Eurovision is back in its spiritual home. Here’s your guide to an ABBA-infused, lasagne-obsessed song contest
CNN, May 10 Fifty years ago, two Swedish married couples went on the most consequential double date in music history, changing pop for good at the Eurovision Song Contest. True, the bar wasn’t too high. 1974 was also the year that Paul Anka topped charts with “(You’re) Having My Baby,” a track that won a […]
A Guide to Eurovision 2024
The New York Times, May 9 … The winning country gets to host the event the following year, and so here we are in Malmo, on the coast of Sweden — which won for a record-tying seventh time last year, with “Tattoo” by the singer Loreen. (This year also marks the 50th anniversary of Sweden’s […]
Eurovision explained, from ABBA to Zorra, as the song contest is shadowed by war
ABC News, May 9 Scores of musicians, hundreds of journalists and thousands of music fans have gathered in the Swedish city of Malmo, where the Eurovision Song Contest is building towards Saturday’s exuberant, glitter-drenched final. But even Eurovision can’t escape the world’s divisions. Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters are also expected in the city for demonstrations […]
Protesters descend on Eurovision, object to Israel’s participation
Protesters descend on Eurovision, object to Israel’s participation The Washington Post, May 9 Thousands of demonstrators waving Palestinian flags are expected to flood Sweden’s third largest city on Thursday to protest Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest here this week. The annual celebration of music and kitsch, watched by more than 150 million people, […]
Eurovision 2024 is as garish and controversial as ever. Here’s what to know.
The Washington Post, May 7 Break out your most extravagant costume and tighten up your dance moves; it’s Eurovision time again. Last year, Loreen’s power ballad “Tattoo” narrowly beat Käärijä’s electro bop “Cha Cha Cha.” The win gave Sweden a record-tying seventh victory and the chance to host the 68th edition of the glittery spectacle, […]
Eurovision braces for its most tense contest yet, as protesters and artists bristle at Israel’s presence
CNN, May 7 In the seven-decade history of Eurovision, it’s unlikely that a three-word slogan has been repeated so readily by the song contest’s extravagant contestants, tireless organizers or cagey media managers: The world, they insist, can be “United by Music.” But Malmo, the Swedish city hosting the kitsch cultural phenomenon this year, is increasingly […]
The 30 Greatest Actors And Actresses In Hollywood History
Forbes, May 4 … Bergman started in Swedish and German films in her native Sweden. She was introduced to American audiences in 1939’s Intermezzo. She went on to star in movies like For Whom the Bell Tolls, Gaslight, Anastasia, Casablanca and Notorious. She won many awards during her career, including three Oscars, two Emmys, a […]
The world’s glitziest song contest starts this week. Here’s what you need to know about Eurovision.
NBC News, May 5 This year, Eurovision will be held in Malmö, Sweden, and already fans are descending on the country’s third-largest city, decked out in sequins, glitter, skin-tight metallics or neon, some of them with their country’s flags painted on their faces or draped around their shoulders. For fans, it’s a yearlong buildup to […]
What’s on TV This Week: Met Gala and ‘Wedding Crashers’
The New York Times, May 6 … 8 p.m. on the CW. Mamma Mia, am I excited for this documentary about the Swedish pop group ABBA. Released for the 50th anniversary of their album “Waterloo,” the film starts with their win at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 and includes archival footage and new interviews […]
Music Is More Than Just Sound
The trial of a former Syrian army general over his alleged role in war crimes committed in 2012 in his home country started at a Stockholm court, a first according to a human rights organization