Israel: Kobi Marimi – Home

Felix: A lot of songs have been reviewed in our line-up check series so far, and we’re soon reaching the end of it – but of course, not without judging the entry of the home country, Israel!

If you’re an attentive reader, you might already know that I find the overall quality of this year’s Eurovision line-up abysmal. And since everyone seems to put Israel in their bottom five this year, you’re probably expecting me to do the same, but nope: While not being a fan of the entry, I don’t find it horrible at all.

It’s slow, it’s soft, it’s tiring, it’s boring by definition, but I still find musical qualities in it. Something that can’t be said about Australia, for example.

But well, Israel isn’t that far up in my own chart either, and I find it remarkable that the home entry is – again – something so unspectacular. Just like The Makemakes in Vienna. “They clearly don’t want to win again” is a line that our generation, the aging Eurovision fans, used more often in the past than we do today – but I assume it’s a valid one for Israel’s Kobi Marimi, more so than for any other home entry in recent Eurovision history.

Martin: Whereas Israel does not escape my bottom five. On first encounter I thought it was a cast-iron candidate for my #41, but I’ve grown to appreciate the inadvertent camp of the someooooone and the multi-Kobis in the video. If only I believed any of the people involved meant it anything other than deadly seriously.

Shi: See, that’s the difference between Martin, Felix and myself: they are used to being direct finalists, so they don’t understand the relief at least not having to worry about making it to the final to begin with. Which we wouldn’t have done with this song, obviously.

video and title image source: eurovision.tv