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  <channel>
    <fireside:hostname>web02.fireside.fm</fireside:hostname>
    <fireside:genDate>Wed, 27 May 2026 09:49:50 -0500</fireside:genDate>
    <generator>Fireside (https://fireside.fm)</generator>
    <title>Eurovision Song Context - Episodes Tagged with “Eurovision Podcast”</title>
    <link>https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/tags/eurovision%20podcast</link>
    <pubDate>Mon, 18 May 2026 20:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
    <description>We start with expertise and end up in Eurovision. It’s kind of our thing. Eurovision Song Context is a monthly podcast that looks at the Eurovision Song Contest through an unexpected lens: expert insight. Each episode, a guest from a different field — psychology, fashion, politics, design, linguistics, and more — talk about their work and how it helps us understand 2–3 Eurovision entries in a whole new light. Are these songs genuinely good? So bad they’re good? Or just weirdly unforgettable? Longform episodes come out on the 12th of every month (the "douzeth"). We're where brilliant minds meet bad key changes.</description>
    <language>en-us</language>
    <itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type>
    <itunes:subtitle>A podcast where we bring in smart people. We talk about smart things, then veer into glitter, wind machines, and geopolitics. Experts. Insight. Eurovision chaos.</itunes:subtitle>
    <itunes:author>Bradley Dalton-Oates</itunes:author>
    <itunes:summary>We start with expertise and end up in Eurovision. It’s kind of our thing. Eurovision Song Context is a monthly podcast that looks at the Eurovision Song Contest through an unexpected lens: expert insight. Each episode, a guest from a different field — psychology, fashion, politics, design, linguistics, and more — talk about their work and how it helps us understand 2–3 Eurovision entries in a whole new light. Are these songs genuinely good? So bad they’re good? Or just weirdly unforgettable? Longform episodes come out on the 12th of every month (the "douzeth"). We're where brilliant minds meet bad key changes.</itunes:summary>
    <itunes:image href="https://media24.fireside.fm/file/fireside-images-2024/podcasts/images/b/bb1b3a86-681b-4771-9aed-5e5fd06cb3ae/cover.jpg?v=1"/>
    <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
    <itunes:keywords>Eurovision, music, expert analysis, Europe, music, arts, culture, ESC</itunes:keywords>
    <itunes:owner>
      <itunes:name>Bradley Dalton-Oates</itunes:name>
      <itunes:email>eurovisionsongcontext@gmail.com</itunes:email>
    </itunes:owner>
<itunes:category text="Arts"/>
<itunes:category text="Music"/>
<itunes:category text="Society &amp; Culture">
  <itunes:category text="Places &amp; Travel"/>
</itunes:category>
<item>
  <title>Episode 88: Eurovision 2026 Recap: Serviceable Songs &amp; Potato Salad</title>
  <link>https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/88</link>
  <guid isPermaLink="false">4c97fe84-e54c-4cd2-9560-2fd741174992</guid>
  <pubDate>Mon, 18 May 2026 20:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
  <author>Bradley Dalton-Oates</author>
  <enclosure url="https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/bb1b3a86-681b-4771-9aed-5e5fd06cb3ae/4c97fe84-e54c-4cd2-9560-2fd741174992.mp3" length="77183789" type="audio/mpeg"/>
  <itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType>
  <itunes:author>Bradley Dalton-Oates</itunes:author>
  <itunes:subtitle>In this Eurovision 2026 recap episode, Bradley and Sheldon unpack Bulgaria’s controversial victory and ask a bigger question: is Eurovision still really a song contest, or has it become a spectacle-first television event?

Drawing on Sheldon’s background in music and songwriting, the conversation explores why some technically stronger songs struggled while louder, more visually aggressive entries dominated the scoreboard. Along the way, they debate craftsmanship versus staging, authenticity versus trend-chasing, and whether modern Eurovision audiences are rewarding songs or simply rewarding moments.

The episode moves beyond rankings into broader discussions about:

why “serviceable” pop songs often outperform more sophisticated compositions
how artists build audience connection on live television
whether Eurovision entries should culturally represent their countries
the role of televoting, attention spans, TikTok-era performance styles, and spectacle
why some songs endure emotionally while others feel disposable

Bradley and Sheldon also discuss standout entries from Malta, Greece, Moldova, Switzerland, the UK, and Bulgaria, along with the emotional and cross-generational appeal that continues to keep Eurovision alive more than 70 years after it began.

Part music criticism, part cultural analysis, and part post-Eurovision therapy session, this episode asks what audiences actually want from Eurovision and whether the contest’s future lies in craftsmanship, chaos, or somewhere in between.</itunes:subtitle>
  <itunes:duration>1:20:23</itunes:duration>
  <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
  <itunes:image href="https://media24.fireside.fm/file/fireside-images-2024/podcasts/images/b/bb1b3a86-681b-4771-9aed-5e5fd06cb3ae/cover.jpg?v=1"/>
  <description>&lt;p&gt;See the 2026 Grand Final here!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYEIv2qhYAI" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYEIv2qhYAI&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
</description>
  <itunes:keywords>Eurovision, Eurovision 2026, Eurovision podcast, Bulgaria Eurovision, Bangaranga, Malta Eurovision, Aidan, Veronica Fusaro, Switzerland Eurovision, Delta Goodrem, Look Mum No Computer, Moldova Eurovision, Greece Eurovision, Eurovision recap, music criticism, songwriting, pop music, televote, jury vote, Eurovision fandom, Eurovision staging, audience psychology, cultural analysis</itunes:keywords>
  <content:encoded>
    <![CDATA[<p>See the 2026 Grand Final here!</p>

<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYEIv2qhYAI" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYEIv2qhYAI</a></p>]]>
  </content:encoded>
  <itunes:summary>
    <![CDATA[<p>See the 2026 Grand Final here!</p>

<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYEIv2qhYAI" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYEIv2qhYAI</a></p>]]>
  </itunes:summary>
</item>
<item>
  <title>Episode 87: Post Semifinal 2026 Chat: Bloodbath in the Semis</title>
  <link>https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/87</link>
  <guid isPermaLink="false">c118185a-57c0-4222-9001-fd6d3cd016ef</guid>
  <pubDate>Thu, 14 May 2026 20:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
  <author>Bradley Dalton-Oates</author>
  <enclosure url="https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/bb1b3a86-681b-4771-9aed-5e5fd06cb3ae/c118185a-57c0-4222-9001-fd6d3cd016ef.mp3" length="32671972" type="audio/mpeg"/>
  <itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType>
  <itunes:author>Bradley Dalton-Oates</itunes:author>
  <itunes:subtitle>Emergency Eurovision therapy session after Semi-Final 2. We discuss the shock non-qualifiers, robbed entries, staging disasters, presenter chaos, cargo shorts, and which songs might actually survive into Eurovision history. Featuring reactions to Veronica Fusaro, Delta Goodrem, Alicja, Jonas Lovv, Senhit and more as we try to emotionally recover before the Grand Final.</itunes:subtitle>
  <itunes:duration>34:01</itunes:duration>
  <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
  <itunes:image href="https://media24.fireside.fm/file/fireside-images-2024/podcasts/images/b/bb1b3a86-681b-4771-9aed-5e5fd06cb3ae/cover.jpg?v=1"/>
  <description>&lt;p&gt;Eurovision 2026 Semifinal 1:&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy510SZZDw4" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy510SZZDw4&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Eurovision 2026 Semifinal 2:&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeLS4psFNqQ" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeLS4psFNqQ&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The Eurovision semi-final bloodbath has concluded and morale is low.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;In this emergency reaction episode, we immediately unpack the chaos of Semi-Final 2: the shock non-qualifiers, the songs we think Europe got catastrophically wrong, and whether this year’s Grand Final is shaping up to be iconic… or weirdly mid.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Topics include:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The entries we’re genuinely devastated to lose&lt;br&gt;
Why some performances connected instantly while others felt strangely airless&lt;br&gt;
Poland’s staging and vocals&lt;br&gt;
Whether Finland is now inevitable&lt;br&gt;
The “cargo shorts” epidemic&lt;br&gt;
Eurovision production, presenters, and the return of deeply questionable disco tailoring&lt;br&gt;
Moldova as chaos candidate&lt;br&gt;
The songs we think people will still remember in three years&lt;br&gt;
Why Eurovision fans may actually be masochists&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Featuring strong opinions on:&lt;br&gt;
Eurovision Song Contest 2026, Poland, Finland, Moldova, Ukraine, Greece, Australia, and several songs we’re still actively grieving.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If your favourite got flattened in the semis: condolences. We’re suffering together. &lt;/p&gt;
</description>
  <itunes:keywords>Eurovision, ESC2026, Eurovision Podcast, Eurovision SF2, Eurovision Reaction, Delta Goodrem, Eclipse, Veronica Fusaro, Alice, Alicja, Pray, Senhit, Superstar, Jonas Lovv, Ya Ya Ya, Akylas, Ferto, Fire Saga, Vienna 2026</itunes:keywords>
  <content:encoded>
    <![CDATA[<p>Eurovision 2026 Semifinal 1:<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy510SZZDw4" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy510SZZDw4</a></p>

<p>Eurovision 2026 Semifinal 2:<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeLS4psFNqQ" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeLS4psFNqQ</a></p>

<p>The Eurovision semi-final bloodbath has concluded and morale is low.</p>

<p>In this emergency reaction episode, we immediately unpack the chaos of Semi-Final 2: the shock non-qualifiers, the songs we think Europe got catastrophically wrong, and whether this year’s Grand Final is shaping up to be iconic… or weirdly mid.</p>

<p>Topics include:</p>

<p>The entries we’re genuinely devastated to lose<br>
Why some performances connected instantly while others felt strangely airless<br>
Poland’s staging and vocals<br>
Whether Finland is now inevitable<br>
The “cargo shorts” epidemic<br>
Eurovision production, presenters, and the return of deeply questionable disco tailoring<br>
Moldova as chaos candidate<br>
The songs we think people will still remember in three years<br>
Why Eurovision fans may actually be masochists</p>

<p>Featuring strong opinions on:<br>
Eurovision Song Contest 2026, Poland, Finland, Moldova, Ukraine, Greece, Australia, and several songs we’re still actively grieving.</p>

<p>If your favourite got flattened in the semis: condolences. We’re suffering together.</p>]]>
  </content:encoded>
  <itunes:summary>
    <![CDATA[<p>Eurovision 2026 Semifinal 1:<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy510SZZDw4" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy510SZZDw4</a></p>

<p>Eurovision 2026 Semifinal 2:<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeLS4psFNqQ" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeLS4psFNqQ</a></p>

<p>The Eurovision semi-final bloodbath has concluded and morale is low.</p>

<p>In this emergency reaction episode, we immediately unpack the chaos of Semi-Final 2: the shock non-qualifiers, the songs we think Europe got catastrophically wrong, and whether this year’s Grand Final is shaping up to be iconic… or weirdly mid.</p>

<p>Topics include:</p>

<p>The entries we’re genuinely devastated to lose<br>
Why some performances connected instantly while others felt strangely airless<br>
Poland’s staging and vocals<br>
Whether Finland is now inevitable<br>
The “cargo shorts” epidemic<br>
Eurovision production, presenters, and the return of deeply questionable disco tailoring<br>
Moldova as chaos candidate<br>
The songs we think people will still remember in three years<br>
Why Eurovision fans may actually be masochists</p>

<p>Featuring strong opinions on:<br>
Eurovision Song Contest 2026, Poland, Finland, Moldova, Ukraine, Greece, Australia, and several songs we’re still actively grieving.</p>

<p>If your favourite got flattened in the semis: condolences. We’re suffering together.</p>]]>
  </itunes:summary>
</item>
<item>
  <title>Episode 86: ESC 2026 Turquoise Carpet: Alternative Commentary Track</title>
  <link>https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/86</link>
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  <pubDate>Sun, 10 May 2026 17:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
  <author>Bradley Dalton-Oates</author>
  <enclosure url="https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/bb1b3a86-681b-4771-9aed-5e5fd06cb3ae/3a47bcaa-bdfc-4f65-9511-63301d37a787.mp3" length="118223614" type="audio/mpeg"/>
  <itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType>
  <itunes:author>Bradley Dalton-Oates</itunes:author>
  <itunes:subtitle>Our annual Eurovision Turquoise Carpet commentary experiment returns.

