Draft Thread of the 78th World Hit Festival [CLOSED]

[Britonisea]

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OOC THREAD - IC THREAD - PREVIOUS CONTEST
DISCORD SERVER

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THE COMPLETE SCHEDULE

Times and dates are subject to change...
Draft Thread Opens - 1st January 2025
Sign-ups close & Closure of Draft - 26th January 2025, 12:00 GMT (48-hour grace period)
Voting Open By - 28th January 23:00 GMT (most probably up to a day before)
Voting Lines Close By - 2nd February 2025
Voting Reveal Days- The week after

COMPLETING YOUR ENTRY

These nations have completed their entry to a standard that is accepted at the World Hit Festival. This is a tune with a complete set of lyrics. It is highly encouraged to include background information and staging RP. This is in order of posting.

1. Britonisea
2. Estogium
3. Axuva
4. Ugunnustan
5. Rugenia
6. Beepee
7. Kalosia
8. Hafamarimët
9. Robloxian Robloxia

[blocktext]

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

Helping Your Host: I am most probably going to use my own formatting for everybody's entry, to make it look uniform, which has been done in other editions, my previous edition of hosting included. I would appreciate it if you could keep the formatting of your entry very simple (just text and the 'BOX' tag would be fantastic, no need for colours, bold, italics and underlining - unless they are keys or backing singers etc). You can align everything to the centre if you want to keep it neat, but it would help me very much to keep it quite minimalist.

PLEASE LEAVE TRANSLATIONS AT THE END OF YOUR POST UNDER A SINGLE SPOILERS. It incredibly slows down the process of making all entries uniform. It really does.

WIP Entries: It would also help a lot if you put a "WIP" or Work In Progress sign somewhere obvious, preferably in the subject or at the top of your post if you don't want me to notice that as finished. All completed entries will be considered final when the Voting Lines open. In the case there are s*mi fin@ls, you can make edits to your entries, but this will be touched on if that time comes (which it might not).

What is a Complete Entry?: Please refer to the Acceptable Standards for Entries at the World Hit Festival. Your entry will appear in the spoiler above if it has been accepted.

Headers: Please use the header that is provided below. Failure to do so will count as your entry not being completed. Please do not use caps in the header unless your artist name/song title is stylised in that way.

OFFICIAL HEADER...

Code: Select all

[align=center][blocktext][box][color=#04ac61][size=230][b]XX[/b][/size] [size=180][b]nation_name[/b][/size][/color]
[size=160][color=#0d774c][b]artist_name  - "song_title"[/b][/color][/size]
[b]Tune:[/b] [url=youtube_link]RL_artist_name - RL_song_title[/url]
[i][size=85][b]Lyricists:[/b] lyricists_names • [b]Composers:[/b] composers_names
[b]Language(s):[/b] language_here[/size][/i][/box][/blocktext][/align]

10 Britonisea
ELLA, Aaron Ward - "Intoxicating"
Tune: Evangelia, Kelvin Jones - Diving
Lyricists: ELLA, Aaron Ward • Composers: Aaron Ward, Thomas Shelby, Whitney Harrison
Language(s): English

FINAL NOTES

It is not the intention of either the host or the Overseer to stop any user from competing at the World Hit Festival as that would go against the reason of the Festival which is to bring people together. Thus, these are the new measures that will be put in place in order to make sure that you compete.

• The Host will alert you that the Draft Thread is open on Discord and the OOC thread. At this point, you will be able to post your spot on the Draft Thread and start working on it.
• The Host/Overseer will send a telegram to everyone when there is a week left to submit entries to everyone who has not submitted an entry adhering to the above entry standards but has signed up (this includes those who have yet to submit an entry), reminding them that the Festival Draft Thread is still open. A reminder will be posted on #worldhitfestival too.
• Between 24-72 hours before the World Hit Festival Draft Thread closes (before the Draft Thread), the Host/Overseer will contact you personally if you have posted on the Draft Thread but you have yet to reach the entry standards of the Festival. We will outline what needs to be done to take you over the edge.
• If you need more time or assistance, please contact either the Host or the Overseer about this issue so we can sort out a fair way to get you to compete. If you don’t contact the Host or the Overseer if you intend to get your entry in a bit later, your entry will be outright rejected.

[Britonisea]

Full host details



A triangle will be the centrepiece of the 78th World Hit Festival in Kyvivre...

Arenakyvivre will be hosting the World Hit Festival for the third time after having done so at the 27th and 47th editions. You could fit around 21,000 spectators in there which means that we will have a packed and filled audience for the Festival. We hope that this will create a fantastic atmosphere and will appear great on television too. Arenakyvivre has a large floor space where we can fit as many fans in as possible, with very high one-tier seating which will stretch around the whole of the arena. Thirty-one editions after the last hosting, Arenakyvivre will be in the eyes of the world and there is a beautiful stage as well. In keeping with the triangular theme of this year, the World Hit Festival stage will be one large LED triangular screen - large enough so that delegations who wanted to having a more traditional square or rectangular design can do that but we can assure you that the triangle is an eye-catching design from any angle you choose in the arena. There will be a plethora of cameras - up to 25 cameras will be used throughout the duration of the production and since Britonisea has hosted the World Hit Festival nine times before, you can believe that the Britonish are capable of anything your heart desires. As always, the Britonish stage will have many effects such as pyrotechnics, steam and dry ice, while also including a graphics and holographic package too. While in the picture it shows two tiers, Arenakyvivre has one tier but there is a strip of LED that surrounds the stage as shown in the picture so delegations can make use of that too. There are also light beams (6) that can come down as far as two metres from the ground. The stage floor is LED and in the shape of a pentagon and lined with more lights around it. The audience will be standing around it.

[Rugenia]

XX Rugenia
Viktoria Kuskavka - "Don't stop, be free"
Tune: Elvana Gjata - Karnaval
Lyricists: Viktoria Kuskavka • Composers: Anton Mühlenberg, Yana Baryk, Viktoria Kuskavka
Language(s): English, Rugenian

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BACKGROUND | WHF 77 in Maregrad

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Rugenia had the honor of hosting the last edition of the World Hit Festival on home soil. The national broadcaster RTV1, selected the Maregrad Arena in the capital city Maregrad, as the venue for the event. The arena accommodated 17,000 spectators. A total of seven countries participated, a relatively small number, but it was nonetheless a spectacular show in Rugenia and everyone in Maregrad celebrated it, young and old.

The event was hosted by Lena Kuskavka and Johannes. The winner of the show was Marcello from Britonisea with the song “Vertigo” a well-deserved victory! As a result, we now have the pleasure of being guests in the beautiful city Kyvirve.

For Rugenia, the singer MARIJA achieved an impressive 3rd place. Following this edition, RTV1 has appointed a new Head of Delegation: none other than Carla Winterberg. Carla previously served as Executive Producer alongside Ole Svernov during the World Hit Festival 77. So she knows, how the World Hit Festival works.

“This time, we were very clear in our decision to participate in the World Hit Festival again, especially because of our first win with Aisha and MARIJA’s strong result. RTV1 has made budget adjustments, increasing the budgets for both the World Hit Festival and the Worldvision Song Contest due to the strong results.” said Carla Winterberg.

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THE ARTIST | Viktoria Kuskavka

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As mentioned in the signups, 19-year-old Viktoria (Levi) Kuskavka is the oldest daughter of the famous rugenian singer Lena Kuskavka. Viktoria was born and grew up in a rich suburb of Maregrad, called Novoradsk. As a child, she was almost always with her famous mother, going to performances, recording sessions, concerts and even backstage at the Worldvision Song Contest 18.

Because of her mother’s career, Viktoria also wanted to join the music world. But first, she had to finish high school at Maregrad Private School. When she turned 17, she started to focus on her singing career, taking vocal lessons and writing songs. She found a lot of inspiration in her mother and decided to specialize in the pop genre, which suits her voice and personality perfectly. At the same time, Viktoria began studying marine biology at the State University of Maregrad, one of the reasons for this was her passion for diving and the oceans. She also wanted to have a professional qualification or a completed degree alongside her music career.

At first, Viktoria was supposed to represent Rugenia at the World Hit Festival 77 in Maregrad with her song “Don’t Stop, Be Free”. However, since Lena Kuskavka was one of the hosts, Viktoria and RTV1 decided she should not perform there, as it might look bad. She automatically qualified as the rugenian entrant at the WHF 78.

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THE SONG | "Don't stop, be free"

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The song with which Viktoria will represent Rugenia at the World Hit Festival 78 in the beautiful city of Kyvivre is called “Don’t Stop, Be Free.”. This song is a fun, danceable pop track, written especially for participation at the World Hit Festival. Viktoria wrote the song herself, as she wants to focus on writing her own music. It was produced by the famous producer Anton Mühlenberg, who specializes in WHF songs, as you remember. Yana Baryk, Viktoria’s best friend and a music producer, also helped produce the song.

Since Viktoria usually specializes in English pop, the song was originally written in English. However, at the request of Rugenia’s national broadcaster RTV1, some lines were changed to Rugenian for the Festival.

