WorldVision Song Contest 100 | Grand Final | Monterra KLS

by **Kalosia** » Wed Jul 20, 2022 4:23 pm

WELCOME TO THE
WorldVision Song Contest 100
Grand Final

Live from Monterra, Kalosia

OOC Thread • Host Bid • Semifinal Thread • Playlist • Recap (alternative) • Liveshow

Saturday, 23 July 2022. 20:59 KST.

Preparations for the live broadcast had been happening all day. Earlier in afternoon dress rehearsals had taken place and at this point, the main focus was to make sure that the Arenë Mediteranika was connected by satellite and able to broadcast the show to viewers across the multiverse with no interruptions. Technicians and the production crew were making last minute checks to ensure that they were all set to go live. From the TV room, the person in charge of the technical production was staring somewhat nervously at the main screen, occasionally peeking at the countdown timer or scanning across all the other screens to make sure everything was okay.

"30 seconds," he said into his headpiece, which was picked up by other technical crew members. This was the moment they had all been working towards for the past several months, although the abrupt announcement of semifinals by the WorldVision Committee near-tripled their workload. After many sleepless nights and a handful of successful rehearsals, however, there is now a degree of confidence that they were able to sort everything out and put together a coherent show.

"20 seconds." As we drew closer to 9pm, it seems that everything was set, and we just needed to wait until the top of the hour before beaming the IBA ident into television sets in millions of households, watching from many, many countries. There was a similar countdown being shown on the LED screen behind the stage, allowing the audience members to build hype and excitement. They, too, were nervous. At the 5-second mark, the screen will go dark and the counting stopped to ensure the show is put on air as seamlessly as possible.

"10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2..."

IBA ident

And now the live feed was being beamed onto satellite receivers in all corners of the multiverse. The broadcast initiated with the newly-launched official ident of the International Broadcasting Alliance, the telecommunications union affiliated with the WorldVision Committee, the organizing body of the contest. This signal officially marks the beginning and end of an IBA production, although its adoption is currently still optional for member broadcasters.

Once the ident had elapsed, the screen faded to black for a moment before displaying...

tune: Electric Sunrise — Plini

We begin our journey in Serelian, Swilatia, which hosted the very first WorldVision Song Contest. Life there has changed since the inaugural edition took place 15 years ago. Slowly, it changes to...

And finally, we arrive at the waterfront of Monterra, Kalosia, where a structure almost resembling the skeleton ribcages of an animal stands tall. This is the Arenë Mediteranika, venue of the 100th WorldVision Song Contest.

[transition]

Opening Act: Dafne Maržanu sings "Tonight Tonight"
tune: Tonight Tonight — Celeste

A silhouette stands alone on the middle of the stage, dimly lit. Of course, this is Dafne. The camera slowly zooms out as she sings the opening lines to the song.

Tonight, tonight
You’re the one that I miss
Tonight, tonight
My home is where the heart is
Tonight, tonight
How can I not love this?
Tonight, tonight

Now it switches to a spidercam which pans across the left side of the stage, the angle showing Dafne on the right side of the screen. A 'path' opens on the stage floor, running all the way from the top of the left pillar to the front of the stage (following the LED lines that run along the stage floor), and on this path, several pieces of footage are shown, featuring the winning moments of the WorldVision 100 competing acts in their respective national finals. [BE SPECIFIC]
There was also footage of internally selected acts being introduced as their country's representatives in press conferences and televised shows.

I was listening to love songs, no one listens anymore
While thinking of the person that you were not long before
I know that things have changed, still you’re the one that I adore
You’re the one that I adore

After all we’ve worked to build, it’s time to put ourselves on show
Looking for your shadow through the light beneath the door
And I want you so badly, no, I’ve never wanted more
Oh, I’ve never wanted more

Back to Dafne

Tonight, tonight
You’re the one that I miss
Tonight, tonight
My home is where the heart is
Tonight, tonight
How can I not love this?
Tonight, tonight

Tonight, tonight
Come satisfy my longing
Tonight, tonight
In all my prayers, I’m hoping
Tonight, tonight
You’ll hold me til morning
Tonight, tonight

Now the same scene repeats as in the earlier verse, but using the right half of the stage instead. And this time, the footage displayed depicts the entrants in their respective promotional tours, pre-parties including the one in Junterapten, Britonisea, and other WorldVision-related events. These clips particularly display memorable moments being made as the acts interact with each other, having a good time.

I set out for a walk and took a stroll down memory lane
While hoping for new moments with you, any time and place
I tried to leave my thoughts but I could never stay away
I could never stay away

And in many years from now, will you remember who we were?
Living here in colour, laughing like we’re amateurs
For nights like those, we don’t know when again they will occur
When again they will occur

Back to Dafne.

Tonight, tonight
You’re the one that I miss
Tonight, tonight
My home is where the heart is
Tonight, tonight
How can I not love this?
Tonight, tonight

Tonight, tonight
Come satisfy my longing
Tonight, tonight
In all my prayers, I’m hoping
Tonight, tonight
You’ll hold me til morning
Tonight, tonight

I wish you’d be here
Whisper in my ear
That you won’t go, cause I don’t know
When this will be o~ver

Tonight, tonight
You’re the one that I miss
Tonight, tonight
My home is where the heart is
Tonight, tonight
How can I not love this?
Tonight, tonight

I wish you’d be here (Tonight, tonight, come satisfy my longing)
Whisper in my ear (Tonight, tonight, in all my prayers, I’m hoping)
That you won’t go (Tonight, tonight)
Cause I don’t know (You’ll hold me til morning)
When this will be o~ver (Tonight, tonight)

Tonight, tonight

The audience cheers. Dafne vacates the stage as it is prepared for the Parade of Nations.

by **Kalosia** » Wed Jul 20, 2022 4:26 pm

Parade of Nations
tune: WV100 Parade of Nations
(alternative: Gold (DubVision Extended Remix) — AVIRA, Chriss Howard, DubVision)

After panning through the crowd for several moments, suddenly the music came on again. The crowd cheered louder, and it was shown that the stage had been cleared. Suddenly a voiceover said "Please welcome, the 28 acts competing in the Grand Final of the 100th WorldVision Song Contest!"

"Tödlichebujoku!" the voiceover declared. And just like that, Almatsi Mustonen came on from the back of the stage, waving at the crowd, before exiting down stairs at the left-front of the stage. "Waisnor", the voiceover read out next, and Virgin Marina entered the stage, before later exiting through the stairs at the right-front of the stage. The exit stairs would alternate throughout this parade. You know how the rest goes.

01 Tödlichebujoku
[ Entry • [url=X]Votes[/url] ]

02 Waisnor
[ Entry • Votes ]

03 Erie-Arcadia
[ Entry • Votes ]

04 Flusia
[ Entry • Votes ]

05 Achaean Republic
[ Entry • Votes ]

06 Polkopia
[ Entry • Votes ]

07 Scotatrova
[ Entry • Votes ]

08 Llalta
[ Entry • Votes ]

09 Ertzei Kishim
[ Entry • Votes ]

10 Besen
[ Entry • Votes ]

11 Britonisea
[ Entry • Votes ]

12 Pemecutan
[ Entry • [url=X]Votes[/url] ]

13 Titaniumland
[ Entry • Votes ]

14 Beepee
[ Entry • Votes ]

15 Moorland
[ Entry • [url=X]Votes[/url] ]

16 Caryton
[ Entry • Votes ]

17 Ethane
[ Entry • [url=X]Votes[/url] ]

18 Alezian Union
[ Entry • Votes ]

19 Kalosia
[ Entry • [url=X]Votes[/url] ]

20 Quebec & Shingoryeo
[ Entry • [url=X]Votes[/url] ]

21 Togonistan
[ Entry • Votes ]

[OOC: Page break]

After Titan Fang from Togonistan came on, there was a quick pause as the camera panned around the audience, displaying their enthusiasm. And then we continued with the next act, Christina Louis from Antahbrantahstan.

22 Antahbrantahstan
[ Entry • [url=X]Votes[/url] ]

23 Izmedu
[ Entry • [url=X]Votes[/url] ]

24 Elejamie
[ Entry • Votes ]

25 Malta Comino Gozo
[ Entry • Votes ]

26 Aenglide
[ Entry • Votes ]

27 Carrelie
[ Entry • [url=X]Votes[/url] ]

28 The Hlhata States
[ Entry • Votes ]

Also check out votes from: Saviera • Axuva • StrayaRoos • Crustyland • Norrp • Northern Beepee • Ikslund • Te Ika-a-Maui Me Te Waipounamu • Darkmania • Filshia • Electrum Diplomatic Offices • Dentricia • Placely Placington • Adab • Cakranegara • Vartugia • Antenovaria • Fatimanian Federation • Zwangzug • Electrum • South Batoko • Hafamarimët • Yvesia

Last update: after 31/51 voters (up to Caryton)

The voiceover said, "And now, please welcome our hosts, Naómi Dionnë & Eduárdu Orťiaga!" The pair walk on the stage.

Naómi & Eduárdu: Good evening multiverse!

The audience cheers. The hosts talk a bit more.

Let the WorldVision Song Contest 100 begin!

by **Kalosia** » Wed Jul 20, 2022 4:31 pm

01. _Tödlichebujoku_

Quarter To Two

Almatsi Mustonen

Tune: Rina Sawayama - "This Hell"

The caravan car was quiet, surprisingly empty actually. The faint aroma of incense hung about in the cabin as Almatsi gazed emptily across it, a blur of fields and trees passing by, seen but unremembered by her as she lay there, lost in hectic thought, hurtling toward a city she'd never been to, for a dream that only she had wanted. Chimes began to ring out from the crystal by her side - her áiti, once again, after two missed calls. With a shaky breath, she answered.

"Almatsi! Are you okay?? What were you doing! Your mom and I were worried sick about you! When we call, you must answer!"

Ugh, again. Couldn't a girl get some peace and quiet? "I know, sorry, I was busy, I'm okay-"

"How busy can you be, singing in a bar or on the street corner??? Now, your mom had the initiative to research some wonderful schools and internships in Estegoa for law, engineering, and medicine. There are some excellent opportunities for you out there, though not as good as the ones back here around Urvateršippai. I can't believe you had to leave us like that but if you are going all the way out there, at least take a look at what professional career options are out there in the big city."

"Áiti, please, can yo-"

"You know how Estegoa's like. So many strangers, so many foreigners! I didn't birth you to have a daughter selling herself in the street, whether with her voice or her body, or handing out pamphlets on the corner to sell some new foreign religion, or, powers forbid, slaving away in the food industry at some horrid little shop all day and all night. No. I raised you to rise to a PROFESSIONAL and SUSTAINABLE career based on skills and not your body. You will be reaching high for the family and give back to us like we gave to you. That's only proper and right, isn't it?"

She sighed, tired of hearing the same old rant again. "Thanks for your concern, I'll take care of myself, you've raised a perfectly fine young lady and-"

"That's darn right, and I'm glad to not hear any backtalk from you. It's about time you listened to your old áiti. Did you hear about auntie Ilta's daughter Hellá? She's gotten an engineering position on the orbital longboat, and even sent dear old Ilta some vials of lunar dust! She was always talented in school just like you, and I..."

Almatsi set the crystal down on the seat next to her, and looked around. Good. The only nearby person was someone way back behind her, reclining and listening to what seemed to be some throwback Tabitha Shamaimah hit, judging by the beats and snippets that managed to drift over to her. She was so envious of his position, wishing she could finally give in to her crushing weariness and just let her worries go, drifting away with the welcoming embrace of rest and sleep.. but she had to transfer lines soon, and beyond, that, the lights and action of Estegoa. She had no time to rest.

She tried to keep her calm as an assistant made sure her outfit was fitted and fastened correctly. This could be her big break, her time in the sun, the limelight. The success she needed to launch her career onto the path she knew she could achieve, somehow. The media kept hyping her up, and even the producers acted like she was already a star, readying interviews and photoshoots which she happily obliged as they directed, and act the part they asked her to play. Internationally, she knew the mood was nowhere near the fever pitch she had been exposed to here, but still, Starfall was only in its second season and there were others to steal the spotlight, like An Na of Polkopian Worldvision fame collaborating with Tödlichebujoki duo PAKXRA, who was set to close the night. But still, she was fairly confident she could make it. And there, the hosts had finished their little opener, and it was time for her to shine, and kick off the first performance of the Pulsar heat.

...Anything you want, anything you might like
Anything around, anything that feels right
Anything at all, anything that's in sight
Make you come alive, alive

Alive, alive
Alive, so high

The post-performance high (lol) was exhilarating, and Almatsi was certain she would be going to to perform alongside An Na, and probably Letenje in the Collision final. Sipping on a light cocktail, she leaned back in her seat in the greenroom, waving to the cameras and posing for pictures as the various other acts went on stage, and voting began. The atmosphere around her was just so lively and bubbly, as she breezed through some interviews with an air of excitement and coyness, and it felt like a whirlwind dream.. especially considering what began to happen next. The qualifiers began to be announced... Vítor Rasizade. MXB. And finally, the third qualifier. Initially, Almatsi remained confident, convinced that the producers probably just wanted to build suspense before announcing her last. But then, gazing upon the board, she snapped back to reality. With dawning horror, she realized that neither she nor An Na had yet bet announced - one of them, or perhaps both were bound to have performed their last for the event. Her cocktail glass quivered in her fingers as she processed this, with recording crystals hovering in her face as the final qualifier was called - An Na & PAKXRA. In utter shock, her glass crashed to the floor and she buried her face in her hands, wishing for all the world to have gone invisible and huddled into a locked, dark room... but instead all the while having her emotional breakdown and flood of tears being broadcast live to the nation and indeed, the world. It felt like the end.

Mirth and laughter rang through Almatsi's head for months each time she stepped out into the world outside her apartment- no one was rude enough to do it to her face, but the gales of mockery were easily visible to her in any discussion of Starfall, especially discourse etched in the crystallomatrix. And of course it wouldn't just be faceless strangers having a laugh at her expense, taken by the broadcast tale of a ditzy spoiled girl getting a taste of cold hard reality. No, her parents came calling all the more incessantly, and it took her an embarrassingly long time to finally shut out their manipulative shenanigans and cease contact, all the while also taking in her younger sister Keeve, who had just fled the oppressive confines of their old home. Somehow, Keeve was more fiery and outspoken than even Almatsi was, and their shared living arrangement was vital in giving Almatsi the strength to move on from the past, and put her genuine self into her work.

It was strikingly easy to play the waiting game, to outlast the schadenfreude in the public mind, aside from the annoyance of having to turn down the initial rush of interview requests from various media outlets. It was really only through Keeve's support, that she would finally come into her own, and work to regain the trust and support of the public. Her Starfall drama ended up helping, at the very least, in triggering name recognition among fans and record companies, and from that base her career finally began gaining traction, with critics noting the maturation of themes and conduct in comparison to their earlier impression of her persona. Perhaps, in the end, through a long detour, Starfall really was her big break.

Almatsi Mustonen Goes To WorldVision!
Aila Kišimoto, Kaltekasai Daily
One of the nation's latest top pop starlets is making her debut on the WorldVision stage in time for the 100th anniversary of the contest. After making a strong showing at the Pulsar heat of the Starfall 2 national final some time ago with her song "ANYTHING", she became a regular on the top charts despite not qualifying to the final. Her debut album "Kaunis Mürkkü" debuted at number 2 to critical acclaim, with many said critics noting their surprise at how much the fully fleshed-out thematic and musical content contrasted with her initial airheaded impression that many had taken to be her personality when first viewing her on the screen. Continuing to defy expectations, her continuing success has led her to a rendezvous back with TÖBUK, and the opportunity to finally strut her stuff on the international stage.

With her arrival in WorldVision, her star may only rise higher. Her song, "Quarter To Two", inspired by the horrific crisis not long ago, and its aftershocks to the current day, has just been released after her performance at the Junterapten Pre-Party in Britonisea. As semi-finals are becoming seriously likely for the first time in the history of WorldVision, the competition will be extremely tough, and we wish the best of luck to Almatsi and her team!

UPDATE: There is a claim surfacing around the matrix and among the WV fan and betting community that Bugge Birg and Takako Raudive will be representing the nation with the song "Big Dick, Hot Lips" to celebrate hetero pride. This is confirmed to be fully untrue, and is a hoax perpetrated by the rogue broadcaster Viisi Vanhaa Maitomiestá xD. Please pay close attention to the sources of such "news" before you take it as truth and share it!

Despite this announcement, Tödlichebujoku's placement in international betting had still taken a hit. VVMxD's antics had proven to be a highly convincing source of disinformation, and left many outworlders unaware of Almatsi's selection and her song. With luck, Almatsi can continue work against the current and still succeed tonight.

The lead-up to WorldVision 100 was an absolute whirlwind of events. Almatsi found herself performing and interviewing everywhere from the Junteräpten Pre-Party in Britonisea to the Foundation Day festivities in Santa Lucija, Malta Comino Gozo. By the time she landed in Monterra, she was honestly exhausted and opted to crash in the hotel and watch some movies, rather than face the famously treacherous Kalosian steps that once claimed the bodily integrity of the WorldVision hopeful Eleanora Buckingham. With her schedule launching straight into rehearsals after that first day, she unfortunately did not have any time or energy whatsoever to go about seeing the sights of Kalosia before her performance in the first semi-final, where she faced stiff competition against the likes of Melis Bileh of Ertzei Kishim, Jaza of Besen, and Gertrude Pullman of the Electrum Diplomatic Offices, among many others. The chatter out and about in the WorldVision sphere was that the first semi-final was going to be the more difficult of the two to qualify from, and so Almatsi threw all she could into ensuring her effort was the best it could possibly be. With all that happening, the days of rehearsals, and even the big grand day itself, flew past like a fever dream. Only her performance really stuck in her mind, with how much she'd rehearsed it - the whole voting and qualifier reveal with its drama, from her own qualification to the Alezian Union's shock qualification, and Axuva's shock non-qualification, all passed for her in a haze of sensory overload. It really wasn't until the morning after, that she could sit at a cozy little café and finally take it all in.

It wasn't like the café was known for its views, but the radiance of the Mediterranean sunshine reflecting off the pale old stone and stucco façades across the narrow street made up for it in warmth and brilliance. Almatsi sipped the Kalosian tea blend slowly, thoughtfully, savoring its nuances as she took the time to be present in her first truly open day since landing. She hadn't competed in any big contests or such since her formative Starfall experience, and so it simply felt incredible, so surreal to have actually made it through to the grand final. Thinking onward to some of her fellow performers on the night, she just really had to feel happy for Andi FM, the amateur singer from the Alezian Union that made it into the final against all odds. Though drama was exploding in the online world about who deserved to qualify and who didn't, and accusations about a WMCA voting bloc being the only reason he made it through, Almatsi preferred to avoid sinking too deep into the wormhole of such discussion, remembering all too well her own experience that still lay fresh in her memory. Maybe she should meet up with him later, say hello, learn a bit more about him. As she dipped one of the biscotti into her tea, she reminisced over watching Elektra Stryke and Bernadette Ainsdoter, that riotous duo from Ikslund - she really should meet them soon before they go. She bit into the softened biscuit, humming in surprise at the flavor. Oh wow, this café is really doing something special with their baking! There was chocolate, almond... something else... ginger? She was certainly no chef, so she could only roughly guess at what it could be. As she pondered the mystery ingredient, the bell on the front door jingled, signaling the arrival of Areceli Vasta and Eva Renati, who were a bit late for the big-NF girl's breakfast meetup, but Almatsi had all the time in the world to spare for them. At least, until her afternoon jaunt with Titaniumland's Elle Janiak at the marina. Of course, her RO draw of performing first in the grand final would cause a minor mountain of stress and flashbacks, but for the moment, she put all that aside, and resolved to enjoy her free day and be present in the moment with new friends.

The first entry of the night starts off with the camera view capturing a silver blue sheen on a large glossy circular platform, amidst a sea of darkness. White lights slowly brightening, revealing a feminine silhouette, sitting, arched back, hair draping behind her, arm outstretched as if waking up, perhaps blocking out a ray of sun. Her head faces upward, eyes closed, as she rotates upon the platform, and as the music becomes stronger and crisper a light begins to illuminate her from the front of the stage, revealing her to be in a tightly fitting bright pink outfit and holding some sort of device in her hand. The platform slows down to a stop, where Almatsi pivots her head toward the audience

Overall concept:

You know it

Dancers dressed in caricatures of underworldly creatures with suits and ties march across the stage from both sides, with some being wheeled along in luxurious executive chairs by human assistants. As Almatsi begins to sing, she tears her attention away from the crystal in her hand to face the camera, a look of surprise and confusion on her face - close in to the camera view as if she were on a sitcom reacting to some insane situation (which she literally is)

Who's that, speaking on the screens and text upon my crystal?
This Regent's now a devil?
Up on our capitol hill?

She hops off the platform and wanders down the stage as various nefarious and horned figures stride and are wheeled across the stage in various directions. Almatsi whips her head this way and that in confusion, before stumbling along to a conveniently placed table and stool, which are petite and of a stylish mid-century modern aesthetic because we're on stage. On either side, the raised ends of the stage turn a deep red, like devil horns

Demons, napping in our loveliest of CEO seats
My money's, gone missing
Only got these old nuggets to eat

She looks a bit sideways at the plate of nuggets on the table, before picking one up and inspecting it, probably for mold or funky smells, before dropping it back onto the plate, gazing out into the distance, forlorn, as the stage empties and the ambient lighting fades away, with an pulsing orange glow in the background and stage screens that seems especially far away, but still somewhat threatening. Almatsi is at a loss, her earlier confused but carefree demeanor collapsing to reveal one of fear and distress as she begins the pre-chorus, but soon wrapping it back away behind a wall of bravado as she knocks back a shot and turns to the audience with determination and bravado

We see that riotous glow, fire melting the snow
And I don't know what to do
Come and spill your damn tea, ignore reality
And drown our fear in booze

She sets the glass back on the table and turns around as an array of partygoers begin to fill the stage with a whirlwind of movement, in a color-coordinated myriad of outfits. Almatsi appears at the front of center stage to begin the chorus, with the partygoers behind her following her dance moves in lockstep, even while raising their own drink glasses and bottles. A variety of lights and lasers flash and swivel to complete the party atmosphere as all on stage clap and step to the beat

World ends at, quarter to two
Tonight is all we got, it's been hellish since noon
Oh the laws of physics shatter, morality don't matter, oo-ooh
World's ending, quarter to two
It's true
It's true
Oh, it's true
World's ending, quarter to two

Yes, some of the partiers behind her are not living, but very much vibrant with a zest for fun. It's a very diverse cast, with a noticeably chaotic edge as various members get close and intimate while dancing, stepping and spinning about in time with Almatsi, stage screens cast in gold and silver shades. As the chorus ends, she turns her head to watch some of her party attendees over her shoulder with a twinkle in her eye while singing. With fiery passion, she turns back to the camera, before being distracted by a series of knocks on a suddenly-revealed door at the left of the stage

Send that ex a message, alive or ghostly, no one will care
All genders, sexes are fair
Fuck all those laws gone nowhere-
Oh, no, hear that knock, an, underworldly cop attorney
This lawsuit that they're serving, don't even read it to me

A suited figure with a pallid gray skin tone and nefarious aura can be seen rapping their knuckles at the door prop. Barely giving them the time of day Almatsi glances and gestures dismissively at them with a quick eyeroll, as one of the partygoers throws the printed lawsuit right back into their face, resulting in a wild flurry of papers that is picked up by the current of air from an errant wind machine. Almatsi has swiftly moved on from the incident, getting down and dirty with a random dancer as the ambient lighting tones down to a soft warm glow, a golden spotlight upon her while in the embrace of her companion of the moment

See that riotous glow, fire melting the snow
But now we know what to do
Come and spill your damn tea, ignore reality
And drown our fear in booze

She clinks bottles with someone nearby in a toast to the end of the world before knocking it back, a mischievous grin on her face, eyes glinting with glee. With the camera view close in for an almost intimate moment between the TV audience and Almatsi, she purrs out an invitation

Ah! Let's dance.

Almatsi and the partying dancers behind her form an organized grid array as they dance in sync, with a giant projection of a clock ticking its way down to 1:45 across the main background screen, the background to the dynamism of the dancing and jets of flame that spurt out from along the edge of the stage. While Almatsi is certainly focusing on her steps and dance movements along with her singing, she still manages to have fun and it shows through the way she gazes at the camera

World's ending, quarter to two
Tonight is all we got, it's been hellish since noon
Oh the laws of physics shatter, morality don't matter, oo-ooh
World's ending, quarter to two
It's true
We've proved what we came here to prove
Lived what we could live, now it's time that we move
This society's in tatters, and nothing else will matter, oo-ooh
World's ending, quarter to two
It's true
It's true
Oh, it's true
World's ending, quarter to two

As she nears the end of the chorus, Almatsi is visibly exhilarated, freed from the stress of worrying about such petty and faraway things like where her next meal is coming from, how much money is to her name, and who is in control of her personal rights. It's time to let go and dance the world away, confetti drifting down from above the back of the stage, behind the main body of partying dancers.
Almatsi then turns toward the front of the stage, camera view close in near her, as the door prop is moved over and set up behind the camera. A new cam captures the moment from the other side of the door, where Almatsi and the party are framed within the doorframe. She beckons the viewer with a welcoming nod and gestures to the camera view, inviting them in to join her in this hedonistic celebration of doom

Welcome to my nation
Dancing to our immolation
Come inside, we're still alive-ish
But soon we're doomed to die!

Welcome to my nation
Dancing to our immolation
Come inside, we're still alive-ish
But soon we're doomed to die!

As she continues singing the bridge, she backs up her way through the party, which parts in two for her as she moves through, with the camera view following closely as if guided by Almatsi toward the circular platform. She is lifted up onto the platform, where she reclines, with a mass of dancers piling up along the sides of the now-stationary platform, reaching up towards her. The camera view retreats back to take in the overall view - a mound of bodies pulling upward, with the people towards the base focusing their attentions upon one another instead. The view then turns toward a man high up on one side of the stage, playing an electric guitar with flames shooting out the top end, in the manner of Mad Max, with the view arcing around him from below for dramatic effect

- instrumental -

The ambient lighting is turned down, all eyes are on the guitarist with the flaming guitar. Periodically, jets of flame pop off from around the stage, casting a glow on the mass of bodies swaying on the stage - but this is all peripheral in the camera view. With a final jet of flame, the guitarist falls to his knees, and the camera view turns back to Almatsi, who is now up on the platform, rising up as the inner ring of dancers reaches up toward her one last time before they join the others in dancing and whirling about the stage. She eyes the camera in an assertive, yet perhaps slightly intoxicated manner, high on the swelling wave of catharsis and letting go, acting just a bit tipsy on the alcohol she has supposedly drank so far

World ends at, quarter to two
Tonight is all we got, it's been hellish since noon
This society's in tatters, and nothing else will matter, oo-ooh
World's ending, quarter to two
It's true
World's ending, quarter to two (to two)
World's ending, quarter to two
World's ending, quarter to two

Once again, the dancers and Almatsi fall into synchronous choreography - stepping, marching, whirling to the beat. Raising their arms with glasses and bottles, pumping them upwards, clapping if they can, and swaying. Behind them, a rain of pyros falls down from the back of the stage, combined with periodic bursts of confetti that catches fire from all the sparks as it drifts down. On either side, the upright stage horns are ablaze with flickering flame, and behind the whole tableau, the background screen shows the massive clock ticking closer and closer to the end of the world. Almatsi herself, in the occasional closeups, can be seen to fade almost into a fugue state, giving into the intoxication of accepting her imminent doom

World's ending, quarter to two

With that last line, all on stage swivel back to face the clock as it hits its final tock, pyrotechnics firing up from along the stage edge along with the final claps. All spotlights sweep toward the back of the stage and then cut out, leaving the silhouette of Almatsi visible from the vantage point of the audience and camera view, as she dives off the rear of the platform into oblivion. With that, all remaining screens blink out into darkness

by **Kalosia** » Wed Jul 20, 2022 4:32 pm

02

WAISNOR

Virgin Marina - Uvidet' svet/Tune: Belén Aguilera - VÉRTIGO

If you were around 89th WorldVision Song Contest, you could remember Virgin Marina who represented Waisnor with the song "Poteryala ya sebya". This was a time before Waisnor could expected top 10 result on regular basis, so her 16th place was considered as pretty good result. So, Marina decided to try out this again and once again signed up for national selection and promptly won it, becoming the first artist from Waisnor to return to the WorldVision.

So, let's get down to the performance - Marina was dressed in an all-black outfit, and her face was covered with a veil so that her face was also not visible. The veil was also put on like this. so that it seems to blend in with the rest of the outfit. The stage was full of artificial smoke, which reached Marina up to her thighs.

Будущее вижу смутно
I see the future dimly

Разглядеть хоть что-то трудно
It's hard to see anything

Я не знаю, что мне делать
I do not know what to do

Marina began to move her hands, first to the left, then to the right, and finally directed her hands to the center. Meanwhile, something like a black hole appeared in the background, which sucked everything in the background into itself. Gradually, it grew and grew until it swallowed up the entire screen space.

Мне нужно выбрать дорогу
I need to choose a path

Я могу лишь молить Бога
I can only pray to God

Чтобы я не пожалела
So that I don't regret

The singer began to gradually sink into the smoke, and at the end of this action she was already on her knees. In the darkness of the background, one could already make out the vague silhouettes of people who were walking from side to side. After the first two lines were sung, Marina tore the veil from her face, and the lights on the stage began to turn on and off very quickly.

Я словно плыву в тумане
I feel like I'm floating in a fog

Я словно тону в дурмане
It's like I'm drowning in dope

Страх мной овладевает, в мою душу залезает
Fear seizes me, creeps into my soul

Больше нету сил
I don't have strength anymore

Я уже готова сдасться, волнениям своим поддасться
I'm ready to give up, to succumb to my worries

Страх почти что победил
Fear almost won

Я хочу увидеть свет
I want to see the light

After the first chorus, the smoke dissipated somewhat, but it still covered some of Marina's body while she was on her knees. Gray clouds began to appear in the background, which were much easier to see than those people who walked across the screen earlier.

Я больше не вижу смысла
I don't see the point anymore

В той мгле, что меня обгрызла
In the darkness that gnawed me

Но она не хочет уйти
But she doesn't want to leave

Now Marina turned her gaze upwards and turned on the camera, which was at the top of the stage. She also rotated around her own axis, and thus created the feeling that Marina seemed to be in the middle of a whirlpool, only it was more of an imaginary whirlpool of passions inside the singer.

В будущем вижу лишь тени
In the future I see only shadows

Они будто неизменны
They seem to be unchanged

Жажду их ощутить
I want to feel them

Before singing the verse again, the shadows of people appeared in the background again. however, now they have become much more distinct than last time. Marina turned her back to the audience and extended her hands to these people in the background. When the first two lines of the verse were sung. Marina began to dance a rather aggressive dance.

Я словно плыву в тумане
I feel like I'm floating in a fog

Я словно тону в дурмане
It's like I'm drowning in dope

Страх мной овладевает, в мою душу залезает
Fear seizes me, creeps into my soul

Больше нету сил
I don't have strength anymore

Я уже готова сдасться, волнениям своим поддасться
I'm ready to give up, to succumb to my worries

Страх почти что победил
Fear almost won

Я хочу увидеть свет
I want to see the light

Before the last chorus, Marina sat on the stage and all the lights on the stage turned off. apart from directly illuminating the singer. She seemed motionless and still sat with her back to the audience. However, when it was time to sing the verse for the last time, it turned out that she tore off the lower part of her dress and sang the verse again in this form.

Страх мной овладевает, в мою душу залезает
Fear seizes me, creeps into my soul

Больше нету сил
I don't have strength anymore

Я уже готова сдасться, волнениям своим поддасться
I'm ready to give up, to succumb to my worries

Страх почти что победил
Fear almost won

Я хочу увидеть свет
I want to see the light

The song was over and Marina waved to everyone and said "Thank you again! Good luck to you! I love you!"