Open the official Eurovision 2026 Turquoise Carpet stream, start this episode, and when we say “GO,” press play on the video and mute the official commentary.

This year, Bradley, Susie Russ, and Russ provide an alternative live commentary track covering the fashion, staging, crowd energy, camera work, and general Eurovision chaos of Vienna 2026.

No official audio is included because of copyright, so this episode is designed to be played alongside the official stream.

Cut the sound. Watch the images. Let Vienna wash over you.</itunes:subtitle>
  <itunes:duration>2:03:08</itunes:duration>
  <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
  <itunes:image href="https://media24.fireside.fm/file/fireside-images-2024/podcasts/images/b/bb1b3a86-681b-4771-9aed-5e5fd06cb3ae/cover.jpg?v=1"/>
  <description>&lt;p&gt;Eurovision Song Context presents our annual Turquoise Carpet commentary experiment.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Here’s how this works:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Open the official Eurovision 2026 Turquoise Carpet video.&lt;br&gt;
Start this episode.&lt;br&gt;
When we say “GO,” press play on the video and mute the official commentary.&lt;br&gt;
Watch the visuals while listening to us instead.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The official Eurovision Turquoise Carpet:&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hPqh_Ezg3k&amp;amp;t=3538s" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hPqh_Ezg3k&amp;amp;t=3538s&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;This year’s turquoise carpet comes from Vienna, and compared to Basel 2025, the entire production feels dramatically more optimized for television: tighter camera work, stronger crowd energy, better pacing, more spectacle, more fashion, more drama.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;So Bradley, Susie Russ, and Russ watch the entire thing live and provide an alternative commentary track covering:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;fashion&lt;br&gt;
staging&lt;br&gt;
camera choices&lt;br&gt;
crowd energy&lt;br&gt;
Eurovision absurdity&lt;br&gt;
orchestral grandeur&lt;br&gt;
random cultural tangents&lt;br&gt;
and whether various outfits belong at the Met Gala, the CMAs, or Hobby Lobby&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;No official audio is included because of copyright, so this episode is designed to be played alongside the official stream.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;When instructed:&lt;br&gt;
Cut the sound. Watch the images. Let Vienna wash over you.&lt;/p&gt;

Eurovision #ESC2026 #Vienna2026 #TurquoiseCarpet
</description>
  <itunes:keywords>Eurovision, Eurovision 2026, ESC 2026, Vienna 2026, Eurovision Song Contest, Turquoise Carpet, Eurovision Turquoise Carpet, Eurovision fashion, Eurovision commentary, Eurovision podcast, Eurovision reaction, Eurovision live commentary, Eurovision watchalong, Eurovision Vienna, ESC podcast, Eurovision fans, Eurovision analysis, Eurovision outfits, Eurovision staging, Eurovision 2026 Vienna, Eurovision community, Susie Russ, Eurovision media,</itunes:keywords>
  <content:encoded>
    <![CDATA[<p>Eurovision Song Context presents our annual Turquoise Carpet commentary experiment.</p>

<p>Here’s how this works:</p>

<p>Open the official Eurovision 2026 Turquoise Carpet video.<br>
Start this episode.<br>
When we say “GO,” press play on the video and mute the official commentary.<br>
Watch the visuals while listening to us instead.</p>

<p>The official Eurovision Turquoise Carpet:<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hPqh_Ezg3k&amp;t=3538s" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hPqh_Ezg3k&amp;t=3538s</a></p>

<p>This year’s turquoise carpet comes from Vienna, and compared to Basel 2025, the entire production feels dramatically more optimized for television: tighter camera work, stronger crowd energy, better pacing, more spectacle, more fashion, more drama.</p>

<p>So Bradley, Susie Russ, and Russ watch the entire thing live and provide an alternative commentary track covering:</p>

<p>fashion<br>
staging<br>
camera choices<br>
crowd energy<br>
Eurovision absurdity<br>
orchestral grandeur<br>
random cultural tangents<br>
and whether various outfits belong at the Met Gala, the CMAs, or Hobby Lobby</p>

<p>No official audio is included because of copyright, so this episode is designed to be played alongside the official stream.</p>

<p>When instructed:<br>
Cut the sound. Watch the images. Let Vienna wash over you.</p>

Eurovision #ESC2026 #Vienna2026 #TurquoiseCarpet]]>
  </content:encoded>
  <itunes:summary>
    <![CDATA[<p>Eurovision Song Context presents our annual Turquoise Carpet commentary experiment.</p>

<p>Here’s how this works:</p>

<p>Open the official Eurovision 2026 Turquoise Carpet video.<br>
Start this episode.<br>
When we say “GO,” press play on the video and mute the official commentary.<br>
Watch the visuals while listening to us instead.</p>

<p>The official Eurovision Turquoise Carpet:<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hPqh_Ezg3k&amp;t=3538s" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hPqh_Ezg3k&amp;t=3538s</a></p>

<p>This year’s turquoise carpet comes from Vienna, and compared to Basel 2025, the entire production feels dramatically more optimized for television: tighter camera work, stronger crowd energy, better pacing, more spectacle, more fashion, more drama.</p>

<p>So Bradley, Susie Russ, and Russ watch the entire thing live and provide an alternative commentary track covering:</p>

<p>fashion<br>
staging<br>
camera choices<br>
crowd energy<br>
Eurovision absurdity<br>
orchestral grandeur<br>
random cultural tangents<br>
and whether various outfits belong at the Met Gala, the CMAs, or Hobby Lobby</p>

<p>No official audio is included because of copyright, so this episode is designed to be played alongside the official stream.</p>

<p>When instructed:<br>
Cut the sound. Watch the images. Let Vienna wash over you.</p>

Eurovision #ESC2026 #Vienna2026 #TurquoiseCarpet]]>
  </itunes:summary>
</item>
<item>
  <title>Episode 85: Eurovision 2026 w Suzie: The Good, The Bad, and the Absolute Hell Not</title>
  <link>https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/85</link>
  <guid isPermaLink="false">0db1b3db-169f-4b4d-a891-0bbc95c2a139</guid>
  <pubDate>Mon, 04 May 2026 11:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
  <author>Bradley Dalton-Oates</author>
  <enclosure url="https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/bb1b3a86-681b-4771-9aed-5e5fd06cb3ae/0db1b3db-169f-4b4d-a891-0bbc95c2a139.mp3" length="62798050" type="audio/mpeg"/>
  <itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType>
  <itunes:author>Bradley Dalton-Oates</itunes:author>
  <itunes:subtitle>This week’s episode is a late-night Eurovision catch-up with Suzie from Euro Riffs, as we go through this year’s entries with zero structure and very strong opinions.

We cover the songs we love, the ones that might grow on us, and the ones that absolutely should not be anywhere near the final. Along the way: Switzerland’s “too good for Eurovision” moment, Moldova doing what Moldova always does, staging worries, guilty pleasures, and one entry that sparks a full-on rant.

If you’ve been listening to the 2026 lineup and trying to figure out what actually works, this is the unfiltered version.</itunes:subtitle>
  <itunes:duration>1:05:24</itunes:duration>
  <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
  <itunes:image href="https://media24.fireside.fm/file/fireside-images-2024/podcasts/images/b/bb1b3a86-681b-4771-9aed-5e5fd06cb3ae/cover.jpg?v=1"/>
  <description>&lt;p&gt;This week’s episode is a late-night Eurovision catch-up with Suzie from Euro Riffs, as we go through this year’s entries with zero structure and very strong opinions.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;We cover the songs we love, the ones that might grow on us, and the ones that absolutely should not be anywhere near the final. Along the way: Switzerland’s “too good for Eurovision” moment, Moldova doing what Moldova always does, staging worries, guilty pleasures, and one entry that sparks a full-on rant.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If you’ve been listening to the 2026 lineup and trying to figure out what actually works, this is the unfiltered version.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;🎵 Songs Covered&lt;br&gt;
Switzerland – “Alice” by Veronica Fusaro&lt;br&gt;
Armenia – “Paloma Rumba” by Simón&lt;br&gt;
Lithuania – “Sólo quiero más” by Lion Ceccah&lt;br&gt;
Moldova – “Viva, Moldova!” by Satoshi&lt;br&gt;
Belgium – “Dancing on the Ice” by Essyla&lt;br&gt;
Austria – “Tanzschein” by Cosmó&lt;br&gt;
Estonia – “Too Epic to Be True” by Vanilla Ninja&lt;br&gt;
Germany – “Fire” by Sarah Engels&lt;br&gt;
Sweden – “My System” by Felicia Eriksson&lt;br&gt;
San Marino – “Superstar” by Senhit (feat. Boy George)&lt;br&gt;
United Kingdom – “Eins, Zwei, Drei” by Sam Battle&lt;br&gt;
Malta – “Bella” by Aidan Cassar&lt;br&gt;
Greece – “Ferto” by Akylas Mytilinaios&lt;br&gt;
Denmark – “Før vi går hjem” by Søren Torpegaard Lund&lt;br&gt;
Finland – “Liekinheitin” by Linda Lampenius &amp;amp; Pete Parkkonen&lt;br&gt;
France – “Regarde !” by Monroe &lt;/p&gt;
</description>
  <itunes:keywords>Eurovision 2026, Eurovision Song Contest 2026, ESC 2026, Eurovision songs, Eurovision entries, Eurovision review, Eurovision reactions, Eurovision podcast, Eurovision rankings, Eurovision favorites, Eurovision flops, Eurovision guilty pleasures, Eurovision commentary, Veronica Fusaro Alice, Simón Paloma Rumba, Lion Ceccah Solo Quiero Más, Satoshi Viva Moldova, Essyla Dancing on the Ice, Cosmo Tanzschein, Vanilla Ninja Too Epic to Be True, Sarah Engels Fire, Felicia My System, Senhit Superstar, Boy George Eurovision, Look Mum No Computer Eins Zwei Drei, Aidan Bella, Akylas Ferto, Soren Torpegaard Lund, Linda Lampenius Liekinheitin, Monroe Regarde</itunes:keywords>
  <content:encoded>
    <![CDATA[<p>This week’s episode is a late-night Eurovision catch-up with Suzie from Euro Riffs, as we go through this year’s entries with zero structure and very strong opinions.</p>

<p>We cover the songs we love, the ones that might grow on us, and the ones that absolutely should not be anywhere near the final. Along the way: Switzerland’s “too good for Eurovision” moment, Moldova doing what Moldova always does, staging worries, guilty pleasures, and one entry that sparks a full-on rant.</p>

<p>If you’ve been listening to the 2026 lineup and trying to figure out what actually works, this is the unfiltered version.</p>