“Don’t Stop, Be Free” is about freedom in life, self-determination and having fun. It encourages people to do what they love, as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else. Live your life and be who you are! Don’t listen to what others think of you. Don’t stop your dreams and just be free!

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THE PERFORMANCE

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Victoria will be accompanied by 4 male background dancers and a female violinist (at the beginning of the performance while the intro) during her show. Her outfit will be with the colors yellow and black. She will wear a yellow top with a low neckline, covered by a black, leather-like jacket. Her skirt will also have a black leather look. Additionally, she will wear black high boots. Her hair will be worn loose and her makeup will be striking yet subtle.

The dancers will also wear yellow and black outfits with a leather-like look. Each dancer will wear a yellow top, a light leather jacket on top and black pants . The main colors of the stage design will be black and yellow too. On the LED screen in the background, the song lyrics will mainly be displayed, along with some effects while the performance.

Shortly before the postcard from Rugenia is shown, Viktoria and her background dancers are featured. For fun, her background dancers bring a fan (ventilator) and direct it toward Viktoria. She strikes a pose like a model, then starts laughing and blows a kiss toward the camera. After that, she hugged her team and went to the stage. Next, the performance begins on stage. Viktoria and the dancers stand further back on the stage, while the violinist positions herself more to the right, center stage. Once the postcard finishes, the instrumental intro of the song begins. The violinist is shown with a slow camera movement, focusing closely on her facial expression and the violin. Viktoria is carried lying down by her four dancers toward the front of the stage. The camera films from the front and above. Meanwhile, the violinist is shown briefly. The dancers lower Viktoria, kneel to her left and right, look at her and Viktoria begins to sing. In the background, an image of her is displayed with her name “Viktoria Kuskavka” shown prominently.

Tonight I’m alive, my soul wants to feel free
oh baby play that track, please carry me
call out my name, let the rhythm set me on fire
tell me where you are and lift us high

The dancers jump up and dance synchronously around Viktoria. Two of the dancers lift Viktoria, one holding her upper body and the other her legs, raising her sideways as she continues singing. After the dancers lower her, they continue dancing. Viktoria is filmed by a camera moving sideways from left to right across the stage past her.

Oh babe I wanna be so high, so let me fly tonight
dans, uno, dua, tire, DJ please don’t stop
life is like an endless road, no regrets, no heavy load
dans, uno, dua, tire brova lo kode

Oh babe I wanna be so high, so let me fly tonight
dance, one, two, three, DJ please don’t stop
life is like an endless road, no regrets, no heavy load
dance, one, two, three break the code

The wind machine is used as the chorus begins. Viktoria starts dancing synchronously with the dancers. Among other moves, they dance sideways, looking toward the respective side into the camera, alternating between left and right. Viktoria winks at the camera, wraps her arms around one of the dancers and begins dancing with him. After the chorus, the instrumental part begins. The wind machine is turned up even stronger and pyrotechnics are used around the stage. Viktoria stands and raises her arms sideways. Two dancers lift her by the arms. Then, all four dancers lift her in a lying position and rotate her again.

Tu ve dala
uno, uno, uno, dua, tire, don’t stop, be free
yeah, uno, uno, dua, tire, don’t stop, be free
yeah, uno, uno, dua, tire, don’t stop, be free
uno, your heart beat strong
li es lyt

You are strong,
one, one, one, two, three, don't stop, be free
yeah, one, one, two, three, don't stop, be free
yeah, one, one, two, three, don't stop, be free
one, your heart beat strong
let it be

The dancers lower her again and continue dancing in sync while Viktoria sings and flirts with both the dancers and the camera. She wraps her arm around one dancer, who spins her around in a full circle. Then, she moves to the next dancer and the same happens. Viktoria keeps singing throughout, hitting every note perfectly despite the choreography.

Don’t keep me waiting, feel the freedom right now
so baby turn it up, we’re chasing lights
we won't stop this, it‘s time to feel alive
you and me, let’s break free, the night will never die

Viktoria is then lifted by two dancers, sits on their shoulders and they move forward with her while the other two dancers crouch beside them, looking up at her from below. She is then lowered back down and continues singing.

Oh babe I wanna be so high, so let me fly tonight
dans, uno, dua, tire, DJ please don’t stop
life is like an endless road, no regrets, no heavy load
dans, uno, dua, tire brova lo kode

Oh babe I wanna be so high, so let me fly tonight
dance, one, two, three, DJ please don’t stop
life is like an endless road, no regrets, no heavy load
dance, one, two, three break the code

The chorus begins again and the wind machine is turned up to full power while pyrotechnics around the stage are reactivated. Viktoria climbs onto the back of a crouching dancer. With one leg, she stands slightly higher on another dancer’s back and looks into the camera, her hair flows in the wind from the wind machine. Afterward, she is lowered back down by the other two dancers holding her arms.

Tu ve dala
uno, uno, uno, dua, tire, don’t stop, be free
yeah, uno, uno, dua, tire, don’t stop, be free
yeah, uno, uno, dua, tire, don’t stop, be free
li es lyt

You are strong,
one, one, one, two, three, don't stop, be free
yeah, one, one, two, three, don't stop, be free
yeah, one, one, two, three, don't stop, be free
one, your heart beat strong
let it be

Now, Viktoria and the dancers all dance together, with her in the center, two dancers to her left, and two to her right. Viktoria turns around and walks to the center of the stage, followed by the camera from the front. Once she reaches the center of the stage, she turns back toward the audience. After the chorus, the instrumental part begins again, leading to the final. A platform in the center of the stage, where Viktoria now stands, rises and lifts her upward. Viktoria and her dancers hold special pyrotechnic devices in the air, each releasing a cascade of sparks.

Tu ve dala
uno, uno, dua, tire, don’t stop, be free
yeah, uno, uno, dua, tire, don’t stop, be free
yeah, uno, uno, dua, tire, don’t stop, be free
uno, your heart beat strong
li es lyt

You are strong,
one, one, one, two, three, don't stop, be free
yeah, one, one, two, three, don't stop, be free
yeah, one, one, two, three, don't stop, be free
one, your heart beat strong
let it be

At the end of the performance, Viktoria falls backward off the platform and is caught by her dancers. As a final flourish, pyrotechnics explode once again. The audience bursts into loud applause and cheers. Viktoria has a wide grin on her face and is embraced by her dancers, who lift her onto their shoulders. She exclaims “Thank you so much, Kyvivre! You’re amazing! Gratei!” Afterward, she is lowered back down and the entire team leaves the stage arm in arm.

[Hafamarimyht]

XX Hafamarimët
Sïnkïnada Rimu - "Dïlïdaja"
Tune: Elena Risteska - Ninanajna
Lyricists: Sïnkïnada Rimu • Composers: Sïnkïnada Rimu
Language(s): Hafamari, English

Sïnkïnada Rimu was no stranger to the spotlight. As one of the writers of the television comedy series Röjna Rabovjë, she co-won the 2022 ÏG Award for Best Episodic Screenplay. She also starred as one of the leads. People know her work, people know her face. She even had a history of performing as a drag king! So it wasn’t fame and attention or even performing for a live audience that was new - it was the music. Dïlïdaja is the first and, to date, only song Sïnkïnada has written.

Although the lyrics were completed in one night this past summer, she told Bïdnel Halnetka on a recent episode of Past Your Bedtime that she has had the melody echoing in her mind since she was a child. “That’s probably why it has such an early 2000s vibe, it sounds a lot like the stuff that was playing when I was like 11 or 12, songs that I still have really strong memories of,” she explained. “And for some reason I’ve always just had this melody bouncing around my head. It’s something I always knew I would do something with, but until the words all came to me one night, I didn’t know what I would do with it.”

Sïnkïnada grew up in a farming community outside of Baspink. The area is mostly known for growing barley, hops, and cabbage, though the farm she grew up on primarily raised horses. She still lives in the area, though as an actress and writer in the Hafamari television industry she often spends extended periods of time away from home. She still makes sure to ride her horse Sergeant any time she can.
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The lights come up on Sïnkïnada laying on her side in the center of the stage. The light beams rise as they brighten, all focused on her as she slowly rises, rubbing her eyes, straightening her long hair, muttering encouraging words to herself. She starts to vocalize and looks slyly into the camera, consciously snapping into performance mode. The camera pulls back as she begins to dance-skip around the stage, coming to a stop near the tip of the triangle. The LED lights in the floor trail glittering gold in straight lines, converging where she stands. The light beams turn gold and get dimmer, while the lights around the edge of the stage begin to shine up, also in gold.