Special for Kish:

by **Kalosia** » Wed Jul 20, 2022 4:34 pm

03. ERIE-ARCADIA
monorails- arboretum ft. Rose Hammond
To The Tune of Little Trouble, by Better Oblivion Community Center

LEFT TO RIGHT: Austin Ellicott/Campbell Richard/Rose Hammond

*arboretum, monorails and many of their other songs stylized in lowercase*

MONORAILS

INTRODUCTION
Austin Ellicott and Campbell Richard make up popular indie band arboretum. Both hail from Beckby, in northern Erie-Arcadia, a college town of around 200,000 people. Their band, arboretum, was founded when they were 19 and 18 respectively, 5 years ago. In that time frame, they have written and produced 13 Bigsign top 20 hits, 10 of which were on the album scared, their most recent release,and 3 Bigsign Top Songs, including monorails, scared, and Dreamscape. monorails held the number one spot for 7 weeks before being overtaken by Milo Merriam's Stargaze. arboretum drew their inspirations from other indie bands of the time, including Fox in a Box, Pebble Beach, and The Fire Brigade, all niche bands that held quite a cult following. As The Fire Brigade was also from Beckby, Ellicott and Richard often saw shows or even saw members of the band around town.

Austin Ellicott grew up in a artist's dream household, filled to the brim with plants and huge bay windows and creaky floorboards, in a Victorian style rowhouse with his mom, dad, sister Lila, and dog Maple Pancakes. His parents both graduated out of Beckby University, one of the most prominent colleges in the country. His mother was a botany major, becoming head gardener on the grounds of the Norman Campus of Beckby U. His father was an architect, and designed a few famous and not-so-famous buildings for the University and other projects. He went to a Montessori-style school in the western edge of Beckby, and met a few lifelong friends before moving to a Performing Arts school where he primarily studied songwriting, voice training and guitar. He ended up at the Beckby University Kandell School of Music, continuing his studies in songwriting and guitar, finishing his four years top of his class. His first band was formed with classmate Evan Friska, called Death of A Mannequin. It went nowhere, and Ellicott focused mainly on solo projects to develop his skills before finding another partner in a band. In a few years, he met Richard and they began producing music together under arboretum. Campbell Richard mainly focused on the drums, with occasional background vocals, while Austin Ellicott did vocals and guitar.

Rose Hammond is a 26 year-old popular singer-songwriter indie pop artist from Eastern Erie-Arcadia, who rose to fame through songs such as "Afterthought", a slow ballad with heavy, deep melodies and lyrics that really stuck with many people, and "Skeleton", a soothing, quiet melody about a past in a small town where poverty and drug and alcohol addiction ran rampant. Hammond is known to be a vocal left-wing activist, often doing fundraisers for political movements, protests and charities important to her and her causes. For her first ever live performance of "Skeleton", she wore a pajama skeleton onesie, and that tradition has stuck on ever since. In every single performance she does, she wears some variation on a skeleton suit, like her seen in this one. Hammond has had a hand in a total of 7 albums, 4 of them collaborations with friends in the music industry, and 3 on her own. This was Hammond's first collaboration with arboretum, however, but there are rumors of an album coming out featuring both of them working in tandem.

THE PERFORMANCE

At arboretum's first WorldVision, in WV98, they did not perform as well as hoped, singing their hit song "scared". Placing a measly 26th out of 31 contestants, with just 46 points, arboretum hopes to make up for their slightly embarrassing WorldVision debut with a better finish here in the centenary WorldVision. Last WorldVision, Erie-Arcadia's own Milo Merriam scored better, netting 88 points and the 26th spot out of 38 with his song "Allergen". As WorldVision 100 is the centenary edition of this famous music contest, Erie-Arcadian producers and fans sought out a special, noteworthy performance from Erie-Arcadia to try and compete with well established, more renowned countries that perform in WorldVision year after year. As a result, broadcasting companies, production companies, and fans poured hundreds of thousands of dollars to try to make a magical performance for all who witness it. Now, arboretum has a truly jaw dropping performance to be shown off, with high-tech special effects, producing, wardrobe, and excellent lighting.

The stage opens on the official logo of WV100, quickly followed by the Erie-Arcadian postcard shimmering and pulsating across the stage's main screen, pillars, and stage, to polite, medium applause. The yellow-green background with blue dots in swirls last for around 20 seconds, when Rose Hammond and arboretum walk onto the stage. Unsurprisingly, Rose Hammond is beautiful wearing a gorgeously bedazzled skeleton suit, with golden-yellow bones instead of white, and a long, flowing trail behind the dress. Her hair is down and long, in it's usual golden-white color. The skeleton suit/dress has hidden LED lights that come into play during the performance. The arboretum members are dressed in bright dandelion-yellow tuxedos similar to Erie-Arcadia's flag's main color. The undershirt is a nice, cobalt grey-blue that fits in well with the yellow. Ellicott's dashing messy hair is slightly longer than usual, in a handsome wavy way not unlike Campbell Richard's. Richard's vibrant blue eyes are made pop by the yellow suit, and the two look quite nice together. As they begin to sing, the screen and venue fade into black, with giant smoke machines pumping thick curls of mist into the crowd and onto the stage.

This color means Hammond is singing
This color means Ellicott is singing
This color means they are both singing

It's like a dream come true
Every day I wake up and I’m still next to you
Its hard to believe this, I'm still not sure
But you're everything, you're every little thing to me

To begin the song, Hammond walks out to the front point of the stage, still shrouded by darkness and mist, with her amplified footsteps sounding throughout the venue. Still in darkness, the screen rotates behind to reveal the lighting fixtures on the opposite side. As she begins to sing, the lights flick on in a golden color beautifully illuminating every speck of smoke and providing dramatic lighting for beautiful photos of the singer. A ceiling light flickers onto Rose and she begins to belt out the opening lyrics, slowly pacing around the edge of the stage with a microphone in her left hand. As Ellicott begins to sing, a second spotlight shines onto him, for the first time revealing the lemon yellow tux he is donning.

I remember that when we met
I didn't think I had a chance with you
But then you let me close
And now I'm in your arms
then you let me close
And now I'm in your arms

Ellicott walks over from his microphone and guitar stand to face Hammond. They then each take one step forward and lace an arm around each others sides, in a romantic, heartfelt way. As drums sound off, a third spotlight turns on to illuminate Campbell Richard at work playing. The soft golden light from the giant light fixtures where the screen was brighten slightly, as do the stage lights, fully illuminating the stage and surrounding areas. Spotlights wave around the stadium, in hues of gold, silver, and teal. The smoke machines are still hard at work, and the golden lights prettily bathe dust and smoke molecules, adding to the romantic feel of the verse, and creating a feeling of being in a meadow of sorts, with pollen and little things blowing around in the wind. As they unwind their arms, Ellicott and Hammond walk to opposite sides of the stage, while still facing each other, and then turn to face the audience at the edge of the stage.

You get me through the day
You get me through the night
Nothing can come between us now
I feel so alive inside

As the lively chorus is sung, the stadium lights are briefly turned up high, making it almost feel like the sun is shining on the audience and stage, and then quickly made as dark as night to coincide with the lyrics sung. The soft golden back lights still stay on, just very low. Hammond and Ellicott's spotlights disappear momentarily, and when they reappear, they have switched spots on opposite sides of the stage. They begin walking around, eventually meeting in the part front and center of the stage. The overhead and back lights flick off, and the only lights in the stadium on are people's phones and Rose Hammond's gorgeous dress LED lights, radiating in multiple hues of gold, silver and teal.

We’re together in your backyard
Sitting on the old creaky swings
With our clammy hands
touching for the first time

Hammond's dress lights turn off, as do the smoke machines. The overhead lights turn on, and the back lights switch back to a screen, showing an animated swing going back and forth over the course of the verse. The spotlights over the three performers switch to an emerald green color. Hammond returns to her microphone stand while Ellicott sings his solo. The spotlight above Hammond's head switches off, bringing all of the focus solely on Ellicott, and his bright yellow tuxedo seems to be almost reflective with how bright it becomes under the brightening spotlight. He sings his lines with plenty of passion, in a dramatic performance many critics say was one of his best. As his solo moment winds to a close, the screen switches back around to the lights, and the smoke machines begin pumping again in preparation for the next segment.

Who would’ve thought I had a chance
At this cinematic romance

And all your friends say
You’ve never liked anyone like you like me

The overhead and back lights switch onto a golden, sunny color that makes both singers look radiant. Hammond's spotlight returns from it's hiatus during Ellicott's solo performance. She is standing to the viewers' right side, and Ellicott is on the left, singing together in harmony as they reminisce about how lucky they are and how unexpected the relationship they sing about was. Waving spotlights of silver slowly meander throughout the cheering crowd who are clearly loving the performance. The backing lights begin a chasing pattern, with lights quickly being lit up then powered off in a pretty pattern. Rose Hammond quickly walks backwards towards Ellicott, who turns around to hug her from behind as they sing from the same microphone, which Hammond is holding. The combined sound of their voices from the same microphone sounds gorgeous, even more so than when they sing from different mics.

You know I was really falling for you
You're all that I'm thinking about
And of course I wanna let you know
That we should see this through
Because when I look into your eyes
I see my happy ending

In another upbeat chorus line, the chasing lights get quicker and the smoke machines turn off, clearing up the stage to see the two singers more clearly. The overhead lights turn off, and the chasing lights switch to emerald green to match the spotlights on the singers. The overhead lights brighten the stage and crowd in pieces of yellow, emerald green, white, and silver. The smoke machines turn on once again, and then the overhead lights flick off, once again creating the dramatic and beautiful effect that makes each dust speck and smoke particle visible. Hammond and Ellicott separate from their embrace, and walk off to their respective microphones to prepare briefly for the final two verses.

I’ve got a one-track mind
You’re the best that I can find
with your eyes so bright that I might go blind
Oh, now you're on a monorail
Riding the one track straight to my heart

As the twos singers begin the hook verse, the back lights turn back to screens once more, and play high-quality footage relating to the lyrics being sung at the time. A winding, twisting single monorail track is shown in the central area of the screen, with a yellow background and other lyrics filling in around it, such as someone peering around with binoculars and someone with exceptionally bright eyes, almost glimmering. All of that disappears, and in a first-person perspective, as if you were riding the monorails there is shown to be one, single, straight track on a navy background, zooming over a horizon to a pulsating, shimmering pop-art heart. During this, the two singers are slowly walking towards the front point of the stage. All of the lights flick off, and they are quickly strapped into a harness and transported to the smaller, more intimate mini-stage in the crowd to perform the final lines, while the smoke machines are pumping and the screen switches back around to lights to set up a dramatic finale.

When you put your arms around me
You let me know there's nothing in this world I can't do
And I want to love somebody like you

The final verse begins, with the singers on the small mini-stage in the crowd. The lights are all off, save for the back lights, which are a beautiful golden color and effect similar to the beginning of the performance. Slowly, one by one, some overhead lights turn on, waving gold colors through the crowd. A white spotlight illuminates the two singers on the island. As Hammond sings her line, Ellicott wraps his arm around her body, then releases to sing his line. They both sing with great power and elegance, pleasing the crowd. As they sing their final, joint line, they join hands and use their hidden microphone pieces to sing without holding the mics. They release hands after around 10 seconds to thunderous applause from the fans in Monterra, who clearly enjoyed the performance. In unison, the pair shout "Thank you Kalosia and to you wonderful audience here in the beautiful city of Kalosia! And most of all, thank you to all of you at home in Erie-Arcadia! We owe you all the world, and hope you enjoyed the performance! WE LOVE YOU ALL!". Hammond, Ellicott and Richard walk all bow from their respective positions, as the applause continues, just as loud as before.

by **Kalosia** » Wed Jul 20, 2022 4:36 pm

:::04. FLUSIA:::

Anya Werner - Nights are Long

Tune - Dove Cameron - Boyfriend

As it would turn out, no one was actually expecting Anya Werner to make it past the semifinal round. Most betting shops across the multiverse and in Flusia didn’t exactly put her as a favorite to win it all. Even the Flusian delegation team had their doubts. So when Flusia was announced as the first ever grand final qualifier from a semifinal in Worldvision history, the national lost it’s mind.

The phrases “WAIT HOW”, “Worldvision”, and “#qualified” were the top trends on Twitter for hours, surpassing even news of the Prime Minister’s ongoing visit to Niknotup. Anya Werner was presented with a coupon for lifetime free beer by a tavern in Kirha. The news hit the front pages of multiple national and local publications, from a small newspaper in a southern village to even FRG’s News website.

Now, Anya Werner remains in Monterra, and the question has moved on from how she managed to qualify to how far she’ll eventually go.

Anya Werner is a 20 year-old singer and amateur producer from Flusia’s second city of Wulfweri. Werner is currently signed to minor label Yank Records, doesn’t currently have a large following outside of her birth region, and wasn’t actually originally supposed to be at Worldvision, Having placed third behind Pop Punk band Da Emberi Mans and indie artist Stehl in the qualifying song contest FlusiaVision. However, one of Da Emberi Mans’ members was arrested and jailed for Felony DUI recently, with the band choosing to not go ahead with a replacement, and with Stehl set to perform at the World Hit Festival, Werner was greenlit to perform as the official entry.

Most of Werner’s music is thematically inspired by scenes of life on the streets of Wulfweri, as well as it’s classical orchestra and thriving jazz music scene. This song, Nights are Long, was, according to Werner in a recent interview, written about a performance at a fictional jazz lounge in Wulfweri’s famous Dockside District, as well as the personal problems the attendees are trying to escape. Anya Werner and the country of the Grand Duchy of Flusia are wishing for a solid start to their Worldvision history, and are excited to see where the night takes them.

The song begins with complete darkness from the light pillars (LED side facing back) and lighting. A smoke machine begins flooding the stage with low lying smoke. A lone spotlight shines on Anya, in front of a microphone stand donning a 1940s style black dress and accompanied by a jazz orchestra that sits behind her.

It’s ten o’clock, the moon is up high
And down by the docks, this smoky club lies
It’s called “Da Madár”, it’s where all the jazz stars
Get their big start
The waitresses make all of their rounds
Then suddenly
A trombone sounds

The light pillars flash white a few times, than go solid white. The lights also turn on, and shine the color white.

Drunk man plays bold like Armstrong
Soon, a Lady in Black comes along
She sings, they sing along
They don’t stop, she keeps going strong
Wouldn’t hurt to do another song
In this city nights are long

The lights go black again and are replaced by a spotlight. Anya takes the microphone and walks towards the left edge of the stage while singing her second verse. Halfway through, she crouches down to sing directly to the audience.

The patrons start to sing and shout
They spill their vodka all about
But all of them are down and out
Their dreams are dead or all worn out
They’re running fast from personal hellhounds
Then suddenly
A trombone sounds

The lights from the first chorus repeat. Anya sings while walking to the other end of the stage.

Drunk man plays bold like Armstrong
Lady in Black comes back along
She sings, they sing along
They don’t stop, she keeps going strong
Wouldn’t hurt to do another song
In this city nights are long

The pillars remain white, but the rest of the lights turn off completely. At the other end of the stage, Anya emotionally sings the bridge.

Everyone here is drunk
It’s past midnight, the time that they’ve sunk
Couldn’t break their funk
So they keep getting drunk

The pillars go black and the spotlight once again returns.

Drunk man plays bold like Armstrong
Lady in Black comes back along
She sings, they sing along
They don’t stop, she keeps going strong
Wouldn’t hurt to do another song
In this city nights are long

A lightshow comes on for the final chorus, with the light pillars going white again, the lights flashing, and spark pyrotechnics going off in a choreographed display. Anya emotionally makes her way back to the center of the stage. Just before the final line is sung, the entire stage goes dark.

Drunk man plays bold like Armstrong
Lady in Black comes back along
She sings, they sing along
They don’t stop, she keeps going strong
Wouldn’t hurt to do another song
In this city nights are long

Anya caps off her performance by saying “Thank you for an amazing debut!” to the audience.

by **Kalosia** » Wed Jul 20, 2022 4:38 pm

05| Achaean Republic
La Vieja Noche-"Orgulloso Estoy"
Tune: LA CASA AZUL - Podría Ser Peor
Music & Lyrics: Carlos Oquendo Rosario, María Vázquez Calderón

Anamaría capitvated the Multiverse with strings while singing Tierno. Lara Amanda warned profilers about rain while wearing the iconic ballerina heels en pointe and advocating for queer communism and better hook-ups in Está Lloviendo. P.P. Galore, Achaea’s most popular musical drag queen, was Sabrosa in Talvezout and wanted his lovers to watch out for his Sonar. And then came Andrea Gutiérrez, who surprised everyone in the Multiverse and inside Achaea with a heartfelt ballad in ¿Para Qué Vale?, clinching the Achaean Republic’s very first victory in the contest. Until the contest’s centennial, the Achaean nation experimented with diverse tastes figuring what sticks—reggaeton, heavy metal, salsa, dance, EDM—interpreted their songs in Spanish and took a risk for themselves in others (especially—gasp!—English), and gave the Multiverse plenty to think about, laugh about, fool around, but have fun above all. They hosted in Corola after a snafu, and years later they won the right to host in Rosario, always looking forward to the next edition to host WorldVision: La National or at any weird offshoots depending on whatever the Achaean delegation wanted to try out. (Just what the hell they were thinking that led them to send Sul-Sul to Nekoni that year!?)

Just in time for WorldVision’s centennial, the Festival de la Bahía, the country’s largest musical competition, was brought forward a few months to select the Achaean representative for the contest. Twenty performers, half who have previously competed in WorldVision and the World Hit Festival, and half newcomers to the musical scene, converged in the city of Puerto Ámbar for four days to represent the nation. They were eager, willing, and ready to show off their best songs in various genres that displayed the nation’s best musical talent.

The last time the Acheans went to Kalosia for WorldVision, a young Rosariana named Marlene Brown Vizcarra, better known as AmbiDextra—the Queen of Achaean Carnival—went with her troupe and sang her heart out with Al Amanecer, a summer tune that became the hit of next year’s (pre-COVID) Carnival in Rosario and Candelaria and Penonomé. How things have changed! First, she was the darling of the competitive Achaean music scene for giving the nation its first top-ten placing in the contest; then, she’s fighting for her life while facing breast cancer, still performing wigless, shameless, fearless on stage. But why did they need to bring her up? Carlos and María admired her fighting spirit ever since they saw her in their Mocoa apartment while channel surfing on a hot Saturday night, flipping channels and then discovering the colorful, eclectic, and irreverent stage, boldly declaring her shamelessness and her confidence into her music. They also were enthralled by Anna Viktoreena’s stage presence that brought Polkopia to victory—and how they repeated the feat at home in Rosario. The colors, the sounds, the Multiverse cheering and jeering and everything in between. It brought them the confidence that their music could be heard and screamed at, cried at, and maybe even have babies made with it. Okay, maybe the last part wasn’t that necessary, but please understand that they are Achaean, after all.

The duo came to Monterra with lots of dreams. They wanted to taste the world-class wine and the best pasta south of Italy. They wanted to gaze at the moonlight as in one of those paintings they saw when they went to the art galleries. They needed to put their bare feet into the sand, feel the seashells and gaze upon the foamy waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Carlos and María never had a honeymoon per se, but they were ready to enjoy their “working vacation” and take advantage of the opportunity to see a new country, experience new sights, and rekindle their passion for each other. Maybe that’s what they meant when the song said Orgulloso Estoy.

The stage was ready for the Achaean entry. There weren’t a lot of kinks to work out—unlike previous performances, they only needed to repurpose a DJ’ing table for María and a small microphone for Carlos. You would think that the tables would be turned, so to speak, but nope: María enjoyed remixing songs and having fun rolling some fancy disco beats (she did moonlight at a underground gay bar while she was studying in Santa Ana) while Carlos created the songs and looked for inspiration in the smallest things. Orgulloso Estoy (How Proud I Am) became an accidental gay anthem since it was first released in the BahíaFest lineup, being remixed, rehashed, memefied and danced by TikTokers—which, in this day and age’s inflationary period, it was more than enough currency to launch them from obscurity to infamy to victory.

The stage was to explode in color and happiness, rainbow hearts and a fleeting moment of joy. Yes, that’s what they were looking for—joy. There wasn’t a lot to be happy about nowadays, with the war raging on, famine, the taking away of hard-earned rights and a general anomie whizzling about in the air. But if something was fun about WorldVision, something was enjoyable, an opportunity to escape and just enjoy life. There was so much they could to improve their circumstances—but they needed to have some fun from time to time.

Carlos was wearing a man bun with a semi-scruffy beard that made him look like a gringo and not so much like an Achaean with a blue-green flannel shirt with a plain white T-shirt and jeans with an embroidered flannel pattern on the bottom. He was perched in the satellite stage surrounded by the flag-waving, cheering crowd. María was behind him in an ornate table covered by LED lights and screensthat synchronized with the massive LED screen that was behind them on the larger stage. The delegation risked making the performance look quaint and contained. But they also wanted to have some coziness and comfort to the crowd, being surrounded by their fans—or those that were about to become theirs.

Once the performance started, the stage exploded with bursts of color. Reds and greens and blues and whites and yellows and oranges floated on the arena and regaled the audience with trends and sighs and fluffs of color. Carlos was dancing and hopping around the stage, making silent airplane sounds and getting the crowd hyped up. Maria was remixing in the back, pushing buttons, and sliding into the music with her DJ skills. The idea was to engage the audience and allow them to express their own happiness. Or at least try.

Hoy por hoy
Hoy yo puedo despertar tal vez la realidad
Ya no tengo que esconder quien soy
¡Tan linda es mi realidad!

Orgullo estoy (orgullo estoy)
Porque escogí ser libre
Como el viento soy (orgulloso estoy)
Era mágico, la sombra
Un tanto alentador

Que el mundo sepa
Sepa hacer lo que yo quiera
Sepa que nada me detenga

Carlos’ awkward dancing was enough to be charming and endearing for the TikTokers back home, and he hoped it could make him much more relatable for the audience in Kalosia and in the rest of the Mutliverse. Enough about pointless sexuality or deconstructions of sexuality or motions of sexuality that make Achaeans look like deliciously disgusting perverts! At least wait a few editions before throwing the slut-pop!

Quiero más
Yo desecho la desdicha de mi realidad
Muchas sombras asimilan, hoy quiero gozar
Hoy yo quiero entregarme
Así puedes conquistarme
Así puedes todo reiniciar

Me enseñarás
Un pedazo de madera, una intensidad
Es un fuego, una redoma, sabia natural
Quiero saber que yo existo
Soy libre, fuerte y quiero amar

No hay ocasión

On María’s DJ table, the LED screens below her showed a kaleidoscope of color and joy. The words on-screen and in the main stage behind her reflected the word PROUD in various languages: Orgulloso. Orgulhoso. Ge’eh. Kuru. Apuskachalaq. Bangga. Kburi. Grutsk. There were many languages shown, as many as people around the Multiverse, floating around the stage and into the audience’s heads with holographic images that reflected across the viewer’s screens. The Achaean delegation used holograms before—remember Viviana González’s performance in Oreo City?—, but the idea was to cause an interesting impression in line with the trippy music video recorded weeks before the trip to Kalosia.

Was there something to be proud, though? This performance already reeks of desperate and shameless attempts from the Achaean delegation to grab some pink money. Plus, it seems that people around the world are viciously determined to beat the rest of the world into their submission! What’s the point in feeling proud about the life we live in, or the country we belong to, or the community that is slowly eroding? The optimism in the piece is quaint and quite adorkable, but it feels like living doesn’t matter. Hearts are being broken. People are being aimlessly shot and beaten, tortured, and killed. Does it really matter to smile when everything else is beating down upon you?

Maybe all that it takes is to relax and dance a bit more.

Orgullo estoy (orgullo estoy)
Porque escogí ser libre
Como el viento soy (orgulloso estoy)
Era mágico, la sombra
Un tanto alentador

Que el mundo sepa
Sepa hacer lo que yo quiera
Sepa que nada me detenga

Then came the time to repeat the second part of the chorus. Carlos kept dancing and jumping and trying to entice the crowd. Was he forcing too much joy to the audience? Was it being enough? Was he being facetious? There was so much to analyze, so much to consider, so little to think about in a small amount of time. They meant to exude so much energy and happiness, but there were only two people on stage with a huge cloud of witnesses trying to get them to fail. The cameras around them hovered over the crowd and slid back and forth between the smaller stage and the difference between the performers and the audience, almost looking as if they were to be engulfed by their own crowd of marauders. It was an inversion of values, a craze-worthy dance, an attempt to appeal to the Multiverse’s collective sense of joy.

Quiero más
Yo desecho la desdicha de mi realidad
Muchas sombras asimilan, hoy quiero gozar
Hoy yo quiero entregarme
Así puedes conquistarme
Así puedes todo reiniciar

Me enseñarás
Un pedazo de madera, una intensidad
Es un fuego, una redoma, sabia natural
Quiero saber que yo existo
Soy libre, fuerte y quiero amar

No hay ocasión

The next part of the bridge sounded garbled and Autotuned. Carlos suddenly pulled a megaphone that was placed on María’s DJ desk. It sort of startled her in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it glance (even though they rehearsed this several times in both Bahía Fest, the studio performance, and in the arena). The cameras captured the moment where the color in the LED stages were slightly muted on the performance. Carlos quickly pocketed his handheld microphone and grabbed the megaphone with both hands. Then, the outside cameras retreated to see how there was only one light on stage, a floodlight flashing in slow motion as he arched his back.

Quiero más
Yo desecho la desdicha de mi realidad
Muchas sombras asimilan, hoy quiero gozar

Orgullo estoy, orgulloso estoy
Orgullo estoy, orgulloso estoy

Que el mundo sepa
Sepa hacer lo que yo quiera
Sepa que nada me detenga

Once more, more awkward dancing. More DJing by María. More colors and holograms and awkward violin interludes that arrange a sort of connection to the viewing public. More balloons and streamers and cut pieces of paper that float around and stick to people’s hair like glitter and try to attest into the value of the music that tries to burn inside the audience’s heads. Was there something to be proud of? Maybe there is—they just needed to find out and show it! Pride need not be a parade, nor a bad concept built out of human arrogance. Maybe pride can start in the smallest moments of life, in the smallest opportunities that pass by day by day. Maybe the crowd can feel it.

Quiero más
Yo desecho la desdicha de mi realidad
Muchas sombras asimilan, hoy quiero gozar
Hoy yo quiero entregarme
Así puedes conquistarme
Así puedes todo reiniciar

Me enseñarás
Un pedazo de madera, una intensidad
Es un fuego, una redoma, sabia natural
Quiero saber que yo existo
Soy libre, fuerte y quiero amar

No hay ocasión

"¡Gracias! Thank you! We love you so much! We're so proud of you!" Carlos said as he quickly darted over to the DJ table and planted a long, hard, sloppy, wet kiss on María's mouth and she grabbed his body in a warm, comforting embrace. For a moment, they forgot that it was the hundredth edition and the Multiverse was watching them play tongue hockey--nope, they had to celebrate this moment the old-fashioned, Achaean way, showing love as explicitly and beautifully as possible.

And yes, they waved to the crowd.

by **Kalosia** » Wed Jul 20, 2022 4:44 pm

Viktoriya Akšan - Wish You Well
Language: English, Polkopian
Tune: Evangelia - Ónira

Viktoriya Akšan's participation in the recent edition of the Landa vy Polkopiya is not her first appearance in the contest. In the 55th edition of the contest, held prior to the 95th edition of Worldvision, Akšan made her debut with her song, Take Things Slow. At the time of release, her song was considered an early favorite among fans, and her song immediately surged to the top of the charts before the Semi Final in the competition. By the time Landa vy Polkopiya was scheduled to kick off, Akšan was one of the favorites to win and her qualification to the Grand Final came as no surprise to anyone. After her performance in the Semi Final occurred, the odds of Akšan to win the contest plummeted, as many Polkopians seemed dissatisfied with her live performance. Many critiques pointed to the overall energy she displayed on stage - or lack thereof, according to many viewers, who were expecting a more energetic and lively performance instead of the reportedly stale performance that Akšan delivered. Nevertheless, her song remained one of the most-streamed songs for weeks across Polkopian streaming platforms, and many were hopeful that Akšan's stage presence would improve in the Grand Final. When it was time to perform at the Grand Final, however, many hopeful fans were left disappointed, as Akšan's performance remained the same as it was during the Semi Final, and as a result, she only received 39 points in the domestic televote, coming in last place among televoters. This was a stark contrast to the international jury votes, who placed her first among the five competing acts in the Grand Final. With the combined votes, Akšan finished in third place and failed to represent the nation on the Worldvision stage. The winner of the Landa vy Polkopiya, SAMIRA, went on to perform her song, Lose, in Yvesia and finished in third place with 199 points. During this time, Akšan hosted a watch party in Maiatešti, her home town, and drew a massive crowd in support of her close friend, SAMIRA.

After the contest, Akšan listened to the criticisms she received and worked with her team to improve her stage presence. Being a relatively new performer, her focus had been concentrated on vocal strength and stamina rather than the performative aspects of being on a stage. She released a mini-album within the month, and her submission to the Landa vy Polkopiya was the title track of this project. Although her original intention was to release a full album consisting of 12 songs, her recent experience in the Landa vy Polkopiya exposed the weaknesses she had as an artist and she chose to devout her time to improving these weaknesses rather than releasing more songs. She took this time to tour around smaller venues around Polkopia and perform her album, while also taking the time to meet her fans, schedule workshops with other up-and-coming artists, and other projects which contributed to her becoming a more well-rounded artist. From touring around the country, she was able to grow into herself more as an artist and seemed more and more comfortable on stage with each show she performed. Fans noticed the significant improvement as well, and each show sold out quicker and quicker each time. By the end of her tour, she was already in talks with her management team to begin a tour for next year consisting of international shows in larger venues. In the concerts she gave during her most recent tour, she never performed in venues which had a capacity of more than 5,000 people, and the prospect of performing in front of 15,000+ people at a time seemed both exciting and terrifying to her. This was a pivotal point in her career, as Viktoriya had to choose whether she wanted to be the type of artist to perform in these smaller venues, or larger ones. The former allowed for more flexibility in her creative decision-making and put less pressure on her future projects, but the latter would force her to break more and more barriers and grow, not only as an artist, but as an individual as well. For the time being, she felt as if as though she wanted to work on her brand and how she wanted to be perceived, so she opted out of performing in larger venues for the time being. The next few years would be spent writing songs, touring in these smaller venues, and meeting her fans. As time went on, however, she found herself wanting more in a way that she hadn't felt before. She dreamed of bigger and better things for herself, and saw how other artists came crashing into the Polkopian music scene and making waves across the nation, while she found herself hardly relevant. While this was what she initially signed up for, she couldn't help but regret the choice she made and strived to make more out of herself and her abilities as an artist.

Fortunately for her, it seemed like the opportunity to transition from smaller venues to larger arenas arose at the perfect time. The PNB had announced that, in preparation for the 100th edition of Worldvision, the Landa vy Polkopiya would feature a "Special Edition" where 5 previously-used tracks could be resubmitted and compete against 5 new and original songs. The PNB specifically contacted Viktoriya and asked her if she wanted to perform Take Things Slow in the first Semi Final, along with four other returning songs. It was a big decision to return back to the contest, and with a song that seemed entirely too comfortable to her now. Viktoriya had been performing this song for almost five years now, and doing so again would just seem like treading across familiar territory again, the exact thing she was trying to break out of. She humbly declined their offer, but instead decided to submit one of her new songs she was working on, titled "What You Want." After months of waiting, Viktoriya's song had been accepted and she was due to perform in the second Semi Final, along with four other original songs. Her new song was to stay true to the ethnic sounds prevalent in her other songs, but she hoped that she would be able to deliver a performance to be proud of when the time came. She practiced and practiced for days, weeks, and months before the show, hoping to get every step correct beforehand. When it came time for rehearsals, she was confident that she had what it took to deliver a great performance, however the reception online was mixed. Many fans of the Landa vy Polkopiya only really remembered her from the performance five years back, and were skeptical that she would be able to deliver a performance to the caliber they would expect from a more experienced artist. She faced harsh criticism online for returning to the contest, but Viktoriya didn't let these negative comments steer her away from the very thing she had worked to achieve for the past five years. She set out to prove all of the haters wrong, and that's exactly what she was going to do.