<p>🎵 Songs Covered<br>
Switzerland – “Alice” by Veronica Fusaro<br>
Armenia – “Paloma Rumba” by Simón<br>
Lithuania – “Sólo quiero más” by Lion Ceccah<br>
Moldova – “Viva, Moldova!” by Satoshi<br>
Belgium – “Dancing on the Ice” by Essyla<br>
Austria – “Tanzschein” by Cosmó<br>
Estonia – “Too Epic to Be True” by Vanilla Ninja<br>
Germany – “Fire” by Sarah Engels<br>
Sweden – “My System” by Felicia Eriksson<br>
San Marino – “Superstar” by Senhit (feat. Boy George)<br>
United Kingdom – “Eins, Zwei, Drei” by Sam Battle<br>
Malta – “Bella” by Aidan Cassar<br>
Greece – “Ferto” by Akylas Mytilinaios<br>
Denmark – “Før vi går hjem” by Søren Torpegaard Lund<br>
Finland – “Liekinheitin” by Linda Lampenius &amp; Pete Parkkonen<br>
France – “Regarde !” by Monroe</p>]]>
  </content:encoded>
  <itunes:summary>
    <![CDATA[<p>This week’s episode is a late-night Eurovision catch-up with Suzie from Euro Riffs, as we go through this year’s entries with zero structure and very strong opinions.</p>

<p>We cover the songs we love, the ones that might grow on us, and the ones that absolutely should not be anywhere near the final. Along the way: Switzerland’s “too good for Eurovision” moment, Moldova doing what Moldova always does, staging worries, guilty pleasures, and one entry that sparks a full-on rant.</p>

<p>If you’ve been listening to the 2026 lineup and trying to figure out what actually works, this is the unfiltered version.</p>

<p>🎵 Songs Covered<br>
Switzerland – “Alice” by Veronica Fusaro<br>
Armenia – “Paloma Rumba” by Simón<br>
Lithuania – “Sólo quiero más” by Lion Ceccah<br>
Moldova – “Viva, Moldova!” by Satoshi<br>
Belgium – “Dancing on the Ice” by Essyla<br>
Austria – “Tanzschein” by Cosmó<br>
Estonia – “Too Epic to Be True” by Vanilla Ninja<br>
Germany – “Fire” by Sarah Engels<br>
Sweden – “My System” by Felicia Eriksson<br>
San Marino – “Superstar” by Senhit (feat. Boy George)<br>
United Kingdom – “Eins, Zwei, Drei” by Sam Battle<br>
Malta – “Bella” by Aidan Cassar<br>
Greece – “Ferto” by Akylas Mytilinaios<br>
Denmark – “Før vi går hjem” by Søren Torpegaard Lund<br>
Finland – “Liekinheitin” by Linda Lampenius &amp; Pete Parkkonen<br>
France – “Regarde !” by Monroe</p>]]>
  </itunes:summary>
</item>
<item>
  <title>Episode 84: Eurovision 2026: This Feels Off- with Mark Bowden</title>
  <link>https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/84</link>
  <guid isPermaLink="false">455f520a-0b7f-4494-82a2-e5149000b1b5</guid>
  <pubDate>Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
  <author>Bradley Dalton-Oates</author>
  <enclosure url="https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/bb1b3a86-681b-4771-9aed-5e5fd06cb3ae/455f520a-0b7f-4494-82a2-e5149000b1b5.mp3" length="132236706" type="audio/mpeg"/>
  <itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType>
  <itunes:author>Bradley Dalton-Oates</itunes:author>
  <itunes:subtitle>Bradley is joined by Mark Bowden to break down key Eurovision 2026 entries through a body language lens. Together, they analyze the UK’s “Look Mum No Computer,” Senhit’s star-powered “Superstar” (and whether bringing in Boy George can succeed where Flo Rida didn’t), and the current front-runners from France and Finland. They explore what performers signal on stage, why some acts connect instantly, and how confidence, authenticity, and staging can make or break a result.</itunes:subtitle>
  <itunes:duration>1:08:51</itunes:duration>
  <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
  <itunes:image href="https://media24.fireside.fm/file/fireside-images-2024/podcasts/images/b/bb1b3a86-681b-4771-9aed-5e5fd06cb3ae/cover.jpg?v=1"/>
  <description>&lt;p&gt;Episode References&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;United Kingdom – Look Mum No Computer:&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niMKvJ-Itq8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niMKvJ-Itq8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;San Marino – Senhit (Adrenalina, Live 2021):&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOQe-fQSFxg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOQe-fQSFxg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;San Marino – Senhit ‘Superstar’ (National Performance 2026):&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOQe-fQSFxg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOQe-fQSFxg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Boy George – ‘Miss Me Blind’ (see approx. 1:07:12):&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkDWe3xS718" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkDWe3xS718&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;France – Monroe ‘Regarde !’:&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujoCYrvvTYQ" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujoCYrvvTYQ&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Finland – Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen ‘Liekinheitin’:&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bfwNIYb96Q" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bfwNIYb96Q&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Eurovision Odds:&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://eurovisionworld.com/odds/eurovision" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://eurovisionworld.com/odds/eurovision&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Episode 66, Mark talks ESC 2025:&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Episodes 38/19, Mark talks ESC 2024:&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=4" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=4&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Boy George Interview:&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EgT39WsFf0&amp;amp;t=13s" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EgT39WsFf0&amp;amp;t=13s&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Mark Bowden&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Official site:&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://truthplane.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://truthplane.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Mark's Truth and Lies: What People Are Really Thinking&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.amazon.com/Truth-Lies-People-Really-Thinking-ebook/dp/B072L52J3D/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3W19IBJF1NRZK&amp;amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gg3FDkL8MMtgU7OW_-lBvDDi4pT47WY8dCZwgx1HxlIb5pGIsIFV6tA1NDyswSQia-F94q14CLEsOAH839MdIPI9eRDgDHanfTYk6oaLjTM.Ziln-trJvfT61cPzwGZwpGvG5g-3iAzjXHn8W6v3CsI&amp;amp;dib_tag=se&amp;amp;keywords=mark+bowden+book%2C+truth+and+lies&amp;amp;qid=1776132760&amp;amp;sprefix=mark+bowden+book%2C+truth+and+lie%2Caps%2C156&amp;amp;sr=8-1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.amazon.com/Truth-Lies-People-Really-Thinking-ebook/dp/B072L52J3D/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3W19IBJF1NRZK&amp;amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gg3FDkL8MMtgU7OW_-lBvDDi4pT47WY8dCZwgx1HxlIb5pGIsIFV6tA1NDyswSQia-F94q14CLEsOAH839MdIPI9eRDgDHanfTYk6oaLjTM.Ziln-trJvfT61cPzwGZwpGvG5g-3iAzjXHn8W6v3CsI&amp;amp;dib_tag=se&amp;amp;keywords=mark+bowden+book%2C+truth+and+lies&amp;amp;qid=1776132760&amp;amp;sprefix=mark+bowden+book%2C+truth+and+lie%2Caps%2C156&amp;amp;sr=8-1&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
</description>
  <itunes:keywords>Eurovision 2026, Eurovision Song Contest, Eurovision podcast, Eurovision analysis, Eurovision performance, Eurovision staging, Eurovision body language, body language in performance, nonverbal communication, Mark Bowden, human behavior, reading people, stage presence, performance psychology, audience perception, jury vs televote, Eurovision predictions, Eurovision insights, why performances succeed, live performance analysis, communication and behavior, signals and perception, Eurovision contestants 2026</itunes:keywords>
  <content:encoded>
    <![CDATA[<p>Episode References</p>

<p>United Kingdom – Look Mum No Computer:<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niMKvJ-Itq8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niMKvJ-Itq8</a></p>

<p>San Marino – Senhit (Adrenalina, Live 2021):<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOQe-fQSFxg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOQe-fQSFxg</a></p>

<p>San Marino – Senhit ‘Superstar’ (National Performance 2026):<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOQe-fQSFxg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOQe-fQSFxg</a></p>

<p>Boy George – ‘Miss Me Blind’ (see approx. 1:07:12):<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkDWe3xS718" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkDWe3xS718</a></p>

<p>France – Monroe ‘Regarde !’:<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujoCYrvvTYQ" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujoCYrvvTYQ</a></p>

<p>Finland – Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen ‘Liekinheitin’:<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bfwNIYb96Q" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bfwNIYb96Q</a></p>

<p>Eurovision Odds:<br>
<a href="https://eurovisionworld.com/odds/eurovision" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://eurovisionworld.com/odds/eurovision</a></p>

<p>Episode 66, Mark talks ESC 2025:<br>
<a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2</a></p>

<p>Episodes 38/19, Mark talks ESC 2024:<br>
<a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=4" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=4</a></p>

<p>Boy George Interview:<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EgT39WsFf0&amp;t=13s" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EgT39WsFf0&amp;t=13s</a></p>

<p>Mark Bowden</p>

<p>Official site:<br>
<a href="https://truthplane.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://truthplane.com/</a></p>

<p>Mark's Truth and Lies: What People Are Really Thinking<br>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Truth-Lies-People-Really-Thinking-ebook/dp/B072L52J3D/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3W19IBJF1NRZK&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gg3FDkL8MMtgU7OW_-lBvDDi4pT47WY8dCZwgx1HxlIb5pGIsIFV6tA1NDyswSQia-F94q14CLEsOAH839MdIPI9eRDgDHanfTYk6oaLjTM.Ziln-trJvfT61cPzwGZwpGvG5g-3iAzjXHn8W6v3CsI&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=mark+bowden+book%2C+truth+and+lies&amp;qid=1776132760&amp;sprefix=mark+bowden+book%2C+truth+and+lie%2Caps%2C156&amp;sr=8-1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.amazon.com/Truth-Lies-People-Really-Thinking-ebook/dp/B072L52J3D/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3W19IBJF1NRZK&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gg3FDkL8MMtgU7OW_-lBvDDi4pT47WY8dCZwgx1HxlIb5pGIsIFV6tA1NDyswSQia-F94q14CLEsOAH839MdIPI9eRDgDHanfTYk6oaLjTM.Ziln-trJvfT61cPzwGZwpGvG5g-3iAzjXHn8W6v3CsI&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=mark+bowden+book%2C+truth+and+lies&amp;qid=1776132760&amp;sprefix=mark+bowden+book%2C+truth+and+lie%2Caps%2C156&amp;sr=8-1</a></p>]]>
  </content:encoded>
  <itunes:summary>
    <![CDATA[<p>Episode References</p>

<p>United Kingdom – Look Mum No Computer:<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niMKvJ-Itq8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niMKvJ-Itq8</a></p>

<p>San Marino – Senhit (Adrenalina, Live 2021):<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOQe-fQSFxg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOQe-fQSFxg</a></p>

<p>San Marino – Senhit ‘Superstar’ (National Performance 2026):<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOQe-fQSFxg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOQe-fQSFxg</a></p>

<p>Boy George – ‘Miss Me Blind’ (see approx. 1:07:12):<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkDWe3xS718" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkDWe3xS718</a></p>

<p>France – Monroe ‘Regarde !’:<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujoCYrvvTYQ" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujoCYrvvTYQ</a></p>

<p>Finland – Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen ‘Liekinheitin’:<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bfwNIYb96Q" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bfwNIYb96Q</a></p>

<p>Eurovision Odds:<br>
<a href="https://eurovisionworld.com/odds/eurovision" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://eurovisionworld.com/odds/eurovision</a></p>

<p>Episode 66, Mark talks ESC 2025:<br>
<a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2</a></p>

<p>Episodes 38/19, Mark talks ESC 2024:<br>
<a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=4" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=4</a></p>

<p>Boy George Interview:<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EgT39WsFf0&amp;t=13s" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EgT39WsFf0&amp;t=13s</a></p>

<p>Mark Bowden</p>

<p>Official site:<br>
<a href="https://truthplane.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://truthplane.com/</a></p>

