Eurovision Song Contest 2012 Entry: Italy - Nina Zilli - L'amore e Femmina
May 18 2012 12:37 pm ET
Italy returns to the Eurovision Song Contest with the jazz entry "L'amore e Femmina" by Nina Zilli. Jazz worked extremely well for Italy last year – can this fantastic track seal the deal and bring the ESC to Rome in 2013?
Country: Italy
Title: "L'amore e Femmina (Out of Love)"
Artist: Nina Zilli
Final: Position 10
Last year's entry/position: "Madness of Love" - Raphael Gualazzi (2nd Place)
Italy's entry "L'amore e Femmina (Out of Love)" by Nina Zilli is my pick to win the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest. Italy had a fantastic return last year, earning 2nd Place, but I think this track is even better than last year's effort. Here is this year's entry:
Italy plays the Eurovision game incredibly well and I'm surprised more countries have not latched on to their methods. The selection process uses a festival system, but uses televoter input as a guide rather than the determining factor in who goes to the Contest. Although Nina Zilli did not win her category in this year's San Remo festival, the jury decided she should be Italy's representative. For about a week or so after the selection, it was assumed she would perform the song "Per Sempre" – her entry in San Remo – in Baku. Videos floated around the web and people formed opinions about the singer and the song. Then Italy announced she would be singing "L'amore e Femmina," leading to another round of video circulation. Before the selection deadline in March, there were rumors of a possible English performance of the song. The official preview video submitted at the selection deadline confirmed this switch. At this point, Zilli has had three songs – all of excellent quality – circulating in Eurovision circles. The video above was released a couple weeks ago, possibly hinting at what's in store for the stage performance.
As for how this song will do in the Final, I expect this song to rank quite well in the standings. It is the strongest entry coming out of the Big 6 and will likely dwarf France, which performs immediately before Italy. Italy was in position 12 of 25 last year, so I'm not concerned about this track getting bogged down by playing in the middle of the running order. Romania could present a challenge, as their rehearsal footage has shown a strong performance in the making. Also, a group has not won the contest since Lordi in 2006, so that may be in the back of people's minds. There is also the pre-game frontrunner Sweden who is also offering a unique entry compared to the rest of the field.
Last year, Italy may have received slightly higher scores as a "welcome back" gift. This year, Nina Zilli will show that her country earns its points thanks to a fantastic entry.
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Mike McComb – TVLatest.com
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