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.

Music Video: Xavier Naidoo - Alles kann besser werden

I have never been much of a fan of American soul and R&B.  All too often it has struck me as artistic virtuosity without emotional depth.  Perhaps it only took listening to a German R&B artist to really get out of that frame of mind.  After all, if you only have a tenuous grasp on the language, you are compelled to focus entirely on the virtuosity aspect, with less regard for emotional depth.  Indeed, it is through this focus on the virtuosity that one can discover the emotional depth.

One artist who has helped me down this path is Germany's Xavier Naidoo.  With a voice that beautifully transcends language, and with music that frames that voice perfectly, Xavier Naidoo has made a believer out of me.  Perhaps the best track from his most ambitious album of the same name is Alles kann besser werden.  Whether you understand German or not, this is an amazing piece of soul and R&B, where Naidoo's artistic virtuosity conveys remarkable emotional depth.