<p>Mark's Truth and Lies: What People Are Really Thinking<br>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Truth-Lies-People-Really-Thinking-ebook/dp/B072L52J3D/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3W19IBJF1NRZK&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gg3FDkL8MMtgU7OW_-lBvDDi4pT47WY8dCZwgx1HxlIb5pGIsIFV6tA1NDyswSQia-F94q14CLEsOAH839MdIPI9eRDgDHanfTYk6oaLjTM.Ziln-trJvfT61cPzwGZwpGvG5g-3iAzjXHn8W6v3CsI&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=mark+bowden+book%2C+truth+and+lies&amp;qid=1776132760&amp;sprefix=mark+bowden+book%2C+truth+and+lie%2Caps%2C156&amp;sr=8-1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.amazon.com/Truth-Lies-People-Really-Thinking-ebook/dp/B072L52J3D/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3W19IBJF1NRZK&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gg3FDkL8MMtgU7OW_-lBvDDi4pT47WY8dCZwgx1HxlIb5pGIsIFV6tA1NDyswSQia-F94q14CLEsOAH839MdIPI9eRDgDHanfTYk6oaLjTM.Ziln-trJvfT61cPzwGZwpGvG5g-3iAzjXHn8W6v3CsI&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=mark+bowden+book%2C+truth+and+lies&amp;qid=1776132760&amp;sprefix=mark+bowden+book%2C+truth+and+lie%2Caps%2C156&amp;sr=8-1</a></p>]]>
  </itunes:summary>
</item>
<item>
  <title>Episode 83: Love It or Side Eye: Eurovision 2026 Breakdown with Russ</title>
  <link>https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/83</link>
  <guid isPermaLink="false">90df2dc7-4558-4379-9ead-5db2fd8fb12a</guid>
  <pubDate>Fri, 10 Apr 2026 03:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
  <author>Bradley Dalton-Oates</author>
  <enclosure url="https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/bb1b3a86-681b-4771-9aed-5e5fd06cb3ae/90df2dc7-4558-4379-9ead-5db2fd8fb12a.mp3" length="69429392" type="audio/mpeg"/>
  <itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType>
  <itunes:author>Bradley Dalton-Oates</itunes:author>
  <itunes:subtitle>In this episode, Bradley is joined by Russ from EuroRiffs to go song-by-song through the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 lineup. With minimal editing and maximum honesty, they react to this year’s entries using their “love it, hate it, or side eye” framework.

They discuss standout tracks like Greece’s “Ferto,” question whether big ballads like Australia’s “Eclipse” can land, and debate which songs risk being repetitive, forgettable, or carried entirely by staging. Along the way, they get into jury vs televote dynamics, qualification chances, and why some entries feel unmistakably Eurovision, while others could come from anywhere.

Early predictions, strong opinions, and a few disagreements included.</itunes:subtitle>
  <itunes:duration>1:12:19</itunes:duration>
  <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
  <itunes:image href="https://media24.fireside.fm/file/fireside-images-2024/podcasts/images/b/bb1b3a86-681b-4771-9aed-5e5fd06cb3ae/cover.jpg?v=1"/>
  <description>&lt;p&gt;Bradley is joined by Russ from EuroRiffs to break down the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 lineup. No fluff, no over-editing, just real reactions.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Songs:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Why Greece’s “Ferto” (Akylas) is a top contender&lt;br&gt;
Mixed reactions to Australia’s Delta Goodrem and big ballads this year&lt;br&gt;
Whether songs like Estonia, Norway, and Armenia have enough to qualify&lt;br&gt;
The ongoing debate around lyrics vs performance vs staging&lt;br&gt;
Why some entries feel “very Eurovision”… and others feel like they could come from anywhere&lt;br&gt;
Which songs risk getting lost in the semi-finals—and which might sneak through&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Plus: staging worries, jury vs televote dynamics, and early predictions for who could land top 5—or miss the final entirely.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;🎵 Songs Covered in This Episode&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Sarah Engels – “Fire”&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Sarah+Engels+Fire+Eurovision+2026" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Sarah+Engels+Fire+Eurovision+2026&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
🇫🇷 France&lt;br&gt;
Monroe – “Regarde !”&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Monroe+Regarde+Eurovision+2026" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Monroe+Regarde+Eurovision+2026&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
🇨🇾 Cyprus&lt;br&gt;
Antigoni – “Jalla”&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Antigoni+Jalla+Eurovision+2026" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Antigoni+Jalla+Eurovision+2026&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
🇧🇬 Bulgaria&lt;br&gt;
Dara – “Bangaranga”&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Dara+Bangaranga" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Dara+Bangaranga&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
🇫🇮 Finland&lt;br&gt;
Linda Lampenius &amp;amp; Pete Parkkonen – “Liekinheitin”&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Liekinheitin+Eurovision+2026" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Liekinheitin+Eurovision+2026&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
🇺🇦 Ukraine&lt;br&gt;
Leléka – “Ridnym”&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Leleka+Ridnym" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Leleka+Ridnym&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
🇵🇹 Portugal&lt;br&gt;
Bandidos do Cante – “Rosa”&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Bandidos+do+Cante+Rosa" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Bandidos+do+Cante+Rosa&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
🇬🇧 United Kingdom&lt;br&gt;
Look Mum No Computer – “Eins, Zwei, Drei”&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Look+Mum+No+Computer+Eins+Zwei+Drei" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Look+Mum+No+Computer+Eins+Zwei+Drei&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
</description>
  <itunes:keywords>Eurovision 2026, Eurovision Song Contest, Eurovision podcast, Eurovision review, Eurovision reactions, Eurovision analysis, Eurovision songs 2026, Eurovision favorites, Eurovision predictions, Eurovision semi final, Eurovision final, Eurovision staging, Eurovision jury vs televote, Akylas Ferto, Greece Eurovision 2026, Delta Goodrem Eclipse, Australia Eurovision 2026, Vanilla Ninja Too Epic to Be True, Estonia Eurovision 2026, Jonas Lovv Ya Ya Ya, Norway Eurovision 2026, Simon Paloma Rumba, Armenia Eurovision 2026, Alexandra Capitanescu Choke Me, Romania Eurovision 2026, Felicia My System, Sweden Eurovision 2026, Sarah Engels Fire, Germany Eurovision 2026, Monroe Regarde, France Eurovision 2026, Antigoni Jalla, Cyprus Eurovision 2026, Dara Bangaranga, Bulgaria Eurovision 2026, Liekinheitin Finland Eurovision, Leleka Ridnym, Ukraine Eurovision 2026, Bandidos do Cante Rosa, Portugal Eurovision 2026, Look Mum No Computer Eins Zwei Drei, United Kingdom Eurovision 2026</itunes:keywords>
  <content:encoded>
    <![CDATA[<p>Bradley is joined by Russ from EuroRiffs to break down the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 lineup. No fluff, no over-editing, just real reactions.</p>

<p>Songs:</p>

<p>Why Greece’s “Ferto” (Akylas) is a top contender<br>
Mixed reactions to Australia’s Delta Goodrem and big ballads this year<br>
Whether songs like Estonia, Norway, and Armenia have enough to qualify<br>
The ongoing debate around lyrics vs performance vs staging<br>
Why some entries feel “very Eurovision”… and others feel like they could come from anywhere<br>
Which songs risk getting lost in the semi-finals—and which might sneak through</p>

<p>Plus: staging worries, jury vs televote dynamics, and early predictions for who could land top 5—or miss the final entirely.</p>

<p>🎵 Songs Covered in This Episode</p>

<p>Sarah Engels – “Fire”<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Sarah+Engels+Fire+Eurovision+2026" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Sarah+Engels+Fire+Eurovision+2026</a><br>
🇫🇷 France<br>
Monroe – “Regarde !”<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Monroe+Regarde+Eurovision+2026" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Monroe+Regarde+Eurovision+2026</a><br>
🇨🇾 Cyprus<br>
Antigoni – “Jalla”<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Antigoni+Jalla+Eurovision+2026" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Antigoni+Jalla+Eurovision+2026</a><br>
🇧🇬 Bulgaria<br>
Dara – “Bangaranga”<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Dara+Bangaranga" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Dara+Bangaranga</a><br>
🇫🇮 Finland<br>
Linda Lampenius &amp; Pete Parkkonen – “Liekinheitin”<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Liekinheitin+Eurovision+2026" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Liekinheitin+Eurovision+2026</a><br>
🇺🇦 Ukraine<br>
Leléka – “Ridnym”<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Leleka+Ridnym" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Leleka+Ridnym</a><br>
🇵🇹 Portugal<br>
Bandidos do Cante – “Rosa”<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Bandidos+do+Cante+Rosa" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Bandidos+do+Cante+Rosa</a><br>
🇬🇧 United Kingdom<br>
Look Mum No Computer – “Eins, Zwei, Drei”<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Look+Mum+No+Computer+Eins+Zwei+Drei" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Look+Mum+No+Computer+Eins+Zwei+Drei</a></p>]]>
  </content:encoded>
  <itunes:summary>
    <![CDATA[<p>Bradley is joined by Russ from EuroRiffs to break down the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 lineup. No fluff, no over-editing, just real reactions.</p>

<p>Songs:</p>

<p>Why Greece’s “Ferto” (Akylas) is a top contender<br>
Mixed reactions to Australia’s Delta Goodrem and big ballads this year<br>
Whether songs like Estonia, Norway, and Armenia have enough to qualify<br>
The ongoing debate around lyrics vs performance vs staging<br>
Why some entries feel “very Eurovision”… and others feel like they could come from anywhere<br>
Which songs risk getting lost in the semi-finals—and which might sneak through</p>

<p>Plus: staging worries, jury vs televote dynamics, and early predictions for who could land top 5—or miss the final entirely.</p>

<p>🎵 Songs Covered in This Episode</p>

<p>Sarah Engels – “Fire”<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Sarah+Engels+Fire+Eurovision+2026" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Sarah+Engels+Fire+Eurovision+2026</a><br>
🇫🇷 France<br>
Monroe – “Regarde !”<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Monroe+Regarde+Eurovision+2026" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Monroe+Regarde+Eurovision+2026</a><br>
🇨🇾 Cyprus<br>
Antigoni – “Jalla”<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Antigoni+Jalla+Eurovision+2026" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Antigoni+Jalla+Eurovision+2026</a><br>
🇧🇬 Bulgaria<br>
Dara – “Bangaranga”<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Dara+Bangaranga" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Dara+Bangaranga</a><br>
🇫🇮 Finland<br>
Linda Lampenius &amp; Pete Parkkonen – “Liekinheitin”<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Liekinheitin+Eurovision+2026" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Liekinheitin+Eurovision+2026</a><br>
🇺🇦 Ukraine<br>
Leléka – “Ridnym”<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Leleka+Ridnym" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Leleka+Ridnym</a><br>
🇵🇹 Portugal<br>
Bandidos do Cante – “Rosa”<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Bandidos+do+Cante+Rosa" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Bandidos+do+Cante+Rosa</a><br>
🇬🇧 United Kingdom<br>
Look Mum No Computer – “Eins, Zwei, Drei”<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Look+Mum+No+Computer+Eins+Zwei+Drei" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Look+Mum+No+Computer+Eins+Zwei+Drei</a></p>]]>
  </itunes:summary>
</item>
<item>
  <title>Episode 82: Festival da Canção / SAMAs 2026: Double Sleepy or Deeply Portuguese? with Sheldon Rocha Leal</title>
  <link>https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/82</link>
  <guid isPermaLink="false">62747d66-26cc-4352-a000-a76fe9c99c2c</guid>
  <pubDate>Wed, 25 Mar 2026 13:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
  <author>Bradley Dalton-Oates</author>
  <enclosure url="https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/bb1b3a86-681b-4771-9aed-5e5fd06cb3ae/62747d66-26cc-4352-a000-a76fe9c99c2c.mp3" length="90441454" type="audio/mpeg"/>
  <itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType>
  <itunes:author>Bradley Dalton-Oates</itunes:author>
  <itunes:subtitle>As part of their Eurovision coverage of national finals, Bradley and Sheldon turn to Festival da Canção 2026, breaking down the winner and standout entries including:

Napa – Rosa
Denise Motta – Juré
Sandrino – Disposto a Tudo
João Ribeiro – Canção
Silvana Peres – Não Tem Fim
Nunca Mates o Mandarim – Fumo
Inês Souza – Um Filme ao Contrário

They explore Portugal’s selection, questioning whether authenticity alone is enough to succeed at Eurovision, and unpack recurring themes of nostalgia, restraint, and cultural identity—along with a few pointed critiques of a notably subdued year.

