Mainstream

Pop seldom comes on top of my list when picking my choice of sounds. Prejudice stems from this notion that most Pop songs are either too cheesy, its lyrics too shallow or the vocalist, too over the top. Personal preference also dictates that I should avoid the mainstream. For this reason, seldom will you hear me listen to Britney Spears or refuse any beats from Nicki Minaj, not because I look down on their music but because everyone includes them in their playlist.

But there are exception to the rules. Like when an artist - such as Madonna transcends her music style from Ballad to Electronica or Pink, whose lyrics scrape the barrel of human emotions. Or when Katy Perry uses her wispy voice to evoke an ambient state of mind. There are also days when I come across tunes that are familiarly infectious but they never reach the local airwaves. Such is when a fellow blogger (Cigarette Butts and Senseless Tangenialities) share some picks from the recently concluded Eurovision Song Contest held in Düsseldorf, Germany.    

The Eurovision Contest is like the American Idol of the United States, except that nations actually compete to pick the champion. Countries in Europe take this event very seriously and its live telecast garners millions of votes across the continent.  This year's winner came from Azerbaijan, a country who just sent its first representative very recently.  The song "Running Scared" by Eldar and Nigar caught the hearts of judges, as well as viewers that the duo was catapulted at the top spot by the end of the final voting.

I would leave the interpretation of the song with you.  Also pay close attention to the stage, including the layout of the whole stadium. More than the "oh, ohs," and the LSS-inducing chorus, the overall presentation leaves the viewers spellbound.