Due to budgetary constraints that the PNB imposed on the contest, the broadcaster was unable to provide the usual caliber of pyrotechnics, water effects, and lighting as they have in previous years, and most of the "extra" effects were left to the participants themselves to fund. Viktoriya found this to be an incredibly difficult hinderance to her performance and was at an immediate disadvantage, as many participants this time around were relatively famous in and around Polkopia and had the means to finance such a performance. Had Akšan made the decision to transition to a busier career path, she too would have been able to purchase all of the finest stage equipment in the world, but that was not the case. Viktoriya was left without any fireworks and dramatic lighting effects that she had originally planned for her performance, but was able to pull enough money together to keep her dancers and basic effects for the LED screen. From there, she was going to have to let her energy and the song do all of the talking for her and hope that the voters would respond positively to the performance. By the end of the night, her wish had been granted and it was to be her, along with Landa vy Polkopiya veteran, Martin Tyvin, who qualified to the Grand Final. Reception to her performance was overwhelmingly positive, despite the lack of special effects, and Akšan had a massive surge of support after coming off of the Semi Final. Bookies predicted her to win the contest by a healthy margin, however Viktoriya did not let this get to her head. Instead, she distanced herself from all social media platforms and handed the role to her manager, who posted on her behalf for the next week while her and her team readied themselves for their next performance. The performance at the Grand Final was everything she wanted it to be, and the results showed. At the end of the night, it was Viktoriya who emerged victorious and accepted the invitation to perform her song at the upcoming Worldvision Song Contest in Kalosia.

In contrast to Viktoriya's performance at the Landa vy Polkopiya, the PNB allocated a hefty budget to support the Polkopian performance at Worldvision, sparing no expense when it came to outfits, visuals, special effects, and hiring the perfect team in order to deliver a truly unforgettable spectacle. The first aspect of the performance was the outfit. To begin the number, the PNB envisioned a glamorous and regal look for the stage, which of course included how the performer herself looked on stage. Viktoriya was dressed in an elaborate gold dress comprising of thousands of miniature chain links supporting each other. The gown looked similar to this, though the sleeves were far more see-through than what is shown in the reference image. Also on her dress were two stretches of fabric, each spanning from her forearms to her waist. Additionally, Viktoriya wore a hood made of the same material, and loose chain links dangled on either side of her face. Her brown hair fell down the front of her shoulders and lightly grazed against her collarbone. Her makeup consisted of a loud, dramatic wing, nearly reaching her hairline, and glitter dotted the perimeter around the eyeliner. Her lips were covered with a deep red lipstick, and the rest of her face was simply covered with varying degrees of foundation, concealer, and blush. It was clear that the eyes were to be the main focus point of her makeup. Being in such a heavy gown meant that Viktoriya needed help moving to her place on stage in time for the performance to begin, but her team had already prepared for this, and she was helped to the center of the stage with plenty of time to spare. Behind her were two muscular male dancers, each wearing a long, loose-fitting white caftan (similar to this, but white) with similarly colored undergarments underneath, however the tunic was pinned to the hem of the dancers' undergarments so that they were not visible at any point in the performance. Each dancer was positioned on either side of her to start.

When the Polkopian postcard ended and the crowd's cheers subsided, the instrumental introduction began to play. When this happened, the background LED screen reflected that of a palace's hallway with Greco-Roman architecture. There were three marble white columns displayed on either side and a deep purple-colored carpet which extended down the LED screen on the stage floor and toward the end of the stage (For reference, the background LED screen looked something like this, but more realistic). To start, the lighting was in such a way that viewers could only see Viktoriya's silhouette against the background, and the camera angle started with a frontal view of the stage. Viktoriya's back was turned away from the camera, and her arms were extended to either side in a graceful, queenlike pose. She moved her hips as the instrumentation continued, and the camera moved between the frontal view, then an overhead, aerial view, and then back to a frontal view, zooming in on Viktoriya slowly. One of the dancers slowly walked up to her and handed her a microphone before backing away. Viktoriya took the microphone, placed her free hand on her hip, and turned around to face the camera before singing the first verse.

Starting from step one
And you're all alone
Well, you've made your choice
And we're done

The camera began to circle around Viktoriya, who turned around to stare at the camera, all while maintaining an expression devoid of all emotion. She kept moving her hips side-to-side and moved her free hand around in wavy motions around her body in-sync with the beat. Meanwhile, the two dancers previously behind her used this opportunity to step closer to Viktoriya, although the camera didn't show this, as they both made sure that they were outside of the frame. By the time she finished the second verse, the camera had fully circled around her once and rapidly zoomed out before transitioning to the next view.

Wish you the best
Don't want to reminisce
We've closed this chapter in our lives
and it's time to move on

During the first part of the pre-chorus, which was sung in Polkopian, the dancers each lifted Viktoriya up so she was sitting on their shoulders, and carried her forward. As she was being lifted, Viktoriya raised her hand in the air, holding it high above her head, showing viewers that she didn't need to hold on to the dancers to stay balanced. This was the toughest part of the whole performance, as the balance she had to keep required a lot of core strength. Singing, while also straining to stay balanced, had always proved to be incredibly difficult, but she performed tonight it as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

The dancers leaned forward until they were in an almost bowing position, where Viktoriya hopped off right as she sang "Oh yeah," resulting in a soft round of cheers from the crowd in the arena. The dancers moved forward, kneeling in front of Viktoriya as she sand the second half of the pre-chorus, moved to the side to their torsos "crossed" each other in front of her, and pulled each other up so they now stood on either side of her right before the chorus began.

No kogda, noč prižel i ya odna

But when night comes and I'm all alone

Ya ne mogu pomoč, no skyčat' po poglade v glazakha

I can't help but to miss that look in your eyes

No zna, čito nado perdigat'sya

But I know I have to move on

Oh yeah,

And all my friends, they're sick and tired
Of hearing about you and I
And how we were never meant to be

As soon as the chorus began, the two dancers jumped in front of Viktoriya, who looked up at the ceiling and sang with her free hand raised in the air. She continued to move her hips and sway to the rhythm of the beat while dancing, all while the two backup dancers danced in circles around her, each of them looking directly into her eyes as they moved around her. Viktoriya, in the meantime, seemed to pay them no mind as she sang, hardly ever making eye contact with them and instead continued to look up at the ceiling and around the stage.

After the sang the chorus, the instrumental break followed, at which point she lowered her hand and hung her head back. The two dancers moved closer to her and grabbed each sleeve of her dress, holding the fabric above one of their shoulders. They each stepped forward, letting the dress fall apart to the ground, covering the floor around Viktoriya in individual chain links. It was revealed that Viktoriya had been wearing a gold bodysuit adorned with hundreds of golden crystals. The reveal caused a massive roar among crowd members, many of whom stood up and cheered on Viktoriya, who stepped forward and removed her hood before singing the next verse of the song.

Na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na
But I'll wish you well

Na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na
But I'll wish you well
I'll wish you well

Now that she had the heavy dress off of her, Viktoriya was able to move much more freely about the stage. She charged forward, bopping her free arm to one side, and then the other, while lifting one of her legs up at the same time, before stomping down on the ground as she moved forward. The dancers all did the same, before Viktoriya turned around and leaned back. The two dancers knelt on the ground to catch her and lifted Viktoriya into the air from her back, spinning her 180°, before kneeling down again, allowing Viktoriya to walk back upright in time to sing the last two lines of the verse.

They always tell you to move on
And I just have to wait 'till dawn
But the sun's been up and I'm still missing you.
I know it's in my head
But for now, I'll imagine it's you in my bed.
But he still doesn't taste like you.

During the pre-chorus, the background dancers lined up on either side of Viktoriya and together the three of them danced together. First, they extended their right arm outward, looking in the same direction, and then the background dancers extended their left arm outward. Viktoriya, although she couldn't extend that arm as she was holding the microphone, still looked in the same direction. After, they placed their hands on their knees, turned, and leaned forward. Viktoriya and the dancer behind her each rested their head on the lower back of the person in front of them. Then, Viktoriya pushed the dancer in front of her, who then jumped forward, spun in place, dropped to his knees, and leaned back so his back was against the floor and he was looking directly at Viktoriya, who was moving backward with the other background dancer, grinding against him, while they both moved back to center stage in-rhythm. As Viktoriya sang the part in English, the dancer with her spun her around so they faced each other, he pulled her close, and they leaned forward together, before he spun her 540° so that she faced away from him. The other background dancer, meanwhile, flipped over and joined the two in the center of the stage right before the chorus began.

No kogda, noč prižel i ya odna

But when night comes and I'm all alone

Ya ne mogu pomoč, no skyčat' po poglade v glazakha

I can't help but to miss that look in your eyes

No zna, čito nado perdigat'sya

But I know I have to move on

Oh yeah,

And all my friends, they're sick and tired
Of hearing about you and I
And how we were never meant to be

Huge columns of fire erupted from the perimeter of the stage immediately when the beat dropped in the chorus, resulting in another round of cheering from the crowd. Viktoriya and the two dancers snapped their right hand across their body, looked to the right, and then down, then immediately back up again. Then, the three of them moved their hips while stepping backwards, rolling their shoulders as they did so. As Viktoiya sang the first "I'll wish you well" bit, the dancers dropped down and slid on the ground behind her to Viktoriya's other side while Viktoriya leaned forward, arched her back, and stood up straight, winking at the camera. During the second part, Viktoriya whipped her hair to one side, then the other, all while stepping to that respective side. This was repeated four times before Viktoriya spun around, walked forward, and pointed to the cheering crowd while singing the last, "I'll wish you well."

Na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na
But I'll wish you well

Na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na
But I'll wish you well

As Viktoriya held the note during this last bit, a golden shower of fireworks rained down from the ceiling toward the back of the stage. Viktoriya had stopped moving during this bit, closed her eyes, and concentrated on maintaining that note while the dancers spun in place, smacked the ground with their hand, and repeated the same shoulder-rolling motion they had done earlier in the performance. Viktoriya joined them in the middle of it, once she had finished that note, but stopped when it was time to hold the next note (the third line down). Once that was done, the three marched toward the very front of the stage. The dancers dropped to their knees and lifted Viktoriya in their air, perched on their shoulders, who lifted both hands in their air, palms facing the ceiling. This was the end of the performance.

But I'll wish you well...
I'll wish you well
I'll wish you well...
But I'll wish you well
I'll wish you well

The lights returned to normal and the dancers placed Viktoriya on the ground. The dancers each blew a series of kisses toward the crowd while Viktoriya gave an enthusiastic "thank you" to the crowd. The three hurried off the stage so the Kalosian production crew could prepare the stage for the Scotatrovian entry.

by **Kalosia** » Wed Jul 20, 2022 4:55 pm

07. Scotatrova
Areceli Vasta
Rewind
Tune: Babet - Third Eye

Unlike several of Scotatrova's past WorldVision acts, Areceli didn't have much musical background growing up. Born and raised in a small town just 30 minutes outside of Zanandea, Elejalde, Areceli's family owned a small farmhouse and sizeable area of land. It was here that Areceli would first experience music, as her father would often play several folktunes on his guitar. Areceli would often spend most of her time helping out around the farm, and didn't have it quite as easy as someone living in the city would. The days were often hard and long, and the nights her dad would play the guitar would be some of the times she would get to relax and be herself. As she got older, she would develop an interest in music herself, wanting to play the piano. But not long after she turned 16, her mother had become sick. The time that she would set aside to be able to practice became used to take care of her mother while her father tended the farm. Areceli would nurse her mother back to health, but by the time she did she was out of secondary school and was getting ready to head to university. As she pursued her degree, her interest for music was shelved. Often times between classes, Areceli would write down lyrics and verses that came to mind throughout the day. While she never officially did anything with them, she would keep a whole notebook that was dedicated to songwriting.

One day on her way home from campus, she had heard that auditions were being held to choose the state of Elejalde's representative for Ereide eu le Cançe Scotatrofine 2022, the winner of which would represent Scotatrova at the WorldVision Song Contest's centennial edition. Her friends encouraged her, saying that the lyrics she had written down in her journal were good, but Areceli scoffed at the idea. There's no way that she would be chosen out of the hundreds if not thousands of applicants who would be vying for the same thing. But, hesitantly, Areceli agreed, and submitted some lyrics she wrote for ECS 2022. After submitting, Areceli forgot about the whole thing as she would become swamped with midterms. While doing some homework, she received a call one day from a representative of SSTR. They called to let her know that out of the thousands of applicants, Areceli was selected as the representative for the state of Elejalde. Immediately, Areceli was thrilled, and would then go on to work with a team to develop her entry for ECS 2022. Areceli never expected to actually be selected, but she was even more surprised once she qualified to the final. Sitting in the room with the other 10 delegations as the final results came in was such a roller coaster for her. Topping out the jury vote and then watching as the televote results came in gave her the utmost anxiety. It was announced that Elejalde had won the televote on top of the jury vote and was the winner. Areceli sat on that couch speechless as her team was celebrating and she was being congratulated. Being in Monterra getting ready to perform her song not only as a representative of her country, but also during the contest's 100th edition all felt surreal to Areceli. However, she was here to prove to everyone else what she proved on the ECS stage, that she deserves to be here.

With the conclusion of the postcard, the camera slowly starts to pan in on the stage. Areceli comes into view, her right hand on her hip and the microphone in her free hand. Her hair is wet and slicked back, and she has on a full black bodysuit. Around the stage is full of flame, dim but no less abundant. The flames help cast this reddish-orange hue all along the stage, and can be seen faintly reflecting off of Areceli's body suit, giving it a dark orange color. Areceli can be seen standing on some sort of circular platform, lifted not too high up from the stage floor. The LED screen behind her just displays a blank, black image. However in the top right corner of the screen, a pause button can be seen. A close up look at Araceli's face is shown as the song begins, with Areceli's opening harmonies signaling the beginning of the song. The close up camera view pans slowly from the left side of her face to the right. Areceli's eyes are closed, and she has smokey eye make up on, something that wasn't visible from that far away camera angle. A full angle of Areceli and the front of the stage are shown as the opening synth beats begin, with the pause icon in the top corner of the LED screen changing into a arrow icon, indicating play. The flames that burned around the stage go out and are replaced with overhead red lights.

It’s time to grow into something new
Going on my own
Sorry but you’re slowing me down
Slowing me down
It was cute, but now I’ve outgrown you
It’s been reaped and sewn
You won’t be seeing me around
Slowing me down

Something that keeps bubbling deep inside me
Right or wrong
Ah, but I can’t keep lying
Have to say it’s over
My head is chaos, chaos

Areceli opens her eyes as she begins singing. The platform that she's on begins moving in a circular motion at a slow enough pace that Areceli can walk in place and continue her performance. At first, the platform moves slow enough that Areceli stands in place for a couple seconds as she makes her way around the platform, with the camera slowly following her. The camera gets close enough that it's practically in Areceli's face, and as the platform continues to slightly speed up, Areceli makes eye contact with the camera while singing, not focusing at all on walking on the platform. At a certain point, the speed levels out and doesn't continue to increase. Areceli walks as if on a treadmill, smooth and with no worry about keeping up. She continues to perform to the camera as the red lights around the stage start to strobe synchronously. The flames that were all around the stage also start to reignite, this time in larger flames but more spread out instead of every single dull flame like before. The lighting of the red lights and flames project a unique blend of colors onto Areceli, with one half of her body being bathed in red light and the other in more orange tones, creative a beautiful reddish-orange canvas along the black body suit she has on.

I just want to love and
Lust, but you can’t love enough
Oh, we should hit rewind
Rewind, start anew
I already knew
But I kept up this whole charade
Oh, we should hit rewind
Rewind, start anew
Let’s rewind, start anew

I’m just trying to talk and make peace
We’re not fixable
And you just keep slowing me down
Slowing me down
I think you and I need a release
You’re invisible
I don’t know what to say to you
Slowing me down

Something that keeps bubbling deep inside me
Right or wrong
Ah, but I can’t keep lying
Have to say it’s over
My head is chaos, chaos

As soon as the chorus begins, the platform that Areceli is walking on begins to slow down and stops completely over the course of a few seconds. Areceli then positions herself the opposite way on the platform, and as she sings the line "Oh, we should hit rewind", the play button on the top corner of the LED screen changes into a rewind symbol. The platform then begins rotating in the opposite direction and Areceli looks at the camera and gives it a quick wink as she continues on the platform. The flames also ramp up in intensity and begin to shoot off intermittently as she progresses through the chorus. The flurry of orange color just bathes the stage, and mixes well with the overhead red lighting. Areceli turns around and begins walking backward on the platform, keeping her balance and holding out her free hand while she does so. Eventually the platform slows down once again and Areceli stops walking along it, letting it take her around in slow circles. While this happens, a camera gets a close up angle of Areceli and follows her on the platform as it goes in circles, with Areceli continuing to perform.

I just want to love
And lust, but you can’t love enough
Oh, we should hit rewind
Rewind, start anew
I already knew
But I kept up this whole charade
Oh, we should hit rewind
Rewind, start anew
Let’s rewind, start anew

A major breakthrough
I don’t know if I can do it
Oh, we should hit rewind
Rewind, start anew

As the platform continues to slow down, it stops entirely and Areceli jumps off as she begins singing the final chorus of the song. An overhead view of the stage is shown as Areceli makes her way from the platform to the front of the stage. After having performed on that restricting platform, now's the time when Areceli is able to truly perform. The flame jets around the stage once again erupt in intense strobes, and is accompanied by the overhead red lights also strobing. The stage is just engulfed in a flurry of warm colors, with the LED screen now displaying the final set of lyrics as Areceli sings them. Onstage, Areceli finds herself lost in the music and performance, dancing around onstage and clearly enjoying herself. As the final verse begins, the red lights overhead go off and the flame jets around the stage transition back to the dull flames that they were at the beginning of the peformance. Areceli turns her back toward the audience and begins singing over her shoulder as she starts the final verse. She bends her knees down for a quick second before shooting back up and turning back around again as she sings the final "Rewind, start anew". The whole stage goes black, and displayed in large white letters on the LED screen reads "REWIND". As the lights come back on and the audience erupts into applause, Areceli takes a quick bow and blows a kiss out to the audience. "Greixas! Mulde Greixas Monteír!"

by **Kalosia** » Wed Jul 20, 2022 4:55 pm

Host intervention I

by **Kalosia** » Wed Jul 20, 2022 4:58 pm

08 ✧ LLALTA
"Apex of the New World" by Hana Uemura
Music ✧ John Marshall, Esther Winterbourne
Lyrics ✧ John Marshall, Esther Winterbourne, Hana Uemura

~✧~

"フレスベルグの少女～風花雪月～" - Caro

The cover art of the single "Apex of the New World", by Hana Uemura. The single is also Llalta's entry in the 100th WorldVision Song Contest in Monterra, Kalosia.

~✧~ BACKGROUND ~✧~

5 editions ago, in Nakom, Yvesia, Llalta last participated with the song "The Time Of Your Life" by Titania, a completely new direction for the tiny island nation. Mixing genres both familiar and unfamiliar to the Llaltese music scene, such as R&B and electropop, it garnered much attention from international WorldVision fans and critics, considered a bold choice for a nation that had never strayed far from the 'Llaltese sound'. The song, about the insignificant significance of human life and unconditional self love, partnered with beautiful staging and an emotional performance, finished the night placing 4th, following the 4th received by Lacey the participation prior in WorldVision 90, as well as the nation's 6th top 5 in WorldVision. As a result, the hype for WorldVision in Llalta was at an all time high. With recent participations having brought successful results, audience shares exceeding 80%, and the Llaltese music industry stepping in all kinds of new directions, many considered this the beginning of a renaissance. The start of a new era. However, as WorldVision 96 rolled around, many Llaltese expected and wanted another participation, and yet, the LBN said nothing. Some theorised they were taking a break to raise funds, or struggled to find artists to represent them, or even rumours of internal conflict, but another edition came and went without any news. And another, and another. At that point, many considered Llalta in WorldVision a lost cause, a mere fantasy, as edition after edition, Llalta never appeared. Eventually, the LBN released a statement to quash the demands and questions, stating on Twitter that: "Unfortunately, we have been unable to partake in WorldVision as sufficient funding has not been secured, as well as staffing shortages. As much as we would love to share Llaltese music with the world and participate in the near future, we cannot guarantee that Llalta will be returning to the contest within the next 10 editions." Many Llaltese fans were disappointed, but unsurprised. The LBN had always faced monetary issues and schedule clashes due it's small size, which has always impacted Llalta's WorldVision participations. Most expected the same for WorldVision 100, despite the underlying hope they would participate to celebrate the centennial edition.

Behind the scenes however, the LBN had been preparing for WorldVision 100 since their last participation in WorldVision 95. After staff shortages hit the state-run company in late 2021, dropping by 20%, the network worked tirelessly to outsource staff from Britonisea. Following the temporary closure of LBN 2, the network moved half of the current operations to Doportedas, opening a small building in it's financial district. Funded almost entirely by the Llaltese government, the plan aimed to increase the network as well as develop it's educational resources and technology, as well as potentially branching out to facilitate apprenticeships and degree-level TV & Media courses in Britonisea and Llalta. Despite this, as WorldVision 100 drew nearer, the LBN regrouped their new Llaltese delegation, consisting of prior Llaltese delegates (now far improved in their field) with a few new Britonish members, bringing a new vision to the delegation. For the broadcaster, this project was a way to reinvent themselves and the projection of Llalta that the world knew, this entry the first statement of a new and improved LBN. Thus, they knew they had to put everything they had, what they knew and what they had learnt, to create something only they could produce.

Prior to the announcement of WorldVision 97, Japanese-Llaltese singer Hana Uemura had signed to the same Britonish label as Llaltese singer-songwriter and WorldVision winner, Esther Winterbourne, where the two first met. After bonding over their memories of Llalta, the two began collaborating on music together, recording a few demos, as Hana was preparing for her debut, which was aimed for the autumn of 2022. In the Spring of 2022, the LBN reached out to Esther to ask for her to enter the 100th WorldVision Song Contest on behalf of Llalta, though she declined. However, she recommended Hana Uemura to the LBN, who she knew had the potential to be a star. At first they were cautious. After all, sending someone with little to no experience in the industry was a huge risk, especially to perform in front of such a large audience, in what was speculated to be the most competitive edition of all. In response, Esther sent over a few demos that the two had recorded together, including one of "Apex of the New World". The LBN contacted Hana themselves soon after, offering the chance to perform as well as promote what would be her debut single, and though dubious, she eventually agreed. When asked what kind of song she wanted to sing, Hana responded with "Apex of the New World", to the surprise of Esther and the LBN. Though the LBN initially opposed the demo, after Hana explained what the song meant to her, they had no choice but to allow her to at least work with Esther Winterbourne and acclaimed writer and band member of Evergreen, John Marshall, to create a song that would celebrate the music of Llalta for the 100th WorldVision Song Contest. During this time, she had also worked with them to create a handful of other potential entries.

The song was first written by Esther Winterbourne for the 3rd edition of LlaltaVision: The Duels, originally sung by Esther herself. However, it was placed aside for her 2 other entries, which the LBN had deemed far stronger. Thus, it lay waste in her back catalogue of songs that would never be released. However, when she met Hana, the song ended up as one of the first that Esther worked with her on, as her vocals were the perfect pairing alongside the song. Hana had loved the song so much however, that she fought for it to be her debut single, again, to be rejected by her label. However, with the LBN promising to breathe new life into the song, as well as 2 esteemed songwriters, she knew it was her song to sing. Rewritten and rearranged over a few weeks in one of Britonisea's most modern music studios, the song transformed from a chill trap-based electropop song to a more dramatic, upbeat track with EDM/dubstep elements infused into its chorus, as well as introducing orchestral elements to create grandeur. Esther had also rewritten the lyrics as Hana had asked, introducing a completely new vision for the old song, as well as referencing past Llaltese entries. As a result, the song was proposed once again to the LBN, who after lots of thinking, decided it was the best option. Something personal, that celebrated everything that Llalta was and will be. The song was finally mixed and completed a few days after, the music video filmed over another week in multiple locations, such as St. Margarets Cathedral in St. Christopher, as well as the heavy usage of CGI, created via a Britonish team. At last, on the 20th of May, the ambitious project had almost finished, costing upwards of USD$500,000, including all the expenses of song production, filming and media campaigns, the most of any Llaltese entry to date.

Then, on the 8th of June, a multitude of rumours began to surface of Llaltese participation in WorldVision 100, though most thought nothing of them, as just rumours. Out of the blue however, the LBN confirmed participation on the following Friday, 10th of June, 6:30 PM GMT, via Twitter. The official LBN Twitter account stated that Hana Uemura was to represent the nation at the upcoming WorldVision 100. And as suddenly as it disappeared, the Llaltese hype for WorldVision returned, glad that finally, the LBN was to confirm participation. What was even more shocking was the post that came 2 days later, at 8 PM GMT on the 12th of June. A teaser photo, aptly named "Prologue" was released, of a girl walking towards a chair in a church-like hall. Immediately, WorldVision fans were excited to see what was in store, as this was the first time the LBN had ever released extensive promotions for an entry. Avid WorldVision theorists began to dissect leaked information and the information given. A teaser video was then released on the 14th, also titled "Prologue", which appeared to be the first teaser image in motion, accompanied by a mere piano. Throughout the week, 2 more teaser images were released, "Face Yourself" and "Apex", released on the 15th and 17th respectively. Each teaser showed the date 20.06.2022, which was the alleged release of the new single. Alongside the onslaught of teasers, little had any idea what the new song was to sound like, especially since this was Hana Uemura's debut single.

On the Saturday however, the music video trailer was released, and the name of the song was finally revealed to the world: "Apex of the New World". The trailer hinted at a dramatic electropop song, carried by soaring melodies and a grand horn section, something rarely seen in the Llaltese music scene. The visuals were dark yet colourful, Hana Uemura appearing in the hall, seemingly facing herself, the backdrop depicting burning moons and planets. With 2 days left before the release of the song, the single cover art was revealed on the 19th, and the song was finally revealed on the Monday, the 20th. With an ambitious promotion cycle that the LBN had never done before, at least, not for a WorldVision entry.

~✧~

~✧~ THE ARTIST ~✧~

HANA UEMURA

Age 24 (born 20th December, 1997)
Born in Akita, Japan, Hana Uemura is a debut singer, the 100th WorldVision Song Contest being her first tenure in the music industry. Born to a Llaltese mother and a Japanese father, alongside 1 younger sibling, the family moving to St. Christopher, Llalta in the wake of the millennium. There, she attended St. Christopher Academy, her passive, quiet yet amicable personality garnering her a lot of friends, even though she had only just begun to learn English. However, she soon caught up, her high academic ability allowing her to learn quickly. At first, she had taken interest in the sciences, dreaming of becoming an astronaut or a scientist. However, that dream changed at age 9, after listening to one of the Japanese CDs her father had taken from Akita. After listening to the album for hours and hours on end, she looked for more records from them, finding that Llalta had no records from Japan. After trying relentlessly, the effort was deemed futile. However, Hana found a passion for singing after singing along to the CD, and dreamed of bringing alternate styles from Japan over to Llalta, who had little to no exposure to the likes of J-Pop or the like. After taking up singing lessons with June Summerfields, her passion grew even stronger. Her vision only expanded after a family trip to Britonisea, where billboards of singers and celebrities glittered in the skyline. She often dreamed to her friends of her future career in lands far, far away, performing on a stage for thousands. Though it was a mere hobby at first, as she grew closer to 18, the light seemed closer than she imagined.

Like many other Llaltese graduates, she chose to do her degree in Britonisea, the city of Luton in particular. Though her degree was in Astrophysics, she secretly hoped to take root there, wishing that she could blossom her career. Once there however, she found it hard to integrate within the student crowd at Luton, finding herself friendless and homesick within her first year. Furthermore, her confidence had dropped greatly, and the light that she once chased no longer shined. The workload seemed endless with no end in sight, overwhelming her until she fell into a slump. She found the darkest parts of her seemed to grow like a rash, a scar she could not rid of. After a while, she had ended up lashing out at her few friends, becoming a shell of her former self, even growing depressed. The one thing that had carried her through the night was music, the music of Llalta and her other home. But even then, it had seemed a fruitless attempt to keep living. During her second year, she had dropped out of university, running away from herself and her fears. For a few months, she had ended up living in a small apartment, isolated from the world around her. However, one evening, the melodious symphony of a single piano resounded in the silent city, and for the first time in a while, she began to cry and cry until her head ached and her eyes hurt. But something inside her changed, like a flame ignited.

She worked a long time to improve herself, a year or so, facing herself in ways she had never dared to do. And for once, the days seemed bright. She had ended up singing in a bar after mustering up the courage to audition, at the will of her newfound friends, and began to find new joys in her life, and herself. She moved in with her friends, somewhere small still, but they were happy. She had also visited Llalta once again, though at first with company, to face the family she had feared to let down, even if that fear was irrational. And though she still had good days and bad days, it didn't matter to her. Her life changed when she was scouted after one show however. Though it had always been her dream, she didn't know whether it was her chance to take. Her friends pushed her to do so, offering to drive her, and perhaps buy her a dinner if she failed, and eventually, she took the chance. Recording a few Llaltese songs her mother sang to her, she nervously awaited the response. Though it took a while (especially due to her impatience), she eventually got a callback, the child in her smiling. Though Hana knew it wouldn't be easy, she chose to sign, starting late 2021.

After recording multiple demos with Esther Winterbourne, Uemura was set to debut in late 2022 with an EP. However, after being chosen to represent Llalta at the 100th WorldVision Song Contest, her debut was moved to the 20th of June, with the song "Apex of the New World". Though "Apex of the New World" is her only released track as of yet, she has stated that her sound infuses J-Pop and Electropop with the more acoustic and orchestral sounds of Llalta to create grand and fantastical songs that pay homage to the adventures and odysseys of life. "Apex of the New World" is a culmination of everything she loves in music, and a taste of what is to come in her blossoming career.

~✧~ THE SONG ~✧~

"APEX OF THE NEW WORLD"
"Apex of the New World", performed by Hana Uemura is a J-Pop song infused with a multitude of genres such as Llaltese Folk with EDM and Dubstep elements present throughout the song. Released on the 20th of June 2022, the song is a song about the odyssey that is learning to love oneself, accepting every single aspect of ourselves, positive and negative, and never giving up. We are all undefinable, complex beings of all kinds of colours that we must accept as ourselves, and only if we learn to love ourselves unconditionally, no matter how challenging, are we able to move from the past. And though we are not perfect; and we may never be, we must never give up in striving to be the bests version of ourselves, learning to grow and overcome mistakes and habits that we have fallen into unknowingly. Though sometimes it's hard to face the darkest truths of ourselves, the only way we can truly move is by facing it, embracing it, and growing as a result. But even if we do still make mistakes, we can only grow from them, not hate ourselves. To learn to connect with people, to be the light to others as you have always wanted to have yourself. And though hope seems so far away, the brightest hope comes from within. And one day, we may create the perfect reality that only the imperfections of humanity can paint.

