[IC] WorldVision 88 in Flavezztowland City

by **Britonisea** » Tue Feb 09, 2021 2:54 am

#24 BRITONISEA
Roksie Rakas - "Come What May"
Tune : Erika Vikman - "Syntisten pöytä"
Music: Jorge Knights, Callum Wright • Lyrics: Roksie Rakas

Can Britonisea do the double?: Roksie Rakas (pictured above) is set to represent Britonisea with the song "Come What May" in Rhim Flavezztowland...

Britonisea returns to the WorldVision Song Contest after the victory in Polkopia last edition, where Charlotte Davies won with her song, "Let Me Down Gently". In this edition, we will be sending Roksie Rakas' song "Come What May" and she is ready to take on the world...

For a few editions, namely those since the introduction of the Jury and Televote split, Britonisea's scores were always on the lower end of the top-10s. While Britonisea was able to preserve only producing top ten entries since WorldVision Song Contest 53, the Britonish broadcaster for WorldVision [BITC] were getting a bit restless that, whatever they sent, it seemed as though it also produced the same result. The Head of Delegation listened to advice from one of the youngest members of the Delegation, asking whether it was possible for one of his personal friends to go to the WorldVision Song Contest. The Head of Delegation agreed and it looked as though it was a good decision based on the result that came back. If we go back to the evening of the 87th WorldVision Song Contest, after all the nations had performed, it was unclear as to who was going to win the Contest. Britonisea had hoped that Charlotte was going to at least place in the top 5, but as the points rolled through and we reached the halfway limit, it looked as though Britonisea was on course for victory - 12 points ahead of the runner-ups at the time. While the runner-up changed by the time we reached the final jury votes, Britonisea was still leading - this time with 21 points. Britonisea had consolidated its first-ever jury victory and a quite convincing one. Had the Jury votes been the actual votes, Britonisea would've seen its largest margin for a victory, though the story was only half-told, it was time for the televotes. The 86th edition of the WorldVision Song Contest saw Britonisea place 3rd overall and so BITC and the general public were hoping that the televote will play into Britonisea's favour again this time around. As we moved higher and higher up the scoreboard, we could see that Britonisea was a fan-favourite, not being called out until we were down to the last two nations. Britonisea didn't win the televote, coming in second with 108 points. Britonisea had a total of 242 points but Ertzei Kishim could've stopped it all. Ertzei Kishim needed a mammoth 140 points to win the contest, which (for those who did the calculation) might have given away Britonisea's eventual victory but for the average viewer, they were clutching the edges of their seats waiting for that official confirmation. It was announced - Ertzei Kishim scored 113 points, not enough to come close to Britonisea's first victory post-televote split. Britonisea had won their seventh WorldVision victory. Britonisea, for the first time since the 77th WorldVision Song Contest, moves back into being the 2nd most successful nation in WorldVision - with 7 wins and 6 silver medals. BITC's faith was restored finally, but the competition continues and they had to start looking at who was going to represent the country at the 88th WorldVision Song Contest.

For this WorldVision, BITC wanted to go for something different than in the past. While Britonisea will always be known as a country that sends serious entries to the contest, BITC didn't want to send something too serious and wanted to let go a little bit. Roksie Rakas is a 32-year-old woman from Loueske, and she was chosen as the representative for Britonisea with her song, "Come What May" which is about somebody who didn't help her when she was at her lowest point, with this person now coming back asking for help when roles were returns. "This performance will be fun and crazy," Roksie Rakas said in a press conference, "I just want to get up on the stage and just be happy and free. It might be a risk but we can take that risk after last edition. I'm so excited, let's go!"

Roksie arrived in Rhim Flavezztowland a week before her Grand Final appearance. She really liked the country and was happy to add another nation to her list of nations that she has already been to. "I'll back here xx" she wrote on her twitter page before she went to bed the night before the Grand Final.

Roksie Rakas was to perform in the 24th position, well at least officially. The nation that was supposed to perform before Britonisea, Nekoni, didn't seem to turn up on the day meaning Roksie's time came much quicker than expected. "Oh my God, is it me already? Bloody hell" she exclaimed as she ran towards the stage after her warm-up. Her performance involved some pretty impressive vocal acrobatics and so making sure that her voicebox was ready for the performance, to her, was essential. The style of performance would be quite different compared to what we have seen in the past but so this fit with the song that Roksie was sending, which was unlike any song that we had sent in the past. For this performance, Roksie had backing dancers - well - people who appeared on the stage with her dressed in all sorts. Roksie herself wore a black catsuit, so sultry, showing of her fantastique physique. On her head, Roksie wore a veil reminiscent of the ones that you would wear on your wedding day, but it was pulled back, over her head and so wasn't too much in the way. The veil contrasted with the rest of her outfit, with it being white. In terms of the staging that she had, the staging was quite similar to the one that we used in Main Nation Ministry when they hosted the WorldVision Song Contest. Six benches were brought onto the stage with an alter section downstage - facing away from the audience. There were dancers sitting on each of the benches dressed in over-the-top wedding or ball attire. The postcard for Britonisea stopped playing and you could hear the raw of the audience in Flavezztowland City. It was a fantastic sound - for those nations that hadn't hosted the WorldVision Song Contest before, their audiences always seemed more excited.

The pulsating beat of the music filled the arena, with the audience cheering real loud as the stage lit up from its dark and barren state. Roksie Rakas started walking down the aisle that was set out because of the benches. As the altar was facing away from the audience, the first shot was of Roksie facing away from the camera, walking towards the eager audience. Roksie got herself onto the altar before quickly turning around, being greeted by the camera zooming in quickly as she quicky put the microphone to her lips. The camera was a close-up shot of her face, slowly zooming out as she started singing. She started singing...

I don't take anything I have for granted,
I know how much you can lose in one second,
I've been there, I'd know,
That's where you made your mistake.
So when your life turned into ash and dust,
I saw a chance, I had to take it and I struck gold
And I felt no way, consider this repayment.
Pulled the rug from right underneath you and took your whole world,
I replaced you with me so you know how it feels

As we moved to the sentence, "So when your life turned into ash and dust", Roksie turned around now to face the packed audience of thousands of people. There was a camera shot from further away as we saw the benches facing towards the audience with Roksie centre downstage on the podium - looking like the queen of the world. The camera showed what was going on the stage - it seemed as though the backing dancers were acting unlike how they would if they were actually at a wedding - laying down on the benches, cocking their legs up, manspreading etc. The lights on the back wall of the stage was a deep rouge, helped by the red strips on the floors of the stage. As Roksie finished singing the final line of the verse, she winked at the camera when it cut to a closer shot of her. The people who were sitting on the bench started to now walk towards Roksie in a row, appearing behind her as she moved onto "I know that you wish you were me". Roksie took a squatting position, with the backing people all taking different positions behind her, all looking at the camera with somewhat menacing grimaces. Doing some of the reactions they were doing were over-the-top actions of the things that Roksie sings about..

I know that you wish you were me,
I'm living the life that you had.
Nothing but high tea and soirees,
Sparkling in the glitz and glamour.
You've had your chance, now it's my time to shine,
Step aside, envy doesn't suit you.
Thinly veiled threats, send them my way,
Tell me your ex doesn't want me.
Where's your ring? It's on my finger,
Looks like, here, I am the winner.
You promised you would be back come what may,
I won't hold my breath 'cuz I am soaring

As Roksie sang the lyrics, "Where's your ring?", she raised her hand up towards the camera, smiling cheekily and looking at her hand as though she was surprised to see the ring on her finger - obviously quite sarcastically. There was a quick zoom out at this point with the camera slowly tilting up towards the roof of the arena before we cut to the next part of the song. The pulsating beats were back as we rejoined the darkened stage once again, slowly moving towards Roksie over the audience and when the camera stopped, Roksie took a strong stance - maybe when we got to the line, "Feels like I'm only taking what's really mine", different versions of herself appeared on the stage behind her, copying the actions that she was doing. Roksie got down onto the floor, facing upwards with a birds-eye camera meeting her eyeliner, slowly moving down to get closer and closer to her. There were some camera effects, something similar to this but in motion as she swayed her head from left to right.

You must think I think about you night and day,
Feeling a sense of regret, well, no I'm not.
I'm living my best, my best life all thanks to you.
Feels like I'm only taking what's really mine,
Compensation for the way that you treated me,
Like I fool I believed every word you said...
Why was it you didn't help a girl when she needed it most?
It looks like karma has come back around to bite you on the...

I know that you wish you were me,
I'm living the life that you had.
Nothing but high tea and soirees,
Sparkling in the glitz and glamour.
You've had your chance, now it's my time to shine,
Step aside, envy doesn't suit you.
Thinly veiled threats, send them my way,
Tell me your ex doesn't want me.
Where's your ring? It's on my finger,
Looks like, here, I am the winner.
You promised you would be back come what may,
I won't hold my breath 'cuz I am soaring

Suddenly, some men wearing little (let's say some white shorts) appeared at the back end of the stage, holding huge drums with them. The camera focused on them for a few beats of the song as they transformed the song from the high energy and impactful chorus into this softer section. The lights reacted with the bangs of the drums too, growing in intensity with each bang of the drum. The shot turned dreamy for a split second, with a soft fade into the next shot being done. Roksie could be seen now with her veil down, singing about how she would be in a church. On the screen furthest away from the audience, one could see a picture of a church in and amongst the whiteness of the stage.

When I'm in all white to the sounds of wedding bells in the church,
I'll thank you for all, I thank you for everything you've done

At this point, the backing dancers were holding their hands together and mimicking the vocals in the background (which they obviously weren't doing because they weren't wearing microphones or anything). They all appeared from around Roksie who was bathed in a white spotlight with her veil down, looking up as though she was some sort of biblical figure. Roksie removed the veil from her face, throwing it out to the audience with a lucky someone catching it being able to take it home as a souvenir. During this short section between the bridge and the chorus, as Roksie was bathed in the aforementioned white spotlight, the strobe lights around the stage started alternating between one another causing a bit of madness.

I know that you wish you were me,
I'm living the life that you want.
Nothing but high tea and soirees,
Sparkling in the glitz and glamour.
You've had your chance, now it's my time to shine,
Step aside, envy doesn't suit you.
Thinly veiled threats, send them my way,
Tell me your ex doesn't want me.
Where's your ring? It's on my finger,
Looks like, here, I am the winner.
You promised you would be back come what may,
I won't hold my breath 'cuz I am soaring

It was now a matter of repeating the final sections of the chorus once again as pyros shot into the air to add to the madness that was happening on the stage. Roksie strutted all the way down the catwalk with her six other friends going down the other three catwalks. Roksie, when she reached the end started posing sexually, flicking her hair from side to side as the cameras worshipped her from every angle.

You promised you would be back come what may,
I won't hold my breath 'cuz I am soaring
You promised you would be back come what may,
I won't hold my breath 'cuz I am soaring

At the end of the performance, Roksie took a huge bow before thanking her audience. Roksie took her leave and hoped that she could give Britonisea another great result off the back of Charlotte's win last edition.

by **Antahbrantahstan** » Tue Feb 09, 2021 3:27 am

25. ANTAHBRANTAHSTAN | إانتهبرنتهستن

Caitrina Rikardi - Dealing With Love
Tune: Cedric Gervais ft. Liza Owen - Somebody New
m & l: Caitrina Rikardi

We see Caitrina, backs facing the audience, standing in the center part of the stage, extending her left arms towards the left while snapping her finger, with the other hand holding a microphone, unseen from the audience. The audience can see that she is wearing a slightly oversized, black leather jacket, complemented with black, leathery thigh high boots. Soon after, she then turns towards the audience, revealing that she is wearing a silver-sequined dress beneath her jacket. During her singing, the background LED simply shows a plain hot pink or yellow color, that changes every second using a PowerPoint-style transition effect, accompanied by the strobe lights "blinking" during the duration of the entire verse.

Accompanied by two backup dancers, all women, wearing a simplistic white tee and faded denim, Caitrina's stage presence commanders the entire arena, shifting the mood into a slightly festive, yet chill atmosphere. Almost like a road trip in the summery afternoon, however, soon after, in the "Let's see.." verse, the camera then shot a chest-up zoom in on Caitrina, singing her verse in a slightly nasal tone, illuminated by a plain, hot pink color in the background.

Absinthe skies, martini rains
Got me feeling like i'm floating
Trying to mend all of this pain
Took days and months but now i'm okay
But now you came here to my life
Try to make me believe in romance
Not aware of the consequence
Let's see if you're still on your senses
After this, you're not innocent

Soon after, the camera then goes back shooting Caitrina and the backup dancers from a comfortable angle, with the LED screen now showing a colorful, 2D background.As Caitrina dances a little bit, the strobe lights slightly intensify, before going back to their usual state during the "That's how i deal with things" verse.

Afterwards, the 2D background then moves up and down, almost like a WIndows Media Player music visualizer, going in beat throughout the chorus, this time, Caitrina and the backup dancers can be seen dancing happily, with minimal yet choreographed movements that perfectly accompanies the somewhat-distorted voice from Caitrina. After her singing ends, the camera then goes out of focus, with the stage becoming dark.

You might have some doubts, looking back at things
I never meant to hurt you
Won't take forever, darling, i promise
It's better than what you see
Such a shame you're so easy, to play with
In this relationship, now, I'm the lead
That's how i deal with things

Yeah, i'm the lead, darling, yeah i'm the lead
How i deal with
Yeah, i'm the lead, darling, yeah i'm the lead
That's how i deal with things
Yeah, i'm the lead, darling, yeah i'm the lead
That's how i deal with things
Yeah, i'm the lead, darling, yeah i'm the lead
How i deal with

Soon after, we can now see Caitrina and her backup dancers laying down on the floor, with the floor LED screen showing the same alternating yellow and hot pink color we saw earlier, now, Caitrina is singing while laying down, with the backup dancers doing rhythmical movements that corresponds to the song's beat using their hands, arms, and face. The camera continues shooting all three of them from above.

However, during the "Let's see.." verse, Caitrina then stands up, with the backup dancers following, then adjusting their position, with a backup dancer on her left side and another on her right, during the "You're not innocent" verse, the backup dancers then put their hands on Caitrina's torso, momentarily touching her, before squeezing a little in an almost seductive manner.

Old-fashioned ways, old-fashioned drinks
Will not bring this romance anywhere
The way you walk, the way you talk
Got me thinking your love wasn't there
Maybe you wanna ruin my life
Try to make me believe in romance
Not aware of the consequence
Let's see if you're still on your senses
After this, you're not innocent

Once again, the LED screen then shows the same 2D, "mountain-ish" looking background we all saw earlier, with Caitrina now simply standing, instead of dancing while singing her verse. The backup dancers continue to dance in beat throughout her singing, however, near the end of the verse, the backup dancers then took Caitrina's jacket and threw them away to the back of the stage., revealing Caitrina's silver sequined dress in her full-on glory. During the chorus, the rest continues as before, with Caitrina and her dancers moving in the same simplistic yet choreographed movement we saw earlier. Before the screen and the stage going dark.

You might have some doubts, looking back at things
I never meant to hurt you
Won't take forever, darling, i promise
It's better than what you see
Such a shame you're so easy, to play with
In this relationship, now, I'm the lead
That's how i deal with things

Yeah, i'm the lead, darling, yeah i'm the lead
How i deal with
Yeah, i'm the lead, darling, yeah i'm the lead
That's how i deal with things
Yeah, i'm the lead, darling, yeah i'm the lead
That's how i deal with things
Yeah, i'm the lead, darling, yeah i'm the lead
How i deal with

With the stage going dark, the stage is now entirely illuminated by laser effects (like this), the cameras then zooms in on Caitrina, using a torso-up angle. Soon after, Caitrina's expression turns from happy to a somewhat evil smirk, pointing her index finger towards the audience, before putting her index finger on her chest (above her heart), and returning back to her usual happy expression we all see before.

Now the stage is illuminated in a flurry of yellow or pink strobe lights, the LED screen showing the same 2D pattern we see earlier, with Caitrina and her backup dancers dancing to whatever their heart desires, following the electronic, distorted beat of the chorus. The audience doesn't seem to mind, singing and dancing along cheerfully, as if WorldVision has turned from an ordinary song contest into a big electronic music festival, however, the frenzy was short, as in the last "In this relationship now..." verse, everything goes dark, with the LEDs turning off and the backup dancers now out of focus, a single strobe light then shines on Caitrina, who is singing her chorus softly, unaccompanied by any music, signaling the end of the song.

Maybe you'll escape my life
Showing the world my views on romance
Not aware of the consequence
That's how i deal with things

Yeah, i'm the lead, darling, yeah i'm the lead
How i deal with
Yeah, i'm the lead, darling, yeah i'm the lead
That's how i deal with things
Yeah, i'm the lead, darling, yeah i'm the lead
That's how i deal with things
Yeah, i'm the lead, darling, yeah i'm the lead
How i deal with
In this relationship, now, i'm the lead
That's how i deal with things

As everything goes back to normal, Caitrina and her backup dancers then bow together, with Caitrina shouting "Thank you, Rhim Flavezztowland! Thank you, Universe!" to the cheers and applause of the audience. Before all three of them went backstage, to prepare for the entry from Malta Comino Gozo.

by **Malta Comino Gozo** » Tue Feb 09, 2021 3:31 am

26.Malta Comino Gozo

Nation Name: Malta Comino Gozo
Official Broadcaster: MCG 1
Tune: (Grandson - Blood // Water)
Song Title: The Beast
Artist(s) Name(s): Simeon
Lyrics & Music: Simeon Micallef and Gregory Calleja

Gregory, Tony, Simeon and Andrew

Background

"Simeon" is a four-piece EDM-rock band from Malta Comino Gozo composed of four musicians, Simeon, the lead singer, Greg, guitarist, Andrew on drums, and Tony guitarist. The band combines soul-filled difficult shake guitars, trap-influenced beats, EDM generation, and lyrics that closely inspect addiction, mental health issues, and the struggles of everyday life. Their Worldvision entry will be called "The Beast" which is part of their latest album, The Trials.

Simeon the lead singer was born in Tas Faraq a small beach resort in Malta Comino Gozo. The town which began as a little town has presently developed within the final decade into one of the islands greatest resorts, bragging a tremendous sum of clubs and nightlife as well as one of the islands greatest shopping centres, a stone's toss from the sandy shorelines and tall palm trees and welcoming warm sea. The town still holds its charm in its authentic ancient town. At the age of 11 Simeon whose 28, started his own band with a couple of school friends before attending singing lessons at the age of 14. His raspy gritty tone made for some great alternate indie songs. He has a keen interest in baking and cooking. He loves to cook Indian food especially curry. The band has toured and sold out at many concerts around the islands and with a growing fan base in The Achaean Republic and Waisnor they are looking to go international. They have had 2 previous numbers 1's in the MCG charts, with their songs "Pattycake" and "Yell" The song Yell went viral on Instagram and Twitter, due to it's extremely violent and gory music video.

"Simeon", have used their music to confront controversial issues and spark conversations regarding the current state of our world, be it discussions on violence, war or mental health. The bands unique approach maintains an air of optimism. Though there is much work to be done, their music carries the belief there is hope so long as we don’t succumb to apathy.

The Malta Comino Gozoan delegation was presented the song by the band, who had often spoken about performing for the islands but were afraid their sound was too much for a "friendly music show" but this was soon overturned as the nation went on to win with a massive curveball of a song, completely shattering the "goody-two-shoes, safe ballad nation" the islands had often chosen as their act. Gone were the days of generic ballads, now was the time for the islands to again send something completely against their track record, and "The Beast" was the song to do it.

In a recent interview about their new song, Simeon said, "I just want our fans etc to feel that their feelings are valid. It’s okay to be frustrated, to be fed up. It’s okay to not be okay. I want to challenge myself, along with everybody else, to engage in these sorts of difficult dialogues. I think that there is a moment where we will be able to one day unify, and have that kind of kumbaya moment in regards to how we solve these problems, but first and foremost we need to be mad. We need to flip a table and set some things on fire for people to recognize that we need to address these things now. And sometimes at my shows, I’ll watch a hipster dude with a moustache be moshing with a dude with a farmer’s tan and a mullet, and that for me is a reminder that regardless of what your beliefs are, there is unity in being fed up and in being disenfranchised right now. And I want people to take away that that's okay, that there are constructive outlets for your frustration. You don’t need to, you know, shoot up a school, or get pissed up and take too many drugs or whatever your vice may be. Just put on our music and go shout and I promise you’ll feel better.

