Fun fact: Megara didn't think that they will win UVPSM (because there was some other older more established artist also competing) and for their closing performance Megara had to borrow guitars and percussion from Piqued Jacks, because Megara's instruments had already been packed. Yes I watched the whole UVPSM.
San Marino gets their budget from their National Final. I think you have to pay like a fee to participate which explains why lots of people (including not proffesional singers) get selected. But, it works for them, they get money to continue to be in Eurovision. Because, otherwise, they wouldn't afford it. Also, I heard that the Irish head of delegation said on a podcas that the budget of San Marino is bigger than the Irish one😅. So, although their NF is messy AF and don't have the best quality. It's probably the best for them to keep it.
Megara applied to Benidorm with "11:11", they confirmed that. The lyrics are about Rock/Metal Fans thinking they're not a "true" Rock/Metal act bcs they went to Benidorm Fest and did other "mainstream" stuff. As a metalhead: the same nonsense you hear a lot in that scene. Lord of the Lost for example got hit with it too last year (and also made fun of it =D).
@@ESCTom Yes, and in addition... they are actually very grateful they had the chance to experience Benidorm last year and very happy the way the Eurovision fans welcomed them to the Eurovision world... that is way they say... si tu no me quieres, otra gente me querra... If you don't love me, other people will
Una voce is low-key the funniest NF ever. No one knows what they're doing, the hosts mispronounce names all the time, the screens are glitchy, half of the live audience are San Marino politicians, the state secretary (or some other politician, I didn't quite catch the title) went up on the stage when the winner was announced and just stood there awkwardly. Some contestants left before the end of the show, and when the hosts were giving out awards the awarded contestant did not come out from behind the scenes (because they left earlier) which resulted in the hosts laughing hysterically and asking for an unscheduled add break. There's nothing quite like Una voce
BTW definitely flamenco. Flamenco is very popular in Spain and salsa is from Cuba and Puerto Rico. I think the idea was to give 11:11 a bit of "national flair"
Megara didn’t click with me at first but I absolutely love this video and now the song. It’s not ‘slick’, but it doesn’t matter, the whole vibe is so ‘f*** you!’ to the ‘establishment’ in such a fun way. love it. I will be p****d if this does not qualify.
The clip starts with a call in which they give them the chance to go to eurovision. And video is showing a work interview where they kidnap the interviewers ans get the job. And the flamenco dance wording in the chest of the dancer is the spanish word for Fake. The dancer kind of reminds me the spanish 2023 entry. But i don't know if its a message for the people that call them fake or for Blanca Paloma... Its my interpretation based on the video, and i could be really wrong, so dont take me seriously
I don't see this song getting a lot of recognition but I think it's fun and has a recognizable style, and the hook seems a lot more obvious to me since I speak Spanish. I really like this, it's in my top 5
I absolutely LOVE this song. It's beautiful in a sentimental rocky kind of way. I really wish it well since its has placed in 10th in the semis 🤞🤞🤞🤞 and yes Tom there is a link to the dead which was included in their live qualifier performance via dancers. They were amazing to see, a real head turner. Love it ❤
I quite like this song, maybe it’s because I loved them in Benidorm Fest last year but something about Spanish rock hits for me. I think this has a path to qualification and would be happy if they did to improve San Marino’s record!
This song is such a jam. I really like it. Idk, there's like half the fandom thats always asking for more less studio pop/more rock/less of the same sound and I dont know why theyre not behind this? I wonder if its bc this year's pretty packed?
I think this song has the best 14 seconds of music in the whole competition, that modern Flamenco breakdown is sooo good ! I'm glad I'm not the only one wishing there was more of that !
Thanks for doing this reaction. Something MEGARA is amazing at is staging -sadly, however, in an interview (that's floating around RUclips) they basically implied San Marino is not giving them any funds for the staging, so they have been using theIR own fund$ for the staging (they have been working with local talent from Spain -Karmento's stage designer [Benidorm 2023] is working with MEGARA for their Eurovision staging). So while there seem to be hiccups MEGARA is well-known for being highly resourceful and, as such, nothing would make me happier than to see them make it to the final. As far as the song, you are spot on about it being a clap-back to their detractors. However, it has nothing to do against BeFest as they actually have said countless times they have nothing but gratitude towards Benidorm and the Eurovision fandom. The music bridge is flamenco. This is the song that was rejected for BeFest 2024 and they decided to take their chances at San Marino. MEGARA has been wanting to go to Eurovision for a while, so (at last) their dream is coming true. As for the bets, just as it happened last year, they are not truly reliable. As you said, we must wait and see the rehearsals.
