COLOMBIA V GREECE
Guest referee:
Michael Lewin — Editor, Notion magazine
Carlos Vives feat ChocQuibTown — ‘El Mar De Sus Ojos’
“My guy Carlos is quite the local pop culture titan — a latin soapstar turned popstar filling the 80s charts with (rather derivative) electro power ballads before pivoting to big party tunes in the 90s. His ‘thing’ is to mix traditional Colombian Vallenato with pop, rock and rap — almost as egregious a concoction as the Geneva Convention-breachingly awful Clean Bandit. Now, can we talk about the video? Adding a middle aged lothario into the scene of the '…Baby One More Time' video does nothing for its more distressing undertones, no matter how many times you cut to Nicki Minaj dressed as a teacher. It’s not explained why the schoolgirl is tripping during class, either (perhaps something to do with the panpipes? Hippies like those), but points are awarded to the imagination that decided to situate an umbrella-wielding rave in the midst of an opera. That traditional/contemporary production crossover lacks whatever freshness it once had, and the crowbarring in of unfortunately named rap troupe ChocQuibTown isn’t helping either. Think of it this way: an anglicised reimagining of this would be Ian Beale dropping a single mixing pastoral folk and pop with a guest verse from N‑Dubz, surrounded by sexy, tripping school children. The chorus is a bit of a letdown as well."
Master Tempo & Xristos Menidiatis — ‘Xamos Tha Ginei’
“Perhaps it's because it’s been so sunny, but I’m rather charmed by Master Tempo. That bit of my heart that is forever sat in a marina bar on holiday can’t help but love them. They inhabit every stigmatised cliché of parochial Europop so effortlessly: the horns, the raps, the distressed denim. Best of all, I love the way they tread that fine line between women-in-the-street-bothering machismo and teary-eyed sentimentality that only the Mediterranean take on masculinity can countenance. Also, Carlos, that’s how you do a chorus. They even have the dress sense of footballers. My guy in the middle looks like Sergio Aguero dressed up as George Michael for the Man City Christmas party. Basically these guys have all the flamboyance that their nation’s team lacks."
Michael's full time score:
Colombia 1 — Greece 3
Now you can vote for your own favourite.
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