The episode then expands beyond Europe into the South African Music Awards (SAMAs)—with Sheldon bringing first-hand insight as a SAMA jury member. He explains how judging works, how it compares to the Grammys, and what defines success in the South African music industry.

Along the way, they explore amapiano, global music trends, and the challenge of translating local sound to an international audience.

Listen first: We recommend listening to the songs using the link before this episode—then come back for the discussion.</itunes:subtitle>
  <itunes:duration>1:34:12</itunes:duration>
  <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
  <itunes:image href="https://media24.fireside.fm/file/fireside-images-2024/podcasts/images/b/bb1b3a86-681b-4771-9aed-5e5fd06cb3ae/cover.jpg?v=1"/>
  <description>&lt;p&gt;Episode Links - Festival da Canção / SAMAs&lt;br&gt;
FESTIVAL DA CANCAO 2026&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Festival+da+Cancao+2026" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Festival+da+Cancao+2026&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;NAPA ROSA&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Napa+Rosa+Festival+da+Cancao" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Napa+Rosa+Festival+da+Cancao&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;DENISE MOTTA JURE&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Denise+Motta+Jure" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Denise+Motta+Jure&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;SANDRINO DISPOSTO A TUDO&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Sandrino+Disposto+a+Tudo" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Sandrino+Disposto+a+Tudo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;JOAO RIBEIRO CANCAO&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Joao+Ribeiro+Cancao" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Joao+Ribeiro+Cancao&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;SILVANA PERES NAO TEM FIM&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Silvana+Peres+Nao+Tem+Fim" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Silvana+Peres+Nao+Tem+Fim&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;NUNCA MATES O MANDARIM FUMO&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Nunca+Mates+o+Mandarim+Fumo" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Nunca+Mates+o+Mandarim+Fumo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;INES SOUZA UM FILME AO CONTRARIO&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Ines+Souza+Um+Filme+ao+Contrario" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Ines+Souza+Um+Filme+ao+Contrario&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;SAMAs / SOUTH AFRICA&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;KABZA DE SMALL IMITANDAZO&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Kabza+De+Small+Imithandazo" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Kabza+De+Small+Imithandazo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;ZAHARA LOLIWE&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Zahara+Loliwe" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Zahara+Loliwe&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;MAFIKIZOLO&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Mafikizolo" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Mafikizolo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;TYLA WATER&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Tyla+Water" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Tyla+Water&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;BEATENBERG&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FavE84Mmc7s" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FavE84Mmc7s&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;hr&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Loved Sheldon on this episode?&lt;br&gt;
Dive into his past appearances on Eurovision Song Context:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;• Episode 64: Bonus: Eurovision 2025 Sanremo / Festival da Canção&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
• Episode 65: (follow-up episode)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
• Episode 49: (Part 1) Milli Vanilli&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=3" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=3&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
• Episode 50: (Part 2) Milli Vanilli&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=3" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=3&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
</description>
  <itunes:keywords>Sanremo 2026, Festival da Canção 2026, Eurovision 2026, national finals, Eurovision podcast, Eurovision analysis, Eurovision songs, Eurovision review, European music, international music, Portugal music, Italian music, South African music, SAMAs, South African Music Awards, amapiano, fado, folk music, world music, pop music, music industry, music awards, music commentary, song analysis, music podcast, Eurovision fans, Eurovision community</itunes:keywords>
  <content:encoded>
    <![CDATA[<p>Episode Links - Festival da Canção / SAMAs<br>
FESTIVAL DA CANCAO 2026<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Festival+da+Cancao+2026" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Festival+da+Cancao+2026</a></p>

<p>NAPA ROSA<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Napa+Rosa+Festival+da+Cancao" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Napa+Rosa+Festival+da+Cancao</a></p>

<p>DENISE MOTTA JURE<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Denise+Motta+Jure" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Denise+Motta+Jure</a></p>

<p>SANDRINO DISPOSTO A TUDO<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Sandrino+Disposto+a+Tudo" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Sandrino+Disposto+a+Tudo</a></p>

<p>JOAO RIBEIRO CANCAO<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Joao+Ribeiro+Cancao" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Joao+Ribeiro+Cancao</a></p>

<p>SILVANA PERES NAO TEM FIM<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Silvana+Peres+Nao+Tem+Fim" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Silvana+Peres+Nao+Tem+Fim</a></p>

<p>NUNCA MATES O MANDARIM FUMO<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Nunca+Mates+o+Mandarim+Fumo" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Nunca+Mates+o+Mandarim+Fumo</a></p>

<p>INES SOUZA UM FILME AO CONTRARIO<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Ines+Souza+Um+Filme+ao+Contrario" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Ines+Souza+Um+Filme+ao+Contrario</a></p>

<p>SAMAs / SOUTH AFRICA</p>

<p>KABZA DE SMALL IMITANDAZO<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Kabza+De+Small+Imithandazo" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Kabza+De+Small+Imithandazo</a></p>

<p>ZAHARA LOLIWE<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Zahara+Loliwe" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Zahara+Loliwe</a></p>

<p>MAFIKIZOLO<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Mafikizolo" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Mafikizolo</a></p>

<p>TYLA WATER<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Tyla+Water" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Tyla+Water</a></p>

<p>BEATENBERG<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FavE84Mmc7s" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FavE84Mmc7s</a></p>

<hr>

<p>Loved Sheldon on this episode?<br>
Dive into his past appearances on Eurovision Song Context:</p>

<p>• Episode 64: Bonus: Eurovision 2025 Sanremo / Festival da Canção<br>
<a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2</a><br>
• Episode 65: (follow-up episode)<br>
<a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2</a><br>
• Episode 49: (Part 1) Milli Vanilli<br>
<a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=3" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=3</a><br>
• Episode 50: (Part 2) Milli Vanilli<br>
<a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=3" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=3</a></p>]]>
  </content:encoded>
  <itunes:summary>
    <![CDATA[<p>Episode Links - Festival da Canção / SAMAs<br>
FESTIVAL DA CANCAO 2026<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Festival+da+Cancao+2026" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Festival+da+Cancao+2026</a></p>

<p>NAPA ROSA<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Napa+Rosa+Festival+da+Cancao" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Napa+Rosa+Festival+da+Cancao</a></p>

<p>DENISE MOTTA JURE<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Denise+Motta+Jure" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Denise+Motta+Jure</a></p>

<p>SANDRINO DISPOSTO A TUDO<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Sandrino+Disposto+a+Tudo" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Sandrino+Disposto+a+Tudo</a></p>

<p>JOAO RIBEIRO CANCAO<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Joao+Ribeiro+Cancao" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Joao+Ribeiro+Cancao</a></p>

<p>SILVANA PERES NAO TEM FIM<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Silvana+Peres+Nao+Tem+Fim" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Silvana+Peres+Nao+Tem+Fim</a></p>

<p>NUNCA MATES O MANDARIM FUMO<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Nunca+Mates+o+Mandarim+Fumo" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Nunca+Mates+o+Mandarim+Fumo</a></p>

<p>INES SOUZA UM FILME AO CONTRARIO<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Ines+Souza+Um+Filme+ao+Contrario" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Ines+Souza+Um+Filme+ao+Contrario</a></p>

<p>SAMAs / SOUTH AFRICA</p>

<p>KABZA DE SMALL IMITANDAZO<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Kabza+De+Small+Imithandazo" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Kabza+De+Small+Imithandazo</a></p>

<p>ZAHARA LOLIWE<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Zahara+Loliwe" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Zahara+Loliwe</a></p>

<p>MAFIKIZOLO<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Mafikizolo" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Mafikizolo</a></p>

<p>TYLA WATER<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Tyla+Water" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Tyla+Water</a></p>

<p>BEATENBERG<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FavE84Mmc7s" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FavE84Mmc7s</a></p>

<hr>

<p>Loved Sheldon on this episode?<br>
Dive into his past appearances on Eurovision Song Context:</p>

<p>• Episode 64: Bonus: Eurovision 2025 Sanremo / Festival da Canção<br>
<a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2</a><br>
• Episode 65: (follow-up episode)<br>
<a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2</a><br>
• Episode 49: (Part 1) Milli Vanilli<br>
<a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=3" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=3</a><br>
• Episode 50: (Part 2) Milli Vanilli<br>
<a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=3" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=3</a></p>]]>
  </itunes:summary>
</item>
<item>
  <title>Episode 81: SanRemo 2026: Old-Old vs Young-Old with Sheldon Rocha Leal</title>
  <link>https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/81</link>
  <guid isPermaLink="false">00baa69a-c544-4df5-9b0f-249dfe9be8f0</guid>
  <pubDate>Mon, 23 Mar 2026 12:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
  <author>Bradley Dalton-Oates</author>
  <enclosure url="https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/bb1b3a86-681b-4771-9aed-5e5fd06cb3ae/00baa69a-c544-4df5-9b0f-249dfe9be8f0.mp3" length="82591763" type="audio/mpeg"/>
  <itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType>
  <itunes:author>Bradley Dalton-Oates</itunes:author>
  <itunes:subtitle>Bradley and Sheldon break down Sanremo 2026, diving into the winner Sal Da Vinci – Per Sempre, alongside standout and controversial entries including:

Fulminacci – Stupida Sfortuna
Arisa – Magica Favola
Fedez &amp; Marco Masini – Male Necessario
Serena Brancale – Qui Con Me
J-Ax – Italia Starter Pack
Ditonellapiaga – Che Fastidio

They unpack what worked, what didn’t, and what this year’s more subdued, introspective Sanremo says about Italy’s musical direction—and its Eurovision chances.

Along the way: a debate on what it means to be “young-old” vs “old-old”, whether a song can feel too authentically Italian, and how a single performance can spiral from romantic to… slightly alarming.