That silent beast follows you around and you are constantly finding new ways to cover it up. One day it sits in your handbag like a miniature Chihuahua, the next you try to hide it under your shirt. Each day the silent beast grows and mutates. Each day it is a battle to get from one moment to the next because of this beast. Even small things seem like mountains to climb. Yet to that daily battle we add the struggle to keep the beast hidden. Pulling the bow refers to making the first move and pulling their beast out from wherever else you have hidden it today. You have got to seize hold of it and push it into the daylight, however scary, painful or embarrassing that may seem. Only when it is out in the light can we see what it really is. Who knows, maybe someone else has a matching beast. Maybe you can share tips on how you deal with it. Maybe you will even inspire someone else to uncover their own silent beast and give it a voice. Only then can we hope to create an atmosphere of open discussion about mental illness and only then can we hope to reduce the stigma which surrounds it."

The song received overwhelmingly positives reviews, praising it's "Against the average chart song approach" its "meaningful lyrics" and its "enthusiastically dark but catchy sound" The band raised over 2 million Florins in a charity pledge drive concert last year to raise mindfulness for mental wellbeing here and overseas. In Peeto Polkopia, where the previous contest was held, Adam Borg, scored another top 10 placing for the country achieving 6th place with 175 points! He was greeted by crowds of fans at MCG International on his return. He said he had had the most excellent experience and expressed gratitude toward everybody who had voted for them.

Flavezztowland City

Out the Hotel window the city spread below them, and the world suddenly felt so wide and free that Simeon felt he wanted to jump. Lights glittered everywhere just liked stars dropping to the earth, huge and small buildings collided in a mixture of shadow and geometry, tiny vehicles rushing along the tangled lines of streets creating twisting threads of light - they all intertwined together in a magnificent mess of dream, a breathtaking, marvellous, almost frightening dream.
Flavezztowland City, the capital of Flavezztowland, was well known for its broad urban green spaces, its mix of old and new architecture and its robust metro system, and unique cuisine, cuisine Simeon and his band couldn't way to try. The whole delegation was tested upon arrival for COVID and all results were negative.

The host city was a slice of old in a pie of contemporary design. A day’s wander might take in the photogenic 18th-century facades of the Old town before a cycling tour of the lovely open green areas the city has plenty of, or a wander through the glittering shops and restaurants of the downtown before ending at the inviting terraced cafes of Plateau Mont. The architectural sweep of the city takes in a wealth of heritage churches such as the breathtaking Cathedral, as well as the Borough of Cupertino housing the 21st-century glass skyscrapers. The cities various hotels and museums additionally push the edges of contemporary interior design. The band would spend two days exploring the cities many beautiful sites including, the stunning harbour area, with its classy modern towers and the ruins of the old Nortender Kingdom. The band would sample some of the finest cuisines the country had to offer. Blessed with one of the most exciting food scenes in the country, the city brimmed with cafes dedicated to the local delicacies including the famous Nortend lasagna, a yummy dish made with Flavezztowlander cheese which was a cheese made with almond milk, garam masala, and parsley - as well as a special sauce and potatoes. It also boasted irresistible patisseries, English pubs, 80-plus-year-old Jewish delis and magnificent food markets reminiscent of Paris. There were hipster bars with tiny bowling alleys and innumerable cafes in which to while away a lazy afternoon, and there were late-night eateries where you could have combinations of food and drink that you'll find nowhere else in the multiverse.

The team would rehearse several times on the stage, with visual effects etc and each rehearsal went down very well. The HoD could then see what would need tweaking if needed. Simeon and his band are hoping their song "The Beast" will inspire and help people break the stigma around mental health. "Over 400million people worldwide currently suffer from mental health issues with 90% of suicides contributing to mental health. We aim to educate, share, and encourage open conversations about mental health and suicide. We believe that in order to solve a problem, we must focus on the root cause: its a taboo subject that people are afraid or ashamed to even discuss. In order to save lives, we must kill the silence, and in order to kill the silence we must break the taboo." The band said in an interview to MCG1.

Parade of Nations

Each band member is dressed in black denim jeans, black boots, a somewhat torn white t-shirt, a black bomber jacket, and a silver dog tag around their necks. Simeon is the only one who has a dark hoodie underneath his bomber jacket. like this They walk out to loud applause. The band feel humbled.

Performance

The outstanding performance from Antahbrantahstan ended and it was time for Malta Comino Gozo to perform their song. Simeon and his band members slowly made their way onto the massive stage, while the postcard played out. He and the other band members took some deep breathes as they reached their respective posts on the stage. They were nervous but they were used to performing on huge stages. Simeon was mid centre stage, Greg the lead guitarist was behind but centre-left of Simeon. Andrew (drums) was positioned back right on a slightly raised platform and Tony the other guitarist was also slightly back right but wasn't obscuring the drums.

The crowd cheers as the postcard comes to an end and the camera cuts to a view from the ceiling in the back of the arena above the crowd showing the spotlights that cast a light over the sub lit stage showing the bands silhouettes. The view cuts to one of the side LED screens as the songs begin's to play and we can hear Tony playing his electric guitar and Simeon begins singing. The screens shows a big panther prowling on a red background it has fur like black satin and eyes glowing like topaz... dark and stealthy it prowls steadily towards the viewers, before melting into the darkness... waiting for the precise moment to strike... as Simeon finishes singing the opening. (all 3 screens are playing the same graphic) The Panther is symbolic of "The Beast"

If you've come looking for fortune and fame
There's nothing here, oh what a shame
But I am the beast you're here to tame
On the attack, pull the bow back and aim

The camera smoothly fades out from the Panther onto Simeon. We now have a view of Simeon's upper half the stage behind him shrouded in darkness, he is looking downtrodden and staring down towards the ground. His hood is up. He is bathed ever so softy in a faint white spotlight. The angle of the lights means half his face is in shadow. The LED's are black and the stage is almost dimly lit but red lights bathe small areas of the stage. The camera has a slight glitchy effect, nothing major just a few interference lines running across the screen every few seconds distorting the screen slightly to empathise the mental health aspect of the entry. The LED screens behind showing a glitchy effect. The camera pulls out slowly throughout the verse. He raises his head as the soft white spotlight lights him up gently, and as he does this he raises his right hand, and his thumb and index finger form a gun which he points at his head as he sings "Our minds are messed up". The camera cuts quickly to a full-body figure from the floor of the stage looking up at him as there is a sudden bright flash of light to the drumbeat at the end of this line which illuminates his whole figure briefly from behind showing his silhouetted figure. The light is a reference to a gunshot which thankfully doesn't happen. The camera then switches back to a face shot. The stage lights then all turn a deep moody red and black. His hand trembling, he holds the gun there for a few seconds contemplating pulling the trigger before he lowers his hand back down. There is a light wispy fog that floats around everyone's ankles.

Our souls are corrupt
Our minds are messed up
The voices inside you
They can't stand the silence

The LEDS now display a red and black viscous substance. The beat kicks in and the camera cuts to a sideways on frontal close up shot of Simeon's face from the left-hand side. With his hood obscuring the view of his forehead, the camera focuses on his lips. His dark brown eyes, not soulless nor lifeless were like two pristine stones of onyx, that lit up with a purple flare when touched by the stage spotlights. His manful, gritty stubble surrounded his mouth. The aquiline nose he sported complemented his prominent cheekbones. Handsome in an understated way, his basalt jaw and wide shoulders spoke of hidden strength. He possessed a latent, leonine power. Flamboyant of character, the room always filled with his sonorous, rumbling voice. His chiselled face held a pleasant countenance and spoke of a gentle soul. When he flashed those sorcery-white, piano key teeth, he could melt girls hearts. The camera cuts to a frontal shot of Simeon as he sings "If you look deep inside you" He grabs his hood with two hands and gently pulls it down, revealing his lush and short brown hair. With a pained expression, he sings towards the frontal camera and places his right hand on his torso.

How can you just watch
All the needless violence?
If you look deep inside you
There's a voice trying to overthrow you

The glitchy camera effect dissipates. We have a brief shot of Greg playing the guitar, the mysterious figure is shrouded in shadow and all we can see is his guitar and lowers arms with his fingers strumming. There's a sudden closeup shot of Simeon again, as he sings "There's nothing here, oh what a shame." He has taken the mic out of its stand. He is nearly in haziness, the layout of his figure can be seen behind the drum pack playing energetically. The beat and the strobe lights heightening as we listen to Tony shrieking his guitar to the build-up of the refrain. The camera pace quickens as it cuts to a closeup shot of every band member at each chord change before speeding up to a new shot every second as the verse builds. With each shot, the guitarist moves forward until they are almost in line with Simeon. The strobe lights violently flash and zoom before the chorus hits. Epilepsy warning. Simeon is leaning forward his legs bent, the microphone back in its stand before the camera dramatically cutting to black.

If you've come looking for fortune and fame
There's nothing here, oh what a shame
But I am the beast you're here to tame
On the attack, sharpen your aim

White strobe lights pierce out through the arena pulsating to the beat of the song, and white spotlights rush around lighting up the hall and stage. The camera is now a frontal shot of the stage above the audience as steam vents around the stage burst out shooting upwards causing an audible cheer All the LED's now display a glitch background. The camera pulls around to the right curving the stage edge as it does. We then have a quick view of the stage and all four band members. The stage is dimly lit with blood-red light. We then have a view from the back of the arena. We cut to a brief gritty bouncy view of Tony screeching his guitar, as he headbangs, takes one step forward and leans forward on his right leg. The strobe lights flicker chaotically. He has a rough-looking beard and brown hair, he looks down confidently at his guitar. The camera pans around the front edge, a mass of flags can be seen. We then have a closeup view of Tony playing the guitar riff. An onstage frontal shot of Adam playing his drums vigorously is then shown. He has a smirk etched on his face. The camera changes to a frontal body shot of Simeon as he sings "On the beast!" Before the camera switches avidly between shots of all four band members. Whilst the instrumental part plays out we have flashes of Simeon lightly headbanging. A pained expression on his face. He looks vulnerable. He closes his eyes briefly and twitches and places his hands in his hair shaking his head side to side trying to rid "The beast."

Pull the bow!
On the beast!

Everything settles down again, the stage going back to being sub lit. We have a body shot view of Simeon standing still in front of his mic stand his hands cupping the stand. Again, he is lit in a faint white spotlight, the LED's remain black. We then cut to a quick view of Gregory behind but centre-left he is also lit dimly as the camera films him playing the guitar riff, his figure shrouded in shadow. As Simeon finishes singing the line "on the prowl the stage flashes into a brilliant white for a brief second inciting cheers once again. The drums pick up again. The stage camera pans around to the left of Simeon, he turns his head to follow it without moving from his spot.

Beg me for mercy
You're a wolf on the prowl
You've got my scent now
You're ready for that cold howl

There is then a dolly zoom shot where the camera lens zooms while the camera is also moving toward Simeon on stage This creates the illusion that the background is moving further away from him while he stands still. He takes the microphone out of its stand and crouches down bending his knees, the camera also crouches down and zooms into him. His head is tilted downwards but his eyes are looking up, his expression begging the viewers to help him. These angry eyes are the shield and sword, they are the gathering of clouds for rainfall. Maybe one day you'll see the torrent, the release that feels like a downfall, but first, you'd need to be to let in but they're too haunted to open up.

Now I am the anxiety
You're ready for battle
Weapons at the ready
Expect violent ferocity

We then have a side shot of Greg and a shot of the stage as the camera moves outwards and upward from Simeon singing "But I am the beast, you're here to tame." A video representation of this part of this song can be seen here. The LED background now a glitchy red and blue. The stage is now a dimly lit dark blue. The floor LED's have glitchy effects. White strobe lights flash around the stage which illuminates the band/ The camera carries on pulling outwards so we see more of the crowds. We can see the band playing their instruments. The view then transitions to a side-on view Simeon singing out towards the audience his face lit by the rapid red and white strobes. A ceiling cam then swoops in from the left catching the whole stage in its glory with all the strobe lights rushing around the place before it cuts to a closeup shot of Simeon before pulling outwards. Numerous steam vents are erupting around him. We then have a view of the stage side-on from the audience as Greg and Tony bend over as the guitar bridge reaches its climax. The LED floors are speckled in white cracks.

If you've come looking for fortune and fame
There's nothing here, oh what a shame
But I am the beast, you're here to tame
On the attack, pull your bow and aim

White strobe lights pierce out again through the arena pulsating to the beat of the song and white spotlights rush around lighting up the hall and stage. The camera is now a frontal shot of the stage above the audience as steam vents around the stage burst out shooting upwards causing an audible cheer All the LED's now display a glitch background. The camera pulls around to the right curving the stage edge as it does. We have a quick view of the stage and all four band members. The stage is blood red. We then have a view from the back of the arena. We cut to a brief gritty bouncy view of Tony screeching his guitar, as he headbangs, takes one step forward and leans forward on his right leg. The strobe lights flicker chaotically. He has a rough-looking beard and brown hair, he looks down confidently at his guitar. The camera pans around the front edge, a mass of flags can be seen. We then have a closeup view of Tony playing the guitar riff. An onstage frontal shot of Adam playing his drums vigorously is then shown amongst the flashing light. He has a smirk etched on his face. The camera changes to a frontal body shit of Simeon as he sings "On the beast!" Before the camera switches avidly between shots of all four band members. Whilst the instrumental part plays out we have flashes of Simeon lightly headbanging. He still has a pained look on his face.

Pull the bow on the beast!
Pull that bow!

The lights switch from red to a pale white piercing through the otherwise dark stage. There is a slight blue undertone to the darkness. The darkness is symbolic of his mind which was now dark. A video representation of this part of this song can be seen here. A slow fog rolls in across the stage. The camera now has another glitchy gritty effect almost like rain running down a windowpane or sand in an egg timer. This was symbolic of the havoc inside someone's mind who was suffering from mental health. Greg the lead guitarist and Tony the other guitarist are now at the front of the stage with Simeon. During this instrumental part, the guitarists jump up and down to the beat, their brown hair thrashing up and down as they headbang. The camera catches the pair jump before it cuts to Andrew on drums. He can be seen hitting the drums before the camera again fast-cuts frequently to several different angles for each beat before cutting back to Andrew for each major hit of the drums. White strobe lights emit like beacons through the darkness as we have a silhouetted shot of Greg on guitar. The camera violently switches to several shots of Andrew and Tony in the brief second before Simeon starts singing. Simeon is now centre frame as the camera centres on him. His face was red with suppressed rage, his hunched form exuded an animosity that was like acid - burning, slicing, potent. During this part of the song, Simeon takes on the form of the beast as he sings as if he is "The Beast" inside someone's fragile mind. Simeon described his trouble with mental health as if,

" It was like a vexing of the soul for what I felt was not human, it was twisted and distorted but it was something strong. It burned so bad like fire lacing my veins and creeping up my spine, my skin was a sore looking red but all I could feel was desire; the desire to hate. I was intoxicated with emotion I had no intention of ever feeling, the acidity of it was residing in my stomach waiting to be spat out of my mouth is foul and vulgar words I would be stared at for saying, except I wasn’t going to say them, I was going to screech them with every ounce of breath"
Simeon grabs his hair and pulls his hand backwards through it whilst not losing eye contact with the frontal camera. We quickly have a drum shot again for the major drum hit and various shots of each band member playing their respective instrument, the guitarists still thrashing their heads and jumping to the beat and a quick shot of Simeon. We have more fast-cuts shots of the band individually to imply energy and chaos.

Locked and powerful
I am the beast
Hungry and greedy
Appetites increased

We can just make out the Panthers eyes on the dark middle LED screen. Simeon stretches his arms out wide as if " The Beast" was being intensely yanked out of him. The camera work becomes even more chaotic with the view changing every second, the glitchy effect still visible as the cameras switch hastily to various close-ups, side shots, stage shots and drum shots, all to build up the drama and the havoc unfolding on stage as the song builds up towards the chorus again. Simeon faces the camera again as he sings "Crush the beast inside" his knuckles clenched and his arms out wide.

Fighting your own mind
Rid the unending panic
Crush the beast inside
You have no other choice!

We have another drum shot before we switch to the chaotic camera work with the gritty effect. The whole band apart from Andrew is thrashing their hair and jumping. The white strobe lights flash and whirl around the stage menacingly. The fog drifting amongst their feet. For the second "You have no other choice!" Simeon stares manically into the camera in front of him, his eyes wide, almost like he was possessed, he pulls his hands down his face top to bottom. He looks furious and gets nearer to the camera, his face full of anger. He is almost shouting as he sings. Suddenly he clutches his face as the lights on him go out and he's left as a shadow. The camera then flickers violently between several shots of all the band members, this time all we can see is the band's silhouettes. The lights are piercing out of the stage and mist.

As the instrumental part kicks in the whole stage flashes a glaring white before we have an up-close shot of Andrew, then a guitar shot of Tony screeching his guitar riff, his guitar held high, before a quick shot of Greg on guitar. The whole stage is then bathed in dazzling white flashes with strobe lights whirling around the arena this time a lot slower. We then have a view from above left before it transitions to a crowd view off on Simeon's left. Simeon is holding his microphone stand and shaking it, the mic in his left hand he's slouched over slightly moving his whole head to the beat. Greg walks towards Simeon's left and Tony to his right and as the song ends they are all aligned at the front. The camera switches to a view from afar and hurtles towards the stage leaving us on a body shot of the 3 men. The pair finish off their guitar riffs and look upwards as the camera comes towards them into the camera lens. Simeon looks exhaustingly into the camera, his hands clutching his microphone.

You've got no other choice!
You have no other choice!
On the attack, pull your, pull your bow and aim!
Your bow and aim!
On the beast
Raise your bow and aim!

As the song ends he jumps up and fist bumps the air elatedly. The crowd erupts into huge cheers and screams, with flags of various nations being waved about. The 3 men then join Andrew whose walking towards them and they hug centre stage before turning to the camera. "It's ok to not be ok, but don't give up" Simeon exclaims inciting more cheers from the arena. "Thank you so much!" he says. The band leaves ready for the Carrelian entry.

by **Carrelie** » Tue Feb 09, 2021 3:33 am

CarrelieOne presents.. WorldVision
with English-language commentary by Vian Genamann & Karola Ottavic
27 - Carrelie
Don't Be So Uptight - Mille & Éren
Lyrics by Emile Delarochenne
Composition by Iana Kleiss
Tune: Toploader - Dancing in the Moonlight

Prelude

The tale of Carrelie WorldSong is very much a tale of the bookmakers, and their downfall - and a cautionary tale about what happens when you put all your eggs in one basket.

An unfavourable result at the 87th Worldvision Song Contest caused the CarrelieOne Radio Television Association set to work on a new idea: Carrelie WorldSong. Artists hand-picked from all countries - from Iffrwff to Vanirstaw - would compete on stage in Mont-Sanguine, Douria. After a rigorous semi-final, only 6 countries proceeded to the final.

Bookmakers were watching with confidence that this would be the event that finally grants Anerbrawf a win in any song contest. More people than expected had betted for Dentricia, but the bookmakers paid no mind to this - it's just extra money for their pockets, after all. Votes started rolling in from the international juries, and the bookmakers started to panic. It was too late.

At the end of the night, Dentricia was declared winner. People celebrated and bookmakers wept. Immediately, millions went to withdraw their earnings, and the bookmakers were crippled, some even going bankrupt during the night. Stocks fell, mass selling occurred, and within the week, most of the major firms were out of business - it was just short of a nationwide financial crisis.

Meanwhile, Mille & Éren were overjoyed at their win. They had made it against the odds and were now going to perform for nations around the world in the premier international song contest. The night was spent partying with gifts and treats and plenty of dancing. Later on, plans were drawn up, arrangements were made and they were flown out to Flavezztowland City to see their dreams realised.

Commentary

V: And now it's time for our entry, 'Don't Be So Uptight'! It's almost certain you've heard this one at WorldSong, where Mille & Éren here achieved a win for Dentricia!

K: Yes, of course! Zat vas not ze bookman's preferred result, but I'm sure it'll do vell here!

V: You know, maybe we should send a ballad next edition, just a suggestion!

