Mysteries of the EuroVerse

• S2 E7: Eurovision Class of 2025 Part 1

  Sissal (Hallucination, Denmark 2025) - 3:59, Shkodra Electronike (Zjerm, Albania 2025) - 22:19, Pixie Aventura (Hulu's Drag Me To Dinner) - 43:00         This is our first episode featuring interviews with Eurovision 2025 contestants! We've talked about Eurovision's dual identity as a place for both global pop and culturally specific numbers, and in this episode we talk to two acts who embody either side of that identity: Sissal, representing Denmark with an instant Scandipop classic, Hallucination, and Albania's Shkodra Elektronike, whose song Zjerm is infused with the traditional sounds drawn from the history of music from Shkoder.         We then sit down with EuroVerse favorite Pixie Aventura who brings her Eurovision expertise to a discussion of her favorites of this year, as well as to a game covering some of this year's non-English language entries called "It's All Greek (And Lithuanian and French and Icelandic and Montenegrin and Latvian) To Me!" Eurovision 2025 features the most non-English songs since the language rule was dropped. For more information on the language rule, check-out Season 1, Episode 4.         SONGS:       Sissal     Dino Jelusic, Ti Si Moja Prva Ljubav: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=RT8eDwbt_CQ     The Olsen Brothers, Fly on The Wings of Love: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF8fkHK0AWs       Sissal, Here Me Now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZILZGDMyTI       Sissal, Far From Sober: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAEyRIvmdaw         Shkodra Electronike       Turtulleshë, Shkodra Elektronike - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHVz0GkB0HQ       "Turkish Kaval played by Nadishana" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PkWYNJAZqY       Saz, An Introduction, Filip Holm - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLZ0DBsa0v0       Sufi Music: Zikr, Celebrate Humanity - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKyCXVuQ9Es       Cifteli popullore, Ciftelia TV - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wS6aIJ5WPpk       Pixie Aventura:     Esa Diva, Melody (Spain, 2025) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvVxhbCW9rw       *Gorilla Song, Melody - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90avMgG5NAM       GAJA, Justyna Steczkowska (Poland 2025) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXHHDjiclxA       The Tower, Luna (Poland 2024) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhvDkF9XZx0       C'est La Vie, Claude (The Netherlands 2025) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEHwr5k9pd0       Volevo Essere Un Duro, Lucio Corsi (Italy 2025) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfAf9-5Oevw     Espresso Macchiato, Tommy Cash (Eurovision 2025) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK6CUNXip7Q       Bur Man Laimi, Tautumeitas (Latvia 2025) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1_t79mQkm4       "It's All Greek (And Lithuanian and French and Icelandic and Montenegrin and Latvian) To Me!"       Asteromáta, Klavdia (Greece 2025)  - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxzeTezgey4       Voyage, Zoe Me (Switzerland 2025) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGX54zRExR8       RÓA, VÆB (Iceland 2025) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZE1WzOwtQQ       Dobrodošli, Nina Žižić (Montenegro 2025) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zs0yq39aFA  

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  1:07:29
• S2 EP6: Eurovision 69: Too Hot for TV

  Martin Green (Director of Eurovision) - 24:37, Santino Fontana (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Frozen, Tootsie) - 42:08     First we deep dive into the controversy around three of Eurovision’s most provocative acts: Australia’s Milkshake Man (Go Jo), Malta’s Serving (Miriana Conte), and Finland’s Ich Komme (Erika Vikman). We discuss broader trends that have led the contest once known exclusively as a “family show” to have to confront these boundary pushing acts - and talk about how Eurovision’s recently released Code of Conduct could be a road map for the future.     Then, in a very special interview, we talk to the new Director of Eurovision - Martin Green. We discuss the various controversies the contest has to face in these politically divided, fractious times - and get a sense of how he and the organization are thinking about navigating the current social moment.     Finally, we sit down with Tony Award-winning star of stage and screen Santino Fontana (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Hans in Disney’s Frozen, Tootsie) for a look at how right-wing politicians have tried to tame Eurovision acts in the past, in a game we're calling "Crazy Ex-Governments."       CRAZY EX-GOVERNMENTS:   SPAIN   Barei, Say Yay! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0I37W3RN_U   Blanco Paloma, Eaea - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxuO0qZITko     POLAND Gromee feat Lukas Meijer, Light Me Up - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfUJ2eDm6ng   Luna, The Tower - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhvDkF9XZx0   Donatan and Cleo, We Are Slavic - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ920cN2HmA     UK   James Newman, Embers - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMDGTsa_Qq0   Olly Alexander, Dizzy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLNUj7kvn2w     HUNGARY   Joci Papai, Origo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LflrKXL022U   Zoli Ádok, Dance With Me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXjY3Y9RMZI     ISRAEL   Harel Skaat, Milim - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj0qaNnLk9M   Noa and Mira Awad, There Must Be Another Way - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBTQFOkFZw8  

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  1:06:45
• S2 EP5: That's How You Write A Song!

