Bundesvision 2012: Baden-Württemberg

As I spent my summer vacation this year in Baden-Württemberg, and as I have always absolutely loved Xavier Naidoo's voice, I have been looking forward to hearing Baden-Württemberg's Bundesvision 2012 entry, Und ich schau nicht mehr zurück ever since I saw it announced.  Labeled as a release by Xavas - or a combination of Xavier Naidoo and rapper Kool Savas - this song promised a great deal. 

I will admit, up to now I have not really listened to any Kool Savas.  However, as mentioned above, I am a great admirer of Xavier Naidoo.  While he specializes in soulful life-affirming ballads, which typically don't hold much appeal for me, Naidoo's buttery smooth voice has a way of burrowing through my crusty exterior husk straight to my heart. 

Unfortunately, at least for me, Und ich schau nicht mehr zurück is one of those songs that just bounces off my crusty husk.  Naidoo's vocals are, as always, pleasant enough.  But the song - another soulful life-affirming ballad - just strikes me as bland.  The addition of Kool Savas doesn't add any kind of edge either.  His rap is fairly run-of-the-mill, and seems to have just been thrown in so that he could claim a place in the credits.

My prediction: While Und ich schau nicht mehr zurück is pleasant enough, I just can't imagine it turning that many heads at Bundesvision when competing against other, frankly more interesting, songs.  It's not the worst of the songs I've heard in Bundesvision 2012, I don't think it will rise any higher than the middle of the pack.

Bundesvision 2010: Baden-Württemberg

Bakkushan: Springwut

I'll confess that I have a personal preference for aggressive, guitar-driven, alternative music. Bakkushan's Springwut provides that in spades. Sure, there's a lot of screaming vocals, a monotonous beat, and less than a handful of repetitive driving chords. But, for all of that, Springwut is a catchy tune that you can dance to (or bounce, or slam, or whatever the kids are doing these days).

Perhaps just as important, in a contest that has the word "vision" in the title, Bakkushan themselves have an appealing edgy look. They're young, good looking, and energetic, and that always conveys well on TV.

Prediction: Will Bakkushan's Springwut win? Probably not. While I generally like the song, I think it lacks the lyrical or melodic depth that it will need to carry the day. My prediction is that Springwut will place in the top 10, maybe the top 5.