K: Zat vould be a very smart idea, but ve Carrelians aren't good at our ballads, you know! Anyvay, here's Mille & Éren, viv zeir entry, Don't Be So Uptight!

Performance

Mille & Éren take the stage alone in costumes like this to the applause of the audience. Éren takes out a keyboard and a chair, setting the keyboard on a stand and sitting on the chair. Meanwhile, Mille takes the microphone at centre stage. The music begins, Éren playing along to the beat. After a few seconds, Mille begins to sing.

It’s inevitable - you wanna fight,
Or just berate, maybe spite,
Cus you’re not the one to be gettin’ light,
Now we’re sayin’: Oh, don’t be so uptight!

Mille takes the microphone off of its stand and walks to the front edge of the centre stage, looking down at the audience with a smile. Obsessive fans claw at the stage, forcing Mille to be mindful of where she steps as to not tread on any fingers.

We’re all havin’ such a good time,
No-one’s sad, it’s great - sublime!
Stereos are blarin’, what a sight,
Yet you’re not here, oh, don’t be so uptight!

As the last line is sung, she returns to the centre of the stage to sing the chorus, jumping up and down while the LED screens in the back show fire, spotlights flaring all different colours in a massive celebration - even the audience is jumping!

No, don’t be so uptight!
Let’s all go get loose and rock and roll ‘til the light,
Go on most every night,
Yet you’re not here, oh, don’t be so uptight!

During the short interval, the Carrelians in the audience clap their hands to the beat with Mille, almost like it's rehearsed! Lights flash, some bokeh animation is shown on the LED screens. Going into the next verse, Mille places the microphone back on its stand, standing in the middle.

Expressions are obscured by the lights,
Though we’re sure that they feel right,
Everybody’s dancin’ and there’s no fights,
You’re not better, oh, don’t be so uptight!

She then takes the microphone off of its stand, going to the edges once more and reaching out to her audience. A few of them high-five her, some just watch on.

No, don’t be so uptight!
Let’s all go get loose and rock and roll ‘til the light,
Go on most every night,
Yet you’re not here, oh, don’t be so uptight!

Mille returns to the stage and stands behind Éren, letting her take on the next verse. Éren gets up from the keyboard and allows Mille to sit down and play - they switch near seamlessly!

I don’t know what you’re thinkin’ of,
Oh, are you sure you’re better off?
Do you think this show you have to run,
Do you think it means that you can’t have some fun?

Éren rushes to the very front platform to begin the chorus, jumping with the audience. She sings powerfully, and the whole arena booms with the jubilation of the chorus!

Oh, don’t be so uptight!
Let’s all go get loose and rock and roll ‘til the light,
Go on most every night,
Yet you’re not here, oh, don’t be so uptight!

Mille abandons her post at the keyboard and takes a microphone and a stand, singing as she runs to join Éren at the front. She places down the microphone stand, which Éren attaches her microphone to. She begins to clap to the beat as the next choruses go on.

Yeah, don’t be so uptight!
Let’s all go get loose and rock and roll ‘til the light,
Go on most every night,
Can you come here, oh, don’t be so uptight!

So, don’t be so uptight!
Let’s all go get loose and rock and roll ‘til the light,
Go on most every night,
And you’re comin’, you’re not all so uptight!

Yeah, you’re not so uptight!
Let’s all go get loose and rock and roll ‘til the light,
Go on most every night,
And you’re now here, you’re not all so uptight!

Yeah, you’re not so uptight!
Let’s all go get loose and rock and roll ‘til the light,
Go on most every night,
And you’re now here, you’re not all so uptight!

As the music fades out, the lights fade and the LED screens die down. At the end Mille & Éren are the only ones illuminated, and they receive heavy applause from the audience. They'd surely remember this day for the rest of their lives!

Commentary

V: And that was our performance! Hopefully we place higher than last edition!

K: I'm sure ve vill! After all, it's not ze 90s muzik, is it? It's much more in-style!

V: Of course! I shouldn't worry! Especially with some songs in the line-up!

K: Mein gott, ze shade! And you're 76!

V: Jokes aside, what do we have next? Ah, of course! It's the lovely Pemecutan!

by **Pemecutan** » Tue Feb 09, 2021 3:53 am

28
Mitha Kemala - "Cerita Cinta" ("Love Story")
Music: Dian Permana Putra
Lyric: Mitha Kemala
Tune - Clean Bandit - Symphony

For the 88th WordlVision Song Contest, Mitha Kemala is once again selected as Pemecutan representative based on the national poll. This will be the second time for Kemala to represent Pemecutan in this song contest. Mitha Kemala was Pemecutan representative during the 84th WorldVision Song Contest which was held in Milano, Bessen. It was also Pemecutan first entry to the contest.

Being in this competition once doesn't mean that I have more experience than other Pemecutan singers. There have been a lot of changes in the competition which is become more competitive with more delegates who wants to show their capabilities in this competition. In the end, it's not just about the points and the position but of course the experience.

Mitha Kemala

For the competition, Mitha will performed her song, "Cerita Cinta" or "Love Story". This song is one of the few song that she wrote herself. It is telling about two people who experience love and have to believe in love so they can overcome any obstacles. The song was release in late January with a mild success. The music is also a new vibe for Mitha although it is suits her more because of her energetic and tomboyish nature.

Starting this edition, PRIA also decided to end their broadcasting partnership with UBC especially for WorldVision Song Contest. GBC-2, GBC entertainment channel is given the new broadcasting rights for airing WorldVision Song Contest starting the 88th edition. This decision is made to give the same footing between two major broadcasting company in the country. But some people says that UBC gave up the broadcasting rights of WorldVision Song Contest as the rating of the show is lower than World Hit Festival in the country. Nevertheless, GBC spoke person said that they are very excited to be able to broadcast WorldVision Song Contest and showing to the nation how our delegate performed in such a prestigious competition.

Ada sebuah cerita
There is a story

Tentang sepasang manusia
About a human couple

Yang baru mengenal cinta
New to love

Buat dunia mreka berwarna
Make their world colorful

Tanpa mereka sadari
Without them knowing it

Ikatan itupun teruji
The bond has been tested

Datang dari semua sisi
Come from all sides

Yang harus mereka hadapi
They have to face

Datang tawa dan tangisan
Come laughter and tears

Ada juga senyum dan amarah
There are also smiles and anger

Cemburu pun datang membumbu
Jealousy comes to spice

Namun hanya cinta…
But only love ...

Selalu ada untuk menguatkan
Always there to strengthen

Sgala ikatan yang tercipta
All the bonds that created

Tepiskan….
Set aside….

Sgala keraguan yang datang
Any doubts that come

Percayalah jika kau cinta
Believe it if you love

Waktu pun terus bergulir
Time continues

Ikatan pun tetap terjalin
The bonds remain

Lewati semua ujian
Pass all tests

Smakin menguatkan mereka
It strengthens them even more

Ujian kan slalu datang
Tests always come

Coba tuk menggoyahkan rasa
Try to shake up the feeling

Akankah mreka bertahan
Will they survive

Hingga sampai di ujung masa
Until the end of time

Datang tawa dan tangisan
Come laughter and tears

Ada juga senyum dan amarah
There are also smiles and anger

Cemburu pun datang membumbu
Jealousy comes to spice

Namun hanya cinta…
But only love ...

Selalu ada untuk menguatkan
Always there to strengthen

Sgala ikatan yang tercipta
All the bonds that created

Tepiskan….
Set aside….

Sgala keraguan yang datang
Any doubts that come

Percayalah jika kau cinta
Believe it if you love

A a a aaa... A a a...
A a a aaa... A a a...

Datang tawa dan tangisan
Come laughter and tears

Ada juga senyum dan amarah
There are also smiles and anger

Cemburu pun datang membumbu
Jealousy comes to spice

Namun hanya cinta…
But only love ...

Selalu ada untuk menguatkan
Always there to strengthen

Sgala ikatan yang tercipta
All the bonds that created

Tepiskan….
Set aside….

Sgala keraguan yang datang
Any doubts that come

Kuatkan....
Strengthens it....

Sgala ikatan yang tercipta
All the bonds that created

Tepiskan….
Set aside….

Sgala keraguan yang datang
Any doubts that come

Percayalah jika kau cinta
Believe it if you love

by **Ertzei Kishim** » Tue Feb 09, 2021 3:59 am

. : 29 - Ertzei Kishim - أراضي الكيش - ארצי כישים : .
Tanya Benisti - I'm Alive
טניה בניסטי - אני חייה | تانيى بنيستي - أنا حية
Language: Hebrew
Lyrics & Composition: Tanya Benisti, Eden Shoal
To the Tune Of - Tayanna - Euphoria

The previous contest was held in Peeto, Polkopia, a country many Kishraelis new well, either through their Soviet ancestry, or indeed the cultural exposure which came with the prominent Polkopian infiltration into Kishraeli charts and vice-versa. HARESHET had decided to internally select Dikla Romanova, who had previously finished in 2nd place, and interestingly, was also half-Polkopian. This of course set her at a preparation advantage as she was able to be based in Polkopia much earlier than the other participants and thus did not need to quarantine as extensively. Her song, a strong ode to lost love and overcoming the pain that came with it was received well by juries, who had ranked her 4th overall at the close of voting. As the televotes came in, Dikla was especially calm. She knew it was unlikely that she would win, especially given the large jury lead which Britonisea had won. However, when Kalosia had been announced as 7th place in the televote, she sat up. There was a chance she could solidify for herself another podium finish. While Dikla pretended she did not care much for the competition, but rather preferred to use it as a promotional exercise, there was something small within her that did want to do well. Third... Llalta... still not Ertzei Kishim. Dima then announced the second place... with 108 points it is... Britonisea! The cameras zoomed in on Dikla and her entourage in the green room and she couldn't help but smile, covering her mouth at the shock that she had won the televote. With 113 points, added to her existing jury total, Dikla had achieved Ertzei Kishim's 13th podium finish, and their second highest points total. Following the contest, Dikla decided to remain in Polkopia for a while as she recorded some final elements to her album before setting off on a small promotional tour in nations such as Belgaam and Todlichebujoku who had given her substantial points during the voting.

The small WorldVision department at HARESHET were confused as to what to do about the next edition. They had received a number of submissions, including ones from high-profile acts such as Yair Dayan and Sandi Santini. With extra revenue expected at the network due to the IBA in Makhaviv renting a substantial amount of Kishraeli broadcasting equipment, the culture executives at HARESHET gave the go-ahead for another national final, something which hadn't occurred since Yair Dayan won with "Zarim". The field was packed, and the competitive Kdam was filled with a number of household names, and a few international ones too. By the end of jury voting, an unknown name sat at the top of the jury board, that being 22 year old Tanya Benisti. Tanya had no previous professional music experience, apart from performing at a number of local events, weddings, and busking. She had teamed up with her friend, Eden Shoal, who herself was attempting to break into the music scene as a producer. Together, they had beaten both Yair Dayan and Sandi Santini, who, while receiving higher televoting scores, could not topple Tanya from first position. This total newcomer had shook up the competition for sure. Her song was a joyful ode to living ones life. The production played on current disco-infused trends, but with a distinctly modern, fast-paced twist. Speaking of the song, Tanya said "We wanted to create something happy and joyful. We've all had a hard time during these past few months, and I think that it's brought to the forefront the need to just let go and live our lives, when we are able to of course".

This was the first time the contest was to be held in Flavezztowland, and in fact the delegation from HARESHET were one of those who voted for the contest to be held there. As was typical of WorldVision, the team, with Tanya at its centre embarked on a promotional tour around the host city, alongside other participants. Flavezztowland City was an interesting place, which appeared to bring together elements of east and west. It was a very steely, grey city, with high skyscrapers dotting its skyline. Cities weren't really like this in Ertzei Kishim, at least not on this scale. Because of the international restrictions, as well as those imposed by the Kishraeli government for all those who wished to travel outside the country, Tanya spent two weeks in quarantine before making a few smaller appearances with press and bloggers, and at the red carpet event for the contest. Indeed, Ertzei Kishim's vaccination rate was around 15%, and so much of the restrictions that had come to mark daily life remained in place. As public representatives of Ertzei Kishim, the delegation, but Tanya in particular, were expected to act accordingly, and not expose themselves to unnecessary risks. One thing that she did however focus on, was preparation for her performance. As Dikla had done previously, the Kishraeli delegation set up a thorough schedule of vocal testing and exercise, so that Tanya could perfect her breath control as she sang. The result was an exciting stage performance which relied little on backing singers to cover Tanya, allowing for more to happen on stage.

The stage in Flavezztowland City was a cross shape, with three runways point into the crowd at different points. The fourth runway led to the back of the stage. For the Kishraeli entry, a set of golden stairs had been swiftly erected at the back of the stage. There were about 15 steps in total, so that there was a decent way down for Tanya to go. At the top of the stairs was a golden desk with a green 1920's style lamp, which was dimly lit. Tanya sat on a chair at the top, dressed in a golden fringe dress with a golden headband and a feather in her hair. Her makeup was dark, with a strong red lip and a smokey eye. The first backing vocals rang out through the arena, and the crowd began to cheer. The stage was still dark, until the first beats of the song began, and immediately Tanya began to sing. Sitting down for the first four lines, she flirted with the camera, moving her arms over the desk seductively while singing the song (with a microphone attached to a headset). As the first four lines ended, she stood up, from the chair, kicking it back and slamming her hands onto the desk. She moves to the side of it, before dipping down onto the desk with her bottom up in the air, moving her hands up and down the desk before pushing herself back up and moving in front of the desk.

Yesh li hargasha
יש לי הרגשה

Shemevabat befnim
שמבעבעת בפנים

Ba'ofek yesh tikvah
באופק יש תקווה

Lo hirgashti ma zeh tovah
לא הרגשתי מה זה טובה

Goleshet al gal zeh
גולשת על גל זה

Lamrot shezeh dey so'er
למרות שזה די סוער

Lo yekholah lekhakot
לא יכולה לחכות

L'kearah lahfokh et etzmah
לקערה להפוך את עצמה

Sitting back on the desk, Tanya is joined by two women dressed like she is, except with markedly more black on their dress, so as to ensure Tanya stood out, but the cohesive image of the performance was maintained. As she sang the first line, all three girls swayed to the right, and on the second line swayed to the left, Tanya extending her hand and finger into the far distance. She then stood up, twisted her head round and then back, her hair and dress whipping around and creating a beautiful shimmering effect. The camera at this point was directly in front of her, and the perhaps the biggest challenge for the cameramen, as well as Tanya, was about to begin.

Ekakh et haderekh haarukah
אקח את הדרך הארוכה

Lo yoda'at le'an zo movilah
לא יודעת לאן זו מובילה

Ki ha'laylah lo nigmerah
כי הלילה לא נגמרה

Ad she'ani avudah
עד שאני אבודה

Tanya and her dancers then proceeded to trot down the stairs, their hands moving in a circular motion as they did. Of course, this meant the cameraman had to run backwards, at the same speed, with his heavy equipment. They stopped at the 7th step as they reached the second line of this part of the prechorus. Tanya looked at each of her dancers before they continued trotting down to the stage. As she reached the end sparks flew out of the side of the stage and the crowd began to cheer louder as the real part of the performance began. Most of the crowd now had a much better view of where Tanya was and what she was doing. As she got to the bottom she continued running in her heels, until she reached the centre of the stage where the crosses met. Her dancers followed behind, and they were joined by two more who came from each wing of the stage so that a troupe of four dancers and Tanya were now stood in the middle of the massive stage.

Zeh sug mkhushmal shel ahavah
זה סוג מחושמל של אהבה

Keilu ani b'ein hasufah
כאילו אני בעין הסופה

Lo yekholah lehasdir neshimah
לא יכולה להסדיר נשימה

Aval ani adayyin khayyah
אבל אני עדיין חייה

Tanya and her dancers sprint on the spot for a second or two before exploding out into almost aerobic moves with big arms swinging around and large kicks out. It was a combination of what one may find in a typical charleston dance, however exaggerated. All the dancers and Tanya performed this dance in unison, and due to the difficulty she faced while singing and dancing at this pace, backing singers picked up some of the slack in the chorus. While she sung the chorus, the camera swept around her from above and carried on into an overview shot of the crowd and arena. It refocused again onto the group from the front just before the "oh oh oh" part of the chorus began, which was sung entirely by off stage backing vocalists. As the "oh oh oh" part played, Tanya and her backing singers changed their dancing. They all stood on one leg, with their hands up in the air, they then began to twist to one side and kick out with their other legs, firstly moving to the left for a number of steps, and then a number of steps to the right.

Shum khoshekh halaylah
שום חושך הלילה

Shum orot misnavrim
שום אורות מסנוורים

Lo y'khebu shum davar shematazti befnim
לא יכבו שום דבר שמצאתי בפנים

Hashlagim hakhorfiim
השלגים החורפיים

Hagshamim hakayitzim
הגשמים הקיציים

Leolam lo y'khebu et ha'esh shebo'eret bi
לעולם לא יכבו את האש שבוערת בי

Woah-oh-oh
Woah-oh-oh
Woah-oh-oh
Ooooh

The aim for the next part was to lower the tempo slightly so that Tanya could catch her breath. To this end, Tanya widened her gate and stomped her legs out wide, giving a powerful stance with her hands on her hips. Her four dancers circled around her, performing an interesting set of dances which involved rotating around her while rising and falling from the floor. Initially Tanya stood firm as she sang in order to catch her breath, but increasingly more and more she would change her pose, her dress glittering and shimmering everytime she did so. At one point her dancers once again formed up in a line behind her. Tanya and her dancers then turned around and threw their heads towards the floor while leaning forward, whipping their hair around and coming back up. Tanya then looked over shoulder and winked, before turning around.

Mi khazra lamesibah?
מי חזרה למסיבה?

Ken, zot ani
כן זאת אני

Erkod bishvil hakahal
ארקוד בשביל הקהל

Kmo she'rakadtem bishvili
כמו שרדקתם בשבילי

Ani lo mushlemet
אני לא מושלמת

Ein mah lihiot kakhah
אין מה להיות ככה

Ani lo ashtaneh
אני לא אשתנה

Pashut ashaneh et ha'avirah
פשוט אשנה את האווירה

She moved forward with her dancers along the far runway, deep into the crowd as she sung the prechorus. Her dancers followed her in a line behind her, each stopping at a certain interval so that they were evenly spaced as Tanya reached her mark at the end of the runway. At this point Tanya threw off her headband onto the stage, not far away enough that any rabid fans who wanted a souvenir would be able to take it, but enough to make a point of letting her hair go. Her and her dancers at first tilted their head to the left and moved their shoulders to the beat, then right, before throwing their heads around in a figure eight as all their hair flew around their heads. The camera captured this move from the side, going along the line to see each woman doing the same move.

Ekakh et haderekh haarukah
אקח את הדרך הארוכה

Lo yoda'at le'an zo movilah
לא יודעת לאן זו מובילה

Ki ha'laylah lo nigmerah
כי הלילה לא נגמרה

Ad she'ani avudah
עד שאני אבודה

Zeh sug mkhushmal shel ahavah
זה סוג מחושמל של אהבה

Keilu ani b'ein hasufah
כאילו אני בעין הסופה

Lo yekholah lehasdir neshimah
לא יכולה להסדיר נשימה

Aval ani adayyin khayyah
אבל אני עדיין חייה

As the chorus began once again, Tanya spun around and ended 180 degrees from her starting point, effectively facing her dancers. As she ended the spin she pointed forward, then the dancer behind did the same, and so on, until all of them had spun back in the direction of the centre of the stage. They began to march forward in unison, two steps forward and then one back, gesturing with their arms which were held rigidly to the side of their bodies. Throughout the chorus they all managed to resume their positions in the centre of the stage, however were still faced to the back of the stage so that during the "oh oh oh" they began shaking their behinds, creating a nice shimmering effects with their dressed. A shot from above showed a gold shimmering effect flowing through the stage floor too.