  Julien Salvia and Ludovic-Alexandre Vidal (Writers, Luxembourg 2025) - 18:23, Andrew Lippa (Big Fish, The Addams Family, Wild Party) - 34:45         This week we're talking about songwriting! In our first segment, we discuss how culture and technology have changed the collaborative model for songwriting over the years - and discuss how and why all collaborative models, even some older ones, are still relevant at Eurovision today.         Then, we talk to Julien Salvia and Ludovic-Alexandre Vidal- the songwriters behind Luxembourg's 2025 entry, "La poupée monte le son." They give us a window into their songwriting process and how it's developed over years writing for theater, and now Eurovision.         Finally, we sit down with preeminent Broadway composer, Andrew Lippa (Big Fish, The Addams Family, Wild Party) for a game that explores the differences between Eurovision and the charts. Andrew brings his songwriting expertise to bear on a number of Eurovision songs over the years- some of which were hits at the contest, while others stood out on the charts.       MAYBE THEY LIKE IT THIS WAY:     2017   Blanche, City Lights (Belgium): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbomdE81_mA     Salvador Sobral, Amar pelos dois (Portugal): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6DqfHPkKUc       2016   Jamala, 1944 (Ukraine): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCG2rw4ZXTY     Frans, If I Were Sorry (Sweden): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GTdelXRlA4       2022   Rosa Linn, Snap (Armenia): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVqGKkm7xBE    Kalush Orchestra, Stefania (Ukraine): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiEGVYOruLk       1996:   Eimear Quinn, The Voice (Ireland): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KiE1byYXtA     Gina G Ooh Ah Just A Little Bit (UK): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgN-pI1rA0E       2002   Ira Losco, 7th Wonder (Malta): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4fHMmPqC80      Marie N, I Wanna (Latvia): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M-w89U8TEU

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• S2 EP4: Let's Talk About Celine Dion (Part 2)

  Emilija Kokić, Riva, Rock Me, WINNER Yugoslavia 1989 (27:23), Jackie Cox (47:08)       This is the second episode in our two part series about Celine Dion! We pick up right after Celine's Eurovision victory, tracing her rise to global pop stardom, her experience of critical backlash, her health struggles and her recent comeback. As we do so, we discuss the parallels between Celine's ebb and flow of cultural relevance, and that of the contest that launched her.          Then we speak to Emilija Kokić, who won Eurovision the year after Celine for Yugoslavia, as the front woman of Riva, with the song Rock Me. We discuss that incredible moment in the late '80s when it felt like the world was opening up, and the difficult aftermath as Emilija launched her solo career against the back drop of war, genocide and the break-up of Yugoslavia.         Finally, we sit down with Jackie Cox (RuPaul's Drag Race Season 12), and explore Canadian acts at Eurovision, in a game of Tops and Bottoms that we're calling the "Not Like Us" edition. We cover everything from the code switching Canadians are often forced to do on the international stage, to the threat the country now faces from Donald Trump.         TOPS AND BOTTOMS: NOT LIKE US EDITION       Sherisse Laurence, L’amour de ma vie (Luxembourg, 1986):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTyzJSnLv3Q       Celine Dion, Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi (Switzerland 1988): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXLWfXmlXPc       Annie Cotton, Moi, tout simplement, (Switzerland, 1993): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QG-kvD7GHo       Natasha St-Pier, Je N'ai Que Mon Âme, (France, 2001): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCfqvkCEyy4       Rykka, The Last of Our Kind, (Switzerland, 2016): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96ENe3EYBE0       La Zarra, Evidement, (France, 2023): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWfbEFH9NvQ

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  1:09:32
• S2 EP3: Let's Talk About Celine Dion (Part 1)

  Marie Louise Werth, Furbaz, 1989 (21:29), Gianmarco Soresi, Comedian, (36:00)       This episode is part one of a two part series about Eurovision icon Celine Dion. We start by deep diving into some broad themes of Celine's early career and life, and discuss how she as an artist faces a lot of the same challenges and biases as the contest that made her famous. Then we talk to Marie Louise Werth who, as the lead singer of Furbaz competed for Switzerland the year after Celine Dion, and competed against Celine Dion in the Swiss National Final. Furbaz is the only band ever to sing Romansh on the Eurovision stage. We then sit down with comedian Gianmarco Soresi and play a game about Switzerland's unique history at Eurovision that we're calling "Chaotic Neutral."       CHAOTIC NEUTRAL:     Jean Philippe, The Return, 1962 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCNL5rtwabo     Nemo, The Code, 2024 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiGDvM14Kwg     Vanilla Ninja, Cool Vibes, 2005 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJX8RWJg7y4     Luca Hanni, She Got Me, 2019: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PxoMWtAC7M

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