Listen first: We strongly recommend listening to the songs before this episode (see shownotes), then come back for the analysis.</itunes:subtitle>
  <itunes:duration>1:26:01</itunes:duration>
  <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
  <itunes:image href="https://media24.fireside.fm/file/fireside-images-2024/podcasts/images/b/bb1b3a86-681b-4771-9aed-5e5fd06cb3ae/cover.jpg?v=1"/>
  <description>&lt;p&gt;Podcast Show Notes - Links&lt;br&gt;
SANREMO 2026&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Sanremo+2026" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Sanremo+2026&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;SAL DA VINCI PER SEMPRE&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Sal+Da+Vinci+Per+Sempre" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Sal+Da+Vinci+Per+Sempre&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;FULMINACCI STUPIDA SFORTUNA&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Fulminacci+Stupida+Sfortuna" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Fulminacci+Stupida+Sfortuna&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;ARISA MAGICA FAVOLA&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Arisa+Magica+Favola" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Arisa+Magica+Favola&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;FEDEZ MARCO MASINI MALE NECESSARIO&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Fedez+Marco+Masini+Male+Necessario" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Fedez+Marco+Masini+Male+Necessario&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;SERENA BRANCALE QUI CON ME&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Serena+Brancale+Qui+Con+Me" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Serena+Brancale+Qui+Con+Me&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;J AX ITALIA STARTER PACK&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=J+Ax+Italia+Starter+Pack" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=J+Ax+Italia+Starter+Pack&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;DITONELLAPIAGA CHE FASTIDIO&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Ditonellapiaga+Che+Fastidio" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Ditonellapiaga+Che+Fastidio&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;JONI MITCHELL BOTH SIDES NOW LIVE&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Joni+Mitchell+Both+Sides+Now+live" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Joni+Mitchell+Both+Sides+Now+live&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;WE ARE THE WORLD DOCUMENTARY&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=We+Are+The+World+documentary" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=We+Are+The+World+documentary&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;CELINE DION IF YOU ASKED ME TO&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Celine+Dion+If+You+Asked+Me+To" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Celine+Dion+If+You+Asked+Me+To&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;WHITNEY HOUSTON I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Whitney+Houston+I+Will+Always+Love+You" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Whitney+Houston+I+Will+Always+Love+You&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;DOLLY PARTON I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Dolly+Parton+I+Will+Always+Love+You" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Dolly+Parton+I+Will+Always+Love+You&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Loved Sheldon on this episode?&lt;br&gt;
Dive into his past appearances on Eurovision Song Context:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;• Episode 64: Bonus: Eurovision 2025 Sanremo / Festival da Canção&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
• Episode 65: (follow-up episode)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
• Episode 49: (Part 1) Milli Vanilli&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=3" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=3&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
• Episode 50: (Part 2) Milli Vanilli&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=3" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=3&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
</description>
  <itunes:keywords>Sanremo 2026, Sanremo review, Sanremo songs, Sanremo winner, Italian music festival, Eurovision Italy 2026, Italy Eurovision entry, Eurovision national finals, Eurovision podcast, Eurovision analysis, Eurovision songs, Eurovision review, Italian music, Italian pop music, Italian ballads, European music, music podcast, song analysis, music commentary, festival music, live music competition, televote jury, music trends, pop music, world music, Eurovision fans, Eurovision community</itunes:keywords>
  <content:encoded>
    <![CDATA[<p>Podcast Show Notes - Links<br>
SANREMO 2026<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Sanremo+2026" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Sanremo+2026</a></p>

<p>SAL DA VINCI PER SEMPRE<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Sal+Da+Vinci+Per+Sempre" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Sal+Da+Vinci+Per+Sempre</a></p>

<p>FULMINACCI STUPIDA SFORTUNA<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Fulminacci+Stupida+Sfortuna" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Fulminacci+Stupida+Sfortuna</a></p>

<p>ARISA MAGICA FAVOLA<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Arisa+Magica+Favola" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Arisa+Magica+Favola</a></p>

<p>FEDEZ MARCO MASINI MALE NECESSARIO<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Fedez+Marco+Masini+Male+Necessario" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Fedez+Marco+Masini+Male+Necessario</a></p>

<p>SERENA BRANCALE QUI CON ME<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Serena+Brancale+Qui+Con+Me" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Serena+Brancale+Qui+Con+Me</a></p>

<p>J AX ITALIA STARTER PACK<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=J+Ax+Italia+Starter+Pack" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=J+Ax+Italia+Starter+Pack</a></p>

<p>DITONELLAPIAGA CHE FASTIDIO<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Ditonellapiaga+Che+Fastidio" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Ditonellapiaga+Che+Fastidio</a></p>

<p>JONI MITCHELL BOTH SIDES NOW LIVE<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Joni+Mitchell+Both+Sides+Now+live" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Joni+Mitchell+Both+Sides+Now+live</a></p>

<p>WE ARE THE WORLD DOCUMENTARY<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=We+Are+The+World+documentary" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=We+Are+The+World+documentary</a></p>

<p>CELINE DION IF YOU ASKED ME TO<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Celine+Dion+If+You+Asked+Me+To" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Celine+Dion+If+You+Asked+Me+To</a></p>

<p>WHITNEY HOUSTON I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Whitney+Houston+I+Will+Always+Love+You" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Whitney+Houston+I+Will+Always+Love+You</a></p>

<p>DOLLY PARTON I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Dolly+Parton+I+Will+Always+Love+You" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Dolly+Parton+I+Will+Always+Love+You</a></p>

<p>Loved Sheldon on this episode?<br>
Dive into his past appearances on Eurovision Song Context:</p>

<p>• Episode 64: Bonus: Eurovision 2025 Sanremo / Festival da Canção<br>
<a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2</a><br>
• Episode 65: (follow-up episode)<br>
<a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2</a><br>
• Episode 49: (Part 1) Milli Vanilli<br>
<a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=3" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=3</a><br>
• Episode 50: (Part 2) Milli Vanilli<br>
<a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=3" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=3</a></p>]]>
  </content:encoded>
  <itunes:summary>
    <![CDATA[<p>Podcast Show Notes - Links<br>
SANREMO 2026<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Sanremo+2026" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Sanremo+2026</a></p>

<p>SAL DA VINCI PER SEMPRE<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Sal+Da+Vinci+Per+Sempre" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Sal+Da+Vinci+Per+Sempre</a></p>

<p>FULMINACCI STUPIDA SFORTUNA<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Fulminacci+Stupida+Sfortuna" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Fulminacci+Stupida+Sfortuna</a></p>

<p>ARISA MAGICA FAVOLA<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Arisa+Magica+Favola" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Arisa+Magica+Favola</a></p>

<p>FEDEZ MARCO MASINI MALE NECESSARIO<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Fedez+Marco+Masini+Male+Necessario" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Fedez+Marco+Masini+Male+Necessario</a></p>

<p>SERENA BRANCALE QUI CON ME<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Serena+Brancale+Qui+Con+Me" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Serena+Brancale+Qui+Con+Me</a></p>

<p>J AX ITALIA STARTER PACK<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=J+Ax+Italia+Starter+Pack" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=J+Ax+Italia+Starter+Pack</a></p>

<p>DITONELLAPIAGA CHE FASTIDIO<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Ditonellapiaga+Che+Fastidio" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Ditonellapiaga+Che+Fastidio</a></p>

<p>JONI MITCHELL BOTH SIDES NOW LIVE<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Joni+Mitchell+Both+Sides+Now+live" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Joni+Mitchell+Both+Sides+Now+live</a></p>

<p>WE ARE THE WORLD DOCUMENTARY<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=We+Are+The+World+documentary" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=We+Are+The+World+documentary</a></p>

<p>CELINE DION IF YOU ASKED ME TO<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Celine+Dion+If+You+Asked+Me+To" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Celine+Dion+If+You+Asked+Me+To</a></p>

<p>WHITNEY HOUSTON I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Whitney+Houston+I+Will+Always+Love+You" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Whitney+Houston+I+Will+Always+Love+You</a></p>

<p>DOLLY PARTON I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Dolly+Parton+I+Will+Always+Love+You" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Dolly+Parton+I+Will+Always+Love+You</a></p>

<p>Loved Sheldon on this episode?<br>
Dive into his past appearances on Eurovision Song Context:</p>

<p>• Episode 64: Bonus: Eurovision 2025 Sanremo / Festival da Canção<br>
<a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2</a><br>
• Episode 65: (follow-up episode)<br>
<a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=2</a><br>
• Episode 49: (Part 1) Milli Vanilli<br>
<a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=3" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=3</a><br>
• Episode 50: (Part 2) Milli Vanilli<br>
<a href="https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=3" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/?page=3</a></p>]]>
  </itunes:summary>
</item>
<item>
  <title>Episode 77: [Bonus Content] The JESC Holiday Party Episode, Featuring Very Questionable Gifts</title>
  <link>https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/77</link>
  <guid isPermaLink="false">e72a1502-bcf4-4345-8aca-9bbc453ce980</guid>
  <pubDate>Wed, 10 Dec 2025 13:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
  <author>Bradley Dalton-Oates</author>
  <enclosure url="https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/bb1b3a86-681b-4771-9aed-5e5fd06cb3ae/e72a1502-bcf4-4345-8aca-9bbc453ce980.mp3" length="83526320" type="audio/mpeg"/>
  <itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType>
  <itunes:author>Bradley Dalton-Oates</itunes:author>
  <itunes:subtitle>n this special holiday edition of Eurovision Song Context, Bradley gathers a spirited panel of Eurovision aficionados—including Jody, Mies, Mike from The EuroWhat Podcast, Sheldon, and Russ—for a chaotic, cozy, laughter-filled deep dive into Junior Eurovision 2024. Together they break down standout entries from Georgia to San Marino, debate what JESC should be, mourn the unfolding drama in “grown-up” Eurovision, and exchange an unforgettable round of white-elephant gifts ranging from Rolexes to psychedelic Conchita kaftans. Part party, part analysis, part therapy session for Eurovision fans everywhere—this is your festive escape into glitter, culture, and sheer Eurovision joy.</itunes:subtitle>
  <itunes:duration>1:27:00</itunes:duration>
  <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
  <itunes:image href="https://media24.fireside.fm/file/fireside-images-2024/podcasts/images/b/bb1b3a86-681b-4771-9aed-5e5fd06cb3ae/cover.jpg?v=1"/>
  <description>&lt;p&gt;Welcome to our Holiday Bonus Episode of Eurovision Song Context!&lt;br&gt;
This festive special brings together Jody, Mies, Mike from The EuroWhat Podcast, Sheldon, and Russ for a joyful, chaotic, deeply unserious dive into Junior Eurovision 2024—complete with our annual white elephant gift exchange.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;We break down standout JESC entries, talk about the unfolding drama in adult Eurovision, debate whether kids should be belting for three minutes straight, and unwrap some of the strangest “gifts” ever assembled: cattle-prod wearables, psychedelic Conchita dresses, velvet lions, Eurovision trading cards, milkshake gear, and more.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Cozy, nerdy, unhinged, and entirely festive.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;🎶 Watch All Junior Eurovision 2024 Videos&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;All JESC songs and the JESC show on the big night can be found here:&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/@junioreurovision/videos" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/@junioreurovision/videos&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;🎁 White Elephant Gift Album (All Fake Gifts)&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;View every gift we exchanged during the episode here:&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1jKv-wGWDHk4T2ZwX69YHu-wIZh0qoXRA?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1jKv-wGWDHk4T2ZwX69YHu-wIZh0qoXRA?usp=sharing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;🗣️ Guests &amp;amp; Where to Find Them&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Mike (The EuroWhat Podcast)&lt;br&gt;
Website: &lt;a href="https://eurowhat.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://eurowhat.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Patreon: &lt;a href="https://www.patreon.com/eurowhat" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.patreon.com/eurowhat&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Sheldon&lt;br&gt;
Music industry commentary &amp;amp; writing on Medium:&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://medium.com/@sheldon" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://medium.com/@sheldon&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Jody, Mies, and Russ&lt;br&gt;
Eurovision superfans, returning guests, volunteers, and the backbone of our annual chaos.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;🇿🇦 South African Music Awards (SAMAs)&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Sheldon will be presenting at this year's South African Music Awards — South Africa’s equivalent of the Grammys.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Official SAMA website:&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://samusicawards.co.za" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://samusicawards.co.za&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), the network airing the ceremony:&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.sabc.co.za" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.sabc.co.za&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;A streaming link will be added if/when it becomes available.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;📌 Episode Highlights&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Opening discussion: Eurovision countries withdrawing&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;What is Junior Eurovision supposed to be?&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Which kids scream unnecessarily (a scientific inquiry)&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Cultural representation &amp;amp; language politics in JESC&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Predictions for winners, jury favorites &amp;amp; staging&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;National selections we’re excited for (Sanremo, Sweden, Serbia, Spain)&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The annual White Elephant Gift Exchange — truly unhinged&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;🙏 Support the Pod&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating to help more ESC fans find us. &lt;/p&gt;
</description>
  <itunes:keywords>Eurovision, Junior Eurovision, JESC 2024, holiday special, white elephant, secret santa, Eurovision podcast, Eurovision fans, song review, Europe music, holiday episode, podcast roundtable, JESC review, festive episode, Eurovision Song Context, euro culture, music commentary, panel discussion</itunes:keywords>
  <content:encoded>
    <![CDATA[<p>Welcome to our Holiday Bonus Episode of Eurovision Song Context!<br>
This festive special brings together Jody, Mies, Mike from The EuroWhat Podcast, Sheldon, and Russ for a joyful, chaotic, deeply unserious dive into Junior Eurovision 2024—complete with our annual white elephant gift exchange.</p>