Tom, is not salsa!!! 🙈 It is rather flamenco. I think that Arcadia was much stronger than this, but I still love them. I think they are quite different, very charismatic and this will stand out. As a Spanish I'd rather support Megara than Nebulosa, but I have been to busy and I have to catch up with a lot of countries. My Euro favs from Germany and Ukrania have not made it rhough.. so I have no idea where I stand.
Same feeling as you, I kept wondering if the song was not directed at the organisers of Benidormfest not selecting them this year. "We lit up Benidorm but if you don't want me, someone else will". I can't get that meaning out of my head 😅. But it could be the French in me searching for spare drama haha.
I watched wayyyyyyy too much of 'Una voce per San Marino, and Megara snapped me out of a stupor when they came on during the second chance semifinal: it was clear from the first ten seconds that they were a real band that knew what they were doing. When I watched the final, I was rooting for them, even though everyone had told me Loredana would win. I will vote for them for sure, and I'm tickled that they've been put on right after Nebulossa!
I think you hit the nail on the head with the lack of a memorable hook, I've heard it a few times now and still don't remember it. Norway and Czech Republic have the advantage in that respect of the heavier songs.
You ask where the money comes from for San Marino and also call the national finals unwatchable, but I believe those factors are intrinsically linked. If I've understood rightly, potential acts pay to compete in Una Voce, and then San Marino in return they just accept as many songs as possible (100+) regardless of quality, but hey, it works! I could be completely misinformed though
San Marino qualifying is my biggest manifest circle this year!! 🤞 been a fan of Megara since Arcadia last year! Their album Truco o Trato is fantastic! They just deserve to be in the final, this song is great with one of the best breakdowns out of everyone! I really hope they make it 💖
I love this song, it’s in my top 10, just my genre of music and I loved the live in San Marino (or wherever the arena is in Italy). Can’t wait to see it live in Madrid this weekend, Amsterdam and Malmo. It’ll struggle in that semi with the running order of doom, but I’ll still love it 🎉
I Think a lot of people don't seem to favor the SM entry was because of the live performance at UVPSM, it kinda bombed... But having heard this track now in the studio version i think this absolutely could have a chance! i hope they have a great idea for the malmö staging...
I think the song is really good but didn't jump out at me for some reason. I think just because this is a SUPER competitive year and I love almost everything.
I'm amazed at how this song is getting overlooked this year. It was my first in my list, but when Ireland's and Serbia's videos dropped, 11:11 fell to third. I am pretty sure they will qualify, but they haven't got a great draw following Spain and before Georgia. I thought Arcadia was a better song, but their staging is fantastic, so I'm confident.
Now we're talking Tom.... After several internal selections that sound meh to me, San Marino comes with Megara. Absolutely fabulous stuff "Arcadia" was my winner in BenidormFest last year and love this sound. They have tremendous stage prescence and charisma. ( did you see the live performance . Wow! ) Megara's visual aesthetic is colourful and life giving. Never thought San Marino would be in my top 10. But they most certainly are. Can they qualify from semi 2?. I seriously think they can. It will stand out completely from many "bland" sounds elsewhere. I think my VPN will be heavily used for semi 2 🫢
They just released the running orders for the two semi finals. Will you be reacting to them, looking at how it may or may not impact different countries' chances?
Even though the San Marino National Final is unwatchable like you say, and the sound is terrible. You should watch Megara's performance, I thought it was cool, very decent staging. Hopefully it will be even better in Malmo.
I love this song whenever I'm listening to it, but it just refuses to stick. That said, so much of the second semi is girl pop that this will still stand out.
I think Megara are underrated this year. With a little luck and big effort, I believe it's possible for them to qualify
I hope they will. We need a little bit of variation in the ESC.
Fun fact: Megara didn't think that they will win UVPSM (because there was some other older more established artist also competing) and for their closing performance Megara had to borrow guitars and percussion from Piqued Jacks, because Megara's instruments had already been packed. Yes I watched the whole UVPSM.
11:11 is the most underrated song by far this year. I will vote for them if they pass to the final.
That and Pedestal by Aiko
San Marino gets their budget from their National Final. I think you have to pay like a fee to participate which explains why lots of people (including not proffesional singers) get selected. But, it works for them, they get money to continue to be in Eurovision. Because, otherwise, they wouldn't afford it. Also, I heard that the Irish head of delegation said on a podcas that the budget of San Marino is bigger than the Irish one😅. So, although their NF is messy AF and don't have the best quality. It's probably the best for them to keep it.
