring with them long into the future.
This is love, it’s human nature
We will bring it to the future
At this point they've walked about 20% the length of the stage from their respective starting points. A spideycam takes a wideshot surrounding the whole stage. You can see the starry floor projections, though Max and Bella were each standing on glowing white circles, almost like suns, in addition to spotlights on them allowing them to be visible and well-lit. In regards to their singing, things were at full speed, as the two gave the endearing, optimistic chorus the vocally powerful charge it deserved. The same could be said for their body language — Bella was bowing slightly, elbows bent inwards into her body, while Max showed more openness, with an arm extended "beyond the stars". In the third line of the next part, the two extended a hand towards each other, making it clear that their second persons are each other, and that this love song, as they see it, relates to how they feel about each other.
Baby, we’ll go beyond the stars
Show the universe who we are
Oh, loving you is what dreams are made of
Something you could also see is the lights surrounding the stage flashing to the beat, as they also 'move', circling around the stage to add a bit of movement to the performance. Max and Bella's gestures really added a lot of meaning to the song; for example when they both said the phrase "when you're with me", they withdrew their right hands towards themselves, placing their fists upon their respective chests, before quickly extending both of their arms like a pair of wings about to launch into the heavens, and then in the last line one of their respective arms gestures towards the infinite sky, as if pondering with curiosity what lays beyond that infinity.
If the skies are storming tonight
When you’re with me, we can take flight
To infinity and beyond
Now the camera focused on Max briefly as he continued to make his way towards the center of the stage. At this point, he sounded much more confident, but indeed it reflected the flow of the song. His look is much more reassuring, giving the viewer a sense of comfort and security, much more so Bella.
Even when these nights are filled with fear
I’m feeling alright cause you are here
Right by my side
Now Bella, too, was seen making her way to the center of the stage, as the camera focused on her. The crowd cheered, appreciative that Bella finally gets her own solo part. Enamored, Bella smiles as she sings, and the warmth of her voice as she does so really touches upon the lyrics, which because of this shows that Bella is understanding and supportive of what Max is trying to convey, and in turn provides her own reassurance, strengthening this bond between the two of them. As she sings the last line of the next part, she extends her hand towards the camera in front of her, and then towards the end of the last line withdraws it back towards her heart.
Some days our realities collide
Sometimes the planets don’t align
But still you’re my guide
The two keep walking towards the center, gravitating towards each other. A spideycam went around them doing a wide shot, displaying the Kishraeli star-spangled stage in all its full glory and showing how small the two looked in the vastness of the expanse. It was hard to tell, from so far away, what their facial expressions looked like or what was going through their minds, but from their hand gestures it was clear that they were really into it at that moment, giving their all into this performance.
Baby, we’ll go beyond the stars
Show the universe who we are
Oh, loving you is what dreams are made of
A closer camera shot gets us a better view of our lovers... not star-crossed, but rather ready to cross the stars. Halfway through this next part, they finally get to the center and meet each other. They take each other's hands, locking fingers while gazing deeply into their partner's eyes.
If the skies are storming tonight
When you’re with me, we can take flight
To infinity and beyond
The music seems to die down briefly as the pair have their moment. As a hopeful Bella softly sings this next part, the camera shows a close up shot of them but... it looks kinda shaky? Why would the camera struggle to stay focused on our singers, who appear to be staying still? And why is the crowd cheering so loudly?
This is love, it’s human nature
We will bring it to the future
A change of camera shot answers our questions — they are flying! A wider shot from a camera rotating around the stage reveals to us that Max and Bella are being hoisted into the air, with the audience, full of awe, cheering after them. The line "when you're with me, we can take flight" has truly been fulfilled now. The smoke machines are deployed again, blanketing the stage in a layer of mist. In the last line of the next part, the camera angle is a close up of the two, and in the last word, Max holds out a note that pierces through the sudden silence of the backing track, prompting cheers from the crowd.
Don’t be scared of what will follow
We will build a new tomorrow
A fade to black marks the transition to another wide shot camera angle, though this time holograms were utilized. The stage projections now projected onto the smoke, making it a bit blurry compared to had it been projecting straight towards the surface of the stage, but millions of tiny stars and whatnot now filled the air — these are the holographic visuals that added magic to the performance. Max and Bella appeared to be rejoicing at being united after being separated, having begun the song on opposite ends of the vast stage. And now they were truly going beyond the stars, making their way towards infinity and beyond. For the next parts, the camera mostly alternates between different angles showing them continue to be suspended in midair, vocally giving their all, and being surrounded by the projected astral elements.
Baby, we’ll go beyond the stars
Show the universe who we are
Oh, loving you is what dreams are made of
If the skies are storming tonight
When you’re with me, we can take flight
To infinity and beyond
Baby, we’ll go beyond the stars
Show the universe who we are
Oh, loving you is what dreams are made of
If the skies are storming tonight
When you’re with me, we can take flight
To infinity and beyond
As the song starts to come to its end, the two are gradually lowered. Max and Bella continue to be seen from wide shot angles. This final part, despite being a lyrical repetition of the chorus, has a different melody to the rest of the song.
Baby, we’ll go beyond the stars
Show the universe who we are
Oh, loving you is
What dreams are made of
As their feet get closer to touching the surface of the stage, the mist subsides and the starry holograms, now out of sight, fade away. Eventually Max and Bella finally reach the ground again at the exact moment their song ends.
If the skies are storming tonight
When you’re with me, we can take flight
And we will go beyond the stars
As that happens, on the stage projections below them, a few words rapidly appear from their feet, facing the four edges of the stage and being readable by audience members. These words are thank you phrases in the languages of many of the participating countries, with the biggest phrases being the English "Thank you", as well as their Kalosian and Kishraeli Hebrew counterparts. All these phrases are caught by the camera, which has been showing wide shots of the stage. The crowd, despite the lack of Kalosians, erupts into a cheer, and as the lights come back on to illuminate the venue, Max and Bella smile and wave towards members of the audience. The camera switches to a medium shot of them before moving on to display audience reactions. Now that the song was over, it was time to hear the Axuvian entry.
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