Romania - Hotel FM - Change

ROMANIA

Hotel FM - Change

Romania have been involved in every Eurovision final since 2002, making it out the semi final every time they have been placed there. After a few lowly placed finishes in the final itself, last year Paula Selling and Ovi performed above expectations to come third. Thus Hotel Fm, with their song "Change", head into the contest with a tough precedent to beat. Do they have what it takes?

The band have been formed for 6 years with a strong of CD's released and a failed attempt in 2010 to make the Eurovision Song contest. However they returned to the Romanian National Final this year with "Change" and eased to a victory. They will head into the into the Second Semi Final in Dusseldorf on May 12th.

The song has a very mid-90's feel it and definitely seems dated in every aspect from the arrangement, the music and even the vocals. It does sound very familiar and the melody is a simple one. The lead singer of the band does have a strong voice but it has a grating sound to it, especially when performed live. It seems fine at first but as the song goes the voice begins to grate on you and it becomes quite intolerable by the end. I have found this to be very annoying on later listening and have grown to see the song for what it appears to be, a simple, almost-cheesy pop song by numbers.

There is nothing new or special here but I think its simple enough and styled in a fashion that will see it qualify from a a very tough Semi. I don't think for one second it deserves the place in the final and hope I am wrong but I forsee this getting into around 9th or 10th in the Semi and ending up maybe 18th-20th in the final.