“Apex of the New World” is about how, every person is made up of thousands of colours, like our personality, our past, our future, our identities. We are all like paintings, every second and moment another stroke on our canvas. Sometimes we make mistakes or we internalize our negative experiences, which can grow into much worse things, we can grow to resent ourselves, another shade on our canvas of life. However, the song is about never giving up and striving to be the best we can be. Accepting all our colours, and though we may not be perfect, that is perfect enough. The brightest hope comes from within, so as long as we keep going and love ourselves unconditionally and grow and nurture, we can create our “new world” where we can finally love every single colour of ourselves.
Hana Uemura at the Junterapten Pre-Party

At 4m57s long, the song was originally written for the 3rd LlaltaVision: The Duels, late 2021 by Esther Winterbourne. However, it was shelved as it was deemed too 'uncompetitive' to be an entry. Originally sang by Esther herself, the demo was far slower, implementing a trap-style beat alongside a synth-heavy chorus, far more chilled than the version presented today. However, as requested by Hana Uemura, who had re-recorded the demo in early 2022, the track was rearranged by Esther Winterbourne and John Marshall to feature a larger soundscape and a faster rhythm. Including orchestral elements, such as a triumphant horn section, the song became far grander than originally conceived, something far more impactful, something that would last. The lyrics had originally taken the perspective of someone who had overcome self-hatred, though was vastly rewritten to fit the narrative proposed by Hana, a more realistic approach which sang of someone who knows they are not yet the person they want to be, yet still strives to better themselves anyway. Encompassing a more vibrant lyrical landscape, the lyrics were also embellished with multiple references to previous Llaltese WorldVision entries, most significantly WorldVision 65 ("Just Be You!"), WorldVision 69 ("Like Memories"), WorldVision 86 ("To Live") and WorldVision 90 ("Constellations"). The song aimed to be a culmination of the journey Llalta has taken in WorldVision, taking lyrical and musical elements to create the perfect song to celebrate WorldVision 100, combining the past, present and future of Llalta. The perfect ending for the old, and the shining start for the new. Or perhaps the middle of a slow and long journey to the light!

Promoted over 10 days via numerous teaser photos and teaser videos, the song was released to critical acclaim, debuting at #1 on the Llaltese Top 20 Chart as well as appearing in various international WorldVision charts, peaking at #8 on WV Radar and #9 on the Maltese Hot 10. The entry is also 30/1 on the odds at wvworld.com (as of the 4th update, dated 25/06). The music video also reached 500 Thousand views within 2 weeks of release, being the most highly anticipated Llaltese entry as of yet. The song has also succeeded in several records so far, despite only a few weeks of release, including the highest 1st day streams (both on streaming service and Youtube) of any Llaltese song as well as charting overseas in nations no Llaltese song has charted before, and predicted to break many more with the broadcast of the contest.

~✧~ THE PERFORMANCE ~✧~

As the postcard ends, the arena dims until it is almost pitch black, the crowd cheering one final time before plunging into silence. Onstage, time seemed to slow as the start drew nearer. Taking a deep breath, Uemura rocked back and forth on the balls of the heels of her shoes, her face turned to the ground. This is it, she told herself, again and again, the chance to show everything she and her country were made of. Though she had performed a few times since her debut, the notable of which being the Junterapten Pre-Party, she had severely underestimated the sheer size of the crowd, not to mention all those at home who would be watching from the camera's eye. And yet, all those faces seemed to melt away with each deep breath, until the only person in the crowd she wanted to please, was herself. Then again, perhaps that was what made it all the more intimidating, that she would mess up her one chance to prove to herself how far she had come. Of which, she thought about what she would have thought a few years ago, during her time at university. What the child whose eyes glittered gold would have thought. To have achieved her dream, to be the light she had once chased; a little laughter escaped her pursed lips. A happiness she could not describe began to well up in her, the joy of being alive. The air was sticky and humid, yet, each breath gave her the energy to keep going. She felt the urge to run a mile, roll in the fields as the sun shone down on her, the excited feeling one might feel when they imagined all the possible stories their life would tell.

The countdown in her earpiece snapped her from her childish excitement. This is it, the moment her life had led up. She felt as if she was ready to fly, weightless, but the moment held her down. The future was ahead of her, but the time was now. She took another deep breath, shutting her eyes tightly, She thought about herself in that moment, everything she was and will be, and the her that stood upon that stage, and smiled. This was what she had dreamed of, and she thought only to savour and enjoy every note, every movement and every moment upon that stage. To do the best she that she could.

This is it.

As the song begins, the piano melody reverberates throughout the arena, the stage lighting up at once. The shot features black bars covering the top and bottom of the screen, thinning the aspect ratio vertically to create a more cinematic effect. Upon the black LED screen, a small golden butterfly flutters across the darkness from the right side of the LED screen to the centre, golden particles sparkling with each flap of its wing. The camera zooms into the butterfly, following it's movements as it pans across, ending the shot at centre stage, where Hana Uemura is revealed, standing on the main stage, eyes shut, her face tilted slightly downwards. Throughout the performance, she holds a wireless microphone, not restricting her movements. Her outfit consists of a black strap top embellished with golden embroidery, intertwined with jewels to give a luxurious look. Wrapped around her is a draped asymmetric toga style garment which wraps around her body, elegant yet dramatic, also embellished with golden jewellery, shimmering in the lights like the scales of a fish. Around her neck sits a thick golden neck accessory which is decorated similarly to the embellishments on the rest of the outfit. Her black hair is pulled back into a half ponytail, the rest falling to just above her shoulder blades. She is crowned with a headpiece of gold jewellery; the design again matching the embellishments of the outfit, daintily wrapped against her hair. Her make-up is soft and naturally, only her cheekbones highlighted with a small amount of glitter. Overall, her outfit represents an angelic, elegant motif, dark colours keeping her image grounded in humanity.

The butterfly dissolves into a burst of sparkling gold dust behind her, forming butterfly wings with the particles for a few moments as Hana begins to sing the first line of the song, opening her eyes and looking into the camera, bringing the microphone to her lips, the lights catching her eye with a blue sparkle. As she sings "the dearest child", the music swells, building up to the introduction of the main rhythm, the camera zooming backwards as a troupe of blue and white spotlights are drawn into Hana, before releasing as the music picks up. A volley of blue lights then billow outwards as she continues to sing the introduction, a large arched window design appearing on the black LED screen as well as 2 smaller ones upon the pillars that form from either side of the stage, a call to the music video as well as matching the grandeur and extent of the song, the butterfly dust bursting into the black. The arched window is detailed, pulsing to the beat of the song, alongside the multitude of lights that surround the stage which have also begun to pulse. As Uemura sings "who thought the argent stars were hers to hold", she raises her hand to the sky, her eyes trailing them as she looks beyond the heavens, her voice effortlessly singing the soaring melody, a slight twinge of pain highlighting her voice. A crane camera slowly circles around her from the skies, a shot angled halfway between her eye line and a bird's eye view, where the stage floor is also seen, a white light beneath Hana pulsing to the beat. She sings the beginning of the 3rd line, the music building up once again, the lights strobing alongside the beat, building up to the first drop. The LED arched window also flashes, the lines beginning to violently distort with glitchy effects. The beat then drops, the EDM/Dubstep elements of the song appearing for the first time. And with them, the lights begin to billow outwards relentlessly, a constant flow of lights in gold and blue blossoming outwards in all directions, matching the chaos of the drop. Hana, almost lost in the lights, steps forwards, behind her, the lines and shapes that once formed the windows stretching and distorting into geometric shapes, bright white lines glitching to the beat, even spilling out to the LED floor below her. The camera takes a wide pan of the stage before, taking a closer body shot of Hana, who thrusts her hands up to the ceiling, the yearning in her voice growing stronger. As she sings the final line, her hand slowly falls, pulled into a fist against her chest, the camera zoomed in, following it before making its way to her face, her eyes looking straight into the lens, glittering in the light. Every so often, a lens flare will momentarily obscure the view of the camera, but even so, she remains unfazed as she sings the final note, her voice a little withdrawn, her eyes slowly falling to the floor as the camera fades to black. As her vocals echo throughout the arena, each beat is accompanied by a different camera angle, speeding up as the beat does. Each cut fades in and out to create an almost blinking-like effect.

The dearest child, eyes glittered gold
Who thought the argent stars were hers to hold
As the years pass by, I don’t feel any older
Except the light I once chased no longer shines

As the music calms down, the camera takes a wide shot of the stage, first faced towards the audience at a slight angle, showcasing Hana walking forward towards the sea of people and flags, waving like a turbulent sea. As the music has quietened, so too have the lights, the general atmosphere of the stage far darker than before, a slightly mysterious and heavy atmosphere entering the arena. Then, the camera takes a wide shot from the front, the LED screen returning to the stained glass window graphic of before, this time with gold and blue particles gently blowing from the bottom, like the sparks of a flame. The sparks seem to ebb and flow to the beat of the song, the dim lights also pulsing gently to the heartbeat-like rhythm. The colour palette of the whole performance as of yet evokes the blue, white and gold colours of Llalta. The camera takes a pan of the stage as Uemura brings the microphone to her lips, singing the poetic lines of the first verse, her voice like a river, each silk syllable like the song of an angel. The first camera shots consist of mostly close up sequences, unmoving. These shots are interspersed with wider shots, wide views of the stage and such, showcasing Uemura's loneliness, so minuscule in front of the large arched window, her voice slightly trembling. Though the stage is dark, her face is free of shadow, a white spotlight illuminating her from above, causing her armour of jewellery to glisten, even more so on every beat, due to the myriad of other spotlights pulsing. Her voice is soft, as airy as the lyrics she sings, each note floating high above the dramatic instrumental. Her face is just as soft, a slight smile painted upon her face, though one that could either be one of regret or nostalgic delusion, each string of words displaying another memory in her mind, perhaps looked upon fondly, or perhaps looked upon with hate. On the 5th line, she turns slightly to the side, lifting her free arm into the air, her movements elegant and slow. Behind her, a sapphire blue butterfly flutters, the camera directly facing Uemura to give the illusion the butterfly is flying around her arm. Her gaze turns to her arm, where the butterfly is directed. The lights also increase in intensity as the music does, white lights flashing to the rhythm of the violin. As she sings the final line of the verse however, Uemura swirls her arm like the pirouette of a ballerina, the blue butterfly turning into a cloud of shimmering blue dust. However, as she swirls her arm, the LED dust swirls too, as if controlled by her.

A summer sky, burnished in bronze
Clouds painting odysseys
The zephyr, waltzing with leaves
Caressing my blushed cheeks
The butterfly, fluttering by
Whose sapphires wings beat soundlessly
Unnoticed, until flutters turned into typhoons

As the pre-chorus begins, Hana sings "wrathful storm", each syllable in time with each beat. As a result, 3 sets of lights flash white to each syllable, the camera taking 3 different shots. Her voice is as strong as the words she sings, her face contorting for a split moment as a brief interlude of emotion splashes across her face. Her arm swirls a little more vigorously, though still elegant, and the gold sparks that appear on the LED screen now also begin to spiral to each swirl of her hand. The LED particles begin to rise as they spiral, expanding, surrounding Hana. Furthermore, the arched windows present on the LED screens dapple light upon the stage, as if rays of sunlight were piercing through a blossom of leaves beyond, the dappled light dancing upon the stage behind her. As she sings, "uncontrollable", she pulls her free hand from the sky towards her shoulders before sliding them back to her side. Her voice tainted with regret, the bittersweet sadness of such memories seeping through the tone of her voice. As the song builds up the first chorus, the beat returns, the lights flashing more frequently and sporadically as a result. The camera circles her once, Uemura rarely looking into the camera, focussed on her story as she faces the audience. The golden dust on the LED screen also begins to swirl faster, as if it were brewing into a tornado. She sings the final line, her voice increasing in power as to build up for the chorus, the camera slowly zooms into her at her eye level. Behind her a tornado of gold and blue dust, she looks fiercely into the camera, her arm outstretched, reaching towards the viewer. Singing the final note, she flings her hand straight into the air, her index finger outstretched to the heavens, the camera rapidly zooming on it, until only a brief section of the LED screen and her hand could be seen. As for the spotlights, they flash white, blue and gold with increasing brightness and speed as the build up progresses, preparing for the drop of the chorus.

The wrathful storm, uncontrollable
I could only run away
But trapped inside, golden eyes
The child I could never face

Uemura sings the first line, "I’ll never give in", the music silencing briefly as to prepare for the drop. The camera is still zoomed in on her hand, panning around the front for a second, until the drop occurs, the EDM style drop exploding into the arena, the camera shot dropping. The camera shakes up and down a little, simulating the bounce of a fallen object, before zooming out to reveal a wide shot of the stage, though very near to Uemura's eye level, whom of which stands centre stage, hand gripped to the microphone as if it were her own heart. As the lights billow outwards to the rhythm, spotlights frantically rising upwards, replicating the chaotic, strobing lights of an EDM festival, the LED wall behind once again depicts the twisted geometric lines that it had shown before. The geometric lines shift and portray glitch-like effects in time with the song, creating an energetic atmosphere. The camera shots consist mainly of wider shots, showing the grandeur of the staging and song, the shortened aspect ratio truly enhancing the lighting effects and stage graphics, pulling the focus on Uemura, surrounded by a palace of lights, as well as closer up shots, allowing Uemura's emotions to be shown to the WorldVision viewers. Uemura slings the train of her white toga piece behind her, singing with far more power than initially showcased, though still a little restrained. Even in such a dramatic chorus, she rarely uses hand motions or moves her body as she sings her longer notes. Rather, it appears more reflective, as if singing to herself. Throughout, her eyes are guided upwards, to the back wall of the arena, as if looking to the future. However, as she sings the 3rd line, her gaze falls to her side, the camera circling her using an upwards angle, the lights almost depicted as a crown upon her head. After, as the chorus draws to a close, she sings the final line, she closes her eyes shut, reaching the higher notes as she tilts her head up, still slightly turned to the side before facing the front, a small smile displayed upon her face; a resolution.

I’ll never give in, never give up
I’ll never look back until I’ve learnt to live
Laughter and love, mistakes and pain
All the colours of being alive I must face

As the chorus ends, the music quietens down once more, Uemura's last words echoing over the instrumental. She turns towards the back before walking towards backstage centre, the spotlights around the stage pulling inwards to face towards her, dimming a little whilst still pulsing to the beat. The LED screen returns to the arched window graphic, a few gold and blue sparks once again returning to a more subdued state. As the music builds up with a whoosh, the lights billow outwards, and suddenly a filter is placed upon the camera, turning the colour palette of each shot to greyscale. The 2nd verse features a more tense atmosphere the beginning consisting of a single unstopping beat and little else, built upon via rapid camera shots, most if, not all, close ups and body shots from the front of the stage, rarely showing the audience or any features that could remove the immersion of the segment. Multiple shots feature unconventional camera compositions for a performance, such as multiple extreme close ups alongside shots where Uemura is off centre, or only half in shot. In addition, Uemura begins to sing the line, "alone I cry, stained black and blue", turning her head around towards the front as the music reduces to the beat and piano, the stage becoming darkened, a few sparse lights pulsing to the beat, significantly the lights that border the stage featuring heavily as they pulse, twisted shadows dancing upon her face. Even upon the LED screen, the arched window lights up in sporadic segments, randomly flashing in no particular order to add to the immersion. She turns around, outstretching her arm to the right, the camera following with a close up shot accordingly. However, as she draws her arm back in, the camera provides a slight pan so that it returns to a shot consisting of the chest upwards.

The 2nd half of the verse is similar to that of the 1st verse, the more orchestral soundscape returning with a flourish of colour, the camera shots no longer greyscale. From beneath her feet, a small explosion of coloured particles, mostly blue and gold, burst outwards, spreading to the bottom of the LED screen where the arched window design suddenly appears once more. Though the stage is still a little darkened, a few more lights billow outwards as before. As she sings "it’s hard to break the loop", the particles of colours upon the LED screen move, as if carried by the breeze, to form a figure of eight, following the dainty eight drawn by Uemura's free hand herself, though the formation dissipates as she sings the final line, spreading her free arm outwards, the sparks following suit, pluming into a blossom of colourful sparkles. A gleam in her eye flares in the lens of the camera, as her neutral expression is displaced by a slight smile, even if just for a moment.

Alone I cry, stained black and blue
The typhoon storms on
I cannot stop, I cannot hide
Only watch myself explode
An oath of change, written in red
It’s hard to break the loop
I can't reset yesterday, but tomorrow dawns

The 2nd pre-chorus replicates many of the lighting effects of the 1st: the flash of lights that accompany the opening 3 musical flourishes, alongside the sparkles creating a swirl behind Uemura upon the LED screen. Moreover, the arched window upon the screen continues to dapple light, though in a few more colours than the gold and blue of before. However, the segment feature camera shots that are far more dynamic, first featuring a pan that not only travels from the left to right, but also moves slightly downwards, highlighting the beautiful spectacle of the particles, swirling and pirouetting around Uemura. However, as the rhythm begins to build in preparation for the chorus, the spotlights around the stage begin to light up with each beat, including the arched window upon the LED screen. Hana begins to step forward, lights following her lead as she puts her foot down, singing the final line, "I’m braving the eye of the storm", gazing directly into the camera as the tornado of particles swirls with more vigour than before, circling behind her, representing her as the eye of the storm. Again, that same smile spreads upon her face, a hope lighting her dark eyes. The lights cloud her as they begin to flash more intensely with each building beat, the camera zooming into her before turning its focus upwards, a small golden butterfly appearing upon the LED screen, to which the camera shot consists of only that graphic, a few golden sparkles shedding from it's wings.

The eclipsed light, starless nights
I can't see beyond my reach
But day by day, scar by scar
I’m braving the eye of the storm

Once again, with the introduction of the chorus, Uemura sings the first line with a newfound strength, the music cutting out entirely bar the violin, growing louder in order to build the chorus. And again, the camera drops alongside the beat drop, shaking to simulate the energy of such a fall. The lights billow outwards again, however the lights consist of a few more colours scattered within the mass of gold, white and blue, such as pinks, purples and reds, an almost festival-like colour scheme. The LED screen projects the warping geometric shapes formed from the lines of the arched window. In addition glitch effects further emphasize the rhythmic pulsing of the lines, each major warp matching the heavy beats of the song, enhancing the visuals with the song. Uemura's voice sings each lyric as if her last, each word emphasized with the true meanings that only she truly knows. Her make-up sparkling in the lights, she turns to face the front, a glimmer in her smile as her face creases with a bittersweet joy, one that sees hope in the future, the future one has made many mistakes in their life to learn of. Perhaps she was glad to have been able to learn and grow, yet part of her wished life was easier, that she could have learnt under different circumstances. Either way, in the moment, it didn't matter, there was only the fleeting now and the everlasting future. After a wide shot of the stage, the bright and colourful lights gleaming in the camera as it panned, the audience displayed in front as their flags and faces were lit up in a chaotic strobe of lights, the shot switched to a crane camera, which zoomed into Hana from the front. All the colours of every light in her eyes, she splayed her hand across her chest, singing the final line with sincerity, shutting her eyes as the note left her lips.

Hana lets a sharp breath out as she pulls the microphone from her mouth, the camera sweeping the stage with a panoramic shot. The horn section begins after, the brass instruments playing the soaring melody of the chorus over battle drum style beat as the stage shifts dramatically in appearance. Firstly the LED screen returns to the arched window graphic of before, though multiple rows of the window appear, beginning and ending with the pillars on the side, as if it were the wall of a large hallway. However, the window panels become like that of a stained glass window, each decorated with segments that paint a scene of a flower meadow consisting of all kinds of colours like pink, green, red, purple and blue, beneath a sky, each window representing a different time of day from a rising sun in the dawn upon a pale sky, to the sun in the top of the sky, bright and yellow upon a blue noon sky. A bronzed sky that represents dusk, the moon rising, alongside one of night, a sky full of stars with the moon. The 'wall' of the LED hallway is a gold colour, with sapphire blue embellishments. Gold and blue sparkling particles also appear at the bottom ends of the screen, as before. As the horn segment blasts into the arena, like a battle song, spires of flames burst out of the sides of the stage with the beginning of every bar. The lights are darkened, though still retaining a blue and gold colour scheme, as they billow outwards, matching the heavier feeling connected with that section. At first, Uemura does an elegant twirl, moving her arms in a way that allows the fabric of her garment to trail behind gracefully, like the wind, before turning to begin to walk to the very back of the stage. Beneath her, a complex pattern featuring all kinds of rich colours used in the entry a displayed on a rug-like graphic, the patterns glowing and pulsing to the rhythm, as if it were living, the song it's heartbeat, shown as the camera takes a bird's eye view of her. As she walks, the camera takes sweeping shots of her and the stage, the shots following almost the same composition as that of a film, prioritising aesthetics during the brief instrumental section to emphasize the majestic nature of the song and its visuals, further complimented by the aspect ratio. A few shots of the audience are taken too, a small patch of Llaltese fans dancing with their Llaltese flag in the far back of the stands being highlighted before returning to the stage, in all its beautiful colours, a kaleidoscope of lights.

I’ll never give in, never give up
I’ll never look back until I’ve painted with the wind
Laughter and love, mistakes and pain
All the colours of who I am I must embrace

As the bridge begins, Hana turns around once more, lifting the microphone to sing the gentler section of the song, the instrumental being overtaken by a harmonious group of violins. Behind her upon the LED screen, the hallway design is washed away with a mass of butterflies in all kinds of colours, mostly of bright and warm colours alongside sapphire blues to simulate a colour palette like that of a festival, a celebration. The butterflies twinkle as they flap, leaving behind trails of sparkling particles much like the butterflies seen before. They also spread across the stage floor, as if emanating from Uemura, who stands near the back of the stage. They continually flutter throughout the whole of the bridge. As Uemura sings the first line, she tilts her body slightly to the left, raising her arm at a 60° angle upwards, as she turns her head to face the sky. Her voice is raised higher, as light as air as she sings the more hopeful lyrics of the song. The 2nd line is sung, the camera taking a wide panorama of the stage showcasing the true beauty of the scene. A few spotlights billow upwards and outwards, corresponding to the general directions of the butterflies, though move far slower due to the music requiring a more soft lighting effect. As she sings "it’s my life to live", she turns to her heart, placing a hand gently upon her chest, a sign of acceptance, her voice lightened by her slight grin. In a song with few breaks, the bridge seems to provide a moment of gentle uplifting, like a summer breeze or the wing of an angel. She continues the line, almost shaking her head in an insignificant defiance, turning her head up to the steadicam. The music then proceeds to build up, battle drum style percussion entering the composition, the music becoming more uplifting with every beat. The lights unused before now begin to pulse to the beat, flaring in the camera like distant fireworks. She sings "and though I’ve not yet spread my wings", spreading her free arm outwards, her voice a little stronger, parallel to the music, her eyes glinting with determination. She reaches forward for the next line, gobo lighting projecting her with dappled light, corresponding to the lyrics, before dilating from her position and outwards. The camera also zooms outwards, once again portraying the scale of the stage, as well as spotlighting the colourful yet graceful aesthetics. A steadicam however returns the focus with a shot featuring Uemura from the waist upwards, capturing her as she belts the final line, face creases as she puts her all into the note, eyes shut, her voice going downwards at the tail end of the note. In the end, surrounded by a volley of lights flashing to the ever-increasing beat, she lifts her head delicately, dragging the microphone up to her lips again, taking a deep breath as the bridge came to a close.

The light no longer shines
Not even the azure sky remains
But it’s my life to live, no matter the timeline
And though I’ve not yet spread my wings
A light flickers through my chrysalis
I know the future is mine alone to change

The penultimate chorus begins, Uemura singing the first line with a hopeful smile upon her face as the music cuts out, with only a mere piano remaining. The last wave of butterflies upon the LED screen and flooring flutter away, a few sparse butterflies trailing behind before they completely vanish, leaving a black screen, the arched window as before suddenly flashing upon the screen behind her. This time however, the window panes are lit up in white, Uemura a near silhouette upon the white panels before 3 dim golden spotlights rapidly pull in and shine upon her. Apart from the single arched window and the 3 spotlights however, the arena is almost completely pitch black, creating a more intimate atmosphere, the camera taking steady and closer shots of Uemura, her lyrics speaking of her dream of the future. Her voice is soft yet slightly rough, her voice strained with the overwhelming amount of emotions running through her head: hopefulness, joy, regret, determination and others unnamed. It was almost over, and yet she never wanted it to end. Immersed in the song, the time had gone too quickly, though perhaps it was for the better. A performance so enjoyed she had forgotten the days, the minutes passing by. She wished she could do it all over again, proud of the song she had sung, the life she'd lived. As she sang the second line, she loosely wrapped her arm around herself, her eyes gently closing. The camera takes a wider shot of the stage, the composition consisting of Uemura in front of the arched window creating a sense of peace and beauty, despite how simple it is. A smile upon her face, she opened her eyes once more, her irises met with the glimmer of the spotlight, causing her to wince a little before singing the line "I’ll love every colour". After, a beat is reintroduced, each line introducing another layer of percussion to the piano section. At first, only the colourful outlines of butterflies could be seen, only fading in with each beat before fading out once again. With each new rhythm however, another group of butterflies are revealed, until an eclectic swarm of butterfly outlines pulse to various rhythmic sequences all at once. The lighting also corresponds to the layers of rhythmic sequences, until a numerous amount of spotlights begin strobing as to build up the final chorus. Uemura's voice also grows stronger with every syllable, as if the present were looming back on her, her bright reality shining her awake. The camera pans the stage, bombarded by lights, obscuring the view until the camera begins to zoom out from Uemura, who begins to walk towards the front of the stage. Singing the final line, surrounded by a carnival of multi-coloured lights she sings the final note, clutching her microphone as the note leaves her lips.

A distant day, I’ll look back and smile
Embrace the night that I once ran far from
I’ll love every colour, all that I am
I'll become the light I once chased

As the lights rapidly increase in intensity corresponding with the musical build up, Uemura ends her note, breathless as she prepares for the final drop of the song, leading to the ultimate chorus. As the music cuts out, string instruments raise the tension for the final chorus, getting louder as she sings the first line of the chorus: "I’ll never give in", her last push of defiance blazing in her voice, her last statement, enunciating every word with every inch of her being. She reaches forward with her hand, the camera pulling outwards from a close up shot of her face. As this happens, the LED screen behind flashes white, the light emanating from behind Uemura, until it covers the whole stage, lighting billowing out also. However, as the bass slides, postponing the drop, the camera pushes back forwards towards her, shifting the camera's focal length so that the background grows closer to create a distorted effect on the shot. The arena turns near pitch black, including the LED screen, the stage floor and spotlights, giving the illusion that the camera had inverted black and white colours. However, behind Uemura upon the LED screen are a pair of butterfly wings, consisting of white geometric lines, flickering on and off behind her silhouette, bordered by a thin outline of white from a light behind. The camera also tilts to the left, adding to the distorted and sudden effect of the short segment. A few triangles mimicking the cut of a diamond or jewel flashing brightly on-screen to the glitchy sound effects, a few containing refracted rays of light.

However, as the final drop of the chorus appears, the camera shakes a little, transitioning to a zoomed out shot of the stage, the LED screen and stage now covered in fast beams of multicoloured lights, referencing the lyrics. A thousand streaks of colourful light emanate from Uemura who walks to the front of the stage, singing with everything she has. Meanwhile, a ring of pyrotechnics begin to burst out from the edges of the stage. The lights flash in multiple colours, complementary to the stage colours, with the velocity and colour of a festival, painting the arena in a thousand colours. Overall, the stage is rather overwhelming, yet corresponds directly to the themes and rhythm of the song. The wind machine is turned on, Uemura's outfit flowing behind her like an aurora, her hair also fluttering. The camera zooms into Uemura, who stares into the approaching camera with a fire in her eyes, the gold upon her outfit and jewellery glittering in the camera. She is often obscured by the sheer mass of lights, flaring in the lens, temporarily blocking the view, though it only adds to the grandeur of the final chorus, as well as the heightened emotions showcased in the performance. And somehow, her voice pierces through the song, her softer tone washed in the hues of her resolution. As she sings the third line, she spreads her arms out, singing with even greater happiness as she spread her song with the world. As she sings the final line, she stretches her arm towards the camera, her hand curling into a fist, singing with the last slither of energy. Behind her on the LED screen, a bright white light begins to form, though only small at first, like a halo around her head, it grows and grows as the chorus draws to a close. She sings the final note, holding until she cannot sing any longer, her voice fading away as a breath of relief, joy, sadness, is exhaled as she pulls the microphone from her lips.

I’ll never give in, never give up
I know the brightest light comes from within
Let my light refract, into a million colours
Paint with every hue, the apex of the new world

As the last chorus ends, the horn section returning for the outro, Uemura walks towards the newly produced catwalk, towards the satellite stage. As she does, the streaks of coloured light pave the way to the satellite stage, Uemura following the light as she smiles, the crowd cheering as she passes by. Sparkling confetti begins to fall from the ceiling as the horn section plays the final melody, glittering around her as she looks around, glancing at all the faces of the audience. Spotting a Llaltese flag in the far corner of the arena, she smiles, laughing under her breath. Whilst the camera mostly follows her, it also reveals the story painted upon the LED screen, the white light lowering from the centre of the screen to the bottom, the streaks of light emanating from the light instead of Uemura. The lights begin to shift colour scheme returning to the colours of Llalta (of gold, navy and white), the white becoming a sunrise of sorts as the colour palette shifts. As the string section begins to finish the melody, Uemura makes it to the satellite stage where she turns to the main stage one final time, before looking forward. Upon the LED screen and stage, the white light begins to rise like a sun, filling the whole stage in white, except for the spotlights.

As the song nears it's conclusion, the final three notes are played, the camera blurring out as it zooms into the spotlight, flaring in the lens. It then transitions to the three separate shots, each sequenced in time with the music, before finally ending with a shot of Uemura upon the satellite stage, in front of the back LED screen, where a scene consisting of space (reminiscent of that of the single cover) appears, multicoloured planets shown in a sky full of multicoloured stars, each shining brightly, striking the black with spears of light. A dozen coloured planets in various distances from the scene appear, some of flames and some of water. Meanwhile, a ring of spotlights shine upon Uemura, who ends with her hand to the sky reaching for the distant future, breathing heavily as the last 5 minutes finally began to settle in. A spotlight directed near the camera casts a ring of refracted light into the ending shot, again, reminiscent of the single cover.

As she takes a deep breath, and another, she realises it's all over. What her life had been leading up to, what her future will remember. She stood there a moment, breathless, unable to process the prior events, smiling although she didn't know why. It was only when the crowd began to cheer did she snap back to reality. A beautiful reality. Turning to face the audience, she looked around, amazed at what she had just done. Proud. The last speckles on confetti landed upon her and the stage, her face glittering as she turned towards the camera. "Thank you... thank you so much Monterra! Thank you world!" The only words she could produce, though she wished she could say so much more. But it didn't matter now. It was all over. Relief or sadness, she still could not decipher, but she felt an unexplainable joy nonetheless. She had done it at last. She had always wondered whether she could embrace the past, a question that had plagued her until recently. And yet, here she was, standing at the dawn of her new world.

~✧~

by **Kalosia** » Wed Jul 20, 2022 5:02 pm

. : 09 - Ertzei Kishim - أراضي الكيش - ארצי כישים : .
Melis Bileh - קרב באש (Fight In The Fire - Krav Ba'esh)
Language: English, Hebrew
Lyrics & Composition: Melis Bileh, Ya'ar Doron, El Zahavi
To the Tune Of - Agam Buhbut - Basim

Background

Do you remember Ertzei Kishim's entry last edition? Well we do... barely. The hasty selection process which led to choosing two solo artists, smashing them together with a pre-written song, and then sending them out to perform with no promotion, ultimately yielded the result one might expect. The reality was, this was still an excellent result in the circumstances, but one could not help but feel that the whole process was rushed, and was lucky to deliver a top ten finish. As the voting continued throughout the night, one thing was sure, the viewers were "burning out" with Melike and Matt. Indeed, not a single 12 points was given to Ertzei Kishim that evening, an almost embarrassing feat. Ultimately, the 10th place finish, while largely considered deserved and acceptable, was the worst for the country since WorldVision 78. With HARESHET publicly committed to the centenary edition of the WorldVision Song Contest, they endeavoured to have a quick and slick selection process. In fact, the decision had been made in the previous edition of the contest, during the damp squibb of the last entry. Melis Bileh, Ertzei Kishim's entrant in the 98th edition was the one touted. There had been a tacit acceptance that actually, her initial result was far too low for the quality of the song, especially given the huge domestic success it had achieved. With EKRA having submitted multiple songs during her initial selection, many of which were to be featured on her upcoming EP, HARESHET once again nominated Bileh to represent the country, with the song "Krav Ba'esh". Produced by the same team behind Judas, "Fire In The Fight" is an upbeat, danceable pop-song with immediate impact, which HARESHET believes will give the country its best shot of success in what is arguably the most important edition of the content ever.