<p>We break down standout JESC entries, talk about the unfolding drama in adult Eurovision, debate whether kids should be belting for three minutes straight, and unwrap some of the strangest “gifts” ever assembled: cattle-prod wearables, psychedelic Conchita dresses, velvet lions, Eurovision trading cards, milkshake gear, and more.</p>

<p>Cozy, nerdy, unhinged, and entirely festive.</p>

<p>🎶 Watch All Junior Eurovision 2024 Videos</p>

<p>All JESC songs and the JESC show on the big night can be found here:<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@junioreurovision/videos" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/@junioreurovision/videos</a></p>

<p>🎁 White Elephant Gift Album (All Fake Gifts)</p>

<p>View every gift we exchanged during the episode here:<br>
<a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1jKv-wGWDHk4T2ZwX69YHu-wIZh0qoXRA?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1jKv-wGWDHk4T2ZwX69YHu-wIZh0qoXRA?usp=sharing</a></p>

<p>🗣️ Guests &amp; Where to Find Them</p>

<p>Mike (The EuroWhat Podcast)<br>
Website: <a href="https://eurowhat.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://eurowhat.com</a><br>
Patreon: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/eurowhat" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.patreon.com/eurowhat</a></p>

<p>Sheldon<br>
Music industry commentary &amp; writing on Medium:<br>
<a href="https://medium.com/@sheldon" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://medium.com/@sheldon</a></p>

<p>Jody, Mies, and Russ<br>
Eurovision superfans, returning guests, volunteers, and the backbone of our annual chaos.</p>

<p>🇿🇦 South African Music Awards (SAMAs)</p>

<p>Sheldon will be presenting at this year's South African Music Awards — South Africa’s equivalent of the Grammys.</p>

<p>Official SAMA website:<br>
<a href="https://samusicawards.co.za" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://samusicawards.co.za</a></p>

<p>South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), the network airing the ceremony:<br>
<a href="https://www.sabc.co.za" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.sabc.co.za</a></p>

<p>A streaming link will be added if/when it becomes available.</p>

<p>📌 Episode Highlights</p>

<p>Opening discussion: Eurovision countries withdrawing</p>

<p>What is Junior Eurovision supposed to be?</p>

<p>Which kids scream unnecessarily (a scientific inquiry)</p>

<p>Cultural representation &amp; language politics in JESC</p>

<p>Predictions for winners, jury favorites &amp; staging</p>

<p>National selections we’re excited for (Sanremo, Sweden, Serbia, Spain)</p>

<p>The annual White Elephant Gift Exchange — truly unhinged</p>

<p>🙏 Support the Pod</p>

<p>If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating to help more ESC fans find us.</p>]]>
  </content:encoded>
  <itunes:summary>
    <![CDATA[<p>Welcome to our Holiday Bonus Episode of Eurovision Song Context!<br>
This festive special brings together Jody, Mies, Mike from The EuroWhat Podcast, Sheldon, and Russ for a joyful, chaotic, deeply unserious dive into Junior Eurovision 2024—complete with our annual white elephant gift exchange.</p>

<p>We break down standout JESC entries, talk about the unfolding drama in adult Eurovision, debate whether kids should be belting for three minutes straight, and unwrap some of the strangest “gifts” ever assembled: cattle-prod wearables, psychedelic Conchita dresses, velvet lions, Eurovision trading cards, milkshake gear, and more.</p>

<p>Cozy, nerdy, unhinged, and entirely festive.</p>

<p>🎶 Watch All Junior Eurovision 2024 Videos</p>

<p>All JESC songs and the JESC show on the big night can be found here:<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@junioreurovision/videos" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/@junioreurovision/videos</a></p>

<p>🎁 White Elephant Gift Album (All Fake Gifts)</p>

<p>View every gift we exchanged during the episode here:<br>
<a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1jKv-wGWDHk4T2ZwX69YHu-wIZh0qoXRA?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1jKv-wGWDHk4T2ZwX69YHu-wIZh0qoXRA?usp=sharing</a></p>

<p>🗣️ Guests &amp; Where to Find Them</p>

<p>Mike (The EuroWhat Podcast)<br>
Website: <a href="https://eurowhat.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://eurowhat.com</a><br>
Patreon: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/eurowhat" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.patreon.com/eurowhat</a></p>

<p>Sheldon<br>
Music industry commentary &amp; writing on Medium:<br>
<a href="https://medium.com/@sheldon" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://medium.com/@sheldon</a></p>

<p>Jody, Mies, and Russ<br>
Eurovision superfans, returning guests, volunteers, and the backbone of our annual chaos.</p>

<p>🇿🇦 South African Music Awards (SAMAs)</p>

<p>Sheldon will be presenting at this year's South African Music Awards — South Africa’s equivalent of the Grammys.</p>

<p>Official SAMA website:<br>
<a href="https://samusicawards.co.za" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://samusicawards.co.za</a></p>

<p>South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), the network airing the ceremony:<br>
<a href="https://www.sabc.co.za" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.sabc.co.za</a></p>

<p>A streaming link will be added if/when it becomes available.</p>

<p>📌 Episode Highlights</p>

<p>Opening discussion: Eurovision countries withdrawing</p>

<p>What is Junior Eurovision supposed to be?</p>

<p>Which kids scream unnecessarily (a scientific inquiry)</p>

<p>Cultural representation &amp; language politics in JESC</p>

<p>Predictions for winners, jury favorites &amp; staging</p>

<p>National selections we’re excited for (Sanremo, Sweden, Serbia, Spain)</p>

<p>The annual White Elephant Gift Exchange — truly unhinged</p>

<p>🙏 Support the Pod</p>

<p>If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating to help more ESC fans find us.</p>]]>
  </itunes:summary>
</item>
<item>
  <title>Episode 75: (Part 2) Eurovision: When Life Drops a Plot Twist</title>
  <link>https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/75</link>
  <guid isPermaLink="false">eb047707-e2b2-4458-a889-8c29fe137240</guid>
  <pubDate>Wed, 12 Nov 2025 21:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
  <author>Bradley Dalton-Oates</author>
  <enclosure url="https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/bb1b3a86-681b-4771-9aed-5e5fd06cb3ae/eb047707-e2b2-4458-a889-8c29fe137240.mp3" length="124215167" type="audio/mpeg"/>
  <itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType>
  <itunes:author>Bradley Dalton-Oates</itunes:author>
  <itunes:subtitle>In this episode we talk with Sheldon about his Journeys I–III essays, identity, alienation, and what it means to belong. We move into a conversation about cancer, resilience, and the books we’re both reading right now — Let Them and Open When. Then we build a Eurovision-powered playlist designed for life’s hardest emotional moments.</itunes:subtitle>
  <itunes:duration>1:13:55</itunes:duration>
  <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
  <itunes:image href="https://media24.fireside.fm/file/fireside-images-2024/podcasts/images/b/bb1b3a86-681b-4771-9aed-5e5fd06cb3ae/cover.jpg?v=1"/>
  <description>&lt;p&gt;Open When: Songs for Life’s Hard Moments — Episode Shownotes&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Sheldon’s Journey Articles&lt;br&gt;
The Journey (I) – Dec 2022:&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-decb793f390d" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-decb793f390d&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The Journey II – Dec 2023:&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-ii-b9c5a37b40cc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-ii-b9c5a37b40cc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The Journey III – Jan 2025:&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-iii-b52fd3ed2fbc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-iii-b52fd3ed2fbc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;hr&gt;

&lt;p&gt;PLAYLIST — YouTube Links (Plain Text)&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;A. When It’s Hard to Be with Yourself&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The Roop – “On Fire” (Lithuania 2020)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EAUxuuu1w8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EAUxuuu1w8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Diodato – “Fai Rumore” (Italy 2020)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx3ksX7K-1A" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx3ksX7K-1A&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Blanche – “City Lights” (Belgium 2017)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVZvz3j5AgE" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVZvz3j5AgE&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;KEiiNO – “Spirit in the Sky” (Norway 2019)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1fl60ypdLs" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1fl60ypdLs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;hr&gt;

&lt;p&gt;B. When It’s Hard to Be with Other People&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Maraaya – “Here for You” (Slovenia 2015)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lWBDm7bm0M" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lWBDm7bm0M&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Konstrakta – “In corpore sano” (Serbia 2022)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr7E8zK5fF8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr7E8zK5fF8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Loïc Nottet – “Rhythm Inside” (Belgium 2015)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JNxeraWCn8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JNxeraWCn8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Michael Schulte – “You Let Me Walk Alone” (Germany 2018)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE2oS0NzVbg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE2oS0NzVbg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;hr&gt;

&lt;p&gt;C. When It’s Hard to Be with Your Feelings&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Salvador Sobral – “Amar pelos dois” (Portugal 2017)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qotooj7ODCM" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qotooj7ODCM&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The Common Linnets – “Calm After the Storm” (Netherlands 2014)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYOC-wfE5pQ" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYOC-wfE5pQ&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;S10 – “De Diepte” (Netherlands 2022)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0tRdbXVHVk" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0tRdbXVHVk&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Zibbz – “Stones” (Switzerland 2018)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaI5T0io798" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaI5T0io798&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Aisel – “X My Heart” (Azerbaijan 2018)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZtG6bUtiE8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZtG6bUtiE8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;hr&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Bonus Songs Discussed&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Brotherhood of Man – “Kisses for Me” (United Kingdom 1976)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://youtu.be/6OW1JJwqVRQ?si=9CuhjWPps1zOjmbX" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://youtu.be/6OW1JJwqVRQ?si=9CuhjWPps1zOjmbX&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Cesár Sampson – “Nobody But You” (Austria 2018)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://youtu.be/a8Yvzo1puoE?si=qvBly9XqIkc_CcsG" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://youtu.be/a8Yvzo1puoE?si=qvBly9XqIkc_CcsG&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;my email: &lt;a href="mailto:eurovisionsongcontext@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;eurovisionsongcontext@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
</description>
  <itunes:keywords>Eurovision, Eurovision podcast, Eurovision analysis, Eurovision songs, Salvador Sobral, S10, KEiiNO, Konstrakta, Loïc Nottet, Michael Schulte, Cesár Sampson, Brotherhood of Man, identity, alienation, feeling displaced, cultural identity, left-handedness, marginalization, music and emotion, comfort songs, resilience, cancer journey, mastectomy, breast reconstruction, creativity, songwriting, music critique, dark humor, candid conversation</itunes:keywords>
  <content:encoded>
    <![CDATA[<p>Open When: Songs for Life’s Hard Moments — Episode Shownotes</p>

