Saturday Flashback: Marija Šerifović – Molitva

“Not exactly the stuff of wonder.”

Tim: So, tonight’s the night, and rather than producing another Reject I’d like to take a look back at an unusual point in Eurovision’s recent history; to be more precise, 2007, and Serbia’s entry.

Tom: I have no memory of that song. The face rings a bell, but… I know it’s been nine years, but seriously, I have no memory of that song.

Tim: So here’s the unusual part: this won. It’s the only victor since 1999 to have not been sung in English, and the only victor since 2001 to have a key change – in fact it has two. So how did it win? Let’s face it, even by mid-00’s Eurovision quality it’s not exactly the stuff of wonder.

Well, I’ve a theory. Sure it’s got those counting against it, but on the other hand: it was one of the few acts that year that were neither Lordi-inspired hefty rock, nor the novelty ‎Verka Serduchka, nor… Scooch.

Tom: Ouch. That… yes, now you come to mention it, 2007 was not a good year. I mean, Verka was great, but the rest…

Tim: There was still a bit of shoutiness involved to get passionate about, and given that it’s in foreign that could be about something exciting.

Tom: “In foreign”, there.

Tim: Though in reality it’s just about praying to be loved by someone). On top of that, it wasn’t a runaway winner – not far behind was the aforementioned novelty of Verka Seduchka, and not far behind that was the top of the metal crowd, from Russia. In summary: basically, it got lucky.