The cover for "Krav Ba'Esh" by Melis Bileh

In the many pre-contest interview which Melis gave, she described how she connected to the song. "'Fight In The Fire' is really about that time when you're falling in love and are feeling a little powerless... maybe you are ignoring some red flags, maybe you are overwhelmed with the emotions you feel. And I'm here singing this song telling you, 'hey, you are that bitch, you are the shit, and you've got this'. You have to find that fight when you're in these flames". As was expected, with Melis being very in-demand in Ertzei Kishim at the moment, 'Krav Ba'esh' had commanded the top spot in the charts since its release in Ertzei Kishim, and was, at the time of writing, the country's third best selling single, after the Ertzei Kishim Gay Pride 2022 song, and of course, Judas, also by Melis. Despite this, its international reception had thus far been rather muted. This was to be expected of course given that the international popularity of many songs was boosted during the days and weeks after the contest, but other strong contenders from Llalta and MCG had managed to break into international charts around the world. Was this a concern to HARESHET, well, not really. A song largely sung in Hebrew was not going to break the charts in foreign lands over the more tame English entries. Luckily for Ertzei Kishim, a strong domestic showing usually returned good results at WorldVision, and that is exactly what Fight In The Fire was doing.

WorldVision 100 was, of course, the centenary edition of the world's favourite music competition. As a result, many broadcasters sought to make the event a special occasion - Britonisea revived its famous pre-party circuit, alongside submitting an impressive host bid which eventually lost out to that of Kalosia's, despite several endorsements from within the IBA. According to inside sources, HARESHET chiefs agonised for days as to which bid to vote for, before ultimately coming to their conclusion at the final hour, in a secret ballot only known to the committee. With Kalosia chosen as the host, discussion regarding the implementation of semifinals for the first time ever began. HARESHET, who had previously submitted a host bid which involved provision for semi finals, was largely in favour of the suggestion, pending some changes to final composition and thresholds required. In the event that semi finals did occur, Ertzei Kishim was drawn to compete in the first semi final, having not finished within the top ten in the previous edition. This was however exciting for Kishraeli WorldVision fans who wanted to see how the new format would work, and of course, get to hear Melis sing live twice. The change in schedule also lengthened the contest by a week, necessitating a change in schedule for HARESHET which would ultimately see some prime-time TV programmes changed to Shabbat slots, thereby reducing their viewing figures slightly. For HARESHET however, this was deemed a risk worth taking.

Kalosia

Kalosia had not hosted the contest since the 75th edition, when Tatyana Shapsugh, now one of Ertzei Kishim's most successful stars, performed her debut song "Taht Al-Tilj" (Under The Ice), eventually finishing in fourth position. Memories of performing in Kalosia had always been positive for Ertzei Kishim. Tabitha Shamaimah gained Ertzei Kishim's first ever victory in Monterra with "I Realise", and Melis was hoping that some of Tabitha's luck was with her for this edition (simply forgetting the 50th edition where Luna Shaldit achieved a very average 10th place - even though, reading back, it was such a bad girl anthem damn maybe I should re-enter it). Anyway, Monterra, as with many cities on the Mediterranean, felt very homely to the Kishraeli delegation. While most of the current HARESHET delegation were not a part of the previous hosting in Kalosia, some more senior official remembered their time in Kalosia fondly, and were happy to recommend to younger staff their favourite spots to eat, drink, and party.

Melis and her team had not been able to join some of the pre-contest events due to budgetary constraints imposed on the team thanks to HARESHET simultaneously confirming participation in the Special Edition of the WorldVision Song Contest, and thus being in Kalosia was her first time at being able to do so. Interacting with the press and fans brought back fond memories of her recent participation, and the excitement people showed towards her songs was very much appreciated. Despite this, RTVK had not created a particularly busy or bespoke press programme, and so this allowed the HARESHET delegation both more time to relax, and also more time to prepare for the upcoming performance. The stage design was interesting to say the least, namely because of the isolated outcrop in the middle of the arena. It also kind of looked like batman's mask. Thankfully, RTVK had allowed delegations to connect the outcrop with a runway so as to not make the whole thing redundant, something the HARESHET team had experimented with in their rehearsals. With the prospect of semi finals, the team were told they could make minor performance changes from the semi final to the final, so greater risks were being taken during this period. After multiple sound checks, some yo-yoing in the odds (between 4th and 5th, according to bookmakers), and experiments with the runway, lighting, and props, the team had all agreed on what their best package to put forward was.

Performance

Cheers arose from the crowd as the Kishraeli postcard played on backing screens, with tens of Kalosian technical staff preparing the stage for Melis and her team. Upon completion, the lighting went completely dark and a small jingle played across the arena. The crowd began to shush as the first beats of the song rang out across the arena. With these beats, bright blue spotlights, their rays piercing through to the ceiling of the arena, shot out in unison with the music. Melis was dressed in a full body suit covered in purple crystals (think this shape, but obviously as described). Her makeup echoed the theme, with dark purple lips, eyeshadow, and small purple crystals elegantly laid over parts of her face. Her hair was pulled into a slick-backed ponytail, giving the whole look a sharper finish. Melis was standing on a platform, and, as she began to sing, it also started to spin, thus spinning her in 360 degree rotations. At every second, shorter line of the verse, the spinning platform would stop, allowing her to face the crowd, and each time it would do so, a soft flourish of purple would flow through the back of the stage and its floor. Some wider shots showed this travelling across the arena too.

B'oto kheder
באותו חדר

Aval omdim b'tzdadim hafukhim
אבל עומדים בצדדים הפוכים

Ein yetziyah
אין יציאה

V'anashim khosmim et kol ha'knisot
ואנשים חוסמים את כל הכניסות

Pni alay kan
פני אליי כאן

Ein makom lehitkhabe v'ein mah lenasot
אין מקום להתחבא ואין מה לנסות

As the bridge begins, she steps off the spinning platform and forward onto the main stage. Throughout this part of the song, the stage is filled with a deep layer of fog, rising up to Melis' hips by the end of the verse. Four dancers, dressed like Melis but with facekinis on, march out and stand by her side as she gesticulates and emotes through the bridge. Multiple close up camera shots allowed Melis to playfully sing into the camera, connecting with the voting audience at home. It was also a good opportunity for her glittery makeup and diamonds on her face to glisten, creating a sense of dynamism and texture. The dancers line up, two on her left and two on her right as she begins to move into the chorus.

Tistakel li b'ainii
תסתכל לי בעיניי

Ve'sam yad balahav
ושם יד בלהב

Az takhsof li et ha'bluf
אז תחשוף לי את הבלוף

Ve'taaleh ta'himur
ותעלה את ההימור

Kshe'ha'khom oleh tzarikh otkha lehatzil oti
כשהחום עולה צריך אותך להציל אותי

O lefakhot
או לפחות

With the start of the chorus and the first beat drop, the dancers drop into the smoke and begin moving. Simultaneously, a warm orange glow, beating in time with the music, begins flourishing on the stage floor. A wide camera angle, which zooms in to the beat emphasises the entire effect. The orange glow representing of course, the fire, with the fog acting as 'faux' smoke. The dancers look like silhouettes from the wide camera angles, and their movements on the floor almost feel as if they are lurking around Melis, who widens her stance to strengthen her vocals. With the larger beat drop at the end of the chorus, the piercing spotlights begin spinning, white, blue, and orange, all across the stage. The effect is almost madness, a sensory overload for those both in the arena and at home. The song had announced its presence and the gays and f*ghags were living for it.

Tar'eh li eikh limtzo ta'krav b'esh ki
תראה לי איך למצוא את הקרב באש כי

Balahavot ani tabati
בלהבות אני טבעתי

Lo lamadti
לא למדתי

Lelo lirot me'ever ekdah m'ashen moli
ללא לראות מעבר אקדח מעשן מולי

Oy etkharet
אוי אתחרט

Tisrof oti
תשרוף אותי

Tisrof oti
תשרוף אותי

Lo lamadti
לא למדתי

Lelo lirot me'ever ekdah m'ashen moli
ללא לראות מעבר אקדח מעשן מולי

Oy etkharet
אוי אתחרט

Tisrof oti
תשרוף אותי

The next part was in English, something that Melis had become more confident with since her last participation (which was entirely in Hebrew). Without missing a beat, Melis begins marching down the runway, which HARESHET eventually decided to use, stopping halfway at which point she seductively drops to her knees, looking at the camera and touching her body. She then lays down on the runway as she sings "you already know I'm the creature that drives you insane"; an overhead camera shot focuses on Melis as she playfully flirts with the camera and twirls her hair. The shot is made even more exciting as the fans, either side of the stage are seen partying and dancing either side of her. For the next line, she gets on all fours (on her knees, kicking her feet up) with the camera focusing on her ass, which looked quite round given that she was in a tight-ass catsuit.

Waiting to feel something when you set the flame alight
Doesn’t mean it’s wrong ‘coz it feels right
You already know I’m the creature that drives you insane
Drink the elixir and touch me again

Standing up again, Melis begins marching back to the main stage, pausing, placing her hand on her hip, and looking over her shoulder every two lines. While the orange in the stage has dimmed down, a dull hue continued to pulse through the stage. Purple lights shot through the runway at this time, with the outcrop also possessing a dull orange glow, seemingly flashing brighter each time the purple lights shot into it. While Melis had been on the runway, smoke had continued to be pumped on the stage, maintaining the hip-height visual effect. Her dancers were now practically invisible, as they had stopped dancing while the camera was not on them.

So…
Let’s take it there
Sharpen the stars and shut out all the light
Struggle for air
Cut through dark like the edge of a knife
Better beware
Traverse the void at the edge of the night
Yallah

Upon making her way back onto the main stage, the camera once again does a jittery zoom in in time with the beat. Simultaneously the orange hue on the stage glows brighter and begins pulsing like before. Melis takes her position in the centre of the stage, on the spinning platform, however this time it remains still. Around her, the dancers begin moving again. Still covered by the smoke, the camera can only pick up a faint shadowy presence, almost giving the impression of hunting sharks surrounding her. Emoting to the camera, she holds the final note for slightly longer, before looking straight into the camera for a brief pause before the beat drops.

Tistakel li b'ainii
תסתכל לי בעיניי

Ve'sam yad balahav
ושם יד בלהב

Az takhsof li et ha'bluf
אז תחשוף לי את הבלוף

Ve'taaleh ta'himur
ותעלה את ההימור

Kshe'ha'khom oleh tzarikh otkha lehatzil oti
כשהחום עולה צריך אותך להציל אותי

O lefakhot
או לפחות

At this point, the camera remains on Melis' face. As the beat drops, Melis pumped her fist in the air, and the camera zoomed out from her face to reveal the whole stage in one shot. Once again, a huge light show, of now, primarily reds, oranges, and whites shot out from the strobe lights across the stage. In a shot closer to the stage, the dancers then burst out of the smoke, creating swirling mist trails across the stage and air around Melis. Their abstract movements, almost as if they are fighting for air, continued as they danced around her. Alongside this, fans at the side of the stage whipped the smoke up further, while simultaneously dissipating it into the hair, with wave after wave of thin wisps circling Melis as she sung the final chorus. While all this was occurring, the dull orange hue on the floor turned a deep red-orange, and pulsed once again along with the music. The intention was to create a huge crescendo for the final - which was certainly achieved. With the final line, Melis dropped her head, and the whole stage turned dark purple and sparkly.

Tar'eh li eikh limtzo ta'krav b'esh ki
תראה לי איך למצוא את הקרב באש כי

Balahavot ani tabati
בלהבות אני טבעתי

Lo lamadti
לא למדתי

Lelo lirot me'ever ekdah m'ashen moli
ללא לראות מעבר אקדח מעשן מולי

Oy etkharet
אוי אתחרט

Tisrof oti
תשרוף אותי

Tisrof oti
תשרוף אותי

Lo lamadti
לא למדתי

Lelo lirot me'ever ekdah m'ashen moli
ללא לראות מעבר אקדח מעשן מולי

Oy etkharet
אוי אתחרט

Tisrof oti
תשרוף אותי

Tar'eh li eikh limtzo ta'krav b'esh ki
תראה לי איך למצוא את הקרב באש כי

With the end of the performance, the crowd screamed its appreciation. For many, it was the most impressive Kishraeli staging for a while. Melis and her team were elated, but all they could do was hope that it was enough to qualify for the new implemented semi-finals. "Thank you Monterra! Thank you world!" Melis shouted into her microphone, as her dancers ran up to her to hug her, all of them elated with their own individual performances. For now, they could rest, and await the rest of the performances of the night.

by **Kalosia** » Wed Jul 20, 2022 5:05 pm

To the tune of Corps by Yseult
Lyrics by Jaza Amigala
Produced by Jaza Amigala and ERIKS

PRELUDE TO WORLDVISION

“She is a phenomenal singer, a true artist, hailing from the very city we are standing in right now… please welcome to the stage, Jaza!” Backstage, the first Besenian singer to go to Worldvision in seventeen editions is about to step out onto the bi-monthly musical presentation on BAEN for the best artists in the nation. As Jaza entered the stage the audience of two thousand musical professionals and celebrities rose to their feet and clapped as they do for all the acts of the show. She walks smiling to the white piano at the left of the stage and the lights dim for her as she begins to play the opening notes of “Heart”. This is her first live performance of the song since she debuted it on BAEN Radio 1 in June and in her head the usual anxieties of performing for her spring up. Often the emotional and personal nature of her songs can lead to her evoking the memories of the song writing process and even the events that they are based on. Many people enjoy her for this very reason. At the end of the performance a rupture of applause occurs, and Jaza leaves the stage holding in her tears. “Great job, Jaz!” Her manager hugs her and they both head to the green room area where they will eventually go back to the stage to perform a group number with the rest of the acts of the night’s show.

‘A Night of Music’ is a programme that draws in around three million viewers every time it is on air and is a pop culture staple in Besen, and in some ways it probably could be attributed to the popularity of the Worldvision Song Contest at home – all of the representatives from when BAEN took over broadcasting rights had either debuted their song on the show or had a live performance. As for Jaza this is her second time making an appearance, the first being in 2020 when she had one of the most popular live videos of the year, totalling at 4 million views on her performance of ‘Yellow’ from her debut album of the same name. That album debuted at number two on the Besenian Official Music Chart (BOMC) with sales of 25,000 – 10,237 of which being physical, a great feat in the streaming era. As well as this the project was critically well received and currently is in the top 20 top Besenian albums on Metacritic, and the top of its genre. The themes of the twelve-track album range from sweet coming of age stories, romantic failures and the death of her childhood pet dog. It was at this point in her career in which she had begun to familiarise herself and become acquainted with some top television producers and top figures in the Besenian music industry. She is also a favourite of the most popular radio station in the country, BAEN Radio 1, in which she appears often and even has her own show every other Friday from 9am to 10am, although she will of course take a break from this role to appear at Worldvision. Her song ‘Little Pieces’ was one of the most played songs on the radio in 2021 and is her only number one single as of yet. The song belongs to her sophomore album ‘In Another Life’, which debuted again at number two on the album chart and is about the breakdown of her relationship with her then fiancée and television actor James Rean, and features some of her most intimate and emotionally gripping lyrics. They have a child together, her only daughter, which she has infamously kept private, with no one even knowing her name or even knowing what she looks like. It’s believed that this is one of the qualities that her audience likes most about her, she rarely indulges in celebrity culture and is one of the most ‘behaved’ public figures that Besen has.

THE SONG

In the only interview Jaza gave before the release of her second album, she revealed that she had written around sixty songs for the project, and most were going to be permanently scrapped. However, she did reveal that some of them may be kept for future works or for anything that may come up in her career that could possibly involve the use of these songs. ‘Heart’ was one of them, written alone by Jaza and produced by her long-time collaborator ERIKS who did work on both of her albums. It is centred around the beginning of the end of her relationship, the period when it’s not clear what’s going to happen and although she still feels love for him, she begins to understand that it isn’t reciprocated anymore. She wonders why he won’t be upfront and honest about his emotions and begs for him not to judge her for her words and actions as the wound is still fresh. The track was one of the first penned for her then upcoming project and it is unclear whether it was ever considered to be a part of the final track-list.

What is understood however, is that the Head of Delegation of Besen, Jane Larsa had contacted her many times throughout 2021, attempting to start a dialogue to get Jaza to Worldvision, a job that was starting to seem tricky as edition after edition rolled by and Besen still was not participating. Jane was one of the only staff members at BAEN to attempt to get the ball rolling again for the nation to make a comeback and she had only a few artists in her mind that she wanted to go ahead with, if she did really want to make it happen.

GETTING READY

BAEN contacted Jaza in late 2021 and essentially instantly, the process began to start piecing together the many elements of her participation and the nitty gritty regarding the whole delegation. ‘Heart’ was the clear front-runner in a very quick selection between possible songs for the contest. Jaza was the most vocal advocate against writing a completely new song for Worldvision, as she felt that her mind would be clouded by the pressure of getting it perfect, getting it ‘right’ – getting the winning song. So the song was decided and everyone was ready to start preparing a live stage show and a real experience for the audience in the arena and the television viewers.

Rehearsals began in January 2022 to finalise and reimagine some of the pieces of the concept that the delegation was planning. Terrance Irachiano was behind the set pieces used on stage and he also worked closely with Jaza to sort of choreograph how she would interact with them and be able to tell a story and convey the message and emotions of the track. She began to form a very sweet and special relationship together and both claim to have had a lot of fun whilst working with one another, in an interview Jaza told BAEN that he was one of the reasons that she had the confidence, the courage and the motivation to continue during the hardest parts of the process.

“I actually had a lot of doubts coming into this very new experience. Look at it this way – the biggest crowd I’ve had at one of my gigs is about 5,000, although I have chosen to keep my shows intimate and small admittedly, it’s still a lot for someone like to me to come to grips with. Still, I wanted to push myself to prove I could do it. Even just coming to the decision that I wanted to go to the contest, I got a kind of adrenaline rush… and those types of feelings only grow bigger and crazier as we get closer to the big day. My team and the delegation have worked so hard on this. We desired something big, something that would impact you even if it isn’t instant. We want something to linger with you. Of course, there’s always going to be those who don’t get it or even don’t like it but still we want to put on a good show, and present something with pride and to say – this is us trying our hardest to entertain, to show our culture, our musical identity."

Internationally Jaza appeared in Britonisea for the Jünterapten pre-party event, where fourteen other acts from the 100th contest previewed their acts and came together for one of the only opportunities pre-Worldvision for the artists to get to know each other. As well as this, she appeared in Elejamie on Channel 3’s “The Big Breakfast Show” where she performed ‘Heart’ and was interviewed by the presenters – the honour repaid when the nation’s representatives Los Hermanos Bailarines made an appearance promoting their song ‘Fama’ on BAEN1’s “Ciao Besen” morning show.

MONTERRA

Upon arrival at the airport in Monterra, Jaza immediately settled into the vibe of the city and started rehearsals for the contest. She spent very little time outside of rehearsals in fact, something that concerned and unsettled her team at first as she was already showing signs of exhaustion from a long and hard-fought for process. Nonstop she worked on new lyrics and new compositions at the same time – finding a rhythm of work that finally felt right for her. She seemed to gain a lot of inspiration from the crazy atmosphere of the contest.

As rehearsals were in full swing and the date of the live broadcast of the semi final was nearing closer, the fifty-plus acts would all run into each other all the time and all throughout the day, sometimes not even in the arena, just around the city close to it. Quietly she regretted that she hadn't been able to get to know each of them more due to being locked up in studios for hours upon hours. She found the experience that RTVK provided to be magnificent nevertheless, the spectacle of the event coming to life with each interview, rehearsal and impromptu performance. All of this was amplified as her song began slowly climbing the charts at home, peaking at #8 before the contest, one of the highest pre-Worldvision entries for a long time - the highest being OLA's "Durem (La La)", which reached #3 before then charting at the top for three consecutive weeks after the show. She hadn't cared much for the charts in the past but it felt much more satisfying in this scenario to know that the nation was getting behind her already.

As the stage ready audio clip sweeps through the arena, and the Besenian postcard comes to end, the lights rise quickly in blue once to the top of the stage. Two of them then quickly intertwine in circles as the first piano notes are played. They reach each other eventually in the middle of the stage to light up the big set piece of the performance. Around two hundred sparkling beads hang down from an eccentric rig at the very top of the venue, making a circle around Jaza and shining brightly as the rest of the stage is covered in black. She wears Stephane Rolland, a long-sleeved white gown that hugs her body nicely, and creates a beautiful blooming shape around her shoulders. Behind her in the dark and out of the vision of the camera for now, Rich Malichi sits by a large white piano playing along to the backing track.

She lifts the microphone to her lips to begin singing the first lines of her song. Her eyesight is fixed on the camera as it makes a slow 45° swing around her at the front of the bead arrangement, which is just about far apart enough at each line that you can see her in the middle. On the last line of the first part of the first verse, the camera cuts to the left of the stage, where the beads sparkle in blue and white - as seen above. This is the first time that the audience can be seen, holding their phone flashlights high in the left section of the seating in the arena.

Thirteen days and five hours
Don’t judge me for counting
I still feel your ghost
Lingering in the shadows, mm

Then a cut to a closeup of Jaza, her makeup is a simple black-heavy look, focusing on the eyes, dark eyeshadow being the highlight point. The camera then moves in a similar 45° motion like the very beginning, this time getting closer to the beading, and at the end just about peeking through two of the rows. As she sings 'heart' she makes a gesture to her chest and holds her hand there. Then at 'roots' the camera begins to rise up past her face and following the beads up slightly before the camera cuts to the centre again, in a wide shot.

Don’t judge me for crying
When my heart is being ripped
Apart at its roots
Nothing can repair it

The intensity of the instrumental rises and so does her vocal delivery, showcasing her rasp beautifully, she bends her head around as she hits the top notes. With each beat of her words, the beading is lit up in different colours in one second intervals, flashing blue, red, green, pink and then orange, before settling in a pure white colour as the pre-hook comes to an end. As she sings the final phrase the camera stays centred on her put sweeps very quickly wide and near around the middle of the arena, a cinematic shot. It holds the tension before the release of the chorus.

So don’t call me up and act like we are friends, in the night, aah
I still feel you in everything I do, when will this end, ahh
So when you ask if I'm fine...

At the beginning of the chorus, the camera smoothly cuts to its previous position in closeup to Jaza. Very very slowly, you can see that the beads begin to turn in a 360° motion, and also are beginning to be pulled back up, rising up slightly in the view of the camera. You can hear the audience begin to cheer for the first time during the chorus, and faintly people sing along, causing Jaza to smile a bit. And then the camera for the first time shows the back of Jaza and you can finally see the full array of lights in the crowd, all in white, lighting up the front of the otherwise very dimly lit performance. As she sings "you're breaking my heart" she tilts her head down slowly and puts the mic down to her side.

I don’t have the heart, ooh
You don’t make it easy, do you
Doesn’t make sense
How you’ve managed to really move on
I don’t have the heart, ooh
You make it so hard on me, ah boy
I don’t have the heart
You’re breaking my heart

She lifts her head back up and the camera switches to a slow turning shot from the left hand side, as the beading lifts at a moderately quick speed now. It rises and shines in the original white and blue colouring. Jaza moves forward and begins singing the second verse, beginning to make her way to the very edge of the front of the stage, where she will eventually walk down the catwalk to the smaller, circular stage in the middle of the arena. The camerawork halfway through shifts into a more fast paced set of shots - showcasing her face at a closeup at different angles, as she sings directly into it. Additionally, it begins to open up the perspective of the performance, showcasing the audience more and the actual stage design in the back. Still there are no LEDs used and Malichi still remains in the dark yet to be revealed.

You thought I didn't notice it
The way you don’t look at me
So forgive me for trying, yea
Trying to be the girl you'd want
If only you knew how bad
How bad this ache inside gets...
It'd have you in tears
It'd have you in pieces

Corresponding with Jaza walking down the thin and barely lit catwalk, the beading takes a vertical line shape in two streaks, about two feet above her. It pulses in different shades of blue as she walks. The camera follows her on a straightforward angle, the cameraman moving backwards slowly as she advances along the path. The audience on each side of her can be seen, and the sea of lights lighting up her way. In her heart, she is truly nervous but it doesn't show on the screen, all those hours of rehearsals over the months paid off, etched in her memory the exact storyboard of this performance.

So don’t try and act like it’s the same as it was before, aah
When I can still smell you all on my clothes, can't wash you out, ahh
So when you ask me if I'll be alright...

She arrives finally standing in the centre of the arena on the mini stage. Around her the beading is set in a circular shape at the same height as when she walked down, now switching back to a pure white colouring. In a raspy falsetto then a hearty-chest voice, she delivers the opening lines of the chorus once again. She makes more animated movements for the first time in the performance, gesturing out to the camera which is now doing a 360 around her (she remains centred however and does not turn to follow it) capturing a wide view of the back of her gown, white like the colour of the flashlights all the way to the back of the arena. As she delivers "you've broken my heart", the camera settles back into a centre view of her and steadily moves forward until it reaches a closeup angle, but continues forward over her shoulder where Malichi is lit up in blue at the beginning position back on the main stage. He plays on the white piano, the camera focusing on him, not showing Jaza moving back to the main stage. She delivers the post-chorus of the song, whilst walking back quite quickly to the main stage. Although she isn't seen on the camera for the first time, her voice shines through, and is accompanied by Malachi's instrumental. By the end she is picked up eventually when she rests against the piano ready for the final chorus.

I don’t have the heart, ooh
You don’t make it easy, do you
Doesn’t make sense
How you’ve managed to really move on
I don’t have the heart, ooh
You make it so hard on me, ah boy
I don’t have the heart
You’ve broken my heart

Hey, mm, yeah
Hey, mm, yeah
Hey, mm, yeah
Mmm, oh, oh

The piano instrumental gets to its most minimalistic point, as Jaza for the last time sings on the song, taking in the moment to make the most of her final minute on the Worldvision stage. Malachi and Jaza lock eyes in these final sixty seconds, never letting up. A single, still large spotlight covers the two of them in the same light blue shade. Nothing is in focus except for the two of them, and surprisingly very little is heard from the audience as they quiet down for the emotional peak of the track. In the final phrases of the song and the elongated "for... me...", the lighting very slowly shifts from blue to red, and Jaza is shown in a close-up still staring at Malachi. At the release, the lighting reaches its most red point and the camera cuts for the first time in this section.

I don’t have the heart, ooh
You don’t make it easy, do you
Doesn’t make sense
How you’ve managed to really move on
I don’t have the heart, mmm
You make it so hard
I don’t have the heart
To pick up the ruins you've left for... me...

As the intensity builds, the camera begins to shift around a lot more, cutting and shifting, conveying the franticness of this part of the song. Jaza takes a backseat for this final moment, allowing her friend to shine. In fact, she can barely be seen on the camera, but she still stands close by the piano, standing up from leaning and shifting back into the darker side of the stage just about.

(Piano Instrumental)

As the final note is played, the audience rises into cheers and Jaza walks forward to stand next to Malachi, they embrace each other for a moment, and she holds his hand as they advance to the front. "Thank you so much Monterra!" Jaza shouts, as Malachi nods, smiling. They begin to walk off as the graphics sweep and the postcard of the next performing nation begins to play.

by **Kalosia** » Wed Jul 20, 2022 5:09 pm

#11 BRITONISEA
Josh Morris - "Nightmares"
Tune : sangiovanni - "farfalle"
Music: Jayden Christopher, William Cross // Lyrics: Josh Morris

Josh Morris, the Britonish representative: Josh will represent Britonisea as the reigning champions of the WorldVision Song Contest...

Winner of the 59th World Hit Festival and runner-up of Vha Mehlodhivestoile 2022, Josh Morris, will represent Britonisea at the centenary edition of the WorldVision Song Contest...

The 99th WorldVision Song Contest was quite a special one for the Britonish delegation. It marked the second time since the introduction of the televote/jury separation that Britonisea won the competition, with it being 12 editions since Britonisea last won in what was the second-longest win drought for the nation. Interestingly, despite placing in the top four in the televote consecutively before the 99th WorldVision Song Contest, Britonisea wasn't able to win the televote but managed to strike gold in Carrelie with 120 points. Britonisea's Petre Lemetre was one of those stars that tried relentlessly to represent Britonisea at WorldVision, having done so on multiple occasions before but he was never successful and so its quite fitting that the one time that he was chosen to represent the country, he's won with 258 points - the highest total Britonisea has received since the introduction of the televote. The jury vote was the highest received as well since the introduction. Petre Lemetre certainly gained even more love and support from the Britonish public than he did in the past and reaffirmed Vha Mehlodhivestoile's power as a national final which paves the way to find WorldVision stars. The contest alone has contributed five WorldVision winners and if BVC decides to renew the contract ahead of 2023, BVC and BITC will make sure that the future of the contest remains bright. Britonisea's win at the WorldVision Song Contest make BITC decide that, alongside BVC Studios, they would bid to host the upcoming 100th WorldVision Song Contest - a momentous occasion that would make sense being held in the country that had won the edition before. Britonisea was, of course, one of the most successful nations during the decade - having won on eight occasions, and along with their 99th WorldVision victory, they thought that it would be a great decision to have the contest return to Britonisea for the first time in 19 editions when Boschke hosted the fantastic 81st WorldVision Song Contest. Doportedas was chosen to host the competition if the bid won, though there were certain Britonish fans who thought that this was a dangerous decision due to Doportedas having lost two host bids before. Doportedas is Britonisea's capital city and most populous city. There were some thoughts that Doportedas was "too big" to host the competition, but many people who supported the bid drew on Telm City hosting the 66th WorldVision Song Contest - a city which is larger than Britonisea by area and has a similar population. Unfortunately for Doportedas, their dreams of hosting the 100th WorldVision Song Contest was in vain, and Monterra was picked to host the competition despite the international support and endorsements that BITC and BVC had received. Doportedas' bid was the most Britonisea had ever spent on one, with the country promising a lot more than any of its previous bids too. However, it wasn't meant to be and the bid was shelved, pending review by the broadcasters and the Doportedas City Council - where they will decide whether it was a waste of money. It has been suggested that the bid could be remade and used to host another edition of the WorldVision Song Contest in order to save costs and make sure that the work that has gone into the contest is actually used, though BITC has not shown any interest in hosting the 101st WorldVision Song Contest - even if this would be the 70th anniversary since Britonisea's debut. Adding insult to injury for Britonish fans of the WorldVision Song Contest, BITC announced that it didn't plan on hosting the Second Chance, an idea that the Britonish broadcaster helped come up with, with the broadcaster releasing a statement regarding the issue. The broadcaster did say that they were committed to making sure that Doportedas would host the competition someday in the future. The Grand Hall is expected to host the IBA Awards which are coming this autumn.

