Poland: Rafał – The Ride

Felix: Let’s begin with an unpopular opinion: I’m rather known for not being a fan of every other Eurovision song actually being Swedish, and so I have mixed emotions about this one, too. And I want to like it less than I actually do. Wearing sunglasses? Not a good idea, either. Is it memorable? Not after the first listen. So the premises are really not optimal, but still: I like it. It’s one of those few songs in 2021 that don’t sound exactly like every other song, and that will be one of Rafał’s few flickers of hope. 

But especially within the first few listens, it’s pretty much a dayfly, and again: If you’re going to wear sunglasses on stage as a seeing person, you’re asking for trouble with the ones who are voting. 

So considering the assumptions that interaction with the cameras won’t happen,  and that the song doesn’t stick right away, only one conclusion presents itself: Poland won’t qualify. The fact that I like the song won’t change that. 

This “ride” doesn’t take you along on a ride, it’s more like a car just passing by. One car out of many, and not a very significant one.

Shi: I actually quite enjoy listening to this in all its generic retro glory, but watching it is a different matter. While I don’t think there’s much that can really make this work on stage, Rafał would do well to dial down his douchey fashion style a bit.

Martin: There are parts of this song I like – the second chorus/post-chorus/whatever you want to call it is good, for example. But I find the overall package way too one-dimensional, quite aside from Rafał’s likeability issues. IKEA flat-pack music.

video and title image source: eurovision.tv