40.- Belarus: why change?

Ok, so continuing the countdown to ESC 2011 now we have Belarus... and I really don't know what to say about them. I mean, their record is far from flattering, actually it's rather shitty. Their one true amazing entry came in 2007 when Koldun came the closest they've ever been to taking the crown to Minsk. Other than that (besides their qualification to the final last year which I thought was one of the most unfair mysteries of the last years), they seem to have the secret formula to be stuck in the semifinals!

More than once they've either changed the song or the music, but they seem to choose one thing and then go like 'ehm, no, why don't we do something much worse???' I simply can't get it. It happened with 'Hasta la vista', it happened last year when they substituted 'Far away' for the intolerably mellow 'Butterflies', and now it happened this year. 'Born in Belorrusia' was actually a really good song, if you ask me. It was catchy and I found myself humming it after the first listen. And then they changed it for this 'I love Belarus' thing which I just can't come to terms with.

I mean, Anastasiya Vinnikova can actually sing, so that's the least of their worries. The problem is that the song sounds like one note was forced to be placed next to the other. Like there is little care for a melodic transition from one verse to the next, but just stick words there which remind us of how much she loves Belarus. Not that I criticize the idea per se, but come on, it's not even poetic, it's rather pathetic? I don't know, I find the lyrics not here nor there, the music blah... so no, I totally dislike this song.

The fate of Belarus, I think, was sealed when they were drawn to the second semifinal... there's no way they'll make it to the final from there... or so I'd like to think... we'll see, but if fairness still exists in ESC, this year should see Belarus stuck in the final... go figure!!!