73 nations registered their interest in participating at the 100th WorldVision Song Contest - which probably is the most the contest has ever received. Britonisea was the first nation to confirm that it was participating in the competition, with it being known that the runner-up of the seventh Vha Mehlodhivestoile would go to WorldVision and even officially, Britonisea had confirmed that this would be the case. Britonisea is set to send Josh Morris, the winner of the 59th World Hit Festival which took place in the Achaean Republic. Josh Morris won with his song, "Mine" which came third at the 2021 edition of Vha Mehlodhivestoile. Josh Morris' third place at the national final was interesting with the International Jury actually ranking the song 8th out of 12 songs, but the International televote disagreed with this, giving him 2nd place. Britonisea ranked him third. His win at the World Hit Festival represents the second-largest winning margin ever at the contest, with Britonisea receiving over 40 points which is almost unheard of at the Festival. His third place in VM2021 meant that he received an automatic pass to VM2022, qualifying straight to the Grand FInal where he performed in position 2. Usually, when an artist comes back and performs in position 2, they don't really do as well as they did the edition before but Josh Morris was an anomaly. With his song, "Nightmares", which sounded very similar to his previous Vha Mehlodhivestoile effort, Josh was ready to go further and aim to win the competition. He faced stiff competition from Petre Lemetre who had a lot of hype going into the contest. For the final, the pair performed alongside the rest of the league, with this final being named one of the least predictable finals so far. The international jury had Josh Morris in third place with 86 points - points ahead of eventual winner Petre. It would be up to the Britonish televote alone to decide who would be the eventual winner. Rocco Verlice was leading, a shock considering he hadn't won his Semi-Final (but the Juries in that Semi-Final did give him first place). As the Britonish votes had rolled around, it was clear that Petre Lemetre was favoured but by how many points? As the final televote had been announced, Petre Lemetre was had the contest by two points in true Vha Mehlodhivestoile fashion, with Josh finishing runner-up. Better than his previous effort, but not good enough to win. It was noted, though, that the international viewers preferred "Nightmares" to "Disillusioned" according to polls, with it being one of the favourites in Beepee, Polkopia, Alezian Union, Antahbrantahstan, Kalosia, Malta Comino Gozo, and Achaean Republic - of the nations that had voted in the Vha Mehlodhivestoile 2022 final and so for Britonish fans, they were worried that Petre would flop in the televote which he didn't. BITC are hoping that this is a positive sign for Josh Morris, though, ahead of what is expected to be a very difficult 100th WorldVision Song Contest.

After coming second at Vha Mehlodhivestoile, Josh has had some time to sit back and relax as he watches Petre being thrust into the limelight to live out the dream that Josh was going to live. For Josh, he kind of knew what it felt like - with Josh having participated at the Achaean World Hit Festival but WorldVision was a different beast, especially the 100th edition. The work for Josh began as soon as the 99th WorldVision Song Contest finished, with him being called in from the Monday onwards to start the planning around his staging. The staging would remain pretty similar to that of Vha Mehlodhivestoile but now for a bigger stage in Kalosia. As with most VM songs that go to the WorldVision stage, the lyrics were reworked and made perfect for the contest as well and as soon as that was done, Josh went over the revised staging for "Nightmares". He had opportunities to showcase his talent both in Britonisea and abroad, with him going to the Junterapten Pre-Party, which drew fifteen nations from different countries together to perform on a relatively large stage. It gave the opportunities for some acts to perform in front of a small version of the WorldVision Song Contest with the stands in an arena format. Josh had the experience from VM2021 and 2022, however, so he wasn't too nervous ahead of the Pre-Party. Josh also performed in Malta Comino Gozo for the Foundation Day celebrations too which he enjoyed. After that, he made his way to Kalosia to begin the preparation for the contest. It was then announced that there would be semi-finals, with Josh receiving an automatic qualification into the final if it went ahead in a similar fashion to his Vha Mehlodhivestoile 2022 participation. With it likely to go ahead now, Josh can rest easy that him and his country will be at that final thanks to Petre's win last edition, but how far will he get in the final? No one knows...

Josh Morris is one of the favourites to win the competition according to the odds and has been greeted with a pretty good running order slot, 11th, for the Grand Final. Josh performed his song during the rehearsals for Semi-Final 2 with a clip of it being showed during the live broadcast which seemed to gain a good response from the public afterwards.

Josh Morris was initially supposed to perform sixteenth in the Grand Final of the centennial edition - which was supposed to be the longest grand final to date, but the Semi-Finals were introduced shelving those plans that BITC were mostly in favour for. Now, while Josh Morris didn't get the opportunity to perform his song live on the stage at the Second Semi-Final, a clip of what he had performed during a rehearsal was instead shown and everything seemed to look pretty good for the Briton. However, it was now time for the Grand Final and business meant business... He knew that this had to be the strongest performance of this song he had ever done and alongside the fantastic staging that BITC had once again prepared for its participant, Morris knew that everything else relied on him. He also knew that people would be looking at Britonisea with beady eyes this competition thanks to Petre Lemetre's win last edition so to say Josh felt pressure would be an understatement. As the performance from Besen finished, the Britonish postcard showed up on the screen and Josh walked onto the stage, taking a deep breath and shaking his body to get any last nerves out of him before mounting a large object that the Britonish team had brought on stage. For the 97th WorldVision Song Contest, it was a lollipop merry-go-round, 98th was held in that huge arena which gave way to lots of pyros, 99th WorldVision Song Contest saw Petre Lemetre had a wall-less box and interpretative dancers on the stage but for the 100th WorldVision Song Contest, team BITC decided to bring a huge platform (seen in the middle picture, at the bottom) which had a LED panel tunnel alongside the bottom and about a metre above where Josh's head would end up. The prop was brought on the stage in three different sections, with those in the arena able to see the little markings on the LED floor telling the stage personnel where to put them. Once all of them were in a line, they created a much wider platform on which Josh could perform on. In terms of his outfit, Josh Morris followed a similar outfit to the most recent male performers for Britonisea, a very simple outfit. In Josh's case - he wore black denim and leather only, including his shoes. At the end of the postcard, there was huge applause for Britonisea. Most times Kalosia hosted the World Hit Festival, Britonisea had won - but never has the country won whilst Kalosia hosted the WorldVision Song Contest, as with any participation by BITC - their plan was to come up with the best package to do very well at the contest, and most certainly coming close (or indeed getting) a victory in Monterra. At the start of the performance, there were no dancers on the stage - it was just Josh Morris and a backing singer who was standing out of the way.

To start off the performance, BITC had chosen to make use of Kalosia's revolving LED screen. As said in the host bid, the LED screen was split into 12 sections, with the screen revealing an LED fixture behind it. A little bit of haze being used during the start of the performance. There were a couple of seconds of silence between the audience clapping and the start of the song with bright white light from behind slowly turned on during the silence with a strong figure with his hand up in the air. As the music started to play, the camera slowly moved forwards, with the once still Josh moving into place, facing forwards. You couldn't yet see his face, with it being quite similar to the beginning of his World Hit Festival 59 performance (which did help influence some of the decisions in this performance), though with the addition of the haze and how far the light was, it did look marginally different. Right before he started singing, he snapped into position, with the LED lights on the platform that were brought on the stage now shining blue (with a better picture of what this looks like later on in the performance). You could now see Josh as he started singing the first couple of lines.

Whisper your words of optimism to me, I'm listening
Even if they're dipped in deceit, I'd take any chance of happiness
After being broken down, now there's nothing's left
Left alone with my thoughts (I'm alone in my thoughts)
Lost in my nightmares.

I've run a thousand miles,
Yet I'm still here - the beginning..
What can I do to get out of this vicious cycle,
That is destroying every part of me?

The first couple of lines of the performance is rather intimate, with the camera shots echoing this. The bright light that was behind him had suddenly switched off and twinkling (though not intense) lights were what you could see behind Josh. Along with the billowing haze around him, the camera angles were kept very tight on his face to shoulders without there being much movement. Josh always kept his eyes forward, with most of the camera shots (even though there weren't that many during verse), right in front of him anyway so it did not look odd or as though he was completely ignoring the cameras that were around him. As the audience started cheering over the music, he left of a little smile - but not a huge one as he didn't want people to be taken away from the moodiness of the performance. The moody, dark pop sound was a favourite in Britonisea amongst the youth - especially with its sprinkle of orchestral themes, with this song definitely being one that would represent the country the most and so BITC were determined to stage the performance well and slick to display the best of Britonisea to the rest of the world. When singing the line, "Lost in my nightmares", while the forward camera was on him, he hid his face with his free hand, moving his head to face his right, with the camera moving along with him before going out of focus.

We then reached the next part of the song, a pre-chorus or perhaps just a step up from the verse? Josh's vocals became slightly louder with him no longer teasing the audience with his gorgeous vocal range. There was a shot from a crane camera which swooped over the audience, exposing the stage which had a purple outline as he sang the line "...a thousand miles,". As he started singing this part of the chorus, lights that were directly singing out into the audience were flashing on and off, all while the screen behind Josh was slowly rotating in order for the LED part of it to be facing the audience once again. As he started singing about the "vicious cycle" that he was in, he slowly spun around loosely, though he quickly turned right around as he continued singing the next part of the song:

There ain't no drug, no antidote -
There's no cure for this sickness.
Rest in peace, dear boy Josh,
You're on your own all through this.

The nightmares, every night
Blurring the line between what's in my head and reality.

When Josh was singing the last bit of the verse into the chorus at "There ain't no drug, no antidote", he started almost singing to the floor as what he was singing about really meant a lot to him. He put his hand to his head when he sang the word sickness rather violently before he slowly looked upwards as he sang the words, "Rest in peace, dear boy Josh". A camera shot caught this moment as he looked upwards, with the happiness that he tried not to show at the start of the song now completely gone with his mind being in a completely different place. Sometimes, songs such as "Mine" and "Nightmares" were almost like PTSD for him and while he doesn't have to sing songs that bring up his broken past, he said that it gets him to sing more honestly. We then moved into the pre-chorus of the song with a grey static being shown on the back of the screen, which by now had completely turned around to face the audience. A red circle was dispersing from the middle of the stage (think Heros 2015 but the circle wasn't filled in...and its in front of a grey static), along with the beat of the song. The LED line on the platform was flashing along with the sound of the piano. There was a much further away shot which could show what was going on around the whole stage a bit better.

Josh Morris: Josh is standing on a platform with light beams underneath and above him...

As the chorus came about, the red and grey quickly went away in favour of blues, dark pinks and purples with the LED screen behind Josh completely dark now exposing a wall of darkness behind him. A long with the fast pace flickering hi-hats that you could hear in the background of the song, the LED outline of the stage was flickering along with this alongside some of the rig lights on either side of the stage. Josh moved very gently on the stage, with the man more focused on delivering a good vocal performance, for now, before loosening himself up. The backing singer was singing the section underneath him and you could start to hear him, especially when the pair of them sang the last line of the chorus together. With everything else dark, the lights that were on the platform were bright enough so that you could see the haze that was used during the chorus.

The nightmares that haunt me follow me wherever I go
And dictates every step, every movement I take
I feel imprisoned;
Get, get, get, get out of my mind!
My past, I want to leave it behind,
Let me live in peace, rest in peace, in peace.

At the line, "Get, get, get, get" - when he sung that word, he would jump up and down with the lights reacting as he sang these words - though when he did say them, it was less of him singing them and more of him melodically shouting those lines. There were quick, rapid camera cuts between each time he sang the word, "get" as well, each of those shots was focused on Josh, before quickly panning to the left of the right when the camera was cut to. We then cut to a shot looking at Josh before he sang the final line along with his backing singer, Timothy Blanchet with the spidercam moving outwards, exposing (once again) the whole stage and the people in front of it. During the second line of the horn section of the chorus, we cut to camera shots that are out of focus though what the audience can see is the figure of Josh dancing on the stage amongst the colours around him which were certainly popping against the black backdrop.

Stone cold sober,
I'm considering taking the plunge again.
Let me taste it. Yes, I want it.
Give me a gateway to enter the sea of semi-consciousness,
To numb the pain. I know those nightmares, they won't go away,
I know that.
But I'd do anything to stop the feeling of being watched,
Even if it's just for one minute.

During this section of the song and similarly to his song, "Mine" at the 59th World Hit Festival, Josh Morris addresses his relationship with drinking here and how helps him cope in situations that he feels uncomfortable. As we went to this part of the song, abstract diagrams and whatnot start to appear on the back LED backdrop on either side of Josh Morris who stayed in the middle, on his platform. As he sang the line "sea of semi-consciousness", a huge was shown on the LED screens behind him and onto the LED floor too, with there also on-screen effects to make it look as though the water was spilling out from the stage. Josh was plunged into blue light as he continued singing the rest of the verse. As the orchestral elements came back into the song, Josh almost rapped the last part of that song, swaying from side to side every along to the song with there being a mixture of shots from further away and close up. We then went into another pre-chorus, with a spotlight focusing on Josh as he sang the rest of this section of the song with the light panels on the podium interacting with the song. At 01:39 in the linked music video, the sound that you could hear in the background (like an eclectic drumkit being hit in quick succession), the screen in the background flashed white to the pace of this with it making it look like Josh was moving in slow motion.

The nightmares, every night
Blurring the line between what's in my head and reality.

The nightmares that haunt me follow me wherever I go
And dictates every step, every movement I take
I feel imprisoned;
Get, get, get, get out of my mind!
My past, I want to leave it behind,
Let me live in peace, rest in peace, in peace.

When moving into the bridge section of the song the colours surrounding the stage go, leaving the stage quite desolate and monochrome. The separate LED strips which lines the edges of the stage turn to a bright white was one could see from all corners of the arena. Alongside this, the low flying fog starts to fill the bottom of the stage with Josh standing in the middle with a singular spotlight on him. While most of the performance was quite moody anyway, this gave off a different vibe - one that was much colder, and with Josh not having colours to join him on stage, it made him look even more lonely than he already was. As the stage pieces except for the one that he standing on were in the darkness, those were moved to different parts of the stage. During this section, the LED screens turned once again, with the lighting rig being exposed though it was kept off until Josh started singing about "The nightmares that haunt me" once again, along with the twinkling of the music heard on the track, the lights mimicked that - with a similar effect to the one done at the start of the performance.With the different set pieces now moved to different corners of the stage, they both had people who were on them, with Josh being joined on stage by Timothy - one of his backing singers - and another backing singer, Jordan Barker, who was copying the movements of Timothy on his stage piece. They were all dancing very differently from one another, with the camera quickly cutting between the three of them while the last few bars of the line were being played.

No one wanted to know how I turned out this way,
A lost cause, no, no, there is no point in helping me.
“Let him find his own path out of madness”, they’d say
The madness inside in my head.

The nightmares that haunt me follow me wherever I go
And dictates every step, every movement I take
I feel imprisoned;
Get, get, get, get out of my mind!
My past, I want to leave it behind,
Let me live in peace, rest in peace, in peace.

And that was it! Britonisea's contribution to the 100th WorldVision Song Contest was over and done with. Josh was quite happy with his performance and thought that it kept up the expectations that people had with Britonish entries, especially over the past few decades. While it is extremely rare to win back to back, Josh thought that he had done what it takes to do very well at the Contest. While he didn't have the chance to perform live at the Semi-Final, luckily for Josh he had a lot of experience performing in front of people - interestingly, the capacity for the 100th WorldVision Song Contest is a tad smaller than the Vha Mehlodhivestoile Grand Final's, but Josh felt much more nervous in Kalosia, since he knew that he would have to try and win over an audience who did not actually know who he was. He raised his hands in the air and waved emphatically, "Thank you all so much for this opportunity!" he jumped in the air slightly before walking off the stage as the preparations for Pemecutan began.

by **Kalosia** » Wed Jul 20, 2022 5:18 pm

12/#PCU
Ayu Laksmi-"Menanti Datangmu"
Title Translation: Waiting For You
Language: Pemecutan Malay

Music: Baladewa, Acwin Dwijendra
Lyric: Baladewa, Ayu Laksmi
Tune: Ahn Yeeun - Night Flower

The 99 WorldVision Song Contest result was far from good. Although the officials feel okay with it, but the fans seems to be disappointed. Maybe the world didn't ready with our music. One fan commented. While the official stated that the result was rather expected. The song choice was intended to introduce Pop Karawitan genre to the world. We still can try some other time. Maybe with more upbeat song, says the officials. The song 'Sangsaya' was finished at the exact 20th place although it manage to reached 100+ points. It is Pemecutan second full Hanacaraka song in WorldVision Song Contest, the first was the song 'Sujatine' by Poleng, a slow rock song which was the country's representative at 89th edition. Despite the result, the officials still eager to entered for the 100th edition.

For the 100th edition, GBC as the official broadcaster of WorldVision decided to go ethnic again. We did the similar approached in the 90th edition. And I hope we can gain another success this time, say the official. They choose Ayu Laksmi to represent the country after an intense internal selection.

Ayu Laksmi is a well-known Pemecutan singers and actress. She gained popularity during her teen after she went solo as her 2 older sisters decided to focus on other things. Her break from music industry was regrettable by many. And her comeback never produce any album or singles as she only performed off-air. She only did collaboration song once in a while before she took another break to pursue her acting career. She then produce her new album in 2015 which was failed commercially. She gained popularity after her success duet with Baladewa. The song not just placed third at the 90th WorldVision Song Contest but also received 4 awards at the 37th Chakra Awards including Best Group/Band or Duo Performance and Song of the Year.

Ayu Laksmi

And now, she is selected again, but she will be going solo. To produce the song however, Ayu Laksmi still believe in Baladewa, her partners during the Nada Cinta song. This time, both of them create the lyrics. Although Ayu Laksmi confirmed that she only give the idea for the lyrics while all the words are from Baladewa. But she is also credited because she's the one who have the idea. The song is about someone who is in a long distance relationship and longing to meet their partners. But with the passing time, they start to doubt if they will ever meet.

Honestly, I come up with the lyric idea because I miss my parents at the time. They were very supportive and never doubt of any of their daughters decision. They were now already rest in peace. But in the process of words selection and rhyming, the interpretation might change and I'm okay with that. As long as the main idea is still there. Longing to meet your dear one.

Ayu Laksmi

For the music, the officials ask Baladewa to collaborated with Acwin Dwijendra, Pemecutan renowned composer. Dwijendra is also in a project for the country's World Hit Festival entry, the orchestra theme edition. Dwijendra feels honored as he is picked to involved in both song festivals. Thank God the contest doesn't happen at the same time, he jokingly say. Baladewa mention that the music arrangement is more poppy than ethnic. In the end, as the song is release, it meet with positive reviews and feedback. The song reached top 10 of Chakra Music Chart in the week of its released.

After the performance was announced, the stage dimmed its lights. The big screen reveal the postcard of Pemecutan which have a red vibes on it. A light clap are heard from the audience. Probably from Pemecutanian fans who have the opportunity to watch the event live.

As the postcard viewing end, a light shoot from the lower stage through the island stage. There Ayu Laksmi is standing wearing a long sleeves black lace mermaid dress. A clear voice of piano also accompanying as the lights swirling through Ayu's body. The camera give a full front view before it change to view from her feet and slowly rise above until her close up face is shows. She then begin to sing the first verse of the song. The light behind her is still swirling while the big screen give a video of a falling leaves.

The music become vibrant as she sing the second verse. The lights give its colors with the changing atmosphere of the music. The camera also change the view and capture her left side before moving to the right side. While Ayu Laksmi standing still, singing the song with her whole heart. Once in a while she will hold up the standing microphone.

Awan gelap kini perlahan menghilang
Dan mentari menyusupkan cahaya nya
Apa ini jadi sebuah pertanda
Akan jalan hubungan kita berdua

Seketika senja pun kian menjelang
Mewarnai dengan semburat jingganya
Namun kita masih tetap ditempat yang sama
Terpisah jarak dan waktu
Tanpa pasti kan bertemu
The dark clouds are now slowly disappearing
And the sun shines its light
Is this a sign?
That the relationship between the two of us will work

In an instant the twilight is approaching
Coloring with a tinge of orange
But we're still in the same place
Separated by distance and time
Without certainty (when we) will meet

Entering the pre-chorus, the lights under her give a colorful lights. The camera capture her close up view before slowly zooming out until her full frontal view is seen. While the big screen slowly change the video its present from falling leaves of the autumn into a breeze of snow of the winter. The winter vibes on the video become more apparent as Ayu Laksmi sing the chorus. The camera give a 360 degress viewing as she belt out her voice to sing the chorus before stay at her close up following the end of the chorus.

Aura senja membawa lamunan
Hingga merasuk ke hati terdalam
Berharap pertemuan kita kan jadi nyata…

Kapan jarak yang ada akan sirna tuk selamanya
Dan waktu pun kan berpihak pada kita berdua
Ataukah semua ini hanya jadi sebuah mimpi
Ku akan menanti datangmu kekasih
The twilight aura brings daydream
Until it penetrates into the deepest heart
Hoping our meeting will be real...

When the distance that exists will disappear forever
And time will be on our side
Or is all this just a dream
I'll be waiting for you (my) sweetheart

A small interlude give Ayu Laksmi a chance to take off the microphone from it stand. The camera capture her eye movement as she sing the pre-chorus from her side view. While the video on the big screen slowly change as now the snow began to melts. The camera capture her from every possible angle as she sing the chorus. She looks strongly grip the microphone as she melt with the song. Sometimes the camera capture her shaking hands as she controls her emotion that running through as she continue to sing.

Irama malam mengalun membius
Membawaku jauh ke alam mimpi
Dimana pertemuan kita menjadi nyata...

Kapan jarak yang ada akan sirna tuk selamanya
Dan waktu pun kan berpihak pada kita berdua
Ataukah semua ini hanya jadi sebuah mimpi
Ku akan menanti datangmu kekasih
The rhythm of the night floats anesthetizing
Take me far to dreamland
Where our meeting becomes real...

When the distance that exists will disappear forever
And time is on our side
Or is all this just a dream
I'll be waiting for you (my) sweetheart

Singing another chorus, Ayu Laksmi take a higher note. The lights become more colorful as its dancing around her. The video behind start to show the coming of spring with many blooming flowers. Ayu belt her voice as she reached several high notes which she flawlessly achieved. The change from chest voice to head voice and falsetto is also clearly made. The camera rarely shown her from a far as they want to show her expression. Nearing the end of the chorus, the camera stayed to show her front close up. The music suddenly slowing with only the piano is heard. The video slowly become darker and darker. And the vibrant colors from the lights become monochrome as she sing the last part of the song where everything suddenly off and only a swirling light from her back that shine through her body.

Walau jarak membentang memisahkan cinta kita
Dan waktu pun berhenti tuk mendetakkan jarumnya
Dan akhirnya semua ini hanya sebuah mimpi
Ku tetap menanti datangmu kekasih
Even though the distance stretches apart our love
And time stops ticking the needle
And in the end it's all just a dream
I'm still waiting for you (my) sweetheart

A round of applause, screams and whistles can be heard from the audience. Ayu Laksmi really give her best performance and hopefully the audience like it. The big screen once again show the postcard while Ayu give a light bow to the audience. "Thank you, Monterra! Suksma!" she shouts.

by **Kalosia** » Wed Jul 20, 2022 5:36 pm

To the tune of Hatchie: "Quicksand"

After sixteen-edition of absence, Titaniumland is back to WorldVision Song Contest. After the prior broadcaster, Titaniumland National Television (TNT) showed no interest in reviving the nation's participation, cable network Peak took over. The contest will now be broadcast live through Peak Network as well as Peak+, the network's mirrored streaming service. Obtained from the press release, Tremaine Weir, the head of delegation, stated: "Fresh start for the Peak. Fresh start for the Titans. We promise to bring you the world's greatest entertainment back in Titans just before our eyes."

Elle Janiak started out her music career in college after joining the Music Club during her cultural anthropology studies in Rowland University. Her love for music started when she was five, gracing her kindergarten graduation stage. Since then, her interest in music increasingly sharpens, from joining primary school choir to college music club. Her debut release was an extended play titled Songs About Us, which also served as her college final project, compiling field notes about her research in depression among youth. The EP was met with critical acclaims, made it into several publications' year-end lists, some applauded the integration between academic subject and pop culture. Five years later, Elle recorded and released her sophomore album, Father of the Bride, which tells the better and worse in a marriage from a single woman's perspective.

"Sight of You" was written by Elle Janiak with singer-songwriters Phoebe Maccia and Lucia Barnes, produced by Elle herself. The trio also formed a supergroup named Burn the Tribune. The song tells the aftermath of being in a toxic relationship that even after the separation, the protagonist still feels the partner's presence and it changes the protagonist's view of love.

Elle is currently embarking on Father of the Bride Tour, visiting Hafamarimyht, Scotatrova, Elejamie, Kalosia, Polkopia, Besen, Ertzei Kishim, Izmedu, Illdonya, Todlichebujoku, Beepee and Malta Comino Gozo.

During her WorldVision performance, Elle is joined by Phoebe Maccia on bass, Lucia Barnes on synthesizers and Julie Rixton on drums. There is a small plinth at the center of stage as well as computers and wires surrounding the band. The performance is showered by light green and dark red highlights.

After the Titan's postcard ends, the camera briefly pans around the Arenë Mediteranika in Monterra, Kalosia. The lights switch shining on her to the beat of the intro. Elle is standing on a small plinth with a standing mic in front of her. The camera captures her on a shoulder level, making it a medium closeup shot with 16:9 ratio. She starts singing while her right hand grabs on her microphone, tapping a few times showing her wearing a ring on her ring finger. As she is singing the third line, she flaunts her ring. Then, she takes off the ring and throw it to the audience. This serves as a nod to the wedding theme she is bringing on her album, Father of the Bride. While she is singing the last line of the first verse, she rolls her eyes as well as her head.

Love can be such wicked endeavor
Never thought that I would be here
The one that swore to be forever
Messing my head up constantly

Elle is stepping down the plinth stairs while the camera pans to Lucia performing synths. The crowd is clapping their hands together to the beat, Elle looks amazed while singing the first pre-chorus. Elle walks around the stage, approaching Phoebe on bass. Then, the camera captures a close-up of Phoebe's fingers playing the bass. The camera pans around the arena.

I failed to score the winning goal
Turning myself into leftover
Breaking me 'til I lost every piece of me
Oh no

The 16:9 ratio turns into full screen. The camera captures Elle from below standing on a plinth in a dolly movement as the LED screen shows a video of sidewalk in downtown Rowland filled with light green and red highlights, so it seems like she is walking on it. There is no longer the standing mic there. As she is singing the title and "Of you" part, the camera switches from her right side ("Of") then left side ("You") then she blinks to the camera. During the second "Of you", the camera captures Lucia ("Of") and Julie ("You") on their instruments.

Without you knowing, I left my own heart through the back door
Erasing great memories and even I can't restore
Even when I close my eyes, I still get a sight of you
Of you
I can finally leave after your constant slide tackles
But your shadow's always following me wherever I go
Every place where I hide out, I still get a sight of you
Of you

After singing the chorus, she is still on the plinth and suddenly singing to the camera who is capturing her from below. The lights are dim meanwhile the light green and red highlights shine on her. Eventually, she lies on the plinth facing above while the spotlights shines on her.

You drowned us down into the sea
You left me there without any idea
Somehow you put the blame on me
Messing my head up constantly

The camera moves in a truck movement on Phoebe during the first line, Lucia the second line and slowly zooms Julie out the third line. The camera captures Elle on a medium full shot during the fourth line while slow walking on the plinth. The LED screen shows a video of flashing lights and movements (OOC: just like in the OOC music video).

Now I've realized and I'm not going back
Not going back
Now I've realized and I'm not going back
Not going back

The camera captures Elle from below standing on a plinth in a dolly movement as the LED screen shows a video of sidewalk in downtown Rowland filled with light green and red highlights, so it seems like she is walking on it. As she is singing the title and "Of you" part, the camera switches from her right side ("Of") then left side ("You") then she blinks to the camera. During the second "Of you", the camera captures Phoebe ("Of") and Lucia ("You") on their instruments.

Without you knowing, I left my own heart through the back door
Erasing great memories and I can't even restore
Even when I close my eyes, I still get a sight of you
Of you
I can finally leave after your constant slide tackles
But your shadow's always following me wherever I go
Every place where I hide out, I still get a sight of you
Of you

During the instrumental break, the camera captures Lucia on her synthesizers and she is later joined by Elle who dances around her. Elle leaves the frame, while Phoebe enters the scene. Then, the camera follows Phoebe who walks to Lucia. They are having the time of their lives! As the bridge starts, Elle is singing while sitting leaning to the edge of the plinth while facing towards the left side of the stage. The camera briefly shows wide angle of the stage from above before continuing capturing Elle who now is facing the camera while singing the pre-chorus. She is slowly standing up on the stage.

I can't say I'm not affected cause
There's slight change now in the way I see love
I can't say I'm not affected cause
There's slight change now in the way I see myself

Now I've realized and I'm not going back
Not going back
Now I've realized and I'm not going back
Not going back

As the chorus builds up, pyro starts coming out the stage. Smoke fills the stage while Elle is singing the last chorus. The lights go crazy while Elle is walking around the stage approaching her bandmates. The final shot of the performance is the lights are dim while the camera captures Elle and her band's silhouettes.

Without you knowing, I left my own heart through the back door
Erasing great memories and I can't even restore
Even when I close my eyes, I still get a sight of you
Of you
I can finally leave after your constant slide tackles
But your shadow's always following me wherever I go
Every place where I hide out, I still get a sight of you
Of you

After the performance, the lights are back. Elle and her band all stand up on the plinth, with Elle shouting "Look, Ma! We made it! Thank you world! Thank you Kalosia"!

by **Kalosia** » Wed Jul 20, 2022 5:39 pm

Lied Nr. 14

"Upside Down"
Performed by
Norma Deen

Tune: Helene Fischer - "Achterbahn"

OVERVIEW

Ever present since their first entry at WorldVision 79, the delightfully enthusiastic nation of Beepee is back once again.

From a faltering start, the little nation that could has enjoyed some success at WorldVision. From the previous twenty-one entrants, Beepee has podiumed four times in Worldvision history. On the podium at 84, 92 and most recently in 98, who can forget Claude Bols nail-biting victory in Worldvision 85 with "My Heart Beats", edging out WV100 host Kalosia on the public vote.

The Beepeean Occasional News Corporation also had the hobour of hosting the recent 97th Edition of Worldvision in Norfolk Pinewoods.

Keen to impress at the centenary edition of WorldVision, BONC is delighted to present Norma Deen with her song "Upside Down".

SONGWRITER BACKGROUND

Georgia Tasda and Tess Koh

The song is written by Beepeean songwriting powerhouse duo of Georgia Tasda and Tess Koh, who also wrote Norma Deen's previous World Hit Festival entries, "Impatient" and "Breakout". In addition, Georgia Tasda also penned "'Til Now", Hugo First's entry for World Hit Festival 55.

Georgia and Tess met at the Conservatorium of Music in Beepee. The pair had an instant connection and a lifelong friendship has started to develop.

Indeed, it was at the first day of the first term that they met. As the other students milled around in groups, wallflower Tess stood awkwardly clutching her ring binder to her chest. She scanned the room looking for the opportunity to join and speak with another student, but her shyness held her back.

Entering the room, Georgia effortlessly flitted from group to group, smiling and joking. Instantly warm and personable, with such ease.

Tess watched her from the sidelines.

As the class began, the students prepared for the first class they filtered into the auditorium, walking through the double doors together Georgia introduced herself and insisted Tess sit with her. It was the beginning of their friendship, which only grew through their course.

The flat-shared together in the city throughout their time at the Conservatorium.

Upon leaving the Conservatorium, Tess with her degree in songwriting and Georgia with her degree in contemporary performance, determined to work collaboratively and the pair briefly toured small bars and clubs, performing upbeat Beepeean Schlager.

With their act stalling and failing to attract a record deal, the pair were instead spotted as songwriters where they found more success.

SINGER BACKGROUND

Norma Deen was born in Stonebridge in the forgotten lands of North Prarie. Her parents worked as school teachers, teaching science and mathematics. Following the collapse of North Prarie, Norma officially changed her nationality to Beepeean. She lives in Hercules in the Cootamundra Islands.