Shum khoshekh halaylah
שום חושך הלילה

Shum orot misnavrim
שום אורות מסנוורים

Lo y'khebu shum davar shematazti befnim
לא יכבו שום דבר שמצאתי בפנים

Hashlagim hakhorfiim
השלגים החורפיים

Hagshamim hakayitzim
הגשמים הקיציים

Leolam lo y'khebu et ha'esh shebo'eret bi
לעולם לא יכבו את האש שבוערת בי

Woah-oh-oh
Woah-oh-oh
Woah-oh-oh
Ooooh

Finally she had reached the final verse of the song. For this part Tanya and her dancers dropped to the floor, her dancers splayed out evenly around her as Tanya lay on her back with her head turned to the side. She sung the final part with her eyes closed, as the camera slowly zoomed in from above, slightly twisting so that the camera shot ends with her appearing 'upright' on the screen. At the final line, she opens her eyes and turns to look at the camera. The camera cuts away to a full arena shot for the final chorus.

Kavim eleh, she'at tziyart bakhul
קווים אלה שאת ציירת בחול

Lo tzrikhim lehovil habaytah
לא צריכים להוביל הביתה

Sirfi ta'kol
שרפי את הכל

V'im zeh yahrog otakh
ואם זה יהרוג אותך

Lefakhot nisraft bahir
פחות נשרפת בהיר

The camera cut away was accompanied by sparks shooting out from each edge of the stage (and to be honest, this was quite expensive for HARESHET so I hope everyone enjoyed). With backing vocalists covering the first line so Tanya could get to her feet, she took over from there and the frontal camera returned. They repeated the dancing and choreography from the first chorus, and so if you've forgotten I'm going to repeat it again because I want you to remember: they exploded out into almost aerobic moves with big arms swinging around and large kicks out. It was a combination of what one may find in a typical charleston dance, however exaggerated. All the dancers and Tanya performed this dance in unison, and as then afterwards, they once again performed they all stood on one leg again, with their hands up in the air, they then began to twist to one side and kick out with their other legs, firstly moving to the left for a number of steps, and then a number of steps to the right, however because there was no "oh oh oh" in the final chorus, they performed this from the fourth line.

Shum khoshekh halaylah
שום חושך הלילה

Shum orot misnavrim
שום אורות מסנוורים

Lo y'khebu shum davar shematazti befnim
לא יכבו שום דבר שמצאתי בפנים

Hashlagim hakhorfiim
השלגים החורפיים

Hagshamim hakayitzim
הגשמים הקיציים

Leolam lo y'khebu et ha'esh shebo'eret bi
לעולם לא יכבו את האש שבוערת בי

Ki ani khayyah
כי אני חייה

At the end of the song, sparks flew once again from all sides of the stage. Tanya ended with her hands up in the sky with her head looking up, and her dancers dropped around her in dramatic, almost Grecian poses. The camera zoomed in on Tanya's face as she lowered her head back down and let out a beaming smile. Shouting in accented English "Thank you so much Rhim, Todah Rabah world!" before her and her dancers moved off stage and into the greenroom, but not before they had collected that golden headband from the front of the stage. Now it was time to wait for the results, and enjoy the rest of the acts throughout the night. Coming up immediately after was Elejamie, with a completely different entry to what was just performed. Crazy how the producers knew to organise the show that way, isn't it?

by **Elejamie** » Tue Feb 09, 2021 4:32 am

30 Elejamie

Kyandii - Lotus

Tune: Tanuki - BABYBABYの夢

A behind-the-scenes publicity photo of Kyandii from 2018, taken during promotion for her debut album Serious School.

Naomi Hamanaka, better known by her alter ego Kyandii, was born in Egremont (one of the suburbs of Avon, AVEN) on 19th September, 1995. The middle child and second daughter of two second-generation Japanese emigrants to Elejamie, she was very musical from a young age. While her parents did encourage her to learn an instrument, they also wanted her to get a proper job when she became an adult. They bought her her first guitar when she was 7 and took her to a class a year later. While she wasn’t exactly a prodigy, she did know enough songs to keep her occupied and enough to help her with any school or local talent shows.

Midway through her sophomore year in high school she would form her first band. They were called Big Talk and consisted of her on rhythm guitar as well as her best [male] friend on lead guitar and a few of his friends on drums, bass and lead vocals. They also didn’t really play anything too groundbreaking, they were just your standard alt-rock band that mostly played covers of other songs that were popular in the genre although there were a few original songs of their own which ended up getting played in performances. They did quite well at the school talent show and at local Battle of the Bands contests but those who listened to their music generally agreed there wasn’t much to look forward to once you. As a result of the members themselves reaching that consensus, coupled with the fact that a few of the members were going to be leaving Avon and one was going to leave the whole Aventry Metro Area for university, the band broke up after their senior year. Kyandii, meanwhile, went to the university of Avon to get a degree in economics just so she could get a proper job should any future attempts at a music career ended up falling flat. Not to mention that, during her stint in the band, she was taught how to drum and sing and she taught herself how to play the bass so at least it wasn’t a complete waste of time in her eyes.

But it was towards the end of the university that she first came up with the idea of Kyandii. Dissatisfied with the way her music career was going, she decided to take a different approach to her music. As she was also a bit uninterested in the pop music that was getting played on the radio, she decided that she wanted to take her own approach on the whole thing. She recorded a couple of covers that were literally just her singing over instrumental versions of songs and, after enjoying the end results, she decided that that was what she wanted to do from then on. She also decided to treat this as a separate project with its own character, both of which were called Kyandii from the Japanese word for “candy” (キャンディー, kyandī), simply because she didn’t want people who knew her and her tastes in music to feel like she was selling out. But the bad news was that she didn’t have much of an idea of how to approach it and so a few other early recordings she did at the time were completely different to the persona she crafted; they remained hidden on an old hard drive for a lengthy period of time until they were leaked onto file-sharing sites by the artist herself in early January 2021, mostly to prevent her label to try and make any money off of some songs she didn’t think were that good.

Fortunately, further dealings with the music on the radio eventually gave her an idea of how she wanted to with this new idea of hers. After getting tired of the same boring clichés played entirely straight, she instead wanted to put a much darker spin on things. What seemed to be love songs were actually about stalking and obsessions, what appeared to be songs about happiness and peace were actually about the complete opposite, songs about being yourself were actually about having individuality and any other way of making the listener uncomfortable if they look past the glitter. Luckily there were some normal songs played perfectly straight, partially to appease executives but also to further subvert any expectation. While it was a bit difficult for her to find a label, even when she agreed to take a somewhat smaller cut in order to have more creative control, she was able to get signed to a subsidiary label of a much bigger one.

Shortly after her signing in late 2017, she recorded a couple of EPs, the first being a self-titled one and the second called Dagashiya. While both sold fairly well and got some good airplay, they were still a bit far away from the Kyandii sound she was looking for. So she started to learn how to produce records from the people she was recording with and, eventually, she was able to get a good idea of it partway through the recording of her debut album Serious School, which was released in May 2018. Although she only produced three of the twelve songs on the album, along with another song that ended up being a bonus track, she was still proud of the work she put in and she figured that with a bit more practice when she had the time she would help make the next album sound even better. One of the songs she co-produced, the title track of the album, was the first single released from the album, which was shortly followed by the song Be Cool!. Both songs sold fairly well and created a bit of hype.

But it’d be the third single from the album that’d catapult her to some level of fame. The song, titled Get Rid of Unhappiness, perfectly summed up the entire Kyandii aesthetic. Bright, pastely colours. An absolutely cute and “girly” atmosphere. And fairly dark lyrics when you read in between the lines. In this case it’s about mandatory happiness and the fate of those who do not comply. The video was also a smash hit, where it saw Kyandii dressed up as a robotic magical girl clad in yellow and white as she defeated a group of supposedly evil drawings. Not only did the song make it onto a couple of top ten lists and help the album with sales but it also charted abroad as well.

As a result of this newfound success, she would end up going on tour. The first leg of the tour was of her home nation, which started and ended in her home city of Avon and saw 30 dates, with five of those being sold out. The second leg saw her perform abroad in quite a few different countries. She performed in Malta Comino Gozo, Beepee, North Alezia and Nekoni, to name a few. She even did a couple of performances in Waisnor which may not have sold out but still sold well enough to turn a decent profit. They also did a fairly decent job of bringing the whole aesthetic to a live audience, with her doing a decent job of adapting some idol dance moves and putting her own spin on it. It wasn’t perfect as she messed up a couple of times and, during the first couple of performances, it was clearly obvious she needed a bit more practice but she managed to get things relatively smooth by the end. Her final performance of the first leg was even released as a live album and a concert DVD, which was alright for her.

After a month-long break to relax, recuperate and just take her mind off of things, she got to work on her next release. It was an EP called Super Duper Space Cat! and it was the first release she did that was entirely her working on it. She produced all the tracks, did all the vocals, even played an instrument or two and the cover was just her editing a picture of one of her cats. It was also released as an online exclusive, where it ranked up a decent amount of downloads and streams. Just the impetus she needed to get to work on her second album, Eternal Summer. Originally planned for release in April 2020, it had to be postponed a few months due to the lockdown but would eventually see release in late July. It still received positive reviews (although not to the extent her debut album did), it still sold well and it got a good amount of streams.

Despite the newfound success of her Kyandii character, Naomi would still often collaborate with other artists or contribute to their work in other ways. After The Lads and the Lasses bassist and female singer Savannah Smith had to take a brief respite from playing her instrument due to a wrist fracture shortly before they were to record their then-latest album, Naomi stepped in and played the parts herself. She also kept herself occupied in 2020 by contributing some guitars and a spoken passage to MiKaDeux’s album Sin Refugio and secondly with some backing vocals, bass and even some drums for Lacemaker’s album The Flame That Burns Twice As Bright. And she would co-produced half of the songs, as well as played a few instruments on the other songs, on The Fantasy of Winter, an album by Lake Mizumi that dropped on Christmas Day 2020. However, Kyandii still remains her main focus and she’s aiming to see how long she can keep it going for before deciding to end the project for good. And, with a couple of albums planned over the next few years, it doesn’t seem that’ll be anytime soon.

Usual boring stuff now. Despite her first name legally being pronounced in the Biblical way (nay-oh-mee), she has no issues with it being pronounced the Japanese way (now-mee), though it could be because she’s been called it so many times that she’s stopped correcting everyone. Although she doesn’t talk much about her life outside of character, he has mentioned in a rare interview she did that she’s currently living with her boyfriend and that they have two cats together, Choco (who appears on the cover of the Super Duper Space Cat! EP) and Minty. She regularly spends at least two hours a day practicing her instruments even if she’s not planning on playing them in the near future, just to keep her skills on point. And, at 153cm (or just a little over 5’ exact), she is to date the shortest person to represent Elejamie at the contest.

Part 1: Pre-ramble

At the last contest in Peeto, Polkopia, Elejamie were represented by the South Working Funk Band, who performed their song All Day, All Night. The group had come second in the edition of ElejamieVision leading up to WorldVision 86 and they were hoping to get a bit of a streak going following Tara Cullinane’s 6th place finish in Antahbrantahstan at the competition before. The 87th contest was hosted in Peeto over in Polkopia, which also hosted the 38th edition that Elejamie also took part in, and there were hopes that the band would try and improve on their results the last time they were there. They even visited the WorldVision Museum there, even if one of the exhibits there didn’t exactly get a good reaction from them, just to pump them up going into their performance. They were even drawn third, which was a position that saw a fair amount of winners. Eventually, the night came and female singer Amanda Tavarez and her backing band put on quite a decent show for the audience for what, from an OOC standpoint at the very least, was the first WorldVision of the new year. Things were seeming hopeful.

However, the results were as you’d expect for the past few odd-numbered contests. The good news was that the nation was able to scoop up a couple of 12 points courtesy of Malta Comino Gozo and Talvezout, along with a number of 8s from Beepee and Kalosia as well as a 7 from Ethane. The bad news was that there were lengthy stretches of them waiting to receive points and, by half-time, they were in 13th place with 36 points. They were behind Oqmet, whose entry was critically panned by the Elejamian press in the run-up to the contest so you know karma’s still in force. Things went from bad to worse when both Mister and Missus X had to be disqualified due to some supposed tactical voting. As a result, the SWFB had to be docked seven points (five from Mister, two from Missus) and whatever scores that would’ve affected their televoting results, meaning that they ended up in 14th place with the juries with 72 points. Still, at least the televoting was surprisingly much more tolerating as they ended up 9th in the televote with 83 points. They still managed to miss out on the top ten all together again, though, with a total score of 155 being good enough for a 12th place finish. Much like the 85th contest in Valletta. And the 83rd contest in St. Christopher. Fortunately it’s not what happened at the 81st contest in Boschke, as the nation merely finished 20th there and the televote wasn’t set up yet so it couldn’t have saved anything.

Due to these inconsistent results where they manage a top ten result in the even-numbered contests but perform average-to-mediocrely in the odd-numbered ones, there have been some rumours abound of a potential Elejamian departure from the contest. While nothing has been officially confirmed or denied from Elejamian Broadcasting, whose television channel ETV ONE and radio station Radio Two air the contest, a number of former representatives at the contest and higher-ups for EB have stated that they believe that it might be worth taking a break from the contest if the recent run of results continue, though there are some disagreements on whether or not it should be a temporary break or permanently leaving the competition. One employee of EB, who asked to remain nameless, stated “If this string of results is any indication, it looks like there might not be much of a future for Elejamie at the WorldVision Song Contest and, while it is still a viable alternative, there isn’t that much of an interest in the World Hit Festival so I doubt participating in that instead will change our fortunes.” Fans are a bit less negative about the whole situation, however, though some are still sceptical about whether or not the country will ever make another podium finish in the foreseeable future.

However, it wasn’t all bad news coming out of the EB camp. Cerin Erali, co-commentator of the contest alongside Flynn Taggart, has announced that there are plans for Elejamie to host the contest at some point within the next three contests. Though there hasn’t been any confirmation of a host location, a number of arenas and concert halls in the Aventry Metro Area as well as one or two in Davenport have been put on the shortlist and will be undergoing a series of rigorous inspections and checks just to see if they can actually survive having a contest and to help the jury make their minds up. There hasn’t been any confirmation on who’d be hosting the contest but they have announced that they’re planning on having three to represent the three main peoples of Elejamie (an Anglo host, a Spanish host and an Iyilim host); TV host and usual spokesperson Nick J. Holland has said on numerous occasions that he’d happily host the contest should he be asked to.

Part 2: National Final

Plans then got underway for the next instalment of ElejamieVision. The music panel that had made their decisions for the past couple of editions had reunited and started making their decisions to see who’d be behind the lucky five songs that’ll get performed in the final. They got to work on securing a venue and eventually they managed to get the Declan Madgwick Memorial Stadium (which despite the name is actually an arena, don’t ask) over in Davenport, WYKN. The arena, named after famed statesman Declan Madgwick (1927-2015), is home to the Davenport Dockers ice hockey team as well as the national ice hockey team. It’s also hosted a number of concerts over the years and, as a result, it was put on the shortlist for a potential hosting location. Who knows, if the event goes smoothly it might end up getting the nod.

But, most importantly, EB announced that they’re reusing the same preventative measures they implemented for the last ElejamieVision. The audience was primarily limited to friends, family and esteemed guests, although a number of people who didn’t fit into either category were allowed to watch. Although small groups of up to three people were allowed to sit together and they were with people they were related to or were living with, guests had to leave a space of one or two seats between each other. There was a bubble put in place that saw them holed up in the same hotel and the only travel allowed being from the hotel to the arena and vice versa, though much like the edition for WVs 86 and 87 the hotel was close enough to the arena that it wasn’t that big of a problem, even though for safety’s sake all personnel had to arrive and depart on a bus together. And, of course, face masks had to be worn when not performing and hand sanitiser was freely available throughout the arena. All in all, things were meticulously planned and everyone at the Dec was ready to get this show underway.

Eventually, the panel of music experts managed to make their decision and the five finalists were announced. For the first time in ElejamieVision history, two songs by the same artist managed to make it to the final. While it wasn’t against the rules for potential entrants to enter more than one song and EB has announced that they won’t be changing the rules in spite of this, normally they narrow down the songs so that only one song ends up making the final. However, the judges enjoyed Kyandii’s two songs, a solo effort in “Lotus” and a collaboration with Daniela Ramírez (best known by her DJ name Dr. Dan) called “I’m Your Robot”, that she ended up taking up two out of the five available spots. Although there was some concern, not necessarily complaints or anything but fears that there might be an edition of ElejamieVision that’d come across as internal selection, EB announced that it was complete coincidence and the odds of something like this happening again are quite low. In other words, yes there could theoretically be a repeat of Melfest 1971 albeit in a different way to what actually happened in real life.

What were the three other songs? Antonia Ortiz García, more commonly known by her first name, managed to make a return to the finals after her disappointment in the inaugural edition of the reboot with a remix of a song of hers called Just as the Days Go By. Although she submitted the original version of the song to the contest shortly after the song was released, the DJ group Mitad Hombre Mitad Hormiga (translated as “Half man half ant”, otherwise known as MH2 for short) did their own version of it and sent it as well, although it wasn’t until two weeks after they made it that they sent it. With her permission, obviously, as she enjoyed it so much that she gave them the go-ahead. The gamble paid off as, while the original version made it to the final ten before dropping off, the remix had enough lasting power to just squeak by. The other two songs? A small band called The Humanoids sent a slow ballad called “Class of ‘85” and Sam Brown, an artist who was fairly popular in the 90s before dropping into semi-relevance, who was trying to make a comeback with a song called “Sinking Ship”. All in all, not a bad bunch of songs for a humble national final.

However, much to the surprise of EB, what was supposed to be a humble national final actually got quite a bit of attention outside the nation. Twelve international juries voted in the contest, which was the most it had seen to date; not only did the usual suspects of Malta Comino Gozo, Polkopia and Beepee provide some votes but so did North Alezia, Saintrabina, Belgaum and Natanya, to name a few. Furthermore, the Polkopian branch of Buzzfeed did some livetweets during the show, even if they were admittedly a bit harsh (though I’m not that bothered because I knew it was purely IC). And, while they didn’t submit an official jury vote, a Syrchean fansite held a poll of their own with Lotus being the official winner, with I’m Your Robot coming in second place and Sinking Ship coming in third (their votes were sent after I posted my results but I still wanted to include them). While they had their doubts that the next edition of ElejamieVision, which’ll be done in time for the 90th WorldVision Song Contest, will garner as much attention they figured they might as well ride the wave of popularity going for this one.

As for the results themselves? Kyandii took an early lead with a set of 5 points from Ertzei Kishim before Beepee gave it 4, causing it to tie with I’m Your Robot. However, another set of 5 points from Britonisea kickstarted what turned out to be her complete dominance on the night. She would get three more sets of 5s that night, courtesy of Todlichebujoku, the Achaean Republic and Natanya, as well as 4s from North Alezia, Belgaam and Hafamarimët as well as the aforementioned Beepee. In fact, the lowest score it received was a 2 from Saintrabina, making it the first ElejamieVision winner not to receive the dreaded 1 point from the international juries. There was also a bit of a funny moment when the show’s host Cerin Erali jokingly accused the Todlichebujoki jury of “copying Britonisea’s homework” just before their spokesperson was about to give their 5 points, simply because the two nations awarded the same songs the same amount of points. Fortunately, it wasn’t anything fishy or anything like that, it was just an amusing coincidence that everyone involved had a good laugh about.

The domestic televotes were just as kind to her. She kicked things off with three sets of 5s in a row courtesy of Autumnia, Aventry and Birch State to get 15 points right off the bat. In fact, she’d go on to get five more sets of 5s (from East Reise, Mittedorf, Richston, Shiner and Wyken) to finish the night with eight total sets of 5s. She would also get 4s from Burnett, the Elephant Isles, Keene District, Rosetta, Valledorado and Warwick to ensure her domination of the domestic televote. In fact, the only bad scores she received during the night were two sets of 2s from Eastern Elejamie and Nuevo Paraíso and a single 1 from Swannings. Overall, she finished the night with 123 points in the televote and 172 points overall, setting two records which probably might not get beaten unless someone sends a song that has as much power along especially if there’s as many, if not more, international juries voting in it.

