Road to Baku 2012: Ivi Adamou – “La La Love” (Cyprus)

Time now for another island nation hoping to turn its luck around. Cyprus are second only to Spain as the country who have been waiting longest for a win, with this year being their 30th entry. The semi-final system has – perhaps by luck – not been good for Cyprus, and have only managed to qualify once (in 2010) since they came in.

Cyprus are probably best known – even to casual fans – for their long-standing voting symbiosis with Greece, wherein the two countries trade the maximum “douze points”. You have to go back to 1996 for the last time this didn’t happen.

Greece perhaps doesn’t need as much help, but Cyprus have struggled recently. In fairness they have had a string of OK but not amazing entries (though I really liked their last qualifier “Life looks better in Spring”). So what is to be done?

Cannily they have drawn ‘inspiration’ from modern dance-pop hits, and their entry this year sounds like a halfway house between J.Lo’s “On the floor” and the spate of balkan dance hits by Inna and similar artist. They can’t quite pull off the national identity card like their neighbour Greece, so I don’t blame them for being a bit of a sell-out this year.

Ivi is a decent enough singer, but like J.Lo and Inna mentioned, it really could be anybody singing. It’s not a very ‘singy’ song, she just needs to hit the notes and remember the inevitably frantic dance routine, and she could have a hit on her hands. It’s at least the most positive I’ve felt for a Cypriot entry’s chances for quite a while.

Qualification should be likely enough, maybe it will surprise us all and give the island its biggest success to date.