Norma struggled, as many immigrants do, to settle in and adapt to her new live. But her parents were good, kind people and they allowed Norma to progress at her own pace.

After several months, Norma Deen settled into her new life in Hercules. Once settled, she found making friends easy and quickly gained popularity and a large circle of friends.

She began singing as par to a choir, before striking out on her own. She was quickly signed to a small schlager label in Hercules. Her eponymous debut album in 2015 performed well but failed to break into the schlager charts. Both her following albums failed to reach the same level of sales. As a result she was dropped in 2018. Despite this a small but enthusiatic following of schlager fans meant Norma was able to contiune touring and working on her craft.

When an early song was chosen for an advert for a popular soft drink in late 2020 she was thrust back into the limelight and was chosen to represent the little nation that could at World Hit Festival 61.

Her performance of the song "Impatient" at WHF61 was widely lauded by Beepeean critics and the song topped the Beepeean Topplist Charts for 3 weeks.

As a result of her excellent showing, Norma gained a legion of new fans and was signed to BONY records.

Performing again at World Hit Festival 63 with the song "Breakout", the first single from her album of the same name. Norma Deen shocked everyone with a second place finish, until that point the best ever finish for the little nation that could.

Norma Deen's "Breakout" headed to the top of the Topplist music charts staying there for a month and making its way into the IBA charts. International recognition is rare for Beepean artist so to make their way into the IBA charts is highly unusual.

PRIOR TO THE CONTEST

When the BONC internal selection process chose Norma Deen's "Upside Down" from over 200 potential entries, local Beepeean fans went into a frenzy.

The song instantly topped the Beepeean Topplist Charts, and made it as high as number 5 on the i-MCG charts.

*copyright Malta Comino Gozo

The song also topped out at number 53 on the IBA charts.

This represented the first time a Beepeean song had reached the IBA charts prior to a contest release.

Norma Deen performed at the Junterapten Worldvision Pre-Party receiving generally positive reviews.

*copyright Britonisea

BONC has gone to no expense in an attempt to woo the international juries and the general public.

In commemoration of the centenary edition, BONC is releasing the track on limited edition vinyl and compact disc.

Available wherever great music is sold.

And also making a music video published on whotube, teased as a sneak peek.

A special one of documentary about Beepee in the WorldVision Song Contest. Commissioned for the 100th edition of WorldVision, with behind the scenes footage, interviews with performers and live music was shown on Beepeean Television garnering record audiences.

A Decade of Memories trailer.
*n.b. sound removed for copyright*

The blitz on the world stage by Norma Deen with the financial backing of BONC is something not seen bully Beepeean music fans since WorldVision 81 when Betty Wont did a World Tour to promote her song "Fight For My Love"

The Besen Bookmarkers Association who initially placed Beepee thirteenth out of the initial entrants seemed pleased with the effort and by the time the final odds came out Norma found herself being touted as a potential top ten entrant.

*copyright Besen

Such high odds for a Beepeean song are a rarity and, whilst many Beepeeps may have a flutter on a Beepeeam win, most Beepeeans are still just happy to take part in this glorious contest.

PERFORMANCE

Dave McDaverson and his entourage make their way off stage. The auditorium hall in the Arenë Mediteranika is packed with over 20,000 ardent WorldVision fans, cheering at the spectacle which has just been.

From the ceiling of the auditorium, drops red slik curtains, dangling down onto the main stage. Stagehands rush on to the stages and Kalosian Security usher Norma Deen through the fans to the satellite stage. A stage hand fumbles with the back of Norma's red dress, but she is a consummate professional. The stage lights briefly flash, indicating that the music is about to begin and the stagehand rises off stage.

On the main stage, a sole muscular but lean male dancer stands holding the base of the red silk curtains.

She exhales and prepares herself for the forthcoming performance.

*copyright Kalosia

The postcard ends and viewers see the face of Norma taking up the whole screen illunated by a spotlight with her eyes closed.

As the music begins she opens her eyes and smiles as she sings the opening line.

You got my heart spinning upside down...

The Kalosian director slowly begins to pull out from the close up on Norma's face. As the camera pans out, televisual viewers will notice her on the satellite stage, the main stage behind her.

Norma is dressed in a long red dress, with lace effect and a plunging neckline, her dark shoulder length hair tussled with a fashionable wave.

She grips her microphone tightly, but no sign of tension is shown on her face.

Out of sight, on the main stage, the backing dancer begins to climb the silk curtain, wrapping the red fabric around him.

I wait alone in silence, alone in darkness
Waiting for you to call me by my name
And when you find me, and we kiss
Things will never be the same again

As she continues, the lighting on the main stage slowly begins brighten in hues of scarlet and crimson. Norma herself is still lit by a single white spotlight, highlighting her sinkissed skin. Her simple white gold necklace shimmers under the spotlight, glinting and sparkling in the light.

As she sings the lines "And my senses are awoken, now, there's no going back for me" she gently puts her feet hand on her arm and looks coyly down to the side, the move highlights the sensitivity and awakening in the lyrics.

My eyes are opened,
I can see all the colours that your rainbow brings finally
And my senses are awoken,
Now, there's no going back for me

As the chorus begins, the camera has panned out sufficiently so that Norma is shown clealry standing on the satellite srage. The main stage is now well lit inred light.

Norma turns to face the main stage.

There's a slight gasp from the assembled audience as Norma begins to levitate slowly rising off the stage. (The stagehand who had been fumbling with her dress before hand, had beenatrahcing her to wires, which will winch her above the audience).

As the chorus continues, Norma begins to seemingly float above a sea of flags, heading towards the main stage. The Kalosian Director curs between various shots from the front, side and rear to show Norma moving over the audience.

Beneath her fans from every nation wave and cheer and she reaches her free arm towards the main stage. As the beat of the song begins to pound louder, she smiles widely as she sings "I see your smile, I know that you're the one", she reaches her hands towards the acrobatic backing dancer in the silk curtains.

And after night, comes the day
As the world spins, I go the other way
Straight in to your arms, where I belong
There are no regrets for where I've come from
And after the dark, comes out the sun
I see your smile, I know that you're the one
When every breath I take, shakes me to the core
With you by me, I've never needed more
Never needed more

As the outro for the chorus is beginning, Norma reaches the stage, she extends on leg as if to step down on to the stage and then walks forward onto the stage.

The Kalosian Director cuts the view to the topless male backing dancer who begins to tumble and pose acrobaticly in the fabric. The cut away from Norma allows a stage hand who had been waiting just off stage on the shadows, to rush on and unclip her harness from the back of the dress and unencumbered her for the rest of the song.

You turned my life around
You flipped me upside down
I'm spinning round and round
My heart is upside down

As the following stanza begins, the backing dancer reaches the ground and walks towards Norma, who has turned to face the audience. The dancer pulls a drape of the curtain behind him.

As the stanza comes to an end, the dancer stands closely behind Norma holding her and the drape against her. As he nestles onto her neck, she tilts her head back to show the romanticism in the lyrics.

I've lived a life in shadows, in the sidelines
Watching others step in to the light
But when it's you and me, it's my time to shine
Like the sunrise coming up after the night

With the following stanza, the pair entangle themselves in a romantic embrace. Norma walking away, and the dancer pulling her closer wrapping her in the silk drape. She leans into the drape, him taking strain on the curtain so he appears to be almost defying gravity with the angle of the lean.

And with the morning
comes the promise of a start of a brand new shiny day
And then without warning
The ground begins to slowly fall away

As the stanza, coniltinues, he pulls at the curtain and she lift upright in to his arms. He wraps his arm around her waist and tightens the curtain in his grasp. Her feet are of the ground, as she is wrapped around him and he takes two running steps and launches the pair into the air as the chorus begins.

And after night, comes the day
As the world spins, I go the other way
Straight in to your arms, where I belong
There are no regrets for where I've come from
And after the dark, comes out the sun
I see your smile, I know that you're the one
When every breath I take, shakes me to the core
With you by me, I've never needed more
Never needed more

As the chorus is being performed, the pair swing together, wrapped up in the red fabric, holding on to one and other. When gravity takes over the powerful backing dancer lands, takes a couple of bounds, and launches the pair once more. The pair spin around in the fabric twisting together.

Norma continues, the physicality of the performance is breakfasting, but she has trained for many months to undertake this performance. Although she's breathing heavily, her voice maintains.

As the chorus comes to an end, the pair land once more on stage. For the first time in amost 30 seconds and for a moment she thinks she might miss her step. But her confidence in the acrobat is well founded and she lands safely.

She turns to the audience and sings the chorus outro as the backing dancer climbs the curtain once again.

You turned my life around
You flipped me upside down
I'm spinning round and round
My heart is upside down

As the musical break begins, the beat gets stronger, Norma's free hand sweeps up from her side raising with the volume and intensity of the music. There's a relaxation and ease in her face which puts the viewer at ease as she smiles through this stage of her performance.

(Woah-oh)
You got my heart spinning upside down
(Woah-oh)
It's spinning round and round
Don't you know my heart is upside down

As the following is being performed, the Kalosian Director cuts to a view from the rafters of the auditorium looking down on the stage.

The acrobatic backing dancer has prepared his curtain and, in line with the music he spins and tumbles, freewheeling down in one fluid movement until almost reaching the stage where he stops and uprights himself.

When you give me your love (Woah-oh)
Just give me your love (Woah-oh)

The backing dancer makes his way back over to Norma, who is staging centre stage facing the audience. Again the dancer pulls the curtain with himand wraps him arms around Norma's waste. The red of the silk complementing the red of Norma's dress.

When every breath I take, shakes me to the core
With you by me, I've never needed more
Never needed more (Woah-oh)

The stage lighting fades to dark from the red hues previously as the final line is sung. Norma wrapped in the arms of the backing dancer. Her heart beating fast at the exertion of the performance. She barely has enough breath to force the last words out...

You got my heart spinning upside down...

As the final note echoes around the auditorium the the stage has faded into darkness. From the darkness, Norma's breathless voice come through the microphone thank you Monterra, thank you world.

The stagehands rush onstage to tie the curtain up, as it is winched back to the rafters, and Norma and her backing dancer make her way off the stage.

As she leaves she passes the Antahbrantahstani artist, Christina Louis. She gives Christina a nod and says "good luck", as she makes her way to the green room.

by **Kalosia** » Wed Jul 20, 2022 5:40 pm

Host intervention II

by **Kalosia** » Wed Jul 20, 2022 5:55 pm

15. Moorland
Saint - "Masterpieces of Me"

Language(s): English
Tune: Lorde - Writer in the Dark
Lyrics: Caroline Hana Wexler
Music: Caroline Hana Wexler

It had been three years since Saint's last album, three years since she had taken to the stage at the Junior World Hit Festival. It had been a massive tidal shift in her life, wrecking the harbour she had found for herself and sending her adrift into the ocean, drowning in a sea of flashing bulbs and outstretched hands grasping desperately to drag her into the watery depths. She was moody and mercurial and new, and the industry ate it up. A song that went diamond, piles of platinum and gold ratings piling up around her, and yet for all this wealth she still felt like the same person. Reality felt like some terrifying leviathan from the depths, some elder god from ages past that had tormented souls like hers since the dawn of humanity. The spark of creation had finally burst into flame within her heart, and now extinguishing it was the goal of the entire world. Still, the songs came out of her, guttering gouts of flame shining hot and bright in the cold and dark she would never succumb to. Creation was all she had, and she would cling close to curling flames that wreathed themselves around her heart and mind until the day she died.

She begins at a piano on an island in a sea of people, her black dress flowing across the bench. Her hair is dark and studded with diamonds and sapphires. Her makeup is shades of white and grey with a blue-ish undertone, a nearly black shade of blue drawn matte on her lips. Most of the back stage is dark, full of smoke with faint notes of dark blue from lights giving a shape and form to the writhing tendrils of fog. On her island there is also smoke flooding out from the open top of her piano and from hidden holes in the stage, sending a cascade of smoke into the surrounding audience. Her only lighting is a soft spotlight shining down from directly above her as her fingers begin to move across the keys and her signature voice pens its next performance.

Colours run, and I’m bled dry
A misplaced brushstroke, your final try
I guess there’s no more getting around it’s
Over now, lay your brushes down
Corners, bunched up inside but you stretched me out, oh
Living in the gilded frame you gave

And I hear them say, “she used to be a masterpiece”
And I hear them say, “she used to be a masterpiece”
Then you got your oils out and smeared them over me
And I hear them say, “she used to be a masterpiece”

At the next verse lights rise up a bit as her voice goes high, with some soft colours leaking into the portrait of blue and black in the fog on the back stage before receding at the end of the verse. Pinks and yellows flash in and out, the slow bloom of rose red swelling and then fading. On her island, the spotlight above her subtly shifts hues, mimicking the back stage to a lesser degree. Her head tips back and she stares up into the lights as she sings, an aerial shot of the stage catching the dramatic lighting and pose. From the ceiling, empty picture frames on wires begin to descend, some absolutely massive and others only a few feet long, slowly spinning in the dark. Clever lights catch the light on some of them, sparkling above in the dark. They sit at different levels throughout the upper space of the arena, with the lowest perhaps twelve feet above the arena floor and the highest still near the rafters. In a dozen of these frames are people, actual people, posing and holding themselves inside the more human sized frames, gently dancing to the music.

I felt the first new coat, I felt so vibrant, full of hope
I revelled in the soft brush of your lips
I didn’t recognise the starving look in your drawn eyes
The hunger to claim something you had made

The lights go back down to an intimate situation as she goes back to singing into the mic. The camera makes a sweep of the stage around her piano, showing the viewers at home that either she is incredibly sad or an incredibly good actress. Her eyes are wet and drawn in the sorrow of an old Hollywood actress, an almost bitter note cutting through the melancholia. Above her, the dancers go still, as still as a grave, as quiet as a secret.

Feel your touches on my skin
Scumble out all my worst sins
Cover over all the things you hate
You finger painted, blew my mind
I felt the changes, didn't fight
You hanged me here, broken art on display

Wish I heard them say “she’s not the only one to blame”
Wish I heard them say “she’s not the only one to blame”
Corners, gilded frame, chromatic shame signed with your name
Wish I heard them say “she’s not the only one to blame”

At the next verse, what looks like diamonds begin showing over the small stage, a shimmering snow over this portrait of soft sadness. The dancers in their frames begin to dance again, gentle movements and stunning acrobatic feats as her tone shifts and changes. Saint stands from the piano and takes the microphone with her, stepping off the side of the stage into clear air and stepping onto one of the frames nearest the stage, grabbing the side of the frame with one hand and placing one foot on the bottom, holding on and keeping the mic at her mouth as the frame begins to move. The cameras keep themselves on her as she stares directly into them, the frame rising above the crowd in an arc towards the main stage. She flies above the crowd, shining and beautiful. The shimmering fall of shining snow follows as she moves, dusting over her black dress and hair and lashes, the jewels in her hair and around her throat winking in the soft lights. She descends to the stage in her frame as she finishes singing and steps off the frame, which stays behind to frame her silhouette against the stage. She turns to face the audience, violins taking over. Her dress now is covered in the sparkling snow, an endless constellation where only black once was, the lights of the stage lending it hues of blue and purple as they softly shift and ebb over her greyscale makeup, giving her portrait colour as it is wreathed in haunting smoke. The frames with the dancers, now still in poses within their respective frames, descend to hand in formation above the stage as well, portraits of the other people her unnamed painter has marred. She is dancing with herself as the dark fades, until only a backlit outline remains, the still shining constellations giving her form.

In brushstrokes where your love should be, the ones that painted me
A liar and a thief who stole your art
Before the pain goes dry, I’ll add a bittersweet half smile
Remembering the way I used to be

I am a masterpiece, you couldn’t hope to ruin me
I'll paint until there’s not a trace of you
I’ve got my colours out, I’ll paint until my heart gives out
I’ll be whoever I want me to be

The lights finally fade to nothing and she is hidden. The darkness takes a breath.

Exhale.

All that's left are her quiet tears falling, lost among a thunderous sea of applause.

by **Kalosia** » Wed Jul 20, 2022 6:00 pm

16. Spiritual Republic of Caryton
Latanya Anderson - Shimmer Stars
tune

Latanya Anderson is Caryton's veteran WorldVision artist. Having debuted the country, it only makes sense that she represents the Spiritual Republic for the competition's centennial. Her contemporary gospel style is much enjoyed by the world outside of Caryton.

Shimmer Stars is Anderson's latest worship song, and is about living joyfully.

*-*-* Performance: *-*-*

If only we had a little bit more graciousness and gratitude...
The world could be set alight in charity!
I'd tell the lonely soul whose set in their own attitude-
That there's a lot to gain from hospitality.

A dark stage opens up with a single spotlight shining down over Latanya Anderson in this modest sleeved dress, the yellow crystals and sequins glittering elegantly in the darkness around her. The intimate darkness gives her empathetic gaze a weight to it. It's just her and the audience- the camera panning slowly from left to right, ensuring her whole body is kept in the frame so every little glitter of her dress twinkles in the eye of the audience. Latanya's voice is kept quiet and subdued, luring her fans in with the promise of her boisterous, soulful alto later on in the song. Her arms are crossed and shoulders relaxed, strutting towards the camera and letting her arms go at the end of the verse.

Mm, If you've had enough of what this ole' rock offers-
Remember the sublime glory of twilight. Ooohh!
And magical stardust will be what our God proffers:
And righteousness can reclaim the night.

Latanya smiles giddily as she spins childishly a couple of times, leading into the next verse. In the background, modest blue and white sparkles and subtle pyrotechnics immerse the audience in darkness, making them feel like they're in the cosmos. Latanya, her yellow dress- is the focal point as the spotlight turns a shade of intense yellow, making her shine like a sun and glittering light towards the audience like a disco ball. She reaches into her pocket, and tosses yellow glitter towards the audience, elegantly sprinkling it about as she mentions stardust. She prances and spins once, the stage temporarily lighting to its full blue and white and yellow glory, reclaiming the night- before fading back to total darkness. The instrumental pause, then...

I think we'd all dream of floating above the skies:
And then together, we'd all wanna shimmer stars until it's all alright!
Ooh, what a single smile can do:
Ooh, let's all glitter in the night!

Let's praise...

[instrumental]

Latanya winks towards the audience, skipping down the stage with her arms in an airplane-like motion. She floats in the expertly-crafted darkness. She pauses for the next sentence, the twinkling stars in the background returning with fervor and brightness, sparkling with Latanya's dress in unity. She charismatically smiles, then twirls soulfully to show off the twinkle. The camera zooms out to a panorama view capture the action. She extends her arms in a hug-like motion towards the audience, then cues the instrumental.

As the instrumental kicks in, she kick-ball-changes towards the audience. The LED screens turn on, revealing a glimmering blue and purple cosmic nebula lighting Latanya in a twilight aura, and illuminating the audience as the pyrotechnics and LED stars glitter rhythmically like christmas lights on a house. Latanya feels the spirit of her song, worshipfully swaying her body into continuing to sing with that magnetic smile on her sparkly-makeup-dusted face:

Unnnnnnnhhh! Oh lawwwd!

A little gratitude goes a long way to brighten minds that need it:
A lovin' glimmer in a heart smothered- smothered oh pain!

That's the reason that we all need to smile, and to love and pray-
That's how we can soar and shimmer stars until everything's right!
Oh, lawwwwwd!

Latanya feels her vocalizations, singing through the bridge. She marches to the right, cameras dutifully following her, immersing the nebula-illumed audience in a sensation that they too are flying with her through space. She sways her body left to right in a step-touch almost as graceful as her voice.

I think we'd all dream of floating above the skies...:
And then together, we'd all wanna shimmer stars until it's all alright!
Ooh, what a single smile can doooo, yeah!

(Let's conquer the night!)

Oh, I wanna conquer the night and light up the galaxy baby!
A little hope in their hearts goes a long way! (Until it's all right!)

The spotlight turns into a majestic violet, the LED star mosaic booming to full intensity, illumining the stage as beautiful images of outer space cascade across the screen. As Latanya enters the chorus, she drops to her knees in a return to her trademark dance move. She lifts one hand to the sky, swaying her body emotionally as the other beats on her heart with an open palm in a unique rendition of the submission to the worship. As shimmering stars is mentioned, the LED stars flashing grows rapid, intense, and on pace with the tempo of the music. She gives a wide smile, standing up gracefully into the twirl.

She claps and hops about, shaking her head, feeling the music with a smile on her face and movement in every action she does.

What a single smile... can do!

Latanya spins once more, ending in a joyful yet assertive pose with her hands on her hips and feet together. On 'smile', the stage grows dim, and then immediately bright on the final note. As the applause roars in, she gratefully waves with both hands, breathing heavily. The journey to this point was hard, but she made it. Her home was represented, and she could only hope the fans liked it as much as she did. Holding back tears, she left the stage as the Carytonic fans stood and clapped in synchrony, chanting her off with devotion.

by **Kalosia** » Wed Jul 20, 2022 6:03 pm

17- Ethane - I Hide & I Hide by Amy Coulter
To the tune of: Baby Queen - Buzzkill

Amy Coulter strolls on to the stage. She is clad in a dress which, from the top is white, but slowly transitions into a patchwork of rainbow-coloured strands and patches; it is a strong attempt at a tie-dye dress using colours from the rainbow. Her hair matches the vibrant look, dyed a very deep red-brown colour. Amy’s lips are also plastered with a bright red gloss, and her face is covered in a very ‘shiny’ foundation. This look is accentuated by the spotlights beaming down on her as she crosses the stage to start her song, beads of sweat dripping down her face in the heat.

Before the song even starts, the stage is bursting with colour and light. Hues of red, blue, yellow, indigo, and violet flash across the stage and the rest of the arena, lighting up the crowd in a festival of colour. A strong contingent of the crowd is holding rainbow flags and waving them in the air with passion as Amy arrives, ensuring that their voices are heard across the multiverse.

As she reaches the front of the stage, Amy looks up and scans the audience. It is a big crowd. And she loves it. She prepares herself, lets that feeling of euphoria wash over her. This means something. To her. And to them. She has to stand up and make her voice count. She creates a large, beaming smile across her face and looks out across the audience. It’s time.
The TV cameras capture that emotion – that determination – as it sets on her face. Behind the scenes, the TV directors are preparing. On cue, that iconic bass riff kicks in. The audience screams and shouts. Ethane’s song begins. Amy Coulter opens her mouth, putting the microphone close to her lips, eyes glinting with excitement. And she sings.
You can hear the emotion coursing through her vocal chords as she accentuates every word. This means something to her. This isn’t just any generic pop song – every lyric has a backstory, has a time and a place where it can be placed. And that gives this song power.

Amy is clearly moved as she is singing, but stays quite still, shifting slightly on the spot but never moving far. The staging is flashy, with low-level flashes of colour across the arena, the lighting having calmed since she started walking on to the stage in a carnival-like setting. That colour penetrates this base-layer of mist that has built up along the bottom of the stage, as if penetrating into something hidden.

The TV director’s constantly switch the camera between a couple of shots. The wide-frame captures the whole atmosphere well, especially the colourful lights shining across the arena and penetrating that mist. A few side-angles show Amy singing, while also showing the passion of some of the audience as they sing along with the lyrics. But it is the face-focused shot that captures the most. It reveals Amy’s inner determination and emotional turmoil as she sings every lyric, capturing every emotion displayed on her face for all to see.

I lack control over the time of the rising sun.
As ages go, wish I could've been young.
Surpass the lies I'm wanting to tell myself,
Shoved away in a cardboard box hiding on my shelf.
My life ain't perfect but this would make it worse,
Hidden secrets I will take into my hearse.
Told to live a certain way to make everything okay.
But this ain't me, dad, and I just wanted you to say:

Amy takes a step forward. She points out to the audience, forcing that grin across her face. Amy sweeps her hand across the audience, before moving it to mimic a grin on her face. The camera captures this, focusing in on her face. While this is happening, the lighting steps up in intensity. The colours of the rainbow flash out across the arena at all levels, utilising almost all the lights in the arena. But it isn’t an in-your-face flashy, more a quirky pattern of lighting with slow gentle changes in the lighting. Projected on to the stage rear and floor in one large pattern is a video of Amy using her hands to slowly force a grin on to her face by drawing it out. This is surrounded by a patchwork of moving colours in various shapes and sizes, pulsating with the beat as the move across the screen.

Just be who you wanna be,
Reclaim your identity,
But you won't say that it's alright.
So I'll keep all of that out of sight.

The coloured lights cut out. More mist is pumped out on to the stage, reflecting the notion that Amy is trying to hide ‘herself’. The stage is left quite dark, with white lights here and there illuminating nothing in particular. Amy is lit up with a few bright spotlights herself. As she sings the chorus, the camera slowly spins round her. She turns with the camera, facing into it and singing to the audience at home, sometimes reaching out towards them. The rear screen also stops displaying Amy or the colour, and displays a large, singular red heart in the centre which is slowly beating and pulsating, red dripping out of the bottom of it as if the blood is spilling out slowly.

I don't wanna have to feel this.
Why do I have to feel this?
I don't wanna have to feel this.
Rip my own heart out so I won't feel this
Why do I have to feel this?
So I hide and I hide and I just can't stop it.

The low level colourful lights gradually return during verse 2, once again slowly penetrating that mist that had started to build up across the stage and the arena, clearing it slightly. This clears the view for the camera which had cut to a wide shot, the stage slightly obscured by that mist.

Amy puts the microphone in a stand that has been placed right in front of her. She starts twisting and moving, her dancing demonstrating a sense of frustration and a sense that she is fighting against herself. Dance moves include a demonstration of pushing against herself and pulling herself forward, as well as holding her head in her hands as she drops it towards the floor, spins it round as she brings her head back up again.

My life has these rigid boundaries I'm expected to never pass.
Watch these shows that make me feel, I'm living in a house of glass.
I dream of travelling but I don't know who's standing beside me.
Journey through my mind, my dreams holding my secret discovery.
That colourful canvas illuminating confidence
Red, orange, yellow, green, indigo, and some violet.
Until I return to the real world and give up any false pretence.
You know I'm not myself, mate, but I know that you won't even say:

She grabs hold of the microphone stand as she sings the pre-chorus again. The lighting once again steps up. She twirls a bit, almost as if she is growing more comfortable and accepting herself. As she twirls, the colour from the bottom of her dress ‘runs’ up her dress a little more, extending the tie-dye effect on the white.

On the screen, the pulsating heart remains slowly dripping blood, but is surrounded by a circle of rainbow colours (imagine like the skittles adverts), which are slowly encircling the heart closer and closer.

Just be who you wanna be,
Reclaim your identity,
But you won't say that it's alright.
So I'll keep all of that out of sight.

As soon as the rainbow colours are touching the pulsating heart, they cut out along with the revolving coloured lights beaming out across the audience. The staging returns to the relative darkness of the previous chorus, hiding away many mysteries and secrets. Amy turns away from the audience.

I don't wanna have to feel this.
Why do I have to feel this?
I don't wanna have to feel this.
Rip my own heart out so I won't feel this
Why do I have to feel this?
So I hide and I hide and I just can't stop it.

At this point, Amy turns back to the audience, and starts clapping her hands above her head along with the tune. She encourages the audience to join in as well, and you can hear the sound of thousands of people clapping along with the music, almost overpowering the song itself. Amy starts to sing again, calmer and clearly reflecting and thinking. She is coming to terms with it. The smile on her face slowly grows more genuine again. Amy is a great performative artist. As the song goes (bang bang), all the lights in the arena very briefly flash off and on again.

I don't wanna have to feel this, but I do.
Wear my heart on my sleeve in every hue.
Just wanna meet someone cool.
Even though it breaks those rules.
I wish I could be confident.
I don't want to have to feel this, I have to hide it.
Imagine if they knew all my shit.
Feeling this as I sing church hymns
I don't want to have to hide them.

Amy grabs the microphone out of the stand and runs forward, right up to the audience and charges around the front of the stage, still encouraging the audience to clap along. The lights are at full intensity now, beaming out across the audience, creating a carnival atmosphere as people dance to the tune, some people awfully.

I don't wanna have to feel this.
Rip my own heart out so I won't feel this
Why do I have to feel this?
So I hide and I hide and I just can't stop it.

I don't wanna have to feel this.
Rip my own heart out so I won't feel this
Why do I have to feel this?
So I hide and I hide and I just can't stop it.

Amy stops singing, but keeps vibing with the audience for a few seconds. Then the song slowly drifts out, as does the flashing – though the colourful lights remain, shining across the arena. She holds the microphone to her mouth, and chuckles.

“Thank you so much, Monterra! Thank you, Kalosia! Thank you, everyone! This is for everyone who has ever felt marginalised, has ever felt like they’re not welcome, or they’re not accepted. This is for everyone who has to hide who they truly are, every day. You are brave. And I stand with you. I love all of you, thank you!”

by **Kalosia** » Wed Jul 20, 2022 6:12 pm

Song: So Why?
Interpreter : Andi FM
Composer : Andi FM, Haris Latundani, Mizanul Haravinayan
Lyricist: Andi FM
Tune : My cover of I'm Yours by Jason Mraz

WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO HERE!

Look at the news article above... Sure, it came from ABA's Opinion News, but you can say that the Alezian public is terribly unhappy with the latest stagnation in Alezia's Worldvision career. While earning 14-18th shouldn't be a massive issue, the problem is that Alezia had the Worldvision recipe since it's reunification and debut, earning top 10 since then and actually hosting the entire contest in the 93rd edition in Zafizamarrah's National Stadium, and surprisingly winning it the edition after in Marina Point, Nekoni.

But then, Alezia started placing outside of the top 10. 16th, 14th, 18th, and 18th. Used to getting proud of Alezia at Worldvision, the public is now angry at the ABA for its' lackluster song selection and talent finding. Initially, the Alezians' anger was controllable. But eventually, Alezia struck its' worst result, 23rd. Reacting to this, a protest was held by the public in front of all ABA regional headquarters and the ABASphere, calling for a change to Alezia's Worldvision results.

ABA then promised that they will try something from 101 to 105 (which end up becoming Operation:Worldvision), and to take the contest more seriously. They then said that for the 100th edition, the ABA has preselected Andi FM, Junior World Hit Festival Runner-up to represent the union for the edition.

Andi Faturazzi Makarina or more known for his stage name Andi FM is an Alezian singer, composer, lyricist as if I can do all of those lol, Indonesian poem reader, English storyteller and recently this year, a newly accepted University Student at the University of Zafizamarrah in the International Relations department through his satisfactory AUFX grades (1372 from 1600) and his recently earned reputation in the world stage. He was born in Pa'are'u, 20 kilometers out of Bucinnois, Pantabang Islands in 30th of January 2005. He's the youngest of three children. Growing up in a musical family, he always know music as a great source of motivation and learning. In 3rd grade or when he was 7 years old, he and his family moved from Pantabang Islands to North Alezia, specifically Kota Basna in the region of Basna. However, as his father entered retirement last year, the family returned to Pa'are'u.

Faturazzi has been singing since he was 4, making small performances in front of his family, although the voice quality isn't as refined as it is now, of course. He has been writing songs since he was 10, making super simple music once in a while, only to never finish it. He has tried musical instruments such as violin and the keyboard, however, it just never sticked with him even with his previous experience on learning the violin in Junior High School. However, he does have the ability to play the recorder.

Previously, Faturazzi's singing experience was only heard by people near him and at his school. However, back in July last year, he was contacted by ABA Bucinnois to represent the Alezian Union at the 9th Junior World Hit Festival in Mellaleuca, Northern Beepee with a song he wrote with a friend titled "Harapanku". While public opinion towards him at the time was still low as he is still a new singer (some even predict him to place last, but this didn't affect him), he eventually surprised the nation as he nearly won the competition, earning second just behind Achaean Republic's Cuarto 315 with their song "Vuelve Temprano"

His experience of competing internationally caught ABA's attention after receiving massive backlash from the Alezian people over the past poor results in Worldvision. And thus, ABA contacted Andi once again to represent the Alezian Union at the 100th Worldvision Song Contest. This decision in itself was also met with backlash from some members of the public suggesting that Andi was too young and/or too inexperienced to represent the union at the contest, but the ABA kept going on.