<p>Sheldon’s Journey Articles<br>
The Journey (I) – Dec 2022:<br>
<a href="https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-decb793f390d" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-decb793f390d</a></p>

<p>The Journey II – Dec 2023:<br>
<a href="https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-ii-b9c5a37b40cc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-ii-b9c5a37b40cc</a></p>

<p>The Journey III – Jan 2025:<br>
<a href="https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-iii-b52fd3ed2fbc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-iii-b52fd3ed2fbc</a></p>

<hr>

<p>PLAYLIST — YouTube Links (Plain Text)</p>

<p>A. When It’s Hard to Be with Yourself</p>

<p>The Roop – “On Fire” (Lithuania 2020)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EAUxuuu1w8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EAUxuuu1w8</a></p>

<p>Diodato – “Fai Rumore” (Italy 2020)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx3ksX7K-1A" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx3ksX7K-1A</a></p>

<p>Blanche – “City Lights” (Belgium 2017)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVZvz3j5AgE" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVZvz3j5AgE</a></p>

<p>KEiiNO – “Spirit in the Sky” (Norway 2019)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1fl60ypdLs" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1fl60ypdLs</a></p>

<hr>

<p>B. When It’s Hard to Be with Other People</p>

<p>Maraaya – “Here for You” (Slovenia 2015)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lWBDm7bm0M" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lWBDm7bm0M</a></p>

<p>Konstrakta – “In corpore sano” (Serbia 2022)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr7E8zK5fF8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr7E8zK5fF8</a></p>

<p>Loïc Nottet – “Rhythm Inside” (Belgium 2015)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JNxeraWCn8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JNxeraWCn8</a></p>

<p>Michael Schulte – “You Let Me Walk Alone” (Germany 2018)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE2oS0NzVbg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE2oS0NzVbg</a></p>

<hr>

<p>C. When It’s Hard to Be with Your Feelings</p>

<p>Salvador Sobral – “Amar pelos dois” (Portugal 2017)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qotooj7ODCM" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qotooj7ODCM</a></p>

<p>The Common Linnets – “Calm After the Storm” (Netherlands 2014)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYOC-wfE5pQ" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYOC-wfE5pQ</a></p>

<p>S10 – “De Diepte” (Netherlands 2022)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0tRdbXVHVk" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0tRdbXVHVk</a></p>

<p>Zibbz – “Stones” (Switzerland 2018)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaI5T0io798" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaI5T0io798</a></p>

<p>Aisel – “X My Heart” (Azerbaijan 2018)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZtG6bUtiE8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZtG6bUtiE8</a></p>

<hr>

<p>Bonus Songs Discussed</p>

<p>Brotherhood of Man – “Kisses for Me” (United Kingdom 1976)<br>
<a href="https://youtu.be/6OW1JJwqVRQ?si=9CuhjWPps1zOjmbX" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://youtu.be/6OW1JJwqVRQ?si=9CuhjWPps1zOjmbX</a></p>

<p>Cesár Sampson – “Nobody But You” (Austria 2018)<br>
<a href="https://youtu.be/a8Yvzo1puoE?si=qvBly9XqIkc_CcsG" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://youtu.be/a8Yvzo1puoE?si=qvBly9XqIkc_CcsG</a></p>

<p>my email: <a href="mailto:eurovisionsongcontext@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">eurovisionsongcontext@gmail.com</a></p>]]>
  </content:encoded>
  <itunes:summary>
    <![CDATA[<p>Open When: Songs for Life’s Hard Moments — Episode Shownotes</p>

<p>Sheldon’s Journey Articles<br>
The Journey (I) – Dec 2022:<br>
<a href="https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-decb793f390d" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-decb793f390d</a></p>

<p>The Journey II – Dec 2023:<br>
<a href="https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-ii-b9c5a37b40cc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-ii-b9c5a37b40cc</a></p>

<p>The Journey III – Jan 2025:<br>
<a href="https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-iii-b52fd3ed2fbc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-iii-b52fd3ed2fbc</a></p>

<hr>

<p>PLAYLIST — YouTube Links (Plain Text)</p>

<p>A. When It’s Hard to Be with Yourself</p>

<p>The Roop – “On Fire” (Lithuania 2020)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EAUxuuu1w8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EAUxuuu1w8</a></p>

<p>Diodato – “Fai Rumore” (Italy 2020)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx3ksX7K-1A" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx3ksX7K-1A</a></p>

<p>Blanche – “City Lights” (Belgium 2017)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVZvz3j5AgE" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVZvz3j5AgE</a></p>

<p>KEiiNO – “Spirit in the Sky” (Norway 2019)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1fl60ypdLs" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1fl60ypdLs</a></p>

<hr>

<p>B. When It’s Hard to Be with Other People</p>

<p>Maraaya – “Here for You” (Slovenia 2015)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lWBDm7bm0M" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lWBDm7bm0M</a></p>

<p>Konstrakta – “In corpore sano” (Serbia 2022)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr7E8zK5fF8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr7E8zK5fF8</a></p>

<p>Loïc Nottet – “Rhythm Inside” (Belgium 2015)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JNxeraWCn8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JNxeraWCn8</a></p>

<p>Michael Schulte – “You Let Me Walk Alone” (Germany 2018)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE2oS0NzVbg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE2oS0NzVbg</a></p>

<hr>

<p>C. When It’s Hard to Be with Your Feelings</p>

<p>Salvador Sobral – “Amar pelos dois” (Portugal 2017)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qotooj7ODCM" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qotooj7ODCM</a></p>

<p>The Common Linnets – “Calm After the Storm” (Netherlands 2014)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYOC-wfE5pQ" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYOC-wfE5pQ</a></p>

<p>S10 – “De Diepte” (Netherlands 2022)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0tRdbXVHVk" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0tRdbXVHVk</a></p>

<p>Zibbz – “Stones” (Switzerland 2018)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaI5T0io798" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaI5T0io798</a></p>

<p>Aisel – “X My Heart” (Azerbaijan 2018)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZtG6bUtiE8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZtG6bUtiE8</a></p>

<hr>

<p>Bonus Songs Discussed</p>

<p>Brotherhood of Man – “Kisses for Me” (United Kingdom 1976)<br>
<a href="https://youtu.be/6OW1JJwqVRQ?si=9CuhjWPps1zOjmbX" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://youtu.be/6OW1JJwqVRQ?si=9CuhjWPps1zOjmbX</a></p>

<p>Cesár Sampson – “Nobody But You” (Austria 2018)<br>
<a href="https://youtu.be/a8Yvzo1puoE?si=qvBly9XqIkc_CcsG" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://youtu.be/a8Yvzo1puoE?si=qvBly9XqIkc_CcsG</a></p>

<p>my email: <a href="mailto:eurovisionsongcontext@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">eurovisionsongcontext@gmail.com</a></p>]]>
  </itunes:summary>
</item>
<item>
  <title>Episode 76: (Part 1) Eurovision: When Life Drops a Plot Twist</title>
  <link>https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/76</link>
  <guid isPermaLink="false">e61b5415-94c2-413a-82f2-f4a844e14c1a</guid>
  <pubDate>Wed, 12 Nov 2025 11:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
  <author>Bradley Dalton-Oates</author>
  <enclosure url="https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/bb1b3a86-681b-4771-9aed-5e5fd06cb3ae/e61b5415-94c2-413a-82f2-f4a844e14c1a.mp3" length="145475907" type="audio/mpeg"/>
  <itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType>
  <itunes:author>Bradley Dalton-Oates</itunes:author>
  <itunes:subtitle>In this episode we talk with Sheldon about his Journeys I–III essays, identity, alienation, and what it means to belong. We move into a conversation about cancer, resilience, and the books we’re both reading right now — Let Them and Open When. Then we build a Eurovision-powered playlist designed for life’s hardest emotional moments.</itunes:subtitle>
  <itunes:duration>1:26:34</itunes:duration>
  <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
  <itunes:image href="https://media24.fireside.fm/file/fireside-images-2024/podcasts/images/b/bb1b3a86-681b-4771-9aed-5e5fd06cb3ae/cover.jpg?v=1"/>
  <description>&lt;p&gt;Open When: Songs for Life’s Hard Moments — Episode Shownotes&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Sheldon’s Journey Articles&lt;br&gt;
The Journey (I) – Dec 2022:&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-decb793f390d" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-decb793f390d&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The Journey II – Dec 2023:&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-ii-b9c5a37b40cc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-ii-b9c5a37b40cc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The Journey III – Jan 2025:&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-iii-b52fd3ed2fbc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-iii-b52fd3ed2fbc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;hr&gt;

&lt;p&gt;PLAYLIST — YouTube Links (Plain Text)&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;A. When It’s Hard to Be with Yourself&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The Roop – “On Fire” (Lithuania 2020)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EAUxuuu1w8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EAUxuuu1w8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Diodato – “Fai Rumore” (Italy 2020)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx3ksX7K-1A" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx3ksX7K-1A&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Blanche – “City Lights” (Belgium 2017)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVZvz3j5AgE" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVZvz3j5AgE&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;KEiiNO – “Spirit in the Sky” (Norway 2019)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1fl60ypdLs" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1fl60ypdLs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;hr&gt;

&lt;p&gt;B. When It’s Hard to Be with Other People&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Maraaya – “Here for You” (Slovenia 2015)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lWBDm7bm0M" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lWBDm7bm0M&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Konstrakta – “In corpore sano” (Serbia 2022)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr7E8zK5fF8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr7E8zK5fF8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Loïc Nottet – “Rhythm Inside” (Belgium 2015)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JNxeraWCn8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JNxeraWCn8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Michael Schulte – “You Let Me Walk Alone” (Germany 2018)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE2oS0NzVbg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE2oS0NzVbg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;hr&gt;

&lt;p&gt;C. When It’s Hard to Be with Your Feelings&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Salvador Sobral – “Amar pelos dois” (Portugal 2017)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qotooj7ODCM" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qotooj7ODCM&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The Common Linnets – “Calm After the Storm” (Netherlands 2014)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYOC-wfE5pQ" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYOC-wfE5pQ&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;S10 – “De Diepte” (Netherlands 2022)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0tRdbXVHVk" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0tRdbXVHVk&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Zibbz – “Stones” (Switzerland 2018)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaI5T0io798" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaI5T0io798&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Aisel – “X My Heart” (Azerbaijan 2018)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZtG6bUtiE8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZtG6bUtiE8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;hr&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Bonus Songs Discussed&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Brotherhood of Man – “Kisses for Me” (United Kingdom 1976)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://youtu.be/6OW1JJwqVRQ?si=9CuhjWPps1zOjmbX" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://youtu.be/6OW1JJwqVRQ?si=9CuhjWPps1zOjmbX&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Cesár Sampson – “Nobody But You” (Austria 2018)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://youtu.be/a8Yvzo1puoE?si=qvBly9XqIkc_CcsG" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://youtu.be/a8Yvzo1puoE?si=qvBly9XqIkc_CcsG&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;my email: &lt;a href="mailto:eurovisionsongcontext@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;eurovisionsongcontext@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
</description>
  <itunes:keywords>Eurovision, Eurovision podcast, Eurovision analysis, Eurovision songs, Salvador Sobral, S10, KEiiNO, Konstrakta, Loïc Nottet, Michael Schulte, Cesár Sampson, Brotherhood of Man, identity, alienation, feeling displaced, cultural identity, left-handedness, marginalization, music and emotion, comfort songs, resilience, cancer journey, mastectomy, breast reconstruction, creativity, songwriting, music critique, dark humor, candid conversation</itunes:keywords>
  <content:encoded>
    <![CDATA[<p>Open When: Songs for Life’s Hard Moments — Episode Shownotes</p>