Tačbani dïmuhaca
Dnöjdusa dnovjë
Ïm hatekdïl hurïjek, po
Vrïd tudïl gruvek

Lights move and shift like an explosion of disco balls has taken place on the ceiling as a group of background dancers run, jump, dance, strut, and otherwise join Sïnkïnada on the stage. These are all people Sïnkïnada has worked with before, friends of hers in addition to being variously famous (or infamous) performers in one context or another. Dolly Patrón, the winner of Drag Race Hafamarimët’s first season. Melodia Odorious, another drag queen who featured in a few episodes of Röjna Rabovjë. Čerri, a pop singer-turned-actress. And of course Sïnkïnada’s best friend Eve N. Playingfield, a drag queen and burlesque performer who Sïnkïnada met while they were both bartenders in Baspink.

Vnetïčijusa kïdranek
Tëlava, bmïhava
Vrïdmo lërëkadu mänavavem
Vrïd tudïl gruvavem

Each person on the stage dances in their own ways in addition to providing backup vocals. At times they find themselves laughing and interacting with each other, at other times with the audience, and sometimes with the camera. They are all no doubt skilled dancers, so while it isn’t uniform, the chaos blends well. The camera angle changes to a closeup on Sïnkïnada on the last line.

Vëdërdïl, dïlï di dïlïdaja
Lusavem, dïlï di dïlïdaja
Umo vunjavajev
Oču vunjavajïsïč

Lërëka, dïlï di dïlïdaja
Lusavem, dïlï di dïlïdaja
Umo vunjavajev
Vëdëruva ïm vunja pa

She raises her fingers slowly into her hair, then grasps and pulls slightly as she vocalizes. She releases her fingers and slides her hands back out of her hair to sing the second verse.

Don’t you wanna feel better?
Don’t you miss the fun?
Good times nadonaca
Ïm po ïm vnutvjo pa

The closeup pulls back to a mid shot and takes off through the arena, around Sïnkïnada, showing the audience; Dolly Patrón vogueing; Melodia Odorious doing a death drop; Čerri smoking a cigarette in an extended holder, posed and dressed like a glamorous movie star from the 1960s; and Eve N. Playingfield beginning a (tame, PG-13) striptease.

I’m chasing down a better life
I’m dancing in a riot
Lërëkavalïh, po lërëkava
We can’t keep waiting for it

The camera cuts back to a wide view of the stage to reveal that the chaos has intensified. Dolly Patrón and Melodia Odorous are deep in a (fake) wrestling match, Eve N. Playingfield is spinning her tassels with sparklers on the end (her signature move), and Čerri bloodily recreates a self-impaling scene from the classic low-budget Hafamari horror film Stabavjë 2. Each performer is given a few moments of closeup shots by the camera

Vëdërdïl, dïlï di dïlïdaja
Lusavem, dïlï di dïlïdaja
Umo vunjavajev
Oču vunjavajïsïč

Lërëka, dïlï di dïlïdaja
Lusavem, dïlï di dïlïdaja
Umo vunjavajev
Vëdëruva ïm vunja pa

Sïnkïnada and her friends begin to pump their fists and stomp in time with the kick drum, rhythmically shifting slightly as they hop and kick between the beat. This is the only time everyone has been dancing in unison, and it’s almost frightening. Their faces are blank; it’s as if they were following orders or had no thoughts. They dance into a formation aligning with the triangle of the stage, towards the point. Right before she begins to sing the bridge, Sïnkïnada’s eyes open wide and shoot from side to side before she also slightly moves her head to look around, as if waking up from a trance. Her sly face also makes a comeback as she begins to sing.

We’re gonna cause a scene they can’t control
We’ll take it to the streets, we’ll party until dawn (party until dawn)
Hatavadïl hukejacajev
Helada tëlava
And then we will be free

As the final chorus begins, everyone starts frantically dancing around the stage, back to doing more jumping and running than fully choreographed dance moves. They make their way to the edge of the stage, reaching out into the audience, dancing with them and holding their hands. The camera follows Sïnkïnada, but she is fully immersed in the audience, heart bursting with joy at the connection she makes with each person she sings to. As she sings the last line, everyone pulls back a bit. The dancers gather around behind her as she stands at the point, and they strike a pose as the song ends.

Change will come, dïlï di dïlïdaja
Lusavem, dïlï di dïlïdaja
Umo vunjavajev
We gotta make the change

Lërëka, dïlï di dïlïdaja
Lusavem, dïlï di dïlïdaja
Umo vunjavajev
Vëdëruva ïm vunja pa

Dïlï di dïlïdaja

Everyone falls into hugs, screams, and laughter. Their combined happiness overwhelms them, and Sïnkïnada doesn’t manage to say thank you until after the mics have turned off and the cameras have moved on, though she doesn’t even notice.

Desperation claws
My throat is dry
I don’t have everything I need
But I know what to do

I’ll get my friends together
We’ll dance, we’ll plan
We’ll discover how to change things
We’ll know what to do

Hope, dïlï di dïlïdaja
Will come, dïlï di dïlïdaja
Only if we make it
So we have to make it

Change, dïlï di dïlïdaja
Will come, dïlï di dïlïdaja
Only if we make it
Our only hope is to make it

Don’t you wanna feel better?
Don’t you miss the fun?
Good times return
Only by moving forward

I’m chasing down a better life
I’m dancing in a riot
We can change, if we just change
We can’t keep waiting for it

Hope, dïlï di dïlïdaja
Will come, dïlï di dïlïdaja
Only if we make it
So we have to make it

Change, dïlï di dïlïdaja
Will come, dïlï di dïlïdaja
Only if we make it
Our only hope is to make it

We’re gonna cause a scene they can’t control
We’ll take it to the streets, we’ll party until dawn (party until dawn)
If they don’t give us what we need
We’ll dance through hell
And then we will be free

Change will come, dïlï di dïlïdaja
Will come, dïlï di dïlïdaja
Only if we make it
We gotta make the change

Change, dïlï di dïlïdaja
Will come, dïlï di dïlïdaja
Only if we make it
Our only hope is to make it

Dïlï di dïlïdaja

[Beepee]

XX Beepee
Bellerophon  - "Einfaches Liebeslied"
Tune: Pegasus - "As Long As You Stay Here"
Lyricists: Mike Rophon • Karl Zingers • Chris Cross Composers: Mike Rophon • Karl Zingers • Chris Cross
Language: German

Band Background

Bellerophon, from the town of Smithy in the region of Alberti, are a three-piece popular music band singing in the local vernacular.   They grew up in the same town not meeting before finally meeting at university and forming a band, singing ditties in the Alberti language. 

They have since grown to be one of Alberti's favourite local bands, however they haven't gained any significant support outside of their home state.

The band consists of Mike Rophon (Lead Vocals, Piano), Karl Zingers (Backing Vocals, Bass Guitar), Chris Cross (Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals).

Mike Rophon

Mike grew up in a musical household. His mother was a proficient flotist, and his father played in a local jazz band on weekends.

Mike started learning piano at the age of six and was encouraged to pursue classical training, but he preferred composing his own tunes, always jotting down lyrics on scraps of paper or recording melodies on his phone. 

Introvert Mike shuns the limelight, but is dedicated to his music.  He lent his name to the band,  “Bellerophon” was after his favorite mythological hero, who tamed Pegasus, symbolizing his own dream of achieving greatness despite struggles.

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Karl Zingers

Downt to earth guitarist Karl grew up poor in a working-class family in Smithy, where music was a rare luxury. He saved for months working three jobs to buy his first bass guitar at 16 and taught himself to play by watching videos online.  He was also the first member of his family to go to university, where he met Cross and Rophon.

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Chris Cross

A childhood prodigy having started playing guitar at only 4 years old. Chris's father was a civil engineers  and not musical.  However, Chris applied the precision he saw in his father to his music. Rebelling against this precision in his teen years, he turned his musical influence into improvising and jazz before finding a comfort zone with Bellerophon.
The trio met during their first week at university, bonding over a shared love for music and late-night jam sessions in the dorms, and find themselves becoming instant friends.

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It hasn't always been plain sailing for the trio though with the band nearly splitting in 2019 due to Chris and Mike falling for the same man.  Despite this hiccup the trio continue to play the local Alberti circuit.

About the Song

"Einfaches Liebeslied" ("Simple Love Song") explores the themes of unreciprocated love and carries a poignant mix of longing, vulnerability, and emotional frustration.

The song was written by the trio, and is a  deeply personal introspection, with each of our three heroes presently single in their thirties.  The substantive portion of the lyrics were written by Mike and based on a personal one sided relationship which broke up a few months ago, although as with all Bellerophon songs the band worked together to complete the song. The band feel, however, that the song has wider appeal about feeling unheard or underappreciated in other aspects of life.

The song's quiet emotion and simplicity is sure to resonate with listeners who value authenticity.

Performance

The giant triangular stage in the ArenaKyvivre cannot be said to be cosy or intimate, with its imposing nature. Yet, cosy is the exact atmosphere the Beepeean Delegation is hoping for, knowing they cannot compete against the big stage shows of the likes of Estogium and Britonisea.

The stage is simply set; a baby grand piano is wheeled onto stage. The microphones set so our intrepid trio can sing in the round. The floor of the stage is covered in well worn rugs, to add a level of comfort and homly-ness to the performance. A small potted ficus has also somehow made it beside one of the mic stands.