To cap things off, I’m Your Robot went on to finish in second place, making Kyandii the first performer to represent the nation in back-to-back contests, even if her second time will be a collaboration with someone else, but that’s a story for another contest. However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for everyone else. Antonia managed to bounce back from her disappointing finish at the inaugural edition of the rebooted ElejamieVision when Just as the Days Go By (MH2 Dance Mix) finished in third place with 102 total points; as a result, she will compete in the special third-placers edition of ElejamieVision for WVs 94 and 95. Furthermore, she finished one point behind I’m Your Robot with both the international juries and the domestic televotes, receiving 38 points in the former and 64 in the latter. Sinking Ship and Class of ‘85 were eliminated outright however, with the latter getting absolutely trashed by the international juries with a litany of 1s and 2s. The only exceptions were Saintrabina and Natanya, who gave it a 5 and a 3 respectively.

Part 3: In Flavezztowland City, Rhim Flavezztowland

Fortunately, the flight over to Flavezztowland City was a fairly simple flight. The only people on board were the crew, Kyandii herself and a small entourage made up of friends and family. While they all had to quarantine for seven days upon arrival as expected, things went one step further when she became one of the first people outside of a vulnerable group (elderly people, pregnant people and those with underlying health issues) or an important group (medical staff, the coast guard, members of the government, the military) to receive a COVID vaccine. This was partially to encourage people to get the jab, especially those who are part of a minority, and also to let everyone know that there wouldn’t really be anything wrong with getting it, especially with the rise of the anti-vaccination movement over the past few decades. Fortunately, she didn’t have any adverse side-effects or anything like that to worry about and she managed to get through the mandatory self-isolation without any issues.

After all, there was an epidemic going on and the Winter could make things worse. And, despite being a warm Pacific island nation, Elejamie wasn’t that much different. While the strict measures in place meant that there haven’t been as much chaos and deaths as there have been abroad, the government has still been taking plenty of measures to try and contain the virus. Although there has been a slight increase in cases in a few areas, with the death toll rising up to 465 since the last contest, there have been a steady amount of recoveries as well and more has been done to help the homeless just so they would be kept out of the cold and out of the public, thus hopefully making them less likely to contract it. As was their understanding.

Regardless, she still had quite a fun time in Flavezztowland City. She enjoyed learning about the history of not only the city where the contest was being hosted but the country it was the capital of as well. She enjoyed having a look at all the sights and listening to the sounds of the city. She also enjoyed their take on lasagna, which not only added a national cheese made with almond milk but also added a special sauce and potatoes to the mix as well, which was a unique and memorable twist to her favourite food. It might be another place for her to visit when she gets the chance, or maybe even perform a concert or two here if her song does well enough with the local populace and their jury.

While the stage seemed to be 360° to an extent, which had been the bane of a few previous representatives for the nation (most notably Second Choice in WV81 and Tara Cullinane in WV86), it wasn’t a big enough problem to cause Kyandii and her entourage to re-choreograph everything. Sort of like Aurora Cassidy in WV82, who had to scrap her plans for a rear display and divide a bit of the stage up to fit the accompanying orchestra but was otherwise able to get her performance the way she wanted it to be, Kyandii had to do a couple of minor tweaks in order to fit the new stage. The things that had to be changed weren’t anything super important, merely anything involving the main stage had to take into account that it was now in the middle instead of against a wall and anything shown on a standard massive rear LED screen might also have to be shown on the small screen in the middle of the rear wall. There were also a couple of changes in her planned choreography but it wasn’t anything that would cause any hassle.

Rehearsals also went smoothly. The normal rehearsals were more toned down and concentrated more on getting the right camera angles and getting things set up for the stunts. There were even talks and discussions on things like lighting, what’s to be shown on the backing screen, what props would be used for the show, all the important things like that. Once that was out of the way, they moved on to the dress rehearsals, which saw the high-octane party atmosphere that Kyandii’s live performances were known for, except they were ramped up a small bit. Especially since her backing singers, who also doubled as her dancers, had more experience and even helped her out with the moves she wanted to do. After all, she was condensing the full Kyandii concert experience to a single song that lasted the best part of three minutes and, unless she was incredibly super lucky, there was a chance that she wouldn’t be able to repeat that performance so she wanted to make every second of it count and make every moment of it explain what she’s about. Even if it meant going above and beyond.

She did get a brief respite from the hard work she put in to talk about the song, as was standard for performers from her nation. In a quick interview, she explained “The song is about a land where everyone is happy and friendly with each other, in a perfect utopia where we never never worry about the problems of the world and we all eat the lotuses so we don’t run out of food.” However, she didn’t exactly mention some of the more darker lyrics which makes this supposed paradise somewhat questionable but her fans are fully aware of this. After all, they didn’t want a repeat of an incident during an AMA she did a while back where someone claimed to have read between the lines brought up how one of her songs (Get Rid of Unhappiness) was about propaganda only for her to break character and simply state that, yes, that was exactly what it was about. Although the lotuses mentioned in the song are a bit different to the lotuses she based them on, given that the latter was a sedative whereas the former could be interpreted to be a stimulant, that could be chalked down to either artistic license, Kyandii not doing enough research or her basing it off of what people mean these days by “lotus-eaters”.

And now, with everything that needed to be mentioned now being mentioned, here we are. The big night. The point of no return. Kyandii and her group of backing singer-dancers may have been a bit nervous but they were still ready. They were drawn 30th which is much later than what they would’ve wanted but they were still able to roll with it. It also meant that they were able to get a good idea of how they wanted to welcome the crowd when it came to the Parade of Nations, where the backing singer-dancers pulled off a Charlies Angels-esque pose while Kyandii was at the front and centre, doing some dancing before she waved at the camera and they all said their hellos. And now, with a song that’s partially in English and partially in [admittedly from an OOC perspective Google Translated] Japanese, they’re hoping to wow the multiverse. Will they be able to make it big? Will they even win the contest? Or has the hype died and they ended in a mediocre position? I should cool it with the rhetorical questions and the filler and just get on with the entry, shouldn’t I.

#justiceformisterx

Part 4: The entry itself

After the postcard came to an end, where it showed a short phrase in one of Elejamie’s languages along with its translation, we then cut to an aerial shot of the stage. Surrounding the stage were small dots of people, who would’ve been a lot closer together had it not been for the social distancing guidelines enforced. In the foreground of the shot was a small group of audience members sitting down in their seats, though as the camera zoomed in they started to disappear from the shot. In the big middle part of the stage were three figures, as well as a prop or two that could see some use. And, finally, on the catwalk in the front of the stage, more specifically right where it meets the bit in the middle, we have the artist herself just popping into view thanks to the zoom on the camera. The camera then stopped zooming and moving, the shot was changed to a wide shot taken from the other end of the catwalk she was standing on and then the lights began to dim.

The stage was then bathed in darkness as you would expect for an Elejamian entry, with the obligatory faint light to make it easier to make out what’s going on instead of pitch blackness, except this time it was for a dramatic effect instead of letting the audience know the song was about to start. Although, saying that, the song did actually start little over a second after the stage went dark. As the synths and the drum machine kicked in, she stood completely still, her head bowed down, her arms by her side and her legs completely straight and next to each other. The lights at the foot of the stage blinked on and off, one after the other; although they flashed on and off quickly, it wasn’t too quick so it would give anyone with photosensitive epilepsy a seizure. It was a pattern that would repeat throughout this opening bit. A few seconds passed, a lighter drum noise was made and Kyandii changed her pose, where her head was raised, her arms were stretched out but still by her side, and her legs were spread out almost as if she froze in the middle of a star jump. The drum sound appeared again and she changed her pose again; this time her left arm was raised in a fist (although she had her index finger raised) and was much closer to her head, her right arm was lowered and she was leaning to her left a little bit.

However, during the last bit, the lights began to change. The pattern sped up towards the end before they all turned on. There was a bright flash of light and a row of pyrotechnics going off. Right after the smoke disappeared, we finally got a good look at Kyandii and what she was wearing. Make-up wise, she had cyan eyeshadow and pink lip gloss on, as well as a small bit of foundation that was barely noticeable. As for her outfit? She was wearing a glittery seifuku which was made up of a red neckerchief, a blue and white collar, a white short-sleeved shirt and a blue pleated skirt that just went to where her knees started. However, she was also wearing a pair of white cotton gloves that went past her elbows which gave her arms a sort of zettai ryōiki vibe, a pair of white tube socks which had a couple of black rings around the top (which weren’t visible at the moment but shows up in a few shots or to someone concentrating hard enough) and a pair of white boots that goes halfway up her calves and has a flat sole. She also had her hair tied up in a couple of long twintails to complete the look. Her backing singer-dancers had the same outfit style but the shirts and gloves were different colours (red, blue and purple) and they had different hairstyles, with two of them having their hair up in ponytails and the other having their hair long. And, to round things off, they were wearing a headset mic just so they had something to sing into just in case they needed to do any moves that involved their hands.

As the auditorium exploded into light, we got a good look at the screens on the rear wall. The two on either side of the main stage simply showed the TV feed, although from time to time it would show phrases in pink and purple bubble writing, such as “蓮だけを食べる”, “あなたは決して去ることができません” and “パーティーは決して終わらない”. The main screen behind the stage, however, just showed a seemingly static picture with a deep blue background and a foreground made up of green and pink vertical bars. The top lights would stay their normal colour while on every beat the lights underneath the middle screen and at the rear of the stage would flash pink; however, on every fourth beat the lights at the top would change to a lime green colour. The stage itself didn’t change colours, however, as it kept the same piano black inside with a whitish blue outline.

As for what Kyandii and co. were doing? About a second after the song started, she started to sing. Not just that but she and her singer-dancers were pretty much doing the same moves. They were shuffling along the floor, they were doing a bit of a moonwalk, they raised their fists up in the air before immediately lowering their arms to the ground right in front of them. At the end of the fourth line, they spun around and then moved their bodies back and forth as they did the disco arm roll before punching to their side and then up in the air, a move they did three times in a row. After following that up with some double dream hands, they shuffled their shoulders back and forth as they did the same thing with their torsos. Towards the end of the intro verse, two of the backing singer-dancers lifted Kyandii up and rotated her 360° before gently setting her down on the spot so she could get ready for her last move before she could start singing the rest of the song.

蓮を食べる、はいはい
世界を忘れる
世界は関係ありません、はい
食べ続けるだけ
どうぞめしあがれ！
蓮を崇拝する
蓮はあなたの運命です
あなたは永遠にここにいます
Hasu o toberu, hai hai
Sekai o wasureru
Sekai wa kankei arimasen, hai
Tabe tsudzukeru dake
Dōzu meshiagare
Hasu o sūhai suru
Hasu wa anata no unmeidesu
Anata wa eien ni koko ni imasu

After spinning around on the spot, she then stood with her legs apart and her left hand close to her face. She flashed a wink and a smile and she made a peace sign with that left hand, simply to keep going with the whole cute aesthetic that she’s known for. There was then a flash of bright light which coincided with the pyrotechnics unleashing a quick burst of white smoke at the foot of the stage. Behind the white smoke, Kyandii and her backing dancer-singers tilted their heads to the side while they raised their left arms up into the air. They lowered their arms and got ready to dance. The backing singer-dancers shuffled around the stage and busted out a series of moves that wouldn’t look out of place during a regular idol group’s performance.

Kyandii, meanwhile, shuffled her shoulders up and down in time with the beat while she sang the first line, which she then capped off with a spin and a lean back. For the second line, she did a moonwalk shuffle until she was close enough to one of her backing singer-dancers but not close enough to accidentally get hit by them; for the last bit of the line, the camera then cut to a side profile where she turned her head and sang it with a small smile. She then turned back around to face the first camera and started to swivel her arms around and shuffle around in the same spot for the third line before she stood still and brought her hands to her face and balled them up into fists. She moved her head from side to side slightly as she sang the fourth line, sliding her fingers out and spreading them and having a smile on her face that seemed to be a combination of “saccharinely sweet” and “unnaturally forced”. For the fifth and final line, she shook her hips back and forth, span around mid verse and then leaned back towards the end, slowly raising her left arm over her head but having her forearm aiming down, going for a standard ballet pose even though that wasn’t her intention.

Welcome to a land where we all dance and play - every day
And we bring you a gift of our most treasured fruit - all for you
Try the lotus for it will clear your mind
And it will free you from all life’s worries
And we’ll all dance and play together forevermore

On the backing screen behind Kyandii, there was a parade of figures marching closer to the foreground, all of whom seemed to be carrying something in what appeared to be their left hands. As they got closer, they turned out to be cartoony teddy bears. Light brown ones to be exact, with a dark brown nose, blacky-brown beady eyes, a white muzzle which had a smile plastered on it and what was supposed to be white paw pads. Due to them being closer to the screen, it was now clear to see what was in their hands. It turned out to be a trumpet, animated in the same style. While she could’ve gotten one of her backing singer-dancers to pretend to play the instrument in question, given that they had foil guitars and everything, she went with this animation because she felt it would fit not only the song but also her whole style a lot better.

When it was time for the next verse to start, she waved her arm round in a 360° motion like a windmill before pointing at the audience, as if she was being overly dramatic while she was signalling an AFL goal. She also nodded a little bit as she pointed at the audience. As she sang the first line, Kyandii raised her arms up in the air as if she was about to burst into a YMCA dance. Towards the end of that line, we then saw why there were those teddy bears on the backing screen as they lifted their trumpets in the air and put their muzzles to it. They wiggled their heads and waved their trumpets back and forth as they appeared to play a few notes on them. They did the same thing at the start of the third line before they turned to their left and marched off screen in the same manner they did as they appeared on screen. All of this while Kyandii and her backing singer-dancers danced around the stage, shuffling in a rhythm and getting the crowd pumped up.

However, she did something drastic and arguably controversial in between the end of her third line and the start of her fourth. She climbed down off the stage and straight into the audience. While there were fortunately fewer people in there for reasons I’ve previously explained, it still felt like a risky move that she was hoping would pay off. The camera was still on the left plinth and was mainly showing the backing singer-dancers shuffling along the middle bit of the stage and doing a bit of popping and locking while they sang the bits in brackets. Just as soon as she was about to sing her fourth line, we then cut to a medium shot of Kyandii turning around so she was facing the camera. As she sang her line, she stuck her arm out and made a fist with her hand before she did a couple of fist pumps. While the backing singer-dancers were singing the next bit in brackets, Kyandii turned back around and started to make her way through the crowd, with the cameraman right behind her trying to keep her in the shot.

Come on, come on, play with me
We’ll dance so smooth and carelessly
And we can feast on the lotuses in the clear moon light
(あなたは永遠にここにいます)
(Anata wa eien ni koko ni imasu)

We’ll go all night
(脱出は不可能)
(Dasshutsu wa fukanō)

Kyandii then walked through the crowd of people, all of whom parted slightly to give her some room, with the camera following her but keeping a safe distance from her, partly to keep the shot perfect but also for safety concerns. She strolled through the widening gap with a spring in her step while she waved her head to the beat before she stopped and stood completely still, as it was time for the next bit. At that moment, right on cue as if she had thoroughly rehearsed it, she quickly turned her head and sang the “Ah!” bit of the first line at the same time. Almost as if she was trying to re-enact the iconic picture of Mariya Takeuchi that’s commonly associated with Plastic Love. Had the COVID restrictions not been in place she probably would’ve hit someone in the face with that but, fortunately, everyone was keeping their distance and everyone standing up was dancing to the song so it didn’t end up being a problem. While the “Ah!” echoed she turned around fully so she was directly facing the stage and, thus, the camera before she carried on singing the rest of the line, leaning forward and wiggling her head a little bit as she sang.

During the little break in between the first and second line, Kyandii stood up straight and then did a little dance where she moved her fists up and down, with one fist completely level with her head, while she waved her head from side to side. In fact, she moved her head closest to whichever fist she had up in the air while she was doing that little dance and she was bouncing herself up and down a little bit as if she was a spring that was planted onto the floor. Eventually, she would stop her dancing because it was time to sing the next line. She leaned forward a little bit but carried on shaking her head as she said the “Ah!” in the second line. While that echoed, she stopped dancing and kept her head completely still. After the echo played, she not only sang the rest of the line but she also started to walk backwards while she started to shuffle her shoulders up and down with the beat. At the end of the line, which was when she was close enough to the stage that she could easily rush back onto it to finish the song, she stopped moving and stuck her arms out to let the camera crew know she was ready for them to cut to another shot.

Ah! Ah! The party never ends
Ah! Ah! The lotus keeps growing for us to feast on

Just as soon as Kyandii finished her last line, we then immediately cut to an extreme close-up of one of the backing dancer-singers who was pretending to play a guitar. Or, more accurately, pretending to strum an inflatable foil guitar. It had a purple body, a purple headstock, a black neck and silver lines on it that were supposed to be strings. While the actual guitar on the track was provided by Kyandii herself, she was a bit preoccupied at the moment as she was trying to get back onto the stage with help from the camera crew and other staff. Off-camera, of course. Fortunately she got to where she needed to be and, once the backing singer-dancer finished her brief “solo”, the camera then changed to a wide shot of the middle part of the stage before the lights flashed three times, with the pyrotechnics setting off some white smoke with every flash.

When it was her turn to sing, we then got a perfectly-timed cut to a shot of the audience before the camera did a slow diagonal pan to the left down to Kyandii on the right-hand platform. She was standing still but she was hunched forward a little bit, shuffling her shoulders backwards and forward in time with the song, almost as if she was taking a breather before she was about to do some more stunts but wanted to keep dancing just to keep the atmosphere going. The camera stopped panning when she was fully in the shot and instead rotated until it was showing a side profile of her. Once it was, which coincided with the start of the fourth line, she stopped doing her shoulder shuffle and instead started to walk along the catwalk in the same way she walked through the crowd earlier. The camera slowly followed her as well as it tried to keep the side profile shot going.

Eat and play, it is why we are here for you
You don’t have to worry about the world
Just eat the lotus to calm your worries
It will make you calmer
It will solve your problems

Partway through her walk to the main section of the stage, which coincided with her starting the next verse, Kyandii spun around on the spot before she did the splits. Which was somewhat miraculous because she was having some difficulty doing the splits during the dress rehearsals to the point where she was considering just scrapping them entirely. Fortunately, she got them down pat which kind of surprised her and threw her off track a little bit but not enough to ruin the song. She had a surprised expression on her face and she was a bit slow to get up but she managed to return to the expression she had earlier as she lifted herself up and carried on walking and singing. When she reached the middle bit of the stage, where it showed the backing singer-dancers the camera rotated again to show her from the back. It also showed the backing-singers making the “ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, oooohhhh” sounds during the verse were also spinning around on the spot before they clapped their hands together, shook themselves from side to side and moved their arms up and down to the rhythm.

Eat and play, it is why we are here for you
You don’t have to worry about the world
Just dance, it’s the only thing that matters
Dance while you eat the lotus

Just as soon as the backing singer-dancers sang their bits in brackets, which coincided with Kyandii singing the first bit of her lines, there was another bright flash of lights and another set of pyrotechnics going off. The animated teddy bears marched their way back onto the screen right behind the stage and did a repeat of what they did earlier, although the only difference was that they “played” their trumpets while Kyandii was singing. Speaking of, everyone stood in a line and did the “walk the dinosaur” dance before they did a bit of sidestepping. As the music faded out, the four of them bunched together before Kyandii stood forward. She knelt down, pointed towards the audience and waved her shoulders from side to side as the lights started to dim, although they carried on with the same pattern that was playing throughout the song. The backing singer-dancers, meanwhile, knelt down as well behind her but instead of dancing or singing instead just looked down at the floor with their eyes closed.

(私たちと居て〜)
(Watashitachi to ite〜)

Eat and play, it is why we are here for you
(永遠にいつまでも)
(Eien ni itsu made mo)

You don’t have to worry about the world
Don't pay attention to your troubles
Nothing really matters
Keep on with the good times at
The party you cannot leave

Once the lights were dim, but not off, the backing track came to an end. A second after that, the audience burst into a round of applause, along with a bit of cheering as well. We then cut to a small group of three Elejamian fans who made the trip to Rhim Flavezztowland cheering for their entry. One of them was holding a miniature Elejamian flag on a stick while the other two were waving a much bigger one. One of the fans holding the bigger flag was even wearing a replica jersey for the national rugby union team, while another had a couple of flags painted on his face right underneath her eyes. One of them let out a quick “Hi, mom!” that was just picked up over the cheering crowd.

