Bundesvision 2012: Brandenburg

Naming a singer appropriately doesn't happen as often as one would think.  The singer known as Madonna bears little resemblance to the mother of Jesus.  The singer known as Jello Biafra bears little resemblance to either a delicious squishy dessert or a secessionist region of Nigeria.  On the other hand, Mellow Mark (here featuring Nina Maleika) more than earns his name with Bleib bei mir.

Call it smooth jazz.  Call it soul.  Call it an acoustic duet.  Whatever you call it, Bleib bei mir is undeniably mellow.  There is obviously skill involved, but this song's Ambien-like effect on me makes it difficult to make any kind of coherent comment.  Suffice to say, Bleib bei mir rates right in the middle of "meh".

My prediction:  Like many other Bundesvision entries over the years, Bleib bei mir is neither good enough to win nor bad enough to make you want to cram knitting needles through your eardrums.  It just is.  As Bundesvision 2012 has a pretty strong crop of competitors this year, I think this lack of punch will put Bleib bei mir down in the bottom third of the pack.

Bundesvision 2010: Brandenburg

Das Gezeichnete Ich: Du, Es und Ich

It's a television based popular music contest, so it only stands to reason that there will be a power ballad in Bundesvision 2010. Hailing from Brandenburg, Das Gezeichnete Ich provides that ballad with Du, Es und Ich. I would be the first to admit that I have never particularly liked ballads. They tend to be overwrought with cliche and to be blatantly emotionally manipulative. Fortunately, though, while Du, Es und Ich sometimes seems at times to teeter on the cusp of going over the top, it manages to have just enough restraint to maintain its sense of self-respect.

It has always struck me as something of a mystery why certain songs are chosen for competitions over others. After listening to some of Das Gezeichnete Ich's other songs (Halleluja, or Innen for example), I think he could have done much better in Bundesvision than he will with Du, Es und Ich.

Prediction: Unlike me, the public at large seems to like music that couples emotional release with the backing of a full orchestra. Du, Es und Ich is certainly not the most contrived song in Bundesvision 2010, but it's not the best either. My prediction is that Das Gezeichnete Ich's Du, Es und Ich will settle comfortably somewhere in the middle of the pack.