The stage is set in darkness as our trio take to the stage.  Mike sits at the piano facing the audience. Karl has brought a bar stool with him onto stage, feeling personally unsure if the nerves of performing in front of such a large crowd might affect his nerves and make him shake. He places it in front of his mic and plomps himself on ot.

The postcard comes to an end and the lights are set to a golden glow, illuminating our trio drom behind. The trio begins: Mike is playing at piano, Karl and Chris on guitar.

The first bars of the simple melody are played and then  Mike begins softly, his voice quivering slightly with emotion, as if the words are being sung for the first time. His fingers glide gently over the piano keys, allowing the melody to breathe.

Jedes Lied, Ich singe,
Ist das gleiche,
Ein einfaches Liebeslied,
Dass ich schreibe.

Chris plays his guitar, adding some depth and filling the voids between the piano and bass. He stands, gently swaying, feeling the rhythm of the simple song.  Mike leans in to the microphone attached to the topnof the piano, trying to feel each word, and to present the emotions he's feeling. 

The trio are dressed smartly in dark gesmtone coloured velvet dinner jackets.  Mike in sapphire blue, Karl in garnet red and Chris is emerald green.  Each of them are wearing skinny dark jeans, and dress shoes... Complementary to each other yet individual. 

Wenn Ich es spiele,
Du hörst es nichte,
Ein einfaches Liebeslied,
Dass ich schreibe.

The giant ArenaKyvivre stage with the giant triangular backdrop, towers over the band.  But the clever Britonish director has focussed on each of the bandmembers with close shots  and shots of the three of them together.   The gentle golden glow to light the stage from behind the band and ask the bridge begins the director chooses to show off the arena in its full height with a long shot before cutting back to Mike as he sings...

Wenn du verstand,
Wären du mich hören?
Wenn du verstand,
Wären du da sein?

As Mike sings the preceeding, Chris and Karl lean into their microphones, for soft backing harmonies.  Karl echoes the longing in Mike’s voice as he sings the words while the gentle "ooohs" and ahhs" of Chris add a melancholy note.

Jedes Lied, ich singe,
Ist das gleiche,
Ein einfaches Liebeslied,
Dass ich schreibe.

The Britonish BVC director, the master of global television excellence, is a dab hand at producing high quality entertaining tv and to introduce some interest, he chooses toshow some audience shots.  Some of the audience gently sway, some are mouthing the words, some holding up their phones creating pricks of light in the otherwise pitch darkness of the arena, others are simply absorbed in the moment watching our trio.

Wenn ich es spiele,
Du hörst es nichte,
Ein einfaches Liebeslied,
Dass ich schreibe.

The intimate setting allows every note, every lyric to feel personal. As Mike sings, listeners can see the vulnerability in his face, the slight furrow of his brow, and the intensity of his performance. He closes his eyes, feeling the emotion of the lyrics as he lives the song.

Alles, das war mich,
Es is nur für dich,
Ein einfaches Liebeslied,
Dass ich schreibe.

At the end of the performance, the trio pause for a moment. Taking in their performance and the surroundings in the incredible ArenaKyvivre, whilst the audience respectfully sits attentively watching the band. “thank you.”, the band says making their way offstage.

---

Every song I sing,
Is the same,
A simple love song,
That I write.

When I play it,
You don't hear it,
A simple love song,
That I write.

If you understood,
Would you hear me?

If you understood,
Would you be there?

Every song I sing,
Is the same,
A simple love song,
That I write.

When I play it,
You don't hear it,
A simple love song,
That I write.

All that was me,
It's just for you,
A simple love song,
That I write.

[Robloxian Robloxia]

XX Robloxian Robloxia
MIZZ DEE - "NASTY TOUCH"
Tune: BIBI - Sugar Rush
Lyricists: MIZZ DEE, Groan So Young, WontBowYoung, ChayWon, Taeil-is-in-Jaeil • Composers: MIZZ DEE, Groan So Young, WontBowYoung, Taeil-is-in-Jaeil
Language(s): English, Aiaiavaiaian

I look so pretty, ya I serve much
You wanna hug bodies, but I got the nasty touch
I look so pretty, ya I serve much
You wanna hug bodies, but I got the nasty touch

Aiaye oha, aiaye ovo, aeihasia ahae eaiabo
Unng, eaiso ovo no clothes, ei aeng aeng aeng aeng aeng
You take the sucker up, I take the bomber
The pains gotta hurt, so don't just suck up
Aiyaiya ovo awaeina aeh southern
Cause it'll be pain pain pain pain pain

From here, to there, you desire something that you see
Odd, you're thinking about no clothes, that's bad bad bad bad bad

Oihe, lotion ain't gonna help your sin
Oive, aiyyo aehunng-o aehunng-o don't go in
I look so pretty, ya I serve much
You wanna hug bodies, but I got the nasty touch
I look so pretty, ya I serve much
You wanna hug bodies, but I got the nasty touch
touch, touch, touch, touch
You wanna hug bodies, but I got the nasty touch

Look at me, lotion ain't gonna help your sin
Listen to me, you have to resist and resist and don't go in
[Rest of Chorus]

No weirdos here, you old geezer
You can't say that you have quote "seen her"
Cause I ain't one of them 'pleasers
And I'm not backing on that reverb
You always say that you'll pay first
But you've actually gotta blank purse
Cause you spent it all on that Weverse
Now you bout to pull a reverse

Oihe, lotion ain't gonna help your sin
Oive, aiyyo aehunng-o aehunng-o don't go in
I look so pretty, ya I serve much
You wanna hug bodies, but I got the nasty touch
I look so pretty, ya I serve much
You wanna hug bodies, but I got the nasty touch
touch, touch, touch, touch
You wanna hug bodies, but I got the nasty touch
You wanna hug bodies, but I got the nasty touch

Look at me, lotion ain't gonna help your sin
Listen to me, you have to resist and resist and don't go in
[Rest of Chorus]

[Estogium]

05 Estogium
Lukas Sandoval - "Agony"
Tune: Liam Payne - Teardrops
Lyricists: Lukas Sandoval, Stanislas Télesphore • Composers: Adam Jean-Marc, Raoul Ludde
Language(s): English

At the start of the song, you could see Lukas' face on the triangular screen behind him. The camera was trained on the LED throughout the first line of the song. At the end of the verse, the camera tracks backwards as Lukas appears in the middle of the stage - a small figure in front of the vast stage. He is wearing a black suit with a diamond encrusted shoulder, a white shirt under that. Lukas had a wet look to him, his face was slightly drenched in water and his hair looked slicked back as well.

Stop this agony, my heart bleeds for you.
Wish I could stop the pain that I feel,
I wish you were mine.

Keeping myself away,
Cuz jealousy never looked good on me.
Don’t wanna get in the way,
Since you told me you want no more sob stories.

Lukas sung this part of the song with a soft and gentle tone, he wanted to keep it light - especially because this ballad really goes for it during the chorus and the end of the song. In the backing LED, it was a very dark and murky universe with stars and such around him - it fit his outfit. It helped create an eerie atmosphere around him. The camera movements were slow and gentle, reinforcing that sweetness that Lukas wanted to create.

Heard you’re doing well,
No need for me to poke and pry.
Baby, I’m hurting deep down,
But I would rather run away and hide,

As Lukas sang, "I would rather run away and hide", he places his hands in front of his face, before turning his neck to the side. The shot fades to black as you could hear the sound of thunder (not in the song). There were flashes of light as to mimic lightning before the backdrop turned into a stormy atmosphere. There was a long shot showing the stormy backdrop along side the flickering lights (think Bulgaria 2017), but it wasn't too intense - a little taste of what was to come.

Stop this agony, my heart bleeds for you.
Wish I could stop the pain that I feel,
I wish you were mine.
Stop this agony, the thought of you -
Haunts me every night.
I’m losing sleepover you,
Tell me, will this end?

It’s best that we are far apart,
‘Cuz my feelings, they’re still in recovery.
Gonna take a while to heal,
It’s a consequence of the way that you hurt me.

Heard you’re doing well,
No need for me to poke and pry.
Baby, I’m hurting deep down,
But I would rather run away and hide.

As the song returned to the verse again, it was pretty much a similar thing to the verse before - it was atmospheric and the lighting was calm but eerie. As we moved into the chorus again, the storm returned and he was singing through it.

Stop this agony, my heart bleeds for you.
Wish I could stop the pain that I feel,
I wish you were mine.
Stop this agony, the thought of you -
Haunts me every night.
I’m losing sleepover you,
So tell me now, when will this end?

It was seemed like a bit of call and response with himself, Lukas was singing and acting as though he was conflicted. There was a solo spotlight on him as low flying fog was building up. The cameras were doing the work by zooming in and around him, and during this section he didn't interact with the cameras at all - he was alone in his own head, his thoughts. That's what the delegation wanted to create, simple but effective.