That is sooooo interesting... would you please tell me the name of the podcast? 🙏 would love to listen
Megara applied to Benidorm with "11:11", they confirmed that. The lyrics are about Rock/Metal Fans thinking they're not a "true" Rock/Metal act bcs they went to Benidorm Fest and did other "mainstream" stuff. As a metalhead: the same nonsense you hear a lot in that scene. Lord of the Lost for example got hit with it too last year (and also made fun of it =D).
ah cool, thank you for explaining that
@@ESCTom Yes, and in addition... they are actually very grateful they had the chance to experience Benidorm last year and very happy the way the Eurovision fans welcomed them to the Eurovision world... that is way they say... si tu no me quieres, otra gente me querra... If you don't love me, other people will
Una voce is low-key the funniest NF ever. No one knows what they're doing, the hosts mispronounce names all the time, the screens are glitchy, half of the live audience are San Marino politicians, the state secretary (or some other politician, I didn't quite catch the title) went up on the stage when the winner was announced and just stood there awkwardly. Some contestants left before the end of the show, and when the hosts were giving out awards the awarded contestant did not come out from behind the scenes (because they left earlier) which resulted in the hosts laughing hysterically and asking for an unscheduled add break.
There's nothing quite like Una voce
I think it’s great. And they won with the singer suffering from bronchitis during the event.
Having Spain voting in their semi should be a big help.
BTW definitely flamenco. Flamenco is very popular in Spain and salsa is from Cuba and Puerto Rico. I think the idea was to give 11:11 a bit of "national flair"
Megara didn’t click with me at first but I absolutely love this video and now the song. It’s not ‘slick’, but it doesn’t matter, the whole vibe is so ‘f*** you!’ to the ‘establishment’ in such a fun way. love it. I will be p****d if this does not qualify.
The clip starts with a call in which they give them the chance to go to eurovision.
And video is showing a work interview where they kidnap the interviewers ans get the job.
And the flamenco dance wording in the chest of the dancer is the spanish word for Fake. The dancer kind of reminds me the spanish 2023 entry. But i don't know if its a message for the people that call them fake or for Blanca Paloma... Its my interpretation based on the video, and i could be really wrong, so dont take me seriously
I don't see this song getting a lot of recognition but I think it's fun and has a recognizable style, and the hook seems a lot more obvious to me since I speak Spanish. I really like this, it's in my top 5
I absolutely LOVE this song. It's beautiful in a sentimental rocky kind of way. I really wish it well since its has placed in 10th in the semis 🤞🤞🤞🤞 and yes Tom there is a link to the dead which was included in their live qualifier performance via dancers. They were amazing to see, a real head turner. Love it ❤
Always love a rock entry. This is cool and hope will go to the fonal !
This is a very respectable entry for San Marino and I hope it does better than people are predicting!
I quite like this song, maybe it’s because I loved them in Benidorm Fest last year but something about Spanish rock hits for me. I think this has a path to qualification and would be happy if they did to improve San Marino’s record!
This song is such a jam. I really like it.
Idk, there's like half the fandom thats always asking for more less studio pop/more rock/less of the same sound and I dont know why theyre not behind this? I wonder if its bc this year's pretty packed?
Yea could be that. I do feel like this year is really low on rock, so I’m surprised it’s not automatically getting some attention for that
I saw it live . They were amazing. The recording and San Marino made it look very tinny . Live they were fab
I was not expecting to hear the term "fan wank" today!
lol This also caught my attention
I think this song has the best 14 seconds of music in the whole competition, that modern Flamenco breakdown is sooo good ! I'm glad I'm not the only one wishing there was more of that !
One of my fav. this year.
This guys are amazing. They're in my top 5 this year. Will make to the finals and will make an impact. Their live performances are fire.
You´ve summed up my thoughts exactly! There´s no real strong melody or tune, but the energy is great and I think it could qualify!
Thanks for doing this reaction. Something MEGARA is amazing at is staging -sadly, however, in an interview (that's floating around RUclips) they basically implied San Marino is not giving them any funds for the staging, so they have been using theIR own fund$ for the staging (they have been working with local talent from Spain -Karmento's stage designer [Benidorm 2023] is working with MEGARA for their Eurovision staging). So while there seem to be hiccups MEGARA is well-known for being highly resourceful and, as such, nothing would make me happier than to see them make it to the final. As far as the song, you are spot on about it being a clap-back to their detractors. However, it has nothing to do against BeFest as they actually have said countless times they have nothing but gratitude towards Benidorm and the Eurovision fandom. The music bridge is flamenco. This is the song that was rejected for BeFest 2024 and they decided to take their chances at San Marino. MEGARA has been wanting to go to Eurovision for a while, so (at last) their dream is coming true. As for the bets, just as it happened last year, they are not truly reliable. As you said, we must wait and see the rehearsals.
Tom, is not salsa!!! 🙈 It is rather flamenco. I think that Arcadia was much stronger than this, but I still love them. I think they are quite different, very charismatic and this will stand out. As a Spanish I'd rather support Megara than Nebulosa, but I have been to busy and I have to catch up with a lot of countries. My Euro favs from Germany and Ukrania have not made it rhough.. so I have no idea where I stand.