Once that was over and done with, we then cut back to an exhausted and visibly sweating Kyandii, who was just barely able to stand due to the show she put on. But fortunately she was able to make a bow and she stood up straight and blew some kisses to the crowd. “Thank you! Thank you!” She said in the light, airy voice she uses while in character as she tried to get her breath back. “Arigato gozaimashita! Thank you!” At that point she bowed again, with the backing singer-dancers joining in as well this time, before they gathered the small bits they needed to get and headed off-stage while the next postcard played, mostly to relax and refresh. After all, they had put in a hard routine and they were hoping that it was enough to wow the juries and the viewers in their homes.

by **Crustyland** » Tue Feb 09, 2021 4:43 am

31. Crustyland

Tony Turdison & Mandy Bigooty
Don't Feed the Fishes

Tony Turdison & Mandy Bigooty

In the last contest, Crustyland sent Professional singer and sweetheart Joanne Coften in the hope her song "Abstract Waves" would achieve success for the country. This wasn't the case. It's moving lyrics and professional performance earnt 1 set of 12's points from South Alezia, the countries friend in the contest it seemed. Despite finishing 32nd out of 38 the country received points from a handful of new countries including Ertzei Kishim and its nearest neighbour Malta Comino Gozo, with the nation jumping for joy at receiving points from their closest ally. Scenes of joy erupted with people partying as the points came onto the screen. The two points from Malta Comino Gozo were even discussed in parliament, they talked about maybe sending them a bigger "gift basket".

In the latest meeting in downtown Rank, the Head of CRAP and the Head Delegation discussed the past contest and their upcoming entrant. "What do you mean she didn't win?" Head of CRAP Benjamin Cranp asked he was very upset. "What do the people want?" Do they want more seals or fewer seals"? Sharon the receptionist who had been called into the meeting for no reason whatsoever spoke. "Errr it would seem that maybe less seal stuff would be good as we did place higher but we got fewer points." The nation was infamously famed for its aggressively large semi-aquatic sea mammal sea population and the nation had used this to their advantage in their entries with numerous "Seal" appearances on stage which for some reason didn't go down well with the spectators in the arena with many refusing to sit near the stage when Crustyland performed, despite the seals being derpy and calm. "Well I have just the act in mind." HoD Keith Pineapple interrupted. He pulled a laptop out of his bag and unplugged the cable lazily hanging out the plug socket, and plugged his laptop in. The Windows XP laptop whirled on and after minutes of painful waiting later, Keith displayed a picture of the next entry onto the dirty walls of the office room. Tony Turdison, a local actor and Mandy Bigooty, a singer and exotic dancer. The room was extremely impressed just by the picture alone despite not even hearing much about their background. "YES!" Exclaimed an excited Benjamin. "Call them up they are the ones! Let us hear their song shall we?" Tony Turdison and Mandy Bigooty had already sent a short clip of their song to Keith. Keith plugged in his terrible speakers and clicked play. Little did he know the speakers were set to 100 and his laptop was also set to 100. The sonic boom from the speakers blared sending every backwards in their chairs. All the windows shattered and a (headphones users beware) sonic boom blasted through the city shattering windows and sending people into a frenzy. The local sea mammals were unaffected by the people running around them clutching their ears and screaming. The ringing from the incident reportedly lasted a further 2 days. The blast from the incident was felt 90 miles away in Malta Comino Gozo with people reporting they heard a strange melody and saw pets becoming visibly distressed.

Tony and Mandy were contacted immediately and they accepted the offer to represent their country. Tony, 30 was a "professional" actor and mainly did various historic children's shows as well as the odd comedy-drama for adults. Mandy who was 1/4 Achaean was a solicitor as well as an exotic dancer and comedian The duo had been good friends ever since secondary school. In a recent interview, the pair were asked about their song. " It's a good song" exclaimed Mandy loudly, " It's catchy just like dish soap." The interviewer with a confused expression turned to Tony "BLARGH" blurted Tony before cackling to himself. "I apologise I just love being silly on Television." The pair known for the stupidity and general all-round bad understanding of English or lack of brain cells would be the perfect act for Crustyland in Flavezztowland City.

The postcard ends and the crowd cheers sporadically as the stage is ready for Crustyland. We can see that the front few rows of people are primed and ready to move out of their seats in case of another Seal being present. The thudding beat kicks in and the stage is black apart from the whirling colourful background LED's. The camera starts from right at the back above the crowd and moves inwards towards the stage. Tony and Mandy are silhouetted. They are centre stage and whisper singing and half bending their knees, facing each other. They are bopping up and down.

Don't feed the Fishes
Go clean the dishes
Don't don't feed the Fishes
Go go clean the dishes

The background continues to whirl. The pair stop bending over and start to make their way slowly towards the front of the stage moving to the beat of the song. The camera continues to move inwards.

Don't don't feed the Fishes
Go go clean the dishes
Don't don't feed the Fishes
Go go clean the dishes

The pair are then lit dimly in white light. Mandy is wearing a giant fish costume and Tony a red cup costume The camera focus on Tony for his lines. He makes silly faces as he sings at the camera.

Don't feed the fishes
Ishes ish b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b

We then have a view of the pair again singing at one another bopping along.

Don't feed the fishes
That's too ambitious
Don't feed the fishes
Go clean the dishes

They both nod at the same time and the stage dramatically lights up in white with the brightly coloured background whirling behind them. They turn away from each other and face outwards as the camera moves up and out. The pair are dancing extremely awkwardly like this. Their singing can only be described as inaudible as they sing towards each other. White strobe lights float around the arena smoothly. We can actually hear some cheers.

Don't feed the fishes
That's too ambitious
Don't feed the fishes
Go clean the dishes

The pair continue dancing awkwardly as the camera shows a view of the whole stage.

Don't feed the fishes
Go clean the dishes
Don't feed the fishes
Go clean the dishes

Firework sparks shoot up out of the edge of the stage! And the stage is lit in coloured lights, spotlights swirl slowly around the arena. The pair stay centre stage smiling and dancing.

Don't feed the Fishes
Go clean the dishes
Don't feed the Fishes
Go clean the dishes

Tony and Mandy carry on dancing weirdly.

Don't feed the Fishes
Go clean the dishes
Don't feed the Fishes
Go clean the dishes

We have a frontal close up before the camera backs outwards.

Don't feed the fishes
Go clean the dishes
Don't feed the fishes
Go clean the dishes

We can hear some background warbling behind the pair as they whisper sing. Again the lights dim and the camera focuses on the pair who are semi-lit.

Don't feed the Fishes
Go clean the dishes
Don't feed the Fishes
Go clean the dishes

The camera swings in front of them both and curves left to right as they point towards the camera and follow it as it moves around the front edge of the stage.

Don't feed the Fishes
Go clean the dishes
Don't feed the Fishes
Go clean the dishes

They whisper sing again. We can hear the backing singers singing like they are arguing.

Don't feed the Fishes
Go clean the dishes
Don't don't feed the Fishes
Go go clean the dishes

The pair then dance like this for the rest of the song. We have a closeup again. They whisper sing again leaning towards each other.

Don't don't feed the Fishes
Go go clean the dishes
Don't don't feed the Fishes
Go go clean the dishes

The camera focuses on Tony as he sings towards the frontal cameras. He's lit in spotlights

Dont feed the fishes
Ishes ish b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b

The camera then moves and focuses on Mandy as she sings cheekily. It slowly backs out.

Don't feed the fishes
That's too ambitious
Don't feed the Fishes
Go clean the dishes

They both nod at the same time and the stage dramatically lights up again in white with the brightly coloured background whirling behind them. They turn away from each other and face outwards as the camera moves up and out.The pair are dancing extremely awkwardly like this. Their singing can only be described as inaudible as they sing towards each other. White strobe lights float around the arena smoothly. The crowd are dancing along to the catchy song.

Don't feed the Fishes
That's too ambitious
Don't feed the Fishes
Go clean the dishes

We have various close-up shots and stage shots, the camera playfully moving about and spinning towards them. They sing with passion towards the cameras.

Don't feed the Fishes
Go clean the dishes
Don't feed the Fishes
Go clean the dishes

Fireworks shoot up out the sides of the stage causing the audience to cheer a bit. The spotlights continue to swirl around and the stage is brightly coloured like rainbows. The camera zooms in to them as they sing.

Don't feed the Fishes
Go clean the dishes
Don't feed the Fishes
Go clean the dishes

We have a stage view before it switches to a view from a spider cam which pans the front of the stage. The spotlights zoom around the arena.

Don't feed the Fishes
Go clean the dishes
Don't feed the Fishes
Go clean the dishes

They grin at the onstage cameras which zoom into them. They are still dancing.

Don't feed the Fishes
Go clean the dishes
Don't feed the Fishes
Go clean the dishes

The song finishes and the crowd actually cheers loudly. "Thank you! Rhim Flavourtownland" The pair shout. No seals insight, the crowd sighs relieved. They dance off stage, their arms waving about energetically. They were very pleased with how it went.

by **Rhim Flavezztowland** » Tue Feb 09, 2021 5:45 am

32. Rhim Flavezztowland
Red Pearl - "Lost in Fromulya"
Lyrics by: Tara Quinelly, Aisha Evison
Composition by: Tara Quinelly, Ashley Hubbard, Jessica Burnet
Arrangement by: Emilia Crowe
Language: English
RL tune: (G)I-DLE - "HWAA"

Red Pearl members (from left to right): Tara Quinelly, Emilia Crowe, Lydia Niel, Chelsea McDonald, Aisha Stewart

The female group representing host nation Rhim Flavezztowland in WV88, Red Pearl, was formed as a pre-debut group in August 2020 by the Blueyoung Entertainment sublabel New Blue Music, and originally consisted of 7 members (from oldest to youngest): Emilia Crowe, Gabriela Frost, Lydia Niel, Tara Quinelly, Chelsea McDonald, Hailee Wooten, and Aisha Stewart. With Gabriela and Hailee having both left the group before it officially debuted on January 3, 2021 with a mini album, however, Red Pearl currently has 5 members (Emilia, Lydia, Tara, Chelsea, and Aisha) as of January 31, 2020. Before making their official debut, the group released 2 pre-debut singles - "Shout Out" and "Altered Night" - both to critical acclaim.

The song that would be performed by Red Pearl at WV88, "Lost in Fromulya", is a B-side from their debut mini album (Secret Diary - Pt. I: Persona, which was released on January 3, 2021). Inspired by leader member Tara Quinelly's Fromulyan holiday, the song makes references to the Brahmanan temples of Fromulya ("Surrounded by those brick-and-mortar temples / Legends say they were built by a prince" and "And now here I am, within this strange land / That's full of those ancient brick-and-mortar constructions"), and is about being lost somewhere in the foreign country of Fromulya.

As the Flavezztowlander postcard ended, one could hear the crowds of people that were cheering inside the host venue as co-host Derek yelled, through a megaphone, these words: "And now, you're about to experience the WorldVision 88 entry that the host nation, Rhim Flavezztowland, has to offer - 'Lost in Fromulya' by Red Pearl!" The focus of the camera then changed from the entirety of the Eastin Millennium Arena's main arena - where WorldVision 88 was being hosted - to the stage itself while the audience continued cheering as the tune started playing, where a lot of theatrical fog made up of dry ice was being emitted from the stage's perimeter. 13 seconds into the tune, the theatrical fog had sublimated enough to reveal Tara on the stage, who would start singing her lines a second later; the lights were dimmed upon that.

The sun is shining like a bright diamond, yeah
I feel like I'm in a ring of fire
Surrounded by those brick-and-mortar temples
Legends say they were built by a prince

After Tara sang her lines, the theatrical fog continued to sublimate, this time enough to reveal Aisha, Emilia, and Lydia, who were all behind Tara on the stage. The camera then quickly zoomed onto the four as Aisha started singing her lines.

(It's so beautiful)
It's just like I've entered a whole new world by myself
(It's legendary)
Nothing matches the sight of a land that's full of strange wonders

Once Emilia had finished singing her lines, Lydia walked to the front so she'd be in front of Tara while singing her lines.

Hearing those voices of a brand new land makes me feel like I'm so lost
I don't know where I am, I don't know where I am
Is this just another blank space?

A second after Lydia finished singing her lines, the theatrical fog had completely sublimated and the LED lights were slightly brightened to a pale blue color. Chelsea and Tara then walked to the front to be in front of their fellow members as they sang, and the camera then rapidly zoomed out to show a bird's-eye view of the entire stage.

Even the best of our journeys
Will eventually die down as time flows by
The heavens in where I am now have abandoned me here, ah...
(Lost in Fromulya)

After the pre-chorus was sung, images of the Brahmanan temples of Fromulya began appearing on the LED screens, and all of the Red Pearl members began dancing a traditional Fromulyan dance as they sang the chorus.

I'm...
Lost
(I'm lost)
I'm...
Lost
(Lost in Fromulya)
I'm...
Lost
(I'm lost)
I'm...
Lost
(Lost in Fromulya)

After the chorus was finished, aqua jets were let off from the stage's perimeter, the LED lights turned red, and the LED screens went black as Emilia sang her rap - along with that, the camera swiftly zoomed onto Emilia and Tara.

Well...
I knew it was gonna be an immense maze
I knew I was gonna get myself lost
And now here I am, within this strange land
That's full of those ancient brick-and-mortar constructions
They're gettin' me lost, this place's just like forbidden
As in the sort of place where you could enter into
Only to never return from there
I don't know where I am, I don't know where I am
Is this just another blank space?

Lydia and Chelsea then moved to be in front of the other group members to sing their lines, and the camera then changed its focus to the two from Emilia and Tara, in addition to the LED lights being dimmed again and some aqua jets being emitted from the stage's perimeter.

Even the best of our journeys
Will eventually die down as time flows by
The heavens in where I am now have abandoned me here, ah...
(Lost in Fromulya)

The LED lights then brightened to an orange-ish color and the LED screens then lit up again, this time to display vintage images of the Fromulyan capital city of Paris Baru as the group sang the song's chorus once more, along with all of its members dancing traditional Fromulyan dances while singing like the previous time the chorus was sung.

I'm...
Lost
(I'm lost)
I'm...
Lost
(Lost in Fromulya)
I'm...
Lost
(I'm lost)
I'm...
Lost
(Lost in Fromulya)

Tara then moved away from her fellow members to the southern position of the stage to sing the song's next two lines, and with that, the LED screens went dark again, and a bunch of lasers started to be emitted from the stage's perimeter.

I feel like I'm gonna get spirited away right here, right here
Hopin' the heavens will return me to where I was...

The LED lights were then dimmed, and Tara then went back to where the other Red Pearl members were to perform the song's last few lines - as a result, the camera immediately zoomed to the centerstage.

I'm...
Lost
I'm
Lost
(Lost in Fromulya)

During the 9 seconds that followed Emilia's line, all of the members danced in a circle on the centerstage - 5 seconds before the song was to end, Tara sang its last line.

I'm lost, make me found

After that line was sung, the Red Pearl members' formation changed to a straight line on the stage; upon the song's ending, aqua jets and theatrical fog were simultaneously emitted from the stage's perimeter, and all of the members knelt down in a straight line to say, "Thank you, organizers!".

by **Christarnea** » Tue Feb 09, 2021 9:52 am

33. Christarnea

by **Greater Korean Juche Republic** » Tue Feb 09, 2021 10:45 am

#34. Greater Korean Juche Republic
Kim Yong-Ae and the People's Navy Electronic Troupe - Our Leader Can Fly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wqzMTgbNR4

Our leader! She can fly!

[insert the background ladies' tapping on top of every participating nations flags here while waving massive GKJR flags, the performer tap dances across the stage, an AK-47 slung across her back]

Our leader… she can fly!

Our great leader flies over our 3,000 ri-
She flies over the heads of the soldiers and the workers and the farmers of the nation.
Our great leader flies!

Our great leader flies over this edition of WorldVision!
She flies over Britonisea and Caryton and Axuva and Polkopia and both of the Alezias!
And she will drop the almighty nuclear fury!

[more sailors come out, depict a sinpo sub and desecrating each previously mentioned nation's figure, from Flynn Taggart to Cary the Dog. The supreme leader's face greets the screens as the sailor girls spin with their flags, elegantly outdancing horribly racist depictions of foreign performers.]

Our great leader flies over our 3,000 ri-
She flies over the Pyongyang sky and the liberated Seoul and Busan cities under our great Party!
Our great leader flies!

Over Waisnor and Scotatrova and Malta and Izmedu, our great leader flies!
Over Talvezout and Todlichebujoku and Ethane and Zeganas, our great leader flies!
And she will drop nuclear hellfire!

Our great leader! (Our!)
She can fly! (Fly!)

[the girls spin into a solid block, saluting their leader and entering the typical DPRK swaying before sitting down in the shape of a star at the last note]

She can fly!

by **British Alberta** » Tue Feb 09, 2021 1:10 pm

Despite many people in City Hall , only Half watched the Worldvision Song Contest in the Jumbotron , Most came to protest the Systemic Racism felt by Both Japanese and French Canadians , the Protesters sang along with Pierre Trudeau the Former Prime Minister who lip synced a Apartheid Struggle Song but with updated lyrics from a bandstand . This is followed by people burning Tires and cars in front of City Hall

This is shown in the Sky Cam Feed that is next to the Worldvision Feed

by **Kyritakia** » Tue Feb 09, 2021 5:10 pm

by **Elejamie** » Wed Feb 10, 2021 5:12 am

ETV1 presents WorldVision 88 - English language commentary by Cerin Erali and Flynn Taggart

CE: Welcome to WorldVision 88! Bienvenido a WorldVision 88! Yalcom WorldVision 88! Live from some place in a country I can't pronounce!
FT: And I'm not going to try and help out.
CE: I'm Cerin Erali...
FT: ... And I'm Flynn Taggart.
CE: And we are your English language commentators for this evening. For a Spanish commentary, Iyilim language commentary or to sing-along to each entry, please press the red button. Thank you. Para Español, Iyilim o karaoke, pulse botón rojo por favor. Gracias. Aspenol, Iyilim o cereoc - Ancelis o Aspenol, ne Iyilim - plaes toc rad boton. Fenci.
FT: Televoting works the same way it always does. You can call the number, you can send a text message to that number, you can use the app. They all end up getting added together and presented as our results for each of the different nations. Simple as that.
CE: We're quite a bit into the competition, song #30 I believe, so there'll be quite a wait before you get to Kyandii. You still can't vote for her, though, folks at home.
FT: And with nothing left to say, let's start this thing.

by **Alta Remnants** » Wed Feb 10, 2021 7:55 am

36 - Alta Remnants
I'm Myself - Alfred Hindenler

(top: hindenler faceclaim. bottom: the outfit)

The Alta Regime was a brutal national socialist dictatorship which governed a massive swath of land- including the Spiritual Republic of Caryton- from 1998 until its downfall in late 2017. It fell into a massive civil war, from which the Ecclesiastical Meritocracy established itself. Justice was never served for the dictatorship and the hundreds of thousands it slaughtered, but one of its later tyrants - Alfred Hindenler - has prepared a song and dance number just for this specific worldvision occasion. Under the pretense of applying as another nation, nobody could expect this. The nazi state (which frequently touts its commercialized-level acceptance of homosexuality as a reason why it's 'not like other fascists' ) has existed in quiet exile on an obscure tundra, never really coming to prominence... until today.

tune

It’s meeeeeeeeeeeee!
(Heil Alfred!)

I’m… myself! I am free!
You thought I was gone but here I am, you see.
I’m myself, I am a man!
And about Caryton, I’m not a fan!

Alfred Hindenler would be raised on stage from an unseen force, heiling a choreographed crowd of soldiers before him who returned the gesture. Upon the sudden flourish, he grabbed an adjacent pole and assumed a sultry pose on it. A massive Altan flag flew behind him as he skillfully poledanced his way back down to ground level. By the time he reached the last line, he was level with the stage and in front of his still-heiling henchmen and women.

My special mustache is toned and groomed! (Toned and groomed!)
I’m ready to make ol’ Georgine go boom!
I’m myself, I’ve got no fear!
I’m the hot, the shot, the spot you hold dear! (Hurrah!)

The soldiers dropped their salute, bobbing up and down in place as a nazi flag flew adjacent to the Altan banner. Alfred swayed left to right, smiling brightly as he delivered a threatening ultimatum to Georgine.