My heart, it bleeds for you,
Wish I could stop the pain.
My heart, it bleeds for you,
Wish I could stop the pain.
My heart, it bleeds for you,
Wish I could stop the pain.

During the final chorus of the song, there was a pyrotechnic shower that fell behind him. The dark and stormy scenery reappeared on the back wall once again but this time it seemed like the storm was a lot harder and rough. You could tell that Lukas was using his vocals a lot more as well, as he bent his knees and belted out the longer notes in the chorus. The lights were also flickering as well at a more rapid pace too - everything around him seemed angry like Lukas had finally reached boiling point.

Heard you’re doing well,
No need for me to poke and pry.
Oh baby, I’m hurting deep down,
But I would rather run away and hide.
Hide, oh!

Stop this agony, my heart bleeds for you.
Wish I could stop the pain that I feel,
I wish you were mine.
Stop this agony, the thought of you -
Haunts me every night.
I’m losing sleepover you,
So tell me now, when will this end?

At the end of the song, Lukas took a deep sigh - he looked emotional, and singing lyrics like the ones he did resonated with him. Though, he was also happy that he got through the song. "Remercio teis" he exclaims to the audience as they all respond in awe. There were quite a few Estogians in the audience as well given Kyvivre's close location to the Estogian border.

[Britonisea]

07 Britonisea
Kayla Allsebrooke - "Insane"
Tune: Jacqline - Effortless
Lyricists: Abigail Steyn, Tracey Phillipson • Composers: Abigail Steyn, T:Rodden, James Embankment, Colin Bishopps
Language(s): English

Runner up of last year's Vha Mehlodhivestoile, Kayla Allsebrooke, will finally get her chance to represent Britonisea with her song, "Insane" - an uptempo pop banger - in Kyvivre...

Britonisea returned emphatically to the World Hit Festival at the 77th edition with Marcello and his hit, "Vertigo". It was a song that the Britonish broadcaster had considered for a while, and while it was supposed to be submitted at an earlier contest, it was not until the 77th edition that the nation finally completed on the main stage. Marcello's win was the tenth one that Britonisea had earnt since its very first at the 26th World Hit Festival - 51 editions had gone by and 1 out of 5 of those editions had been won by a Brit. So where do we go from now? Britonisea had the honour of hosting the upcoming World Hit Festival - which, again, would be their tenth hosting of the competition. Britonisea hadn't hosted it's own World Hit Festival since the 60th edition, but the numbers of those wishing to compete were not even half the numbers at that contest and so for the Britons, they weren't too worried about putting on the show. The Britonish broadcaster were pushed to their limits, like any hosting broadcaster. Not only do they have to prepare the show and the elements that go into it, they also had to prepare their own act and give themselves a chance to keep the trophy on their soil. Britonisea is not short of talent, and one of the most popular shows (Vha Mehlodhestoile) proves that Britonish music is still going strong and can transcend borders. The Britonish wanted to keep to their traditional pop roots and the way they were going to do that was through sending a Vha Mehlodhestoile act. Last year, VM was hosted much later than normal. Usually, it is hosted around February or March right into April but this year BVC hosted it in July and August. With Britonisea taking a leave from World Hit Festival and the WorldVision Song Contest, the winning acts have not yet had a chance to represent their country on the big stage like all of those before them. For Kayla Allsebrooke, she had been long touted to represent the nation with her incredibly popular, "Insane" - a song which flew up the charts in Britonisea and the wider ABEN region too. It was the perfect selection for a Britonish hosting and it wouldn't be too far for Kayla to travel...

---

Britonisea had the honour of performing seventh at this World Hit Festival which was nearer towards the rear end of the show. The performance of Hafamarimet came to an end, with people cheering after them and after the little host intervention, they realised that it was the home girl next. As she walked towards the stage and the hosts spoke about her, you could tell that she was super excited to be on the stage. All of the stage personnel around her put the stage together. There was a large three-step platform which had LED lights all around it but also a LED screen on each of the platforms so that it would fit in with the LED flooring underneath it. She was wearing a purple outfit, striped and cut-out to expose parts of her skin on random areas of her body. Her backing dancers, all female, wore the same thing but it was Kayla who stood out the most here. The performance would be a little bit different to her performance at Vha Mehlodhivestoile, after all some months had passed but (longer than usual) and she felt like a cute refresh would be beneficial. People in the audience had heard this song time and time again and were used to the performance she did at Vha Mehlodhivestoile so she wanted that element of surprise. The performance had similar vibes to last year with Marcello being a solist singer with his backing dancers - it is a formula that seemed to have worked last time so why not do it again. Once the hosts stopped talking about Kayla, it was time for her to go - she was announced once more as the arena went dark. As the lights went up, the audience cheered - the staging was orange, white and black, with stripes going down the triangular backwall. A long shot that was slowly zooming into the girls jutting from side to side with sass and pizazz made it look like they were making a statement. She raised the microphone to her mouth and started singing...

Looking good for the party,
Meet me on the dance floor.
Show me your best moves baby, ah you
Never cease to amaze me,
Sway them hips left to right
Put your hands around me until the last song.

When singing "Sway them hips left to right," there was a close up shot of the ladies swaying their hips before it quickly turned back to Kayla singing up close. She had her hair down and frizzy, with this taking up most of the camera shot, her makeup glistening under the lights of the arena spotlights. After singing the final line of the verse, she put her free arm around her as she closed her eyes as though she was imagining the man she is speaking about doing that to her. All five of the women then sat down as we went into the pre-chorus and as they sat down, they all shuffled a little closer to each other - touching each other with their hands - giving off very sultry vibes. As they did this, a steadicam appeared out of nowhere and swooped across the stage, with all the girls looking up at the camera with cheeky and sordid smiles on their faces. The camera quickly came around the corner but slowed down as it went past the girls, before speeding up once again as we reached the chorus of the song. The shot faded to black before a quick shot from further away showed the lights flicker on and off with the sound of the drumbeat, quickly zooming in with the ladies all standing up once again. It was time for the chorus of the song.

I’m fighting a war that I’m gonna lose,
Knowing that I’m falling got me feeling so blue,
Can’t control my feelings, can’t hide the truth.

It's unlike me to have you on my mind,
Something has changed, I feel like I’m going insane.
You're in my head when I’m laying down in bed.
Oh it’s so strange, it ain't something I can explain.
Oh it’s insane.
Oh it’s insane.

"It's unlike me!" when she sang that bit, she turned off to the side, singing that part of the sentence off to the high heavens, with her eyes shut. She slowly turned around to face the cameras as she finished that line with the ladies around her mimicking her movements. "Something has changed, I feel like I'm going insane", she flung her head from side to side, though not with as much power as the dancers did. The LED screen in the background had different gradients going on, with orange and white being the main theme here. There wasn't much need for the screen to have a backdrop as the team wanted the focus to be on Kayla and the dancers only. As she kept on singing that "it's insane", the backing dancers started stepping down off the platform, leaving Kayla on the platform by herself - the lights and scene around her fading to black with a single spotlight on her as she was also lit up form the LED lighting underneath her on the platform.

Your every word drives me crazy,
I just can’t take the heat.
Heart melted fast like butter,
You’re all I need.

This verse was half the size as the previous one but she was taking this one by herself. A steadicam reappeared and as she was on the highest of the three steps, she initially was looking down at the camera. She started to have a 1-2-1 chat with the camera as she sings to it "your every word drives me crazy,". The facial expression that was on her face was one of...desire and attraction, slowly blinking and smiling to entice her audience to live her world. As she finished that sentence and sang, "You're all I need." she pointed as the steadicam quickly was whisked away. She turned around as another camera joined her with the audience behind her. The dancers reappeared as she did her little fastly-spoken pre-chorus doing a lot of handography while she was at it. She seemed like she was having a lot of fun on the stage and the backing singers who was flanking her also looked very into the song as well.

I’m fighting a war that I’m gonna lose,
Knowing that I’m falling got me feeling so blue,
Can’t control my feelings, can’t hide the truth.

It's unlike me to have you on my mind
Something has changed, I feel like I’m going insane.
You're in my head when I’m laying down in bed.
Oh it’s so strange, it ain't something I can explain.
Oh it’s insane.
Oh it’s insane.

The chorus started again, and she turned 90 degrees off to the side, with the ladies behind her reshuffling themselves so that Kayla was in the middle of them - they were looking directly at the cameras with all the ladies doing different things - one blew a kiss as Kayla was singing, one winked, one did a heart symbol and another stuck their tongue out as she sang "Something has changed, I feel like...". Though, by the end of this line, they all hoisted Kayla up into the air with a birds-eye camera catching this moment "...when I'm laying down in bed." - she closes her eyes and the camera zooms in and she once again sings "Oh it's insane."

Oh, I, ohhh, yeah! (Yeah, yeah, yeah!)
(I’m fighting a war that I’m gonna lose) Gonna lose!
(Knowing that I’m falling got me feeling so blue)
(Can’t control my feelings, can’t hide the truth) Hey!!

