Tim: Well here’s a funny thing, because this really doesn’t deserve the title of Reject. Nonetheless, the song competed to represent Germany, and it isn’t going to, so it sort of fits (and there’s a performance video here, if you’d rather).
Tim: Pretty good track, right? Especially for just one guy singing with a band behind him. It’s more or less got everything, and it’s a lot better than his first one, where he just sat on a stool and sang so hard he almost fell off.
Tom: It really is good: I wasn’t surprised to learn that he won The Voice, because he’s got a ridiculous voice, and the kind of everyman appearance that’ll do very well there.
Tim: And then there’s the song: quiet start, big chorus, message in the lyrics that’s easily got across in one single chorus line – at the very least middle of the table, maybe top ten.
Tom: Yep. Given how bad Germany did with its wildcard entry last year, that’s a good choice.
Tim: The Germans certainly thought so, anyway, because after three rounds of voting and right down to the last two, he won the votes, and was duly announced as the winner. Audience cheered, everyone’s happy; well, everyone except the second placer, Ann Sophie. Except no, because he’s suddenly got cold feet about performing to the whole continent, and doesn’t want to do it any more, cue much booing from the audience.
Tom: Wait, what? He waited until… huh. You know, I’ve been in that situation before, Tim — let’s not go into the reasons right now — and I’ve got to say, choosing not to go would take a lot of courage too.
Tim: Suddenly representing Germany, Ann Sophie (as it happens, this year’s wildcard) who couldn’t quite believe what was happening.
I suppose it’s not all that different from the juries overriding the public vote, as happened with Ireland this year or Sweden in 2013, but at least there it’s built into the system. Here it was just “nope, I’m off, thanks for the opportunity, but SCREW YOU GUYS”.
Tom: It’s interesting, isn’t it? Perhaps he’s known that he didn’t want to perform at Eurovision for a long time, but assumed he wouldn’t win and so didn’t want to rock the boat. It’s a heck of a way to bow out, though.
Tim: And so, to people who ask me why on earth I bother watching all the national competitions: partly music, but also DRAMA (see also: Ireland 2014).