He’s the hot, the shot, the spot! (I’m myself!)
He’s the hot, the shot, the spot! (I’m myself!)
He’s the hot, the shot, the spot! (You hold dear~) [Let’s dance out the bunker and funker and lunker and he’s….]
I’m hot-and hot-and hot-and…. I’m myself!

A soldier threw the flag of Caryton to the ground as the others entered a tap break, goosestepping quickly on top of the banner, skillfully muddied shoes leaving new prints on the flag as the tap dancers went to down, switching arms bent at the elbow to imitate the obvious sign which represented their political beliefs. Hindenler began to thrust in the air, then he threw it back with a skillful amount of flexibility that would make any teenager green with envy. He swayed his leg almost perfectly upwards against his torso, turning to face the crowd, using that momentum to tap along with the group as they moved left to right as he got to the 'I'm hot' line.

I wanted to be an artist too, wanted the cheers and poobah…
Failed state music university, they told me I couldn’t play the tuba…
I was so so blue, didn’t know what to do.
Conquered Alta, targeted Malta, now I’m in exile shooed!

Oh there’s no difference between charisma and religion,
What did I do to you that Caryton didn’t do too?
I’m myself… I am queer!
And in Caryton they wouldn’t have had that here!

At the instrumental flourish, the soldiers sat around him in a perfect heart. A stool was propped up on the Carytonic flag, on which he sat mournfully and reminisced about his past. At the second stanza, he stood up and threw a finger accusingly at the mortified Carytonic delegation, rubbing their crimes in their face. The nazi flags were replaced with pride flags, and Hindenler grabbed the pole in preparation for the next few phrases.

I was the Nazi, and I was hot, see? It’s true!
To lead a country, you need charisma and pizzazz! And me!
And a whole lot of me!!!!!!!! <3

Hindenler threw it back once more, twerking for a few measures before he skillfully ascended the pole as if to show off his body. He ground on it for a few seconds before spinning himself upwards and upwards towards a chairlift which he then sat on, putting the back of his hand on his forehead in a feminine pose on the word 'me' to prepare for the climax of the song.

So give us… give us our land back, screw Caryton! (I’m~...)
March on, for the great Altan race! (Grrrrrrreat~...)
Shells will strike Georgine again tonight!
Abandon your pride and face our might!

As Hindenler belted the "I'm.... Great.....", the chair-lift carried him from right to left across the stage, as dozens of tightly-packed soldiers goosestepped on stage for the delegation to see, their arms at a perfect roman salute. The endless array of soldiers filled up the stage completely as Hindenler adoringly extended his arms out towards them from above, almost as if they saw him as a god. Another chairlift with a papier mache plane built around it whizzed to the stage and exploded in the audience, the faux-kamikaze sending propaganda leaflets everywhere. At the end of the stanza, Alfred mysteriously was carried backstage, likely for a costume change.

Give us our land back, screw Caryton!
The nukes shall fly free once more…
Give us our land back, screw Caryton!
I’m back~!
Invading in style! (I’m invading in style;)
From isle to isle (From isle to isle!)
We’ll bail out from your war crime trial!
Heil!

The soldiers took out various colors of cardboard tilted at the audience as they marched in a perpetual circle like penguins, offensively altering between the nazi, Alta, and LGBT pride flags. Hindenler was obscured, until he came out in a pink bedazzled version of his uniform, unbuttoned to show off his chest muscles bound by a stereotypical black harness. By the fifth or sixth rotation, he took center stage with a riding crop, conducting them as they continued their switching. At the 'I'm back', he cracked the crop dramatically, and the soldiers threw away the cardboard, entering a ballet-type turn which carried on endlessly to signal the climax of the song. At the last two lines, almost nude men in black jockstraps and almost nude women in black bikinis pranced out to the front of the stage, doing cartwheels and hitting a crouched imitation of the nazi symbol. The soldiers hit the roman salute, and Alfred ascended the pole rapidly on the last note, hitting a dramatic pose at the end as imitation cannonfire sent the stage a velvety and seductive red.

The audience's reaction was priceless, whatever it might have been.

by **Spiritual Republic of Caryton** » Wed Feb 10, 2021 7:56 am

37. Caryton
Contributing Love - Sarah Parker

The Artist - The Costume

Background: An immigrant to the SRC and a convert to the Gospel Church of Caryton, this amateur songwriter was chosen by fans for her unusually contemporary style in Caryton's National Final. Contributing Love is the story of her conversion.

tune

I’ve failed you once, I’ve failed you twice,
I’ve lost sight of the paradise, oh- that you’ve created.
The world implodes, the pressure’s salt,
The weight of guilt bears on my heart, and it’s my fault.

Sarah would stand on the center of the stage, surrounded by a dark red haze of guilt. As she held the microphone to her face, the viewer could clearly see a look of remorse on her face. The camera's dead center position leaves nothing for interpretation, a finality that the performer did not 'feel' good about herself.

The past seems so so bright,
And the future: impossible to fight.

All my sins, they’re red as wine-
An unsung guilt is mine, for the takin’
No one to blame, no one to hate-
I’ve built a whole shrine for my shakin’.

A ballet dancer emerges on stage, her elegant gray dress making her indistinct as Sarah is the focus, but as the ballet dancer gracefully swoops and bends, she begins to sway masterfully in time with the ballerina, as if the winds of life were dragging her around. The camera switched to a side view to better capture this visual phenomenon.

One sweet prayer for one sweet soul,
I can start to see how he’s-
Contributing love!

By the time she reaches the 'contributing love' line, the haze is blown away instantly and the ballet dancer soars backstage. The light changes from red to an elegant blue.

One atonement fixed my life!
One Bible’s wiped away my strife... and he’s saved me!
Some good folks and our Cary’s hope-
It’s set up all the world around me, for glee!

I will pray, and I will sing-
This song of good and this song of belief~! (Contributing love!)

Sarah sways her body as she advances towards the edge of the stage. The lights go from blue to an enlightened white, and she reaches her high note with a look of pure joy on her face. A choir and organist in robes adopted by the Gospel Church of Caryton line the back of the stage and back her up.

When I’m all down and out-
All of those past sins, they’ll be burnt down and crushed to the ground!
Contributing love!

All of those mistakes will never stay!
If you’ve got good faith and a life to live for the others’ sake- (If you’ve got good faith and a life to live for the others sake!)
If you’re like Cary and will happily your cause make! (If you’re like Cary and will happily your cause make!)

With the choir's help, she punctuates her statement, raising her hand to the air, and bringing it down as if to make a point that her life has been permanently changed.

And it’s so incredible to say, Jesus saved me today!
Cause he’s contributing… contributing love! (Love. . .!)

Sarah brings her arm out to her side, spread wide open in an accepting grace as the choir holds the final note, the organ holding a bit after that as well. The screens show a depiction of heaven to give a blissful visual ending to the audience.

by **Spiritual Republic of Caryton** » Wed Feb 10, 2021 8:01 am

COMMENTARY - SPIRITUAL REPUBLIC OF CARYTON
Commentary by Carol Emerson, Master's Degree in Music - Music Theory Concentration
with guest host Latanya Anderson
Broadcast by the Trinity Broadcasting Network of Caryton

Disclaimer: Some opinions in this commentary do not reflect my honest opinions about the entry or performing nation, and are merely in-character representations of Carytonic rhetoric and standards.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJuAVXowRUo

CE: Good evening to the goodly and faithful people tuning into Worldvision 88 in Flavezztowland City. I'm your host, Carol Emerson. With me tonight is Latanya Anderson.
LA: Good evening, Carol! It's been a long time since we were put together.
CE: Certainly! What are your hopes for this edition?
LA: I hope and pray it's some good and wholesome fun. We're here to celebrate music, yknow, not make no statements. I ain't gon' be disappointed this time.
CE: We can only hope! Onto the show!

CE:
LA:

0. Opening Act

CE: This one left me feeling quite optimistic, lyrically.
LA: Mmh, don't start makin' no bets yet. Let's see what the first entry's got!

1. British Alberta

CE: Well, the rock and roll is tolerable.
LA: The message is quite agreeable.
CE: We must pray for that country.
LA: Yeah, but about the song itself?
CE: It's... above-average. An okay start but I'm unsure of where this will place.

2. Polkopia

CE: This song lacks dignity, plain and simple.
LA: Girl, it's almost like you rely on mentioning booze and sex to make art.
CE: A weak artist, and one who is on the track to eternal damnation regardless.
LA: Shame, can't even appreciate the music because the context is so inappropriate.

3. Placely Placington

CE: I... I think that cringe hurt my face.
LA: That... was painful to listen to.
CE: Those people lead the country? Lord have mercy on their people's souls.

4. Scotatrova

LA: It's an okay ballad.
CE: Quite average.

5. Faraby

CE: That's more like it!
LA: Praise be! This is a good one!
CE: Point worthy, though?
LA: Maybe. Maybe!
CE: That was an excellent debut.

6. Achaean Republic

CE: I appreciate the biblical illusion, but it's so rock and roll-heavy.
LA: It ain't bad. What do you think?
CE: They can worship how they'd like. I approve of this- even if the music is unconventional.

7. Waisnor

CE: Well, I will admit I haven't enjoyed a breakup song in a good while.
LA: I think it will do well. How you feeling about you?
CE: Can't say, but I like it.

8. Saviera

CE: Brilliant!
LA: Yeah! Ain't no debating this, the audience is roaring!

9. Beepee

CE: He's got a nice tenor.
LA: Instrumentals are definitely wonky, but it isn't too disagreeable.
CE: "I came to Rhim and all I got was intestinal parasites." I... feel we should stay away from the event catering.

10. Hafamarimet

CE: I don't feel too strongly about this one.
LA: Me either, but thankfully it exited that introduction.

11. Izmedu

CE: You know, the Carytonic audience can finally relate to this.
LA: The singer is talented and the lyrics are meaningful.
CE: It's a solid entry, friends.

12. US. Gondor

DISQUALIFIED

13. South Alezia

CE: They're at it again.
LA: I want cake.
CE: For once, this song doesn't really intrigue me.

14. Kalosia

CE: It's aggressive.
LA: This... sounds like pain.
CE: It sounds like satan.
LA: There are ways to channel raw emotion, can't blame him.

15. Oqmet

CE: Quite unsatisfactory, injustices aside.

16. North Alezia

CE: I like it!
LA: Mhm, this one is what a WorldVision entry should be.
CE: Singers are talented too, and it ain't blasphemous or sinful.
LA: We need some optimism right about now.

17. Talvezout

LA: They're heavy on the use of 'lust'.
CE: Uncomfortable.
LA: Mmmmmmhmmmm. The noises too- ack, they're so grating.

18. Nahlcomo

CE: I've heard whale songs that go by faster than this entry.

19. Axuva

DISQUALIFIED

20. Rusmalica

DISQUALIFIED

21. Belgaam

CE: This is an abrasive song, all around.
LA: Carol, do you know what toxic is?
CE: No. Foreign 'pop' slang is certainly unusual.
LA: Amen to that.

22. Koniglich Wasserstein

CE: It's simple, but in such an essentially wholesome way. Bravo!
LA: This is talent. Take some notes, everyone.
CE: I liked the part with the pictures, really takes you on a journey, does it not?

23. Britonisea

CE: This woman's sadism scares me.
LA: It's karmic justice though, apparently.
CE: Her voice is frightfully good. Might I say...it suits this type of song?
LA: Careful, Carol! That excitement might lead you down a sinful girl crush, huh?
CE: Stop joking! I can respect talent where it lies.

24. Antahbrantahstan

CE: Some of the lyrics are a bit repetitive but I don't mind.
LA: Seems very vanilla but at least it ain't blasphemous and turgid like the others.

25. Malta Comino Gozo

CE: I.... that was an experience.
LA: Mhm. I'm shocked.
CE: I'm out of breath, gosh.

26. Carrielle

CE: I quite enjoy this.
LA: Instrumentals are tame, which I enjoy.
CE: Right! We hope this does well.

27. Pemecutan

CE: This is quite lyrically significant, I enjoyed it- and appreciate the use of actual instruments.
LA: Pemecutan doesn't disappoint.
CE: I don't know how well it'll do, but I trust the public will like it.

28. Ertzei Kishim

CE: The lyrics are... energizing.
LA: Pun intended?
CE: Haha, yes. It's a good entry.
LA: That it is.

29. Elejamie

LA: This is creepy.
CE: Quite.
LA: What's with the lotus eating stuff?
CE: No idea. Musically?
LA: I don't have many strong feelings, it just strikes me as odd. Can you even eat lotuses?

30. Crustyland

CE: Is it possible for a song to kill off your brain cells?
LA: Right. This concerns me.
CE: They could use some dance lessons, too.

31. Rhim Flavezztowland

CE: Finally, we arrive at the host bid. Rhim Flavortow- Rhim Flavveztown- Rhim Flavezztowland.
LA: You haven't had this much confusion since learning to say Antahbrantahstan.
CE: Onto the song then! It's... very theatric. The vocalists are talented.
LA: A very strong entry from a host bid! I like it!

32. Christarnea

DISQUALIFIED

33. Greater Korean Juche Republic

CE: I have the feeling their country doesn't like ours.
LA: I haven't been entranced this much by communist propaganda before. It's odd.
CE: Is this what the foreign teenagers call trippy?
LA: An offensive trip for sure. Don't nuke us.

34. Alta Remnants

CE: I'll neglect to comment on this.
LA: Jesus Christ.

35. Caryton

CE: Great palate cleanser!
LA: Honestly, this is one of the few times we've deviated from the norm a bit.
CE: I hope it does us well.

36. Syrche

CE: Why did it have to mention drugs?
LA: Even if it didn't, it's still bland regardless.
CE: Quite. That accursed party bass makes its return.

37. Todlichebujoku

CE: That was a good listen, right?
LA: Yeah. Very above-average considering some of the other entries.

38. Zeganas

DISQUALIFIED

39. Estogium

CE: Unlike the previous song, this one seems mediocre and predictable.
LA: With the addition of wonky instrumentals.
CE: Unpleasant, but I'd feel remorse if I called it 'bad'. It's really not bad.
LA: This sounds like something they'd play in a hip fast food place.

40. Kasanova-Koratika

CE:
LA:

by **Syrche** » Wed Feb 10, 2021 8:57 am

38 . Syrche

Lana Lewis
Thinking of You

Tune: Rina Sawayama - Lucid

Lana Lewis, 24, of Ismae, Syrche, twirled onto the stage in yellow sequined ballgown.
The music had already begun, and she flitted across the stage in a fit of unbridled energy.

(Oh, Oh)
Took a run through my imagination
The only one i see, my captivation
Fueled up on wild ambition
Coming over me (over me)

You are the drug that i'm addicted too (oh, oh oh)
You've got my full attention, all eyes are on you

Lie awake in ever dream
dramatic prose, thematic themes
something that works to fill this blank space
real life can't replace
what's on my mind when im thinking of you

You're a fixture, my constant habit
You're my just can't stop, my gotta have it
Not just one time, my one and only
You make me holy (religiously)

You are the drug that i'm addicted too (oh, oh oh)
You've got my full attention, all eyes are on you

Lie awake in ever dream
dramatic prose, thematic themes
something that works to fill this blank space
real life can't replace
what's on my mind when im thinking of you

I'm still thinking of you
thinking of you
thinking of you
I am addicted
thinking only of you
thinking of you
(REPEAT)

"Thank You Flavezztowland City!!" she said, as she backed off the stage, blowing kissing to the crowd.

by **Todlichebujoku** » Wed Feb 10, 2021 5:18 pm

39. _Tödlichebujoku_

Freedom

REME1

Tune: JVNA - "Breakdown"

Flavezztowland City, Rhim Flavezztowland | just before the contest

Rain pattered softly against the glass as Remei Vivas rode through the streets of Flavezztowland City, gazing outside and reflecting on It wasn't her first time off Jeme, but the vast difference in lifestyle would never cease to catch her by surprise. Even so, the loud, bustling, crowded streets of the glassy city reminded her of Sterblichengokai, the metropolis where she made a name for herself, where she came into her own. The traffic, the bustling crowds, the cafés, the towers.... sometimes it really seemed to her like all the largest cities seemed to blend into one. A far cry from her beginnings in As Juses, across the sea from Taploukku on the shores of Lainhera. She exhaled, fogging up the window, as she recalled those distant, innocent days...

Vila-seka, As Juses | 13 years ago

The old battlefield had long since been overgrown by a dense, dark forest of pines and oaks, but the cratered earth, while thick with moss and ferns, still held dangers and secrets. Remei loved to explore the depths of these woods, against her parents' wishes, and so she crept off whenever she could to escape her parents' overbearing eyes, digging for anything interesting, finding ancient stumps and shattered trunks, and even skeletons of great military beasts resting amidst the undergrowth. Exploring gave her life, away from the regimented life on the farm where everything was known and visible. Here, nothing was known, and little was visible. She knew that it was dangerous, but the rudimentary shell-detecting spells she wove gave her the courage to press onward, the taste of freedom and discovery upon her tongue.

On this particular adventure, she scrambled over a landscape of fallen trunks, amidst a particularly dense stand of pines. Brushing past the omnipresent ferns, she found herself in thickening brush, a tangle of wiry branches and rough leaves all in her face and scratching up her arms. Ow. Ow. Ow. OW. Too caught up in trying to get through the mess of twigs toward the light ahead, Remei lost her step among the old fallen logs and fell forward, crashing through the bushes and into the sunlight. Groaning, she raised herself up and took a look around. Thank the powers I didn't fall into the nettle there, she thought as she took in the clearing before her, which almost seemed to glow in the slanting beams of afternoon light arcing through some young oaks. Dame's rocket, lilies, and lupins bloomed in the glade, a riot of colors she hadn't seen anywhere else. Before her shone an altar, gleaming as a ray of light struck its pale stone surface, a figure visible perched on top. Entranced, Remei stepped forward, approaching the altar cautiously. A sculpture of a six-winged maiden stood atop the structure, broken free of a stony cocoon that lay shattered around her. All along the altar, Remei could see words carved in an old, old dialect, and she could barely figure out what it all said. The only thing that jumped out to her was the name "Cilesti", which sounded quite a bit like the old goddess Sileste which she knew to also have six wings. Tracing her fingers along the grooves and carvings of the rock as she gazed at the figurine above her, Remei suddenly found herself thrust into a different time and space entirely. And face to face with Sileste herself.

Astral Plane | unknown time

"Hello, sweet daughter. You are to be the last to witness me, for my power can only fade in this era of the Caunovian gods. I ask you only to witness my existence, and spread the memory of what I once was." She gazed down, her ethereal form fading in and out of the darkness, struggling to maintain its coherence.

Remei was not ready for this. "What? Why?" She turned around to see where she was, but there was nothing but darkness, and Sileste's glow ahead of her. "Why me? How are you still here?"

"All will be answered in due time," breathed the dying goddess softly. "For now, see the world as I once did." She gestured to Remei, who soon found herself in darkness without Sileste before her.

Something was different, though. She could feel a physical presence all around her, encasing her. Remei realized she knew why, finding herself drawing on Sileste's memories as she frantically struggled, but to no avail. Curino had locked her up in a prison of stone and ice in retaliation for her daring to speak against him in front of Iupare, and so here she was, trapped on a mountainside. Remei soon noticed that she had no control over Sileste's actions, and was really more of a passenger in the goddess's mind, feeling her thoughts and acting out her actions. Sileste, in a fit of rage and desperation after a hundred years of imprisonment, called out to her sisters, finally nearby after all this time, and together they converged to weaken the bonds. But the sisters alone could not free Sileste, and in a moment of panic, transformed into a ball of lightning and burst out of her weakened prison, with stone, ice, and ash cascading down from the air above. Back in her six-winged form, Sileste rose above the burning hillside in front of a number of shocked and awestruck herdsmen, and resolved to hunt down Curino and make him pay. Remei, gripped by the maelstrom of emotions churning within Sileste's psyche, was all to happy to go along for the ride.