During the bridge, Kayla was once again alone. She sat on the steps, with her legs dangling off the side - the LED floor turned into a large pond where she was looking at herself in the reflection. The colours in the arena changed, it was a dark blue colour - murky and blue. As she kept on singing, she looked at the camera before jumping off the side of the steps, with a large "splash" appeared on the stage as the shot turned dark. As we went back into the chorus, there was a loud explosion - it was pyrotechnics and with that, an explosion of colour too.

(Insane)
It's unlike me to have you on my mind
[Something has changed and it is driving me insane]
Something has changed, oh it’s insane.
[You're in my head - When I’m laying down in bed!]
You’re in my head!
[Something has changed and it is driving me insane]
Something has changed and it’s insane!

(Ahhhh, Ahhh, Ahhh)
[Something has changed, it ain’t something I can explain!]
Oh it’s insane.

For the final part of the song, she let out a belter - the longest and loudest note of the song - before closing the song. Her and her ladies did a final bit of choreo together before they stopped in time with the beat - all of them happy at how that performance went. "Remercio teis!!" she sings into the microphone - the word for thank you in Britonish! They all moved off the stage to prepare for the performance by Ugunnustan.

[Kalosia]

XX Kalosia
King of Diamonds ft Marlenë Feruťë - "La dulťë vitë"
Tune: JVG - Amatimies
Lyricists: Mikel Alvano, Marlenë Feruťë, Mikel Kosta, Karlu Rajmondi, Ǧovan San Valentini • Composers: Mikel Alvano, Lorenžu Ferer, Mikel Kosta, Karlu Rajmondi, Ǧovan San Valentini
Language(s): Kalosian

Following the success of Incendius winner and WHF runner-up Ria Navaro in the previous edition, it was a no-brainer for RTVK to revisit the pool of entries from that national final to select their next World Hit Festival entrant. As a reminder, here are the 10 entries that competed:

01 "Saparirë" — Demetrio
'To know', to the tune of Go Like (D&B Remix) — Fox Stevenson
Final result: 2nd place with 27 points
Demetrio is the stage name of Fabian Demetrio Vaľoti. He is 28 years old and hails from Altan. He has regarded music as his hobby since his teenage days, but only recently has he decided to take a leap of faith, leaving his day job in accounting to pursue a music career. His song is about navigating young adulthood and taking ownership of one's life.

02 "Lë feľu k'au amatu" — Ria Navaro
'The son I loved', to the tune of Eldorado — Sanah
Final result: Winner with 28 points
Ria Navaro, whose real name is Maria, is a 27-year old aspiring indie pop artist from Palmañë. She started off as a poet, expressing her creative side through written verse. At one literary event, she met Martina Simonťeli, a musician and songwriter, who proposed to collab. Their Incendius entry is the very result of that project, and tells the story of a woman yearning for a foregone lover.

03 "Dežembru" — Žens
'December', to the tune of Zanim osiwiejȩ — Hałastra
Final result: 6th place with 17 points
Žens is a rap duo consisting of Basil Ženoves and Rian Ženero. Basil, 23, is a native of Altan while Rian, 24, hails from Monterra. The two met while pursuing their studies at the University of Altornia. Their artist name is, as you can tell, inspired by their similar surnames. They will be singing about the cold air of December, and the start of new beginnings.

04 "Inarestabilë" — Och Vi Ska
'Unstoppable', to the tune of Mr. Hollands Locust — My Son The Hurricane
Final result: 10th place (last) with 13 points
The name of the band Och Vi Ska is Swedish for 'and we shall' and also wordplay on their main genre, ska. Their are quite experimental with their music, and are known for their wacky live performances—in fact, they always go out of their way to play live whenever possible. Their song, "Inarestabilë", is a chaotic tune with themes of freedom and being indomitable.

05 "Driftin'" — Annexus
to the tune of Dni — Porsche Boy
Final result: 8th place with 17 points
Annexus is the one-man creative project of Adrianu Tamari, a 25 year old rapper from Monterra. He can be described as your typical guy; when he is not in the study he is at the club, smoking a cig, or talking about cars with his friends. Sometimes all three at once. His entry describes his ideal night, driving down the city streets with his passenger princess.

06 "La dulťë vitë" — King of Diamonds ft. Marlenë Feruťë
'The sweet life', to the tune of Amatimies — JVG
Final result: 3rd place with 26 points
King of Diamonds is a whimsical duo from the seaside town of Vimarë. For this project, they have teamed up with Marlenë Feruťë, a 64 year old retired model and socialite. She, in fact, had a brief stint in music in the late 1980s. Although it didn't quite take off, King of Diamonds have sampled her song in this entry and she has agreed to reprise her role.

07 "Në konošu tu" — Martin Terero
'I don't know you', to the tune of IJskoud — Nielson
Final result: 7th place with 17 points
Martin Terero traces his roots to a village near Altan, but himself is Monterra born and raised. He was a theatre kid, and started his career working in theatres and starring in musicals. Only recently has he mustered the courage to try something new and attempt to make a name for himself in the world of pop music. His Incendius entry is ice cold both musically and lyrically, and tells the story of a man who no longer recognizes his lover.

08 "La nostre" — Helen's Boys
'Ours', to the tune of Ceòl Dannsa — Valtos ft. Donnie Munro
Final result: 9th place with 15 points
Helen's Boys is a folk-electro trio from the town of Santalenë (Sainte-Heléne). They mainly sing in Cafalonesque, and their song here is no different. In fact, it will be the only competing song to not be performed in Kalosian. Their song "La nostre" has themes of pride and prized possessions, and its easy to interpret this to refer to their cultural heritage.

09 "La kaľë solë" — Lina Sal
'The lonely path', to the tune of Sydämetön — Aliisa Syrjä
Final result: 4th place with 25 points
Lina Sal, real name Lina Salvatorë, is a singer-songwriter from Kasin. She released her first single at the age of 18—seven years ago—and has built a bit of a name for herself at a local level. She has had the honour of being show opener for a few domestic and international artists on tour in Kasin, but is yet to be a household name nationally. Her song, "La kaľë solë", tells the story of a brave young soul who takes the 'lonely path' venturing into the unknown.

10 "Spetatori" — Milan Sanǧovani
'Spectators', to the tune of Gdzieś wyjedźmy już — Kuban
Final result: 5th place with 24 points
Today, Milan Sanǧovani is best known among rap circles. But it wasn't always like that. The 31 year old started doing music as a hobby in 2012, when he was 19, uploading instrumental beats he made to the internet. He was an amateur, but over time gained a small following. As he started putting vocals into his creations, his following grew, and eventually became a rap artist. His entry is a love song where he assures his lover that all those other people are just spectators in their love story.

Their first stop was to contact runner-up Demetrio, who narrowly missed out on the initial WHF ticket, however he declined the offer, as he has moved towards other projects as well as taking time off for family—he is expecting a baby soon! He has, however, agreed to be the spokesperson announcing the Kalosian votes for this edition.

Next stop was the second runner-up King of Diamonds featuring Marlenë Feruťë, who was also one point short of tying with Demetrio. They were certainly open to it, but took a while to confirm as they wanted to check with Marlenë first. Marlenë, who turns 65 this year, was able to compete in Incendius, a live entertainment show that took place in the comfort of the city where she lives. But having to travel abroad for an intense week-long commitment was a whole other challenge.

Eventually Marlenë said yes and she alongside King of Diamonds were confirmed for WHF78. She was certainly excited for a brief revival of her brief music career, the stint of which had ended in the late 1980s. This was before the birth of both members of King of Diamonds, Mikel Kosta (1993) and Karlu Rajmondi (1990). Marlenë was better known as a model and socialite, and her career in that path continued until she formally retired in the early 2000s.

Mikel and Karlu are both from the seaside town of Vimarë and first met as adults at a local bar in their hometown. The whimsical duo formed as an act in 2013, initially as a side project. Their collaboration intensified in 2019 when they went full-time with King of Diamonds, and while they have managed to build a niche fanbase since then, their Incendius participation was their first real shot at becoming a household name.

In 1988, Marlenë released Voľu viverë la dulťë vitë, a song about desiring eternal youth and wanting life's pleasures. This song was composed by Mikel Alvano, Lorenžu Ferer, and Ǧovan San Valentini, with lyrics by Mikel Alvano, Ǧovan San Valentini, and Marlenë herself. It was met with moderate success, although neither this nor her other releases were as lucrative as her commissions from starring in commercials, posing for photoshoots, and walking down runways.

King of Diamonds samples this in their song, simply titled "La dulťë vitë". This adds the duo to the list of lyricists. Upon deciding to enter the unreleased track to Incendius, they contacted Marlenë's management to see if she would be interested in reprising her role, performing the sampled parts in the duo's live performance if the song were to be selected for the show. As we now know, she agreed, and the rest is history.

The renewed track is framed somewhat like a response to the original song. The verses from King of Diamonds suggests ways in which one can be 'forever young' and live the sweet life. The secret? According to them, confidence and a boner. No, really. Keep reading.

In Kyvivre, the three people who made up the Kalosian act enjoyed their time. Marlenë, being the graceful old lady she is, decided to take it easy, showing up where she is required but otherwise enjoying the fresh air and taking plenty of rest. Some evenings, she caught up with old friends who happened to be in the area.

Mikel and Karlu, on the other hand, were of course more present in the WHF space. They attended and performed at side events, which often meant staying up until late, or returning to their hotel rooms in the early hours of the morning, getting just a bit of shuteye before having to wake up early for rehearsals the next day.

Anyway, for the big night, Kalosia was drawn to perform last for the second edition in a row. Closing the show proved to be a good omen for Ria Navaro—could this be a good sign for the trio too? Outfit-wise, the three put on very summery looks. Mikel & Karlu were wearing floral shirts. Mikel wore a yellow one with red and green patterns, buttoned up, while Karlu wrote a blue one with red and white patterns, unbuttoned with a white t-shirt underneath. Marlenë, meanwhile, was wearing a predominantly black sundress with deep green patterns, with a wide-brimmed straw hat and a white scarf with pinkish floral patterns tied around her neck. Oh, and she wore sunglasses too.

As the song began, the attention was on Marlenë, as she started singing. She was positioned at the centre of the stage, standing before a mic stand. Behind, you could see on the screen silhouettes of Mikel and Karlu appearing to make a telephone call with a landline. The two of them do utter a few lines in parallel to build up the hype.

Voľu viverë la dulťë vitë (Halo, halo, halo)
Ed eserë semprë ǧuvanë (Komuz së va?)
(Juhuu~)
Sarebë mëraviľosu (Es ǧuvanë, es ǧuvanë)
Se kelu fosë mia riálta (Poše eserë riálta, let’s go!)

Voľu viverë la dulťë…

Now, the real Mikel and Karlu appeared from the back of the stage, mics in hand, walking towards the front. The camera shows the whole stage first before switching to a steadicam that focuses on Mikel as he walks throughout the stage, following the camera and rapping out this next part.

Everyday seľu mi
Anki alža lë mi’
Pëlë sangwo floske travers’ di mi
Ja san sanu, ankorë, ma adimi

V’oñu angolu kaše la pena
Ma në sara unë problemë
Kadë rëkordu di soriderë

With the morning wood reference now out of the way, this steadicam passes over Marlenë who smiles into the camera... although she doesn't even get to finish the following line:

Voľu viverë la dulťë…

Now the steadicam makes it over to Karlu, who takes the helm. By the way, throughout these verses we have been getting retro-inspired graphics depicting a summer-y vibe. Think "vaporwave beach art". Shades of pink, purple, and blue with accents of neon gold and orange.

Semprë pošu lë žornu salvarë
Kadë fërmu per a rëspirarë
Sta stresu ma
Nël prëókupa

Mentrë lë grandë sol sta lasu ul ťelu
Mentrë ja san ankorë dëla madrë siu feľu
Saro ja semprë ul koru un ǧovanu

Now the steadicam is whisked away backstage, switching to more aerial and mid-length views, and as Marlenë sings the chorus, Karlu and Mikel walk around the stage, trying to hype up the audience. Marlenë looks carefree as she sings, putting on a smile full of wisdom that only a young lady over the age of 60 could put on. While the graphics remain on the rectangular background screens (which are frankly largely static throughout the show), the triangle transforms into a 'tunnel' which we are being sucked in, with alternating deep purple and pink stripes. Kind of like this.

Voľu viverë la dulťë vitë (Hey, hey, hey)
Ed eserë semprë ǧuvanë (E semprë, semprë)
Sarebë mëraviľosu
Se kelu fosë mia riálta (Poše eserë riálta, let’s go!)

Voľu viverë la dulťë…

Back to Mikel. It seems the steadicam is not making a comeback and we will be sticking with fixed camera shots... be it fixed to the floor or fixed to a track or crane. The triangle goes back to showing the same graphics as the previous verses.

Vitë, la vitë kosi
L’esëz la vitë per mi?
S-se segu miu intuítu
Poj sentiruz mi kontentu?

Ma la dulťežë dëla vitë
N’a besoñu dëla sukëru
Mentrë tenu la konfidenžë

A brief cut to Marlenë again.

Voľu viverë la dulťë…

And again Karlu. In this verse, he seemingly concludes the message that the song is trying to convey. That the sweet life is achieved by tending to your internal quality of life—your own health—as well as your external quality of life—the way you treat others. This is paired with physical (your own body's vitality) and mental (maintaining a joyful mood amongst the people around you) attributes as well. And of course, an environmental one, as King of Diamonds suggest that coming to Kalosia to enjoy the island sun may also improve your overall wellbeing. Could this song draw tourists into Kalosia? The Kalosian Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Heritage is ready to hop onboard this ship and make it happen.

Voľu partirë kestu amurë
Ke ja sentu ben ki u koru miu
Farë soriderë la žentë utornu a mi
E tuto lë mondu sara feliž

Kadë ja sto sotu lë sol kalosianu
Teneru per semprë la vitalita
E kosi ja saro semprë ǧuvanu

Now Marlenë takes over for the final chorus. The triangular screen once again becomes a wormhole while Mikel and Karlu continue to hype up the audience, although there is not much they can really do as they have physical and temporal barriers to hopping off the stage to interact directly with audience members, especially when most of them are situated in the stands.

Voľu viverë la dulťë vitë (Hey, viverë, vivë la vitë)
Ed eserë semprë ǧuvanë (Semprë, komë ti, komë ti, komë ti)
Sarebë mëraviľosu
Se kelu fosë mia riálta

Voľu viverë la dulťë vitë!

And with that, we reach the end of the triangular 'tunnel', which reveals the graphic that has been used during the verses, except there is also the text "Let's live the sweet life" in retro-inspired typography. At this point the song has also come to an end, and oh, Mikel and Karlu are posing alongside Marlenë, who has not budged an inch. A single wave of pyro shots also came out from the perimeter of the stage.

The audience cheered. After a few moments, Marlenë shouted into the mic: "THANK YOU WORLD!" while Mikel chimed in, "We love you Kyvivre!" and Karlu added, "Let's live the sweet life!"

We have now heard all 9 songs competing tonight and, with the last entry of the 78th World Hit Festival having come to an end, the trio eventually vacated the stage as the hosts intervened.

I want to live the sweet life (Hello, hello, hello)
And be forever young (How’s it going?)
(Yoohoo~)
It would be wonderful (You’re young, you’re young)
If that was my reality (It can be reality, let’s go!)

I want to live the sweet…

Everyday I wake up
And my “little one” wakes up too
Cause blood flows through me
I’m still healthy, but alas

Sorrow hides in every corner
But it won’t be a problem
When I remember to smile

I want to live the sweet…

I can always save the day
When I stop to take a breath
There is stress, but
Don’t worry

As long as the great sun is up there in the sky
As long as I am my mother’s son
I will always be young at heart

I want to live the sweet life (Hey, hey, hey)
And be forever young (And always, always)
It would be wonderful
If that was my reality (It can be reality, let’s go!)

I want to live the sweet…

Life, living like this
Is it the life for me?
I-if I follow my instincts
Will I then feel happy?

But the sweetness of life
Doesn’t need sugar
When I have my confidence

I want to live the sweet…

I want to share this love
That I really feel in my heart
Make the people around me smile
And all the world will be happy

When I live under the Kalosian sun
I will always have that vitality
And this way, I’ll be forever young

I want to live the sweet life (Hey, live, long live life)
And be forever young (Always, like you, like you, like you)
It would be wonderful
If that was my reality

I want to live the sweet life

[Ugunnustan]

wip btw

XX Ugunnustan
Malikaa - "@ UR FEET"
Tune: Precious Pepala - Pls Cheat On Me
Lyricists: Malika Nazerova, Zhandos Daniarov • Composers: Malika Nazerova,Fauske Hojaniasev,Zhandos Daniarov
Language(s): English

The single cover, released as promotion for WHF

---

The World Hit Festival had long been a carrot on a stick for the executives at YUG. The prospect of expanding into another multiversal song contest - one that would allow them to further gain that sweet sweet soft power by spreading their culture, practically had the government and broadcaster alike foaming at their mouths. But with the famed slow movement of the clunky and oversized upper management that YUG carried like a lead balloon, the WHF plan promptly made like a typical Ugunnustani driver: and hit a wall. Pushing through the various missed deadlines and dropped plans (Including a debut at the contest’s junior counterpart) The participations, and various proposals slowly sifted their way to the back of an ever growing filing cabinet of abandoned ideas

Malikaa’s entry is a bit different though. With her following mostly based in and around the Sükoyyü area, she is best known for her consistent drive to keep moving forward, and keep moving upwards. Despite her relative status as an underground artist in the notoriously hard to break into Ugunnustani music industry. Contests have long served as an entry point for artists like Malikaa, with varying degrees of success,Some artists manage to capture lightning on a bottle, such as Shafira Aloseva, or Qalima Serieva who do quite well for themselves, launching themselves into Ugunnustani and in the case of the latter international superstardom. But for others, it doesn’t go as well, be it nerves or bad luck, some just fall short on the night, and their middling results essentially outcast them from the industry, such as Inju Naratova, or Dö'ğrt. (Do you remember them? Yeah I try not to either) Malikaa brings a new angle though. The smaller stage of WHF puts her in a perfect position where, if she does well, she can open up YUG’s eyes to another contest, opening a new avenue for artists like her to break into the mainstream, and if she does poorly? Well. It doesn’t really matter. Afterall, YUG didn’t plan to expand this direction anyway.

For a project that seemed almost a no-brainer, YUG continued to drag its feet - at first it used the excuse of the orchestral edition in WHF 75, next they rejected Malikaa’s proposal for 76 for “Unspecified internal reasons”, Disheartened, but not yet ready to give up Malikaa returned again around the eve of WHF 77 just to be told that it was now too late for the broadcaster to consider participation. Surely the broadcaster was nearing empty on its excuse tank and they would have to cave eventually right? Luckily that was a lot closer than anyone had expected. For WHF 78, YUG finally gave Malikaa an excuse she could work with, the broadcast blamed budgetary constraints, following a period of recent rapid expansion, and internal development. Perfect! Malikaa can work with that.

So that’s how she ended up self-funding a participation, not exactly the grand debut she had hoped for, one that would catapult her to stardom like ILYZA had earned, hosting major events and the like, but she can work with it. The only issue now is… The song! Of course the song, Malikaa only had a small catalogue, and with the date of WHF looming so close over her, very few options presented themselves. On a budget she opted to steal her planned lead single for her upcoming self published album, and send it to the contest, she reckoned it would be good promotion anyway. And so, after slapdashing together a quick music video, shot on the roof of her flat in Sükoyyü, and booking the cheapest flights and hotels she could, she was off to Kyvivre.

---

Having been all but abandoned by YUG budget-wise, Malikaa finds herself alone in the centre of the huge Triangular shaped stage, and alone in front of the largest crowd she has ever faced. 21,000 fans, mostly britonish have shown up, and are expecting a show. Having been given free reign over this performance, Malikaa’s outfit is simultaneously one of the most revealing, and busiest outfits that has ever been worn by an Ugunnustani contestant. She wears little more than a rhinestone bikini, however it is heavily accessorised, paired with an oversized bomber jacket, and long arm and leg warmers, that are covered in fur and are white. Such an outfit would never fly if this participation was under such heavy scrutiny from YUG as others were, and something tells me it might be in the future. As the lights rise Malikaa is holding a Prop plastic phone, and is blowing an almost comically huge bubble from her bubble gum. Very stereotypical unbothered teenager. She grabs her mic from the mic stand that sits downstage, and grips tightly around it as the heavy bassline of the song starts, and she begins to sing.

Thought you were the one
To your credit you played along
But you know I saw you (Ah)
So I guess we're through
You're blowing up my phone
I know you're not alone

As the song transitions in to it’s initial chorus, Malikaa’s voice slips into a more breathy tone, be it nerves or any other host of things, but it is quite clear she is shaken by this, she continues to push through however, a determination clouding her eyes and she slowly walks towards the front of the stage, where she gets down one one knee, and stares directly out into the audience. The camera shots are made of various closeups of her face, as the back LED screen, and the LEDs below her feet, transition into a soft pink colour. We see she is much more comfortable in the rock adjacent sound, as when the drums come back in towards the end of the chorus, she screams the final line, her confidence visibly coming back to her.

I'm on my knees, knees
You're such a sleaze
At the back of the bar, and her sheets
So now you're out on, out on the streets
Throw all your shit, at your feet

As we return to the verse, Malikaa stands and begins to work her way towards the back. The LED graphics are now showing a cartoon-y/pop art style depiction of her on the back wall, with various over exaggerated emotions (Think Mae Muller) the emotions match to the lyrics as she sings them. When she reaches the line “When I gave his friend a-” she makes a fake shocked face into the camera that is pulled around for a rapid cut, similar to those seen in sitcoms. The line is definitely toeing the line for what would be acceptable by YUG, and she is clearly having fun with it.

You thought that I'd be mad?
But I got with your best friend (oh)
No I don't miss that stoner (ah)
When I gave his friend a-
You're blowing up my phone
But I'm not on my own

Malikaa has now returned to the front of the stage where her mic stand is, she walks confidently up to it while eyeing directly down the barrel of the camera, she reaches the stand, and puts one hand on the top, swinging from side to side across the stage, and dragging it behind her. The lights begin to strobe and build as the chorus nears the bridge/climax section.

I'm on my knees, knees
You're such a sleaze
At the back of the bar and her sheets
So now you're out on, out on the streets
Throw all your shit

This is the big moment in the song, before it begins to fade into the outro so Malikaa really has to make it count. The camera comes in close and she leans over the mic stand that she still has a hold on, this time her voice has been made breathy on purpose, her voice taking on a more husky tone that it had before. Her sharp eyeliner now draws her face to an even sharper point due to the rapidly speeding up lights that hit every beat.

At your feet
Oh what a treat
Maybe, I'm the problem, what a surprise
Architect of my own demise
A castle of my own mistakes
Built up with walls that wont break
So I can't come back down
See you around the town
You're nothing but a

Our outro now, with the end in sight Malikaa is proud of her performance. The moment at the start of the outro where the music cuts out, and she sounds exasperated is a personal favourite of hers, and so she feels a sense of an accomplishment when the crowd also agrees with her. With the song drawing to a close, Malikaa shouts her thank yous, before rushing off stage to allow the final act, Kalosia, to perform.

Sleaze (Ah,Sleaze)
Thrown at your feet (On my knees)
At the back of the bar and her sheets (You're in her sheets)
So now you're out on, out on the streets (You're out on the streets)
Throw your shit
At your feet
At your feet
At your

[Axuva]

XX Axuva
Dongyeon Shik - "Ocean"
Tune: JAEHYUN - Roses
Lyricists: Dongyeon Shik, Lali Shik • Composers: Zinby
Language(s): English

The beat stats and behind him, a visual of the Ocean would be on the screen, and Dongyeon would start the performance off sitting down on a diving board prop which was infront of the LED screen, giving the illusion of him in the middle of the Ocean.

[Verse 1]
(How could I forget?)
Somethin’ real bad im wanting
We been playing too much so let me tell you something, yeah yeah
Love takes time when you're in it
No one can replace, after all we went through

He continued to sing, standing up on the diving board, turning backwards.

[Pre-Chorus]
Feel.. my heartbeat (Yeah, yeah)
And I’ll feel yours right next to mine (Say what?)
I wanna keep you with me indefinitely, so
I’m taking time to dive in your

He falls backwards into the prop pool water, it splashing upwards as he falls into it, and he slowly comes out of the water as dancers appeared on the stage behind him, and he walks forward closer to the front of the stage.

[Chorus]
Ocean (Ocean), Ocean (Ocean)
Theres something bout you that makes me wanna dive deep in your
Ocean (Ocean), Ocean , yeah (Ocean)
Dedicated to making you mine, So I’ll dive in your..

[Post-Chorus]
Ocean, ocean
Ocean, ocean
Ocean, ocean
Ocean, ocean

As he arrives to the front of the stage, he places his microphone on the microphone stand, beginning to sing into the microphone sensually, taking his shirt off revealing his toned wet torso, singing to the audience adjusting his headpiece.

[Verse 2]
Too hard too forget, youre the best of the best
Somethin’s changing my life (something abt life)
Dancin around the chance, playing hard to get
There’s no denying
Just feel my soul, while I’m taking all control
I want to ease all your pain, make you unwind

As he sings the prechorus, he reaches out to the crowd, gesturing and singing behind the microphone stand as his backup dancers dances beside him.

[Pre-Chorus]
Feel.. my heartbeat (Yeah, yeah)
And I’ll feel yours right next to mine (Say what?)
I wanna keep you with me indefinitely, so
I’m taking time to dive in your

As the chorus came, him and the dancers all began to dance, and Dongyeon moved his microphone stand using it as a prop along with his choreography.

[Chorus]
Ocean (Ocean), Ocean (Ocean)
Theres something bout you that makes me wanna dive deep in your
Ocean (Ocean), Ocean , yeah (Ocean)
Dedicated to making you mine, So I’ll dive in your..

As the dance break came, he stepped away from the microphone stand, going into intricate choreography with the backup dancers, and as he danced harder, the water visuals on the LED screens became rougher.

[Post-Chorus]
(Ocean) Oh, no
(Ocean) I won’t waste no time (Ocean)
(Ocean) Just sit back and close your eyes (Ocean)
(Ocean) Let’s move our love through time (Ocean)
(Ocean) Forever I’m yours and you’re mine

As he sings the last few lines, he puts his hands down the microphone stand, grabbing the microphone off the stand, walking backwards towards the water pool again and as the song ends, he falls into the water pool, causing a splash with his arms wide open.