Same feeling as you, I kept wondering if the song was not directed at the organisers of Benidormfest not selecting them this year. "We lit up Benidorm but if you don't want me, someone else will". I can't get that meaning out of my head 😅.
But it could be the French in me searching for spare drama haha.
I watched wayyyyyyy too much of 'Una voce per San Marino, and Megara snapped me out of a stupor when they came on during the second chance semifinal: it was clear from the first ten seconds that they were a real band that knew what they were doing. When I watched the final, I was rooting for them, even though everyone had told me Loredana would win.
I will vote for them for sure, and I'm tickled that they've been put on right after Nebulossa!
Your idea that they have two dancers is what they did at the UVPSM final so I expect them to do the same at eurovision
San Marino selection had more good songs that melodifestivalen which is not hard to achieve, and celebs
10:50 a little bit of a fan- what now?? Tom what did u just say 😭
1:03 did you mean Sanremo? I get mixed up with them all the time 😭
Martin Osterdahl should make his Eurovision stage debut and Eurovision stage 2nd performance in this and No Rules.
I think you hit the nail on the head with the lack of a memorable hook, I've heard it a few times now and still don't remember it. Norway and Czech Republic have the advantage in that respect of the heavier songs.
You ask where the money comes from for San Marino and also call the national finals unwatchable, but I believe those factors are intrinsically linked. If I've understood rightly, potential acts pay to compete in Una Voce, and then San Marino in return they just accept as many songs as possible (100+) regardless of quality, but hey, it works! I could be completely misinformed though
San Marino qualifying is my biggest manifest circle this year!! 🤞 been a fan of Megara since Arcadia last year! Their album Truco o Trato is fantastic! They just deserve to be in the final, this song is great with one of the best breakdowns out of everyone! I really hope they make it 💖
🇪🇸👩🎤🇸🇲 Gimlo loves this song!!! M-E-L-A-P-E-L-A!!! 🇪🇸👩🎤🇸🇲
I hope that they will be in the final
Sadly i dont think this song can qualify
It's my top 3
Im hoping it qualifys!
I love this song, it’s in my top 10, just my genre of music and I loved the live in San Marino (or wherever the arena is in Italy). Can’t wait to see it live in Madrid this weekend, Amsterdam and Malmo. It’ll struggle in that semi with the running order of doom, but I’ll still love it 🎉
I Think a lot of people don't seem to favor the SM entry was because of the live performance at UVPSM, it kinda bombed... But having heard this track now in the studio version i think this absolutely could have a chance! i hope they have a great idea for the malmö staging...
I think the song is really good but didn't jump out at me for some reason. I think just because this is a SUPER competitive year and I love almost everything.
I'm amazed at how this song is getting overlooked this year. It was my first in my list, but when Ireland's and Serbia's videos dropped, 11:11 fell to third. I am pretty sure they will qualify, but they haven't got a great draw following Spain and before Georgia. I thought Arcadia was a better song, but their staging is fantastic, so I'm confident.
Now we're talking Tom....
After several internal selections that sound meh to me, San Marino comes with Megara.
Absolutely fabulous stuff
"Arcadia" was my winner in BenidormFest last year and love this sound.
They have tremendous stage prescence and charisma. ( did you see the live performance . Wow! )
Megara's visual aesthetic is colourful and life giving.
Never thought San Marino would be in my top 10. But they most certainly are.
Can they qualify from semi 2?. I seriously think they can. It will stand out completely from many "bland" sounds elsewhere.
I think my VPN will be heavily used for semi 2 🫢
lol, gotta get the full use out of that VPN 😂
yea i def think this can qualify, but i do think that they need to come with a big show
@@ESCTom if their performance on the final in San Marino is anything to go by Tom, that is guaranteed. The dancers were fabulous!
Spain votes in semifinal 2
I really don't know how to handle this entry.
I have no idea what this is going to do. It maybe better then we think.
They just released the running orders for the two semi finals. Will you be reacting to them, looking at how it may or may not impact different countries' chances?
Yep
Even though the San Marino National Final is unwatchable like you say, and the sound is terrible. You should watch Megara's performance, I thought it was cool, very decent staging. Hopefully it will be even better in Malmo.
I like the song but I don’t like the fact that it’s in Spanish. It’s like Austria singing in French… wait
There is a part in Italian at the end of the song
They sung the last part of the song in italian at UVPSM
Just look about how many songs are in English to see that this is totally normal
San Marino is opened to foreign artists as well
Might get some points from Spain i believe because Megara is spanish and she participated in benidform fest last year.
Agreed that this is being underestimated this year but then I always like rock.
hello haircut! 🤩
😂
Hope your mom is happy with it too😅@@ESCTom
I love this song whenever I'm listening to it, but it just refuses to stick. That said, so much of the second semi is girl pop that this will still stand out.