Sterblichengokai, Tödlichebujoku | 1 year ago

Remei stretched in front of the balcony of the apartment, taking in the morning view, with warm sunlight beaming through the glass and gleaming towers in the distance. She'd found herself infatuated with producing electronic music, and in the rush of her new passion, had left her brush with the divine far behind, across the sea. But in the past few nights, she had been awash in vivid dreams where she was once again in the goddess's form and reliving portions of her chaotic life. Why am I cursed to live a history documentary every time I go to sleep? she wondered as she gazed at the streams of commuters wafting by before her. She thought she'd done her part by writing everything down and sharing it on the matrix, even working with a professor at a university in Presaderbola on his research into the old gods. She'd learned that academia was stuffy and rather boring, and took off to pursue other interests once that project was done. So why was it all coming back again? Remei puzzled on that for some time, even as she started on her day, organizing and preparing for her next music video. As she hummed and hawed over the video concept, chatting with the producer over crystal, she had a thought. What if I based a song off of Sileste? Prior to this moment, Remei had never considered mixing her current music path with her childhood experience with the goddess, especially with the university project leading her to associate it with dry academia and dusty archives. But now? Maybe there was a little something to that idea. Her conversation with the producer, coincidentally, came to a lull. "Hey, I just got an idea for the next one. Have you ever had, um, divine inspiration?"

The stage is dark. Some of the light bars on the back wall blink blue in time with the opening notes, a different set of bars for each different note. Remei stands on the center platform in a pool of mist, surrounded by chunks of dark stone and crystalline ice, swathed in translucent white robes, specks of silver dust glimmering in her russet hair, a delicate diadem set upon her head. From above, a strong white light throbs upon her in time with the beat as she begins to sing, her gaze level and direct at the camera view. Her shoulders twist back and forth with the beat, as two more throbbing spotlights shine on her from along the stage edge

Voin seistá, voin yuosta, voin taas hengittáá
I can stand, I can run, I can breathe again

Muinaiset unet, kadonnut ayassa
Ancient dreams, lost in time

Valossa he voivat, uudelleen eláá
In the light, they can live again

Tássá olen, vapautan, tokkanksista, ahh
Here I am, breaking free, away from the pain

Her gaze is daring, challenging the audience watching through the camera view, her face very subtly brimming with rage, with the cold white light accentuating her suppressed emotion. As the first verse ends, she takes a moment to pause and turn away from the camera view, looking upwards as bits of gray ash drift down around her. She reaches out to catch a flake of ash, gazing down at it contemplatively, before casting it aside with a derisive smirk at the camera view

Tuhka putoaa, niin hilyaa
Ash falls, so silently

Projected streaks of lightning subtly radiate outwards from her as she steps forward, a piece of ice shattering beneath her bare footsteps, the mist along the stage floor billowing out before her. Strobing lights dart upon her face as she turns toward the camera, a cold, smug smile creeping through as she does so, and a soft breeze begins to blow on her, lightly tossing her shimmering hair and thin robes. Behind her, the light bars echo the streaks of lightning, rippling out toward the edges of the wall

Kiven sirpaleemme, yáán sirpaleet
Your shards of stone, shards of ice

Luujistavat mun alla, kiteiset áánet
They fracture under me, crystalline sounds

Kerro mulle küllá, kerro mulle ei
Tell me yes, tell me no

Koskaan mieli, se on enemmán valheenne
Never mind, it's all more of your lies

Voit sülkeá, voit huutaa
You can spit, you can scream

Kunnes puhkeat palaksi
Until you burst to pieces

Küá
Yeah

The lightning effects and flickering lighting intensify as Remei slowly levitates, the mist wafting back along the ground beneath her, pushed by the breeze. The camera view arcs below, just ahead of her, skimming the mist as she rises amidst the wild lighting, accents of blue and violet streaking out alongside the cool white beams and flashes

Nousen vihasi üli
I'll rise above your hatred

The lights and lightning blitz around Remei with the buildup, with white smoke issuing forth along the stage edges as they are being blasted by wind, creating a dramatic smoky floor effect that replaces the soft mist earlier. Occasional flashes of gold sparks and orange flame are visible within the blast of smoke, driven nearly horizontal by the wind effect, like a fire on a windswept mountainside. A shot closer in on Remei's face sees her gaze forward with steely determination, her subtly applied silvery violet makeup echoing the dramatic light effects around her

Could you live
Could you live
Could you live
With my freedom?

The background screen shows an animation of a stone falling and bursting open, harshly lit against a black background, as the frenetic lighting blinks off around Remei and is replaced by a softer cool white glow. Six feathery wings erupt out from behind her as she hovers some meters above the stage floor, accompanied by a blast of blue-white pyros that blast out from the edge of the stage, the sparks flying backwards over the smoke as they are pushed by the strong wind. White laser lights fan out over the stage and audience, criss-crossing Remei's robes, which ripple in the wind. She has her arms outstretched, her head turned to the side, eyes closed in a peaceful repose, captured by the camera shot as it draws back over the audience and takes in the whole stage before cutting away. With each set of waterdrop-like notes, most of the lights cut out, leaving only a single light on Remei and a radial lightning-like effect on the light bars behind her, before the laser lights and other effects return. She conducts slow, graceful moves and gestures, gazing out serenely over the audience, before singing once again

Could you live
Could you live
Could you live
With my freedom?
Oh, oh

During the buildup, the laserlights turn off, leaving only a rapid ripple effect of white light firing off along the back wall along with the illumination on Remei herself. An array of spotlights courses over the audience from the ceiling in a rapid fire pattern, and the camera view is close in on Remei as she reaches out, looking out into the distance, before the view draws back away from her, incorporating more and more of the rippling lights behind

Could you live
Could you live
Could you live
With my freedom?

All lights cut out into darkness, before being replaced with lightning. Projections, animations, lights that replicate lightning.. and actual bolts of electricity. Most of it radiates out from Remei herself, but two Tesla coil-type towers are now visible along the flanking platforms of the stage, blue and white bolts of electricity striking out into the air. Remei thrusts her hands in various directions, and it looks like bolts of lightning issue forth from her hands, as she smirks with glee. Soon, real bolts of lightning strike down from the ceiling and annihilate the stone prison below Remei, the camera view being sure to capture the moment as it builds up and occurs. As the occasional lightning bolt and strobe light strikes above the audience, Remei continues the chorus, though it's slightly different this time

Can you leave
Can you leave
Can you leave
Me with my freedom

Go and leave
Go and leave
Go and leave
Me with my freedom

The lightning ceases to fire and crackle, the wind dissipates, and the lights fade away into darkness. Remei glides forward over the audience, a softer warm light cast down upon her as she turns to regard the ruins of her stone prison, the shattered stone and ice littering the stage floor. A very subtle ripple of light flickers across the stage background as she turns back forward, her face serene and warm but almost terrifying considering the cold anger she had displayed not long before. Unseen backing singers repeat the chorus as Remei slowly smiles, the light upon her slowly brightening, quite golden now

Could you live, could you live, could you live, could you live...
Could you live
Could you live
Could you live
With my freedom?

An array of gold-white pyros blast up from along the stage edge, incredibly high up into the air, as the laserlights return, this time accompanied by a ring of fire that is ignited along the stage edge, and slowly spreads inwards along the stage floor to the remains of the stone and ice prison. Remei gestures with her hands, with the camera view just aligned so that it seems like she is firing shots of pyrotechnics with her hands. The effects are broken occasionally by a darkening of the stage, with scattered shots of electricity bolting outward from the center, and the light on Remei shifting to a cool white, before returning to a palette of bright gold.

Let me live
Let me live
Let me live
With my freedom

The effects slowly fade as Remei is lowered down onto the farthest projecting platform, only a single soft spotlight remaining on her before the burning stone wreckage behind her. Her head is downcast, but what can be seen of her expression betrays a serene, restful expression as she can finally rest in security and peace, free from constraint, and eventually Remei settles into a sitting position, hair sparkling in the dimming light, before the camera view fades out

"Graasies, kiitos Flavezztowland!" she cries out as the audience applauds and the lights fade back on, the fire behind her extinguishing into a puff of gray smoke. She bows, and after receiving help with her aerial contraption and wings, soon exits the stage.

by **Zeganas** » Fri Feb 12, 2021 3:00 pm

CANCELLED

by **Estogium** » Tue Feb 16, 2021 6:17 pm

#41 ESTOGIUM
Joel Kingstone - "Apologise"
Tune : Ido Dankner - "REBOUND"
Language: English
Duration: 03:04

Joel Kingstone himself: The young 21-year-old will be representing his country at the upcoming 88th WorldVision Song Contest...

Estogium just doesn't know what to do anymore. The nation first participated at the 32nd WorldVision Song Contest and after 56 editions, the country still has yet to win the contest. Estogium has come close, coming 2nd (only seven points away from victory) and 3rd (only three points away from victory) but ever since the 3rd place - which was at the 61st WorldVision Song Contest, Estogium has struggled to get a top 10 placement, always dwelling at the bottom of the scoreboard and we're sure that Estogium won't be getting to the top 10 anytime soon! RVC, the Estogium broadcaster for the WorldVision Song Contest, was starting to get a bit annoyed as they thought that Estogium was always underrated at both the WorldVision Song Contest and World Hit Festivals but saw a glimmer of home last edition after their Eastern neighbours won for the 7th time. Estogium got 15th place - out of 36 nations with a score of 120 points which was pretty good for the country - one of the best (if not the best) since the introduction of the Jury/Televote split. The contest got 1.6 million viewers, which was less than 13% of televiewers watching - which is like the lowest ever. When RVC opened song submissions to the WorldVision Song Contest, it was announced that RVC received 26 applications. It showed that Estogium's interest in the contest just isn't as high as it used to be with many Estogian writers sending songs to Britonisea or even Nightom hoping they can make their break there.

Anyway, in this edition, Joel Kingstone was picked to be the Estogian representative and what more could you want? He's a very attractive, tall, youthful, straight but gay for pay male - something we know Estogium sends all the time - and he's sending a song that will probably be overlooked by most WorldVision fans. At the end of the day, he's only trying to get more followers for his OnlyFans page (since apparently every Estogian male has one!). Anywho, Joel is really excited about going to Rhim Flavourtowland, as he called it on his OnlyFans page, so good luck to him!

He is standing on the stage by himself.

Summer nights by the beach holding your hand,
Where did I... go wrong?
You and I, we were cool and then suddenly you left
I've been left to think I caused you pain,
You are always on my mind. (oh no no no)
But if I don't know what I'm sorry for
How do we reconcile?

I'd move and Heaven and Earth to sort this out,
Give me demands, 'cuz I'd do whatever.
But how can I say sorry when you're so distant,
Won't call me, won't text me, no
All I want to do is apologise, I'll apologise

Suddenly some really nice looking dancers joined him on the stage. They danced together in unison.

Summer nights by the beach holding your hand,
Where did I... go wrong?
You and I, we were cool and then suddenly you left
I've been left to think I caused you pain,
You are always on my mind. (oh no no no)
But if I don't know what I'm sorry for
How do we reconcile?

I'd move and Heaven and Earth to sort this out,
Give me demands, 'cuz I'd do whatever.
But how can I say sorry when you're so distant,
Won't call me, won't text me, no
All I want to do is apologise, I'll apologise

Joel danced very cool-ly with his backup dancers. The lights were flashing crazy!

I'd move and Heaven and Earth to sort this out,
Give me demands, 'cuz I'd do whatever.
But how can I say sorry when you're so distant,
Won't call me, won't text me, no
All I want to do

I'd move and Heaven and Earth to sort this out,
Give me demands, 'cuz I'd do whatever.
But how can I say sorry when you're so distant,
Won't call me, won't text me, no
All I want to do is apologise, I'll apologise

Call me
Give me demands, 'cuz I'd do whatever.
But how can I say sorry when you're so distant,
Won't call me, won't text me, no
All I want to do is apologise, I'll apologise

At the end of the song there was a lovely huge cheer and Estogium's act left the stage!

by **Elejamie** » Fri Feb 19, 2021 10:21 am

ETV1 presents WorldVision 88 - English language commentary by Cerin Erali and Flynn Taggart

by **Kasanovakoratica** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 6:59 pm

42.KASANOVA-KORATICA

Tune: Nokia Ringtone Arabic

Hello

N/A

There are no sources chronicling the life and existence of N/A. No one is quite sure who he is or where he came from. Some say he is simply a figment of one's imagination. But whatever the conjecture, he certainly has attained physical form tonight, and achieved a completely normal attendance at this WorldVision. As with all things Kasanova-Koratica, he is shrouded in mystery but at least he is cool enough to perform. Not that anyone would realize that. But it's good enough for the bureaucrats processing the applications, so here we are. Are we? Who knows.

An audience member's phone goes off. After 24 seconds of him very awkwardly trying to find his phone, he finally manages to get it and answer it. All eyes in the stadium are upon him. He stands, then walks to the stage.

Hello? Yes, it's me. Um. Do I know you?

He quirks his head back, pausing just as he makes it onto the stage. He turns to the audience, as if asking them, "Can you believe this guy??!!" before answering again.

I'm really sorry, but I really did not buy any prostate massagers and I am not interested. I know I ordered a flashlight last night but seriously! What makes you think I want- beads? What on earth does this have to do with the other? I-

He is interrupted by the caller- sighing, he rolls his eyes as he paces along the stage platform. The audience members stare at one another, wondering what on earth is going on. Is this the Kasanovan entry? Or is the Kasanovan entry not showing up? Help!

The man sits down on the stage, then lies down. A dramatic camera angle zooms in on him from above. Apparently the camera operators are bored.

Look, okay, maybe I misread and ordered 1 thousand flashlights instead of one. But that's an easy mistake! And I just don't understand why you are calling me in the middle of my night like this! I don't care what a whole sale is but please, stop calling me about this nonsense and maybe we can live our lives happily.

He looks absolutely done. He sits back up, gets up on his feet, and skips along the edge of the stage, as if no one is watching him. The phone lets loose a blast of garbled noise that the microphone can't quite pick up, but it's okay. That's just how life is.

Okay, FINE. I'll buy your vibraters. The wife says I'm too tense anyway. Ugh, you have my billing information anyway so just do it. I'm so done with this. Okay. Good. Great. Yes. Mmhmm.

His face is sour, his expression weary. He just wants to move on with his life. Don't we all? He looks up apologetically at the audience, acknowledging them again with an air of despondency and sadness. His gaze then arcs into the unknown as he attempts to demanifest from existence. He fails.

Okay, bye. Love you. Yeah.

He hangs up on the call, scrambles down from the stage, then strides back to his seat as if nothing had happened. Then he passes out and begins to snore. An annoyed seat neighbor puts a pillow on his face.

by **Rhim Flavezztowland** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 7:24 pm

The interval act - "Yeah Yeah Yeah" by Thundervale
(to the tune of "Yayaya" by T-ARA)

Thundervale, a Flavezztowlander all-female trio that was formed under A-Nation Entertainment in 2008, was to perform the interval act at WorldVision 88. The song that they chose to perform for this, "Yeah Yeah Yeah", was originally released on January 25, 2011 as the title track of the trio's first studio album (Evolution), and is considered to be Thundervale's breakout hit as 1) the studio album that it was included with sold 1 million physical copies and was downloaded 4 million times within a month, and 2) its music video went viral after it was uploaded onto 2 of the most popular video-sharing platfoms in Rhim Flavezztowland. The secret to the popularity of "Yeah Yeah Yeah" is, as one of the song's producers (Miki Hashimoto) said in a 2011 FTV1 interview, its catchy lyrics and beats, as well as the music video's concept.

As N/A of Kasanova-Koratica had finished his WV88 performance, it was almost time for the interval act to begin. All three of the Thundervale members - Elaine "Elly" Mayford, Cora Schneider, and Miyuki "Miyu" Yamanashi - were on the stage in a straight line position. As the song's instrumental began playing, green-colored lasers began to be emitted upwards from the stage's perimeter, all of the LED screens went dark, and all of the LED lights were switched off.

Do you know us, guys?
We're Thundervale!
Now let's go!

The LED lights then quickly lit up in a northward direction, the green-colored lasers stopped being emitted in an instant, and the LED screens then started to show the word "Yeah" being repeated on a white background. When the three started singing, fireworks were emitted from the stage's perimeter; upon the first time the lyric of "yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah" was sung, the words on the LED screens would start moving in a leftward direction.

Everyone go yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Just like this, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Umpah-loompah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Follow me like yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Everyone go yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Just like this, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Umpah-loompah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Follow me like
(Everybody)

The LED screens then changed to show random punctuation marks on a black background and continuously changing, and then it was time for Elly to sing her solo lines.

Baby, baby, why don't we just settle down a lil' bit?
Baby, baby, what sorts of those flavors do you like, like?
'Cause you're, 'cause you're so cool, so cool
'Cause you're, 'cause you're so hot, so hot
(Ah yeah, ah-ah yeah...)

The LED screens then went back to showing the word "Yeah" being repeated on a white background and having the words on them move in a leftward direction.

Everyone go yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Just like this, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
'Cause I know you, 'cause I'm in love with you, yeah, yeah, yeah
Umpah-loompah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Follow me like yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
'Cause love's like I'm with
(Everybody)

After the chorus was sung, the LED screens began flashing twice every second, and the three began dancing like robots onstage.

Oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my
My, oh my, my, oh my
Baby, I'm spinnin' around 'cause I like you, you
Everyone go my, oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my
Baby, I'm spinnin' around 'cause I like you, you
Oh-oh-oh my, oh my, oh
Oh-oh-oh my, oh my, oh
Oh-oh-oh my, oh my, oh
My, oh my, my, oh my
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
My, oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my goodness
My, oh my, oh my

The LED screens stopped flashing and the three stopped dancing, and then the words on those screens stopped moving, but would move again after the lyric of "yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah" was sung again.

Everyone go yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Just like this, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Umpah-loompah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Follow me like yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Everyone go yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Just like this, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Umpah-loompah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Follow me like
(Everybody)

Once Miyu had sung the word "everybody", aqua jets were emitted from the stage perimeter; it was then time for Cora to sing her solo lines, whilst the LED screens began showing flashing dots.

Baby, baby, today's so special 'cause you love me, me
Baby, baby, come with me so we'll have a night out, out
'Cause you're, 'cause you're lovely, lovely
'Cause you're, 'cause you're happy, happy
(Ah yeah, ah-ah yeah...)

The LED screens then went back to showing the word "Yeah" being repeated on a white background and having the words on them move in a leftward direction.

Everyone go yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Just like this, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
'Cause I know you, 'cause I'm in love with you, yeah, yeah, yeah
Umpah-loompah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Follow me like yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
'Cause love's like I'm with
(Everybody)

After the chorus was sung, the LED screens began flashing twice every second, and the three began dancing like robots onstage.

Oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my
My, oh my, my, oh my
Baby, I'm spinnin' around 'cause I like you, you
Everyone go my, oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my
Baby, I'm spinnin' around 'cause I like you, you
Oh-oh-oh my, oh my, oh
Oh-oh-oh my, oh my, oh
Oh-oh-oh my, oh my, oh
My, oh my, my, oh my
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
My, oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my goodness
My, oh my, oh my

All the LED lights were then dimmed by 10%, and all three of the LED screens then displayed loading circle animations as Miyu sang her rap.

Everyone go yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Just like this, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Follow me like yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Sweetie, I know you're so cool, cool, cool, cool
Oh, baby, you're super hot
'Cause you can do things that I cannot
My heart goes thump-a-thump 'cause I'm with you a lot

The LED lights were then fully brightened and the LED screens then went blank, only to start changing colors every 2 seconds as all three of the members started singing in an ensemble and dancing like robots again.

Oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my
My, oh my, my, oh my
Baby, I'm spinnin' around 'cause I like you, you
Everyone go my, oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my
Baby, I'm spinnin' around 'cause I like you, you
Oh-oh-oh my, oh my, oh
Oh-oh-oh my, oh my, oh
Oh-oh-oh my, oh my, oh
My, oh my, my, oh my
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
My, oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my goodness
My, oh my, oh my

The LED screens then faded to black as all of the members knelt down in a circle; at the start of the "yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah" lyric, pyrotechnics and colorful lasers were simultaneously emitted from the stage's perimeter.

Everyone go yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

The audience then cheered for Thundervale as the LED lights went off; it was then time for the hosts to explain the voting methods to all international viewers + the physical audience within the host venue...

by **Rhim Flavezztowland** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 7:27 pm

[IC] WorldVision 88 in Flavezztowland City

24 | Britonisea | Roksie Rakas - Come What May

28 || PEMECUTAN || MITHA KEMALA - CERITA CINTA

I apologise in advance to mobile users

41 | Estogium | Joel Kingstone - Apologise

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