You can define it in many ways. It can talk about someone asking their significant other or actually, someone near them why they didn't appreciate them, or someone asking why life has to weigh in so much on them before they try again. It has a lot of meaning, I'm sure people would atleast have a connection to it.

- Andi FM

"So Why?" talks about someone who sung his heart about trying to accept that life can be harsh and for that he needs to find a way to atleast get out of it (moreso win) with a grandeur exit. It talks about a relationship that finds it hard to appreciate each other's attempt of keeping it together anymore, it talks about life that keeps on giving people problems.

In the song, the singer asks the listener to not give up facing these problems, instead, the listener must face the problem with full determination and to enjoy life instead of lamenting about it. That way, perhaps one day the listener will look at the past with a smiling face, knowing that the problem has been solved and will never haunt their mind anymore.

It was said in an interview with the ABA's Good Morning Alezia that Andi wrote the song partly due to his frustration trying to find a University before the AUFX score came out. At the time, he felt betrayed by the system thinking that his Junior World Hit Festival second place that brought Alezia's reputation as a formidable singing country up meant nothing to the Education Ministry.

The song also made reference to the possibility of Alezia not qualifying into the Grand Final of the Worldvision Song Contest and to tell the nation not to worry about it too much through "I’d rather sip my coffee, I’d rather sing on the stage, At this stage, I write songs and present it to the whole wide world, Whether I qualify to sing is in another chapter". Andi tried to support both sides saying that Alezia should fix the music industry so it can be Worldvision ready, while also saying that the public should not panic too much as it would actually be counterproductive.

In preparation to the Worldvision Song Contest, Andi got to be featured in a short AleziRadio Broadcasts in AleziRadio program 1, ARICO.Net, and ABA's Youtube Channel. The series talks about Andi's adventure and answers to questions about Worldvision the public might not know yet... Don't miss it!

EPISODE 1 of Andi's Worldvision 100 AleziRadio Program 1 Broadcast

Episode 1 opens Andi's program as he talks about opening a Q&A and talking about general information about his participation at the 100th Worldvision Song Contest

EPISODE 2 of Andi's Worldvision 100 AleziRadio Program 1 Broadcast

Episode 2 talks about the qualities of Doorsbreekenians, and the Alezian delegation's experience in rehearsals, meeting international friends, and learning about semifinals

EPISODE 3 of Andi's Worldvision 100 AleziRadio Program 1 Broadcast

Episode 3 is where Andi spilled the beans (with ABA's permission because they actually wanted Andi to spill the beans) about the future of Alezia at the contest.

(The stage readies for Andi FM on the stage, the camera shows the whole stage with audience flying flags of various countries. The number and country started showing up on the bottom left in a bit of transparent style. Andi was standing on the stage's island behind a standing mic with Halim Dannasnayir, an Alezian guitarist sitting behind. The camera started viewing a close up of Halim strumming his guitar, starting the song. The camera then moved from behind to show Andi on the island with the audience around him. At the 10th second, Andi took a breath and started to sing)

I, I said that all is perfect out there
You said that nothing, deserves a grandeur fanfare
I looked at you wondered,
If you have lost me

(The camera view changes to show both Andi and Halim as Andi sung and Halim strung his guitar and hummed along with the song. The camera then zoomed in at the third sentence, as Andi pointed towards the camera at the last sentence.)

Although I have broke every of my bones once or two times
You never said what I did deserved to be on the TIME
I never thought you’ve crossed the lines
But my life’s on the line

(The camera view changes to show the scene from behind as Andi sung where the audience waved their flags slowly to the beat.)

So why, won’t you, just tell me, tell me, say it
Just answer me, so why?

(The camera then shows a close-up of Halim again with him strumming his guitar to the beat for the instrumental. When the drum beats were added, the stage started showing lines of yellow waving up and down the stage before being "transferred" into the island. Second before the instrumental end, the camera views Andi singing from the left side)

Look into my eyes, listen to me,
Open up your mind, let your heart be
What’s the meaning of life if you can’t
Love, love, love, love

(The view then changes to a 360 degree rotation showing the performance from all sides of the island, before it finally stops facing Andi at the front when he sung the last sentence, and then facing upwards to the ceiling, which is met with an applause from the audience.)

So what if it is the end for us, you and I both faraway
Proxy wars are not our way,
And I accept, if it is over from now on,
On, on, on, on

(The camera view transitioned with a slow fade and changes to show the scene from behind as Andi sung where the audience waved their flags slowly to the beat. From the third sentence, the screen at the back shows the words "Honesty is all I want, For what we wait, Just answer me, so why?" like how it was shown on the music video (watch it to find what I meant). )

So why, won’t you, just tell me, tell me, say it
Just answer me, so why?
Honesty is all I want,
For what we wait,
Just answer me, so why?

(The camera changes its view from behind recording the performance from the ceiling. The third sentence changes the camera's view to show a zoom-in of Andi singing to his best)

D-d-do do you, but do you, d-do
But do you want to tell me
Open up, be honest
So I can peacefully rest

(As the zoom-in happen, it stopped at the first sentence, before continuing with an added special effect of the word "OH" spinning around Andi. The special effect faded away as Andi let out a small laugh before he faced the audience and snapping his finger prompting the camera and stage to quickly dim down for a quick second, met with another applause.)

And I’ll finish the rest
Whoa, oh, oh, oh
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, whoa, whoa
Uh-huh, hmm

(The stage was turned on again, where television viewers can see a closeup of Andi and Halim from a steadicam. As Andi took the mic from it's stand, The steadicam walked behind Andi and followed Andi as he walked around the island stage. Behind him can be seen audiences waving flags of various countries, most particularly Alezians who tried to wave their flag higher than the others and showing banners that has "#SaveAlezia", "Retake our Reputation!", and "Go Andi!" written in most of them.

To be real, I’m tired with attitude;
That reaches this altitude
I’d rather smile and refute
Than to keep my long servitude

(Andi jumped on the spot for a second, before looking at the steadicam gesturing his right hand as he's drinking a cup of coffee (with the pinky finger out too), then he looked at the audience and spread his audience outward as the stage lights lighted up outwards.)

I’d rather sip my coffee
I’d rather sing on the stage

(Andi walked around again as he looked at the steadicam camera holding on to the microphone, at the second sentence, stopped a bit and flicked his right hand away from him (not literally). At the third sentence, Andi still stopped, then walked away back to the stand to put the microphone back to its' stand)

At this stage, I write songs and present it to the whole wide world
Whether I qualify to sing is in another chapter
What, What I want to do,
So I can mentally gather

(The stage dims again, showing only one overhead light over Andi as a ceiling camera zoomed in slowly. As he finished the second sentence, Andi happily spun for a while)

So why, won’t you, just tell me, tell me, say it
Just answer me, so why?

(The camera then showed the entire stage as fireworks started to fall from the ceiling.)

Look into my eyes, listen to me,
Open up your mind, let your heart be
What’s the meaning of life if you can’t,
So tell me why?

(The screen then got filled with rotating words of "So Why?" as the camera flew around the stage, with more audience with flags and banners from various countries was waved, the camera then returned back to show a close-up of Andi, before fading into a black screen with "So Why?" in a white writing with a blue glow around it.)

So why, so why, so why, so,
So many reasons to be honest,
‘Cause it’s not over
Say it, say it, say it, say it,
So why?

(Then the silence was broken as Andi raised both of his hands and with the shout the audience, sung the last bit of the song, the camera then shows Halim strumming the last few bits of the song before it stops. The camera then quickly zoomed out to record the great reception at the venue. Halim then walked towards Andi and shook his hand before both bowed in unison. After that, Andi shouted "Thank you, Kalosia! Thank you, Worldvision!". Both left the island stage and returned to backstage for the preparation of the next song.)

by **Kalosia** » Wed Jul 20, 2022 6:17 pm

performed in Kalosian to the tune of Ciao Ciao — La Rappresentante di Lista

In Kalosian HoD Gabriél Ferer's contract with RTVK, it was already stipulated that while he would have freedom in determining entries and selection methods for any other edition, the Kalosian entry to WorldVision 100 was to be decided through Festival dëla Kanžu Kalosianë 2022. It was perhaps a bit unfortunate for him, because the hype surrounding Xylo & Soltano's participation in WorldVision 99 in Carrelie caught the attention of rappers and hip hop artists across Kalosia. Soon, big names in the scene attempted to contact Gabriél or otherwise express interest in participating in the contest. Although, perhaps over time this hype will wane and we will be left with acts that are genuinely interested in making contributions that are actually worthy of the international stage.

Meanwhile, Festival dëla Kanžu Kalosianë (FKK) went without a hitch, at least production-wise. Regarding the results, however, it had been quite dramatic. Major disagreements between the jurors and televoters meant that a handful of fan faves were shot down in the semis, and there were large margins for the jury-televote split of some entries in the final. Still, these entries have so far went on to achieve considerable success even outside of the contest. In the final, major fan faves Klaravalë, Augusto Martes, and $tefa were able to do extremely well in the televote however the juries were less favourable. Most hurt was Mariella Kasanu & Žankarlu Fra, whose cheerful ditty Eškonfinatamentë only received a whopping 2 votes from the jury, while almost winning the televote.

In the end, the song that both sides were able to agree on happened to also be the jury winner. It had become a talking point because the song, MeowMeow by Eva Renati, was unlike the typical kind of music that would be associated with the contest. It was a festival known for folk chansons and conventional pop tracks, but this was a bit edgier, a bit more indie, a bit more quirky, and definitely a risk taken. In the end it paid off, and we are here today.

Let's talk about Eva Renati real quick. She previously represented Kalosia at the 64th WorldVision Song Contest in Varea, Nekoni with the song That's Just How Life Goes. It was an upbeat, expressive pop song that ended up doing well. Building from her experience and trying her luck again, she won the ticket to represent Kalosia on home turf.

The song, MeowMeow, is attention-grabbing. In it, Eva asks us to look at life from the lens of a cat, who does not have the stresses of human life. A cat moves whenever it wants to. A cat has a kind of poise that even many humans don't. Cats are loved all around the world and, argues Eva, we can learn a lot from them to make our lives a little better.

For the 100th WorldVision Song Contest, a semifinal format was being trialled, and the bidding team for the city of Monterra was willing to accept having to implement the format if it was selected. Monterra narrowly won the bidding process and immediately, work was underway to host the first ever semifinals in WorldVision history. As the host country, Kalosia qualified to the grand final automatically, and was randomly drawn to perform 19th, between the Alezian Union and Quebec & Shingoryeo. However, it did vote in the second semifinal.

For the big night, Eva was wearing, predictably, a catsuit. With leopard print. She was to be joined by 4 female dancers, all wearing black catsuits. The orchestra was also used, so the host conductor was utilised. Once the postcard came to an end, the host audience was roaring for excitement. It was perhaps 3 years ago, when FKK 2019 winners Corpus Calosum took to the stage in the nearby Monterra ConcertHall, that a Kalosian WorldVision entry received this much of an ovation.

As the song began, the camera began with a wide shot of the stage that slowly zoomed in. A single spotlight shone on Eva, but from behind, rendering her as a posing silhouette. As this went on, she started vocalizing ("du-du-dus"). The camera briefly switches to a different angle that circles the stage before then cutting to a close up of Eva, who turns around and begins to properly sing, with a curious intonation.

Komu stajëz, mia karë?
Kosë fajëz staserë?
Sentiz solë e tristë
U kestu ventu fridu?
Bevi un depresso, në sej prinšipesë
Ma-ma-ma-ma au unë solužio

Eva is alone on stage, and at this point she is full of confidence, providing the kind of stage presence this song behooves. The audience is loving it. In this next part, an illustration of a Turkish Angora (cat breed) occupies the background screen. He is drawn wearing a crown, posing majestically. As Eva sings, she eagerly shows the audience the animal, implied to be her pet, as she looks into a steadicam right in front of her giving us an intimate, personal shot. It quickly switches away to another angle to give time for the camera operators to vacate the stage.

Vidël-la a miu Angora
Vive komë un kasanova
Sta tenendu mil sekreti
E ja li daro a ti

As the background screens fill with a plain yellow gradient, the spidercam comes from a mid-wide shot looking downward on her, quickly zooming in as she sings the next part. At the same time, the four dancers come on stage.

Kapel la filosofia dëli gati
E ti impreri per moverë…

A quick fade-to-white and we are given mid-shots that give us a decent view of the action going on stage. Unlike the Festival dëla Kanžu performance, the staging here was much more modern. She had performed in that final with a backing band and a chic look, while here the visuals were sultry yet cheerful.

As she sings the next part, she does a special choreographed routine in the style of those trendy social media dances, while the screen behind her becomes filled with illustrations of cats, maintaining a cheerful, yellow-dominated colour scheme.

Koli piédi, kola testë, kolë koru
Miáu miáu!
Per soñarë, soriderë, ešisterë
Miáu miáu!
Kola mama, kolë papa, kon amurë
Miáu miáu!
Oñë pašu, fortëmentë, kon orguľo
Miáu (miáu miáu miáu miáu miáu miáu miáu…)

Now, the girls make a line behind Eva. The screen shuts off and we are left with golden lighting, and while Eva sings the first two lines of the next part, Eva makes certain moves/gestures that the backing dancers follow, creating a wave. In the following two lines, the girls shout the line "Segel mi" together as they come out and make themselves seen, and after that they disperse across the stage.

Kestu es solo nia inižio
Perki lë tempu es una ilušio
Segel mi, oñë festë es unë novë aventurë
Per ešplorarë kon kuriósita

Now each of the four backing dancers each do unique moves, all of them mimicking the movement of cats. This includes crawling-like movements, laying down, sneaking on Eva, etc. In the last line of the next part, they all get on their feet and enter their formation for the chorus.

La vitë d’un gatu, uv oñë momentu
Es mëraviľosu, feliž, maj noǧosu
Es žentil e kalmë, ma siñifikantë
Un gatu si fida di siu intuíto

And then, they repeat the same moves they did during the last chorus. The background screen does the same thing it did too.You could hear the crowd sing along, both the Kalosian lines as well as the "meow meow" — the latter being more accessible to foreign fans in the audience as well.

Koli piédi, kola testë, kolë koru
Miáu miáu!
Per soñarë, soriderë, ešisterë
Miáu miáu!
Kola mama, kolë papa, kon amurë
Miáu miáu!
Oñë pašu, fortëmentë, kon orguľo

Now the backing dancers disappear for a second. Again, the screens turn off and the lights dim and we get close ups of Eva, who is interacting quite playfully with the camera as she sings this next part.

Benveniti, bonëserë, per favor e miáu miáu
Benveniti, bonëserë, voj salotu: miáu miáu
Benveniti, bonëserë, per favor e miáu miáu
Miáu miáu, miáu miáu, oh oh…

Now the background screen turns on again with a blue gradient, and illustrations of all kinds of cats (some of them wearing attributes associated with different cultures around the world). As this happens, the four backing dancers come on stage carrying signs coming out in support of cats, as if attending some sort of pro-feline march.

Si, li gati governanu lë mondu interu
Venonu per okuparë oñë penšeru
Sonu li animali moltu spešali
Amati uv tuti li paési mondiáli

Now all four dancers freeze in their spots and the gradient gradually turns from blue to the same yellow used in the chorus. In the third line of the next part, the dancers put down their signs and head straight over on both sides of Eva.

Kon amurë, kon amurë, kon amurë
Miáu miáu!
Koli gati, koli gati, koli gati
Miáu miáu!

Now the atmosphere erupts in excitement as the staging returns to how it was in the past choruses, but this time with a pyro curtain. The audience is hyped more than ever, and it is more than enough for Eva to simply ride of these emotions.

Koli piédi, kola testë, kolë koru
Miáu miáu!
Per soñarë, soriderë, ešisterë
Miáu miáu!
Kola mama, kolë papa, kon amurë
Miáu miáu!
Oñë pašu, fortëmentë, kon orguľo
Miáu!

And with that, the Kalosian entry was finished. As the host country, Eva received one of the loudest ovations in the hall tonight. Of course she was overwhelmed at such a warm reception. "GRAŽIAAAAAAA!!!!!", she exclaimed, "THANK YOU KALOSIA!" she spent a couple of moments onstage, thanking the audience, before finally leaving with her girlies to allow the crew to set up for the next entry from Olympic co-hosts Quebec & Shingoryeo.

by **Kalosia** » Wed Jul 20, 2022 6:22 pm

20 - QUEBEC AND SHINGORYEO - 언제나 하나 (Always, One)

By Evermore and Louise

To the tune of: Sigrid and Bring Me The Horizon - Bad Life

BACKGROUND

For the first time in over thirty-five years, we see a Quebecois representative in the WorldVision Song Contest. Of course, the unusual circumstance in which the QBC was offered invitation to the 100th WorldVision Song Contest had meant that the entry, with a year to go, had to be figured out sooner than later. With none of the entrants from the twenties and the thirties of the contest in a physical, health or mortal condition (some of the lads and lasses had long passed into the eternity), the QBC was left in a particular void over who to send for the landmark edition.

Still, everybody knew that Quebec and Shingoryeo, two-time finalist of the contest in the days bygone, were going to send an entry. So, with this in mind, they spent half a month and three rounds of national final going through the songs in the heat. Eventually, it was decided that the lucky entrant heading to Monterra's going to be Louise, a 19-year old winner of the Zoomer-Factor's 212th Season straight out of Attawapiskat, Abitibi-Agawa province; and five-man Evermore, a Quebecois alt-rock band originating from the industrial centre (and soon-to-be Olympic host city) of Twin Cities.

It was a particularly interesting choice, especially when considering that Louise, while a rising star in the Quebecois musical scene, was more of known for her repertoire of dreampop tunes, Evermore didn't exactly fit the mantle expected of them. The atmosphere of the contest and the attitude held by the QBC had changed so much that even once-entrant Rogue, the legendary pop rock group who still went on tours even as their members, octogenarians in essence, reached eighties and nineties...would not have fit now. Still, the homecrowd back in Joongyeong and Songak seemed more than impressed with this song, 언제나 하나 (Always, One), that they felt the song would represent the Anaialanian nation, the one known for the tragedies and lyricisms held by her peoples, would fit to the contest.

PERFORMANCE

It's all dark when Louise (full name Louise A. Baird), quietly enters the stage with a single light over her. She is wearing a dark, plain turtleneck and jeans. For now the screen is turned off. She slowly moves to the front of the stage, where there is a single, grand piano, and sits on a small stool right in front of it. Louise turns around, looks at the crowd and waves back at the audience, who responds to her with a massive round of cheers and applause. Smiling back at them, she returns her focus to her piano, takes a deep breath and starts singing as she plays.

[Verse 1: 0:01]

Letters are shredded, ink spilled and then dried
Writing in an empty room filled with dust and cracks
These days I'm all lost,
feel stuck in square one Heart sinking below the trenches inside this heart

The tiles under her start lighting up from pure darkness to that of dark blue, just verging outside of darkness, as they form wavy patterns, as she continues singing in mezzo piano.

[Pre-Chorus 1: 0:20]

Ooh, it's hard to feel the fingertips
When all I feel are numb inside
And only colours I see, they be grey
Sorrows hitting hard on beating shores
As I pull myself down deep inside
And my eyes lose their shades of jade

Raindrops start falling over the stage. The LED screen's pillars are not turned on yet, but the backstage crew starts keeping a close eye on them, as they have to prepare for the next sequences after the chorus. Still, the first singing of the chorus remains quiet, solitary and intimate, as Louise turns to look at the audience. As she sings the chorus, she is trying to express the feelings of solidarity among two friends, who may or may not be intimate in their own ways, in the times of darkness and loss as youths lost and wandering in their twenties.

[Chorus: 0:40]

어두운 저곳 밤하늘
I'll run to you in darkness

그 달빛 하나만 보고 다가가서
Chase the moonlight under the night sky

너와 나의 불꽃앞
I will tell you without a word

말없이 말해주리
In front of our eternal flame

여기에서 너와 난
Here, this I promise you

언제나 하나
Always, we are one

The LED pillars behind Louise are now turned on, not showing a scenary or graphic projection, but that of Roy Choo, the lead vocalist of Evermore, standing on the green screen painted dark. He, too feeling lost, is singing gently, as he walks back and forth without looking at the audience.
He, of course, is not at the stage yet, though you can't help but to wonder when he will, as he sings about the verse of feeling broken and wandering endlessly so.

[Verse 2: 1:06]

모랫바람 가운데 홀로서서
Everything's shattered and all's gone in a breath

모든걸 한숨에 잃어버린것처럼
Watching myself stand in middle of sandstorm

고요한 아침에 숨이차서
Silent in the morning, running out of breath

무너지는 하늘밑 달리는거처럼
Watching the world crumble in the calm

All of sudden, the screen shifts into a different scene - that of a house slowly being flooded by the tempest. It was at that moment when Roy, his hair slowly balding and greying at 45 years of age, enters the satellite stage with an elevator from under the stage. He is wearing an old, leather jacket of his with blue jeans and spiked boots. A second light, the one separate from one focused at Louise and her piano right now, is placed into Roy, as he jumps back and forth while singing the pre-chorus. The camera moves to focus on him.

[Pre-Chorus 2: 1:26]

Oh, this road hits high and beating hard
When you're driving over the purple lake
Waves crashing hard, there I stand and lie
So tonight I'll anchor and tie it with me
To ask away where you now in dark
And let you find the pieces of shard

It was then that a light round of pyrotechnics explodes from above the stage, producing a thunder and lightning, as Louise and Roy start singing the full chorus the first time. The pillars, previously showing the scenes of a flooding house, start showing the house sinking, one lumber piece after another, into the water. Feeling the rain, and the lights erupt, Louise gets up from her stool and starts dancing back and forth - almost in the manners of a Farf pogo - as the crowd starts cheering at both Roy and Louise. They are also going back and forth to the singers' dancers, by shaking their heads and doing waves of their own.

[Chorus: 1:46]

어두운 저곳 밤하늘
I will run to you in darkness

그 달빛 하나만 보고 다가가서
Chase the moonlight under the night sky

너와 나의 불꽃앞
I will tell you without a word

말없이 말해주리
In front of our eternal flame

여기에서 너와 난
Here this I promise you

언제나 하나
Always, we are one

우리 마음속 조각들
And I know our pieces are lost

심연해속 갇혀있는것도 알아
And I know feeling imprisoned in this abyss

모든게 두려운건 알지만
And I know all feels daft

마음속 같은것도 알아
but the feelings remain the same

어디라도 너와 난 언제나 하나
Here this I promise you

언제나 하나
Always, we are one

The post-chorus kicks off with a guitar solo by Evermore's guitarist, Jean-Philippe van Leuken, as the main stage lighting is turned onto reveal the remaining band members - Jean-Philippe, his brother Ian the bassist, Leon Park-Chizik the multi-instrumentalist (who is playing the trumpet right now), and Noel Bruce Cassidy, the legendary drummer - on the back half of the main stage. The lights, still pale, are now in full action, while the pillars remain focused on the sinking home. To the solo Louise and Roy start screaming out the song, almost in a matter of two souls blasting reliefs and calls of their deepest realms.

NAHOOOOO-Ohhhh

YEAH

The main stage lighting starts changing from that of just white to various shades of blue. The rainfall gets more intense, almost as if we are expecting a flood sooner than later. They continue to go back and forth at each other's calls, just shouting it all out, whiole the fans are waving back and forth like a human wave.

Oh----no

One-Two-Three-Four

Eventually, as the guitar solo reaches the end, Louise and Roy both jump into the stage, singing out the chorus for the final time while crowdsurfing over the rabid crowd. It is then that a column of fire emerges and other pyrotechnics explode all over the main stage in a boom. The columns, previously showing that of a flooding house, replace those images with dynamic use of bright colours, from red to yellow and blue and green. Ian and Leon, who are playing the bass and trumpet as we speak, too move closer to the front of the stage, swaying back and forth as they come very close to reaching the audience and their screams.

[Chorus: 2:47]

어두운 저곳 밤하늘
I will run to you in darkness

그 달빛 하나만 보고 다가가서
Chase the moonlight under the night sky

너와 나의 불꽃앞
I will tell you without a word

말없이 말해주리
In front of our eternal flame

여기에서 너와 난
Here this I promise you

언제나 하나
Always, we are one

우리 마음속 조각들
And I know our pieces are lost

심연해속 갇혀있는것도 알아
And I know feeling imprisoned in this abyss

모든게 두려운건 알지만
And I know all feels daft

마음속 같은것도 알아
but the feelings remain the same

어디라도 너와 난
Here this I promise you

언제나 하나
Always, we are one

Finally, as the chorus is sung for the fourth time, Roy and Louise slowly make their way back into the satellite stage.

There is no music playing, and the piano is back on the main stage, but it doesn't matter as Louise and Roy, smiling at each other in pure disbelief that they are about to finish the first Quebecois entry in the WorldVision Song Contest for the first time in three-dozen years, sing the last line - once more - and for the last time.

언제나 하나
Always, we are one

Then that was it. As the audience give Louise and Evermore a round of applause, Louise and Roy first gestured to Jean-Philippe, Leon and Noel, who wave back at the crowd before giving a bow. And then, it's now their turn to bow at the crowd, before Louise and Roy embrace each other.

'That's it, we fucking did it Roy. Can you believe it?' asked Louise. The embrace lasts for few seconds before he answers back, saying: 'yes, we've done something wonderful.'

They then let go, five of them bowing to the crowd once more, before walking out of the stages.

by **Kalosia** » Wed Jul 20, 2022 6:25 pm

21. Togonistan
Titan Fang - ''Vampires Are Alive''
Lyrics: Kari Taupo
Music: Ofo Perelini
Tune: Powerwolf - ''Demons Are a Girl's Best Friend''

From the city of Drassen comes Titan Fang, a power metal group founded by vocalist Kari Taupo. Founded merely a year ago, the group has quickly risen in Togonistani music charts and has established a strong foothold in the local music industry. Following a 26 edition long hiatus, Togonistani broadcaster TNTV announced that the island nation will be making a return to celebrate and be part of the historic 100th WorldVision Song Contest. Along with the announcement, it was also revealed that Titan Fang will be granted the honour to represent Togonistan following an internal selection. ''It is amazing how over the years, the show has grown into what it has become today. We want to be part of this festive, where WorldVision celebrates it's 100-edition anniversary. In the past, Togonistan has always been known from bringing something that stands out to the contest, and we believe that Titan Fang is the right choice to carry on that legacy,'' Mila Taufamoana, TNTV's Program Director commented on the decision.

Performance:

The stage is decorated is dark red and black coloured scheme, with black being the dominant colour of the two. LED screen at the back of the stage shows an old British-style bell tower which is full of cracks, with a pack of crows flying around it as the initial bell sound kicks in at the start of the performance. At the back end of the stage, some scaffolding is placed on both the left and right side, leaving a gap in the middle. Two band members can be seen on either of the scaffoldings, bringing them a few meters higher from the stage, with the drummer stationed on a lower solid platform in the middle of them. A cloud of smoke is filling the middle part of the stage, almost completely covering some sort of a black box. In front of that cloud stands Titan Fang's lead singer Kari Taupo. He, as well as the rest of the band, are dressed in long black & red robes with a long cloak at the back. In addition, Kari also has red contact lenses to immerse his vampire look even further.

Band members start playing their instruments and, as the music kicks in, the stage becomes alive. Fire machines situated at all edges of the stage start bursting out flames with set intervals. As the broadcast viewers are being shown different angles of various band members furiously nodding their heads and playing their instruments, the camera eventually focuses on Kari, who is sitting on the edge of the black box. Soon, the flames stop as he gets himself up and walks a few steps around the stage as he sings while holding the microphone.

Deep in the night
When sun is gone and darkness falls
You seek your path in candlelight
Followed by shadows on the walls

When you lay in bed and dream
They head out to be wild and free
You lay and wait for them to arrive
They come to feast with your wine
There is nowhere to run tonight
As vampires head out to come and dine

By now, Kari has made his way to the edge of the stage, where a microphone stand is situated. He attaches his mic to it and puts his arms wide open as flame machines start working again. Moving his knee to the rhythm of the music, Kari sings the chorus.

Oh oh oh oh-oh-oh
Vampires are alive and they bring the end
Oh oh oh oh-oh-oh
Vampires are awake tonight

Oh oh oh oh-oh-oh
Vampires are alive and crave for a feast
Oh oh oh oh-oh-oh
Vampires are awake tonight

Kari removes the mic from the stand and starts walking around the stage again, doing some hand gestures towards the ceiling as well as bending towards the crowd with a creepy-ish look on his face. Meanwhile, LED screens have started showing red flowing graphics on a black background, which the audience is likely to assume to be an artistic representation of flowing blood.

Burning desire
Desire for your flesh and skin
As they invite their next of kin
You host the night, drinks are on you

You become a part of their rites
There is no more need to fight
Your blood is running in their veins

Kari starts making his way back towards the black box in the middle of the stage, which is still being covered by smoke.

You head out to be wild and free
With a whole new world to see
And let your instincts take over your mind

Kari steps on top of the box and bends his knees, looking at the audience as he sings the chorus once again. The fire show returns once again and, with that, wind machine also starts working, making Kari's cloak wave around. As the camera zooms in to take a close-up shot of Kari, for a brief moment it can be seen that the box he's standing on is actually a black burial coffin with golden handlebars.

Oh oh oh oh-oh-oh
Vampires are alive and they bring the end
Oh oh oh oh-oh-oh
Vampires are awake tonight

Oh oh oh oh-oh-oh
Vampires are alive and crave for a feast
Oh oh oh oh-oh-oh
Vampires are awake tonight

During the instrumental break, Kari puts his hands above his head and looks up at the ceiling. Halfway through it, he steps down and takes a knee while facing towards the coffin with his hand reached out. The coffin starts shaking as it's being lifted up to stand on one of it's narrow sides. Lights go out for a moment, with only a single spotlight on Kari singing towards the coffin.

And when we come to haunt you in the night
You may resist and seek for silver knives
But soon you'll find yourself craving for the forbidden fruit

The stage lights up again and with it, Kari jumps up and starts walking towards the edge of the stage while singing. Halfway through the outro, the coffin opens and a woman steps out, wearing pale face paint and red lenses. She is dressed in a red and black outfit with a similar theme to what the band members are wearing. While Kari is bending towards the audience as he sings, the woman starts slowly and elegantly walking towards him.

Oh oh oh oh-oh-oh
Vampires are alive, come and join our cause
Oh oh oh oh-oh-oh
Vampires are alive tonight
Oh oh oh oh-oh-oh
Vampires are alive and crave for a feast
Oh oh oh oh-oh-oh
Vampires are alive again

By the end of the outro, the woman has made her way to Kari and as the latter sings his final lines, she slids her arm around his neck and does a quick head movement as if she were to bite into his neck. As Kari sings his final word, he looks at her and the two end up looking at each other, with the woman smiling and revealing her vampire fangs. They stay like this for a few seconds as the camera takes a close-up shot of the two.

The crowd starts cheering as Kari puts his mic to his mouth again and shouts out: ''Thank you Monterra! You have been amazing!''

WorldVision Song Contest 100 | Grand Final | Monterra KLS

WorldVision Song Contest 100 | Grand Final | Monterra KLS

01 Tödlichebujoku

02 Waisnor

03 Erie-Arcadia

04 Flusia

05 Achaean Republic

06 Polkopia

07 Scotatrova

08 Llalta

09 Ertzei Kishim

10 Besen

11 Britonisea

12 Pemecutan

13 Titaniumland

14 Beepee

15 Moorland

16 Spiritual Republic of Caryton

17 Ethane

18 Alezian Union

19 Kalosia

20 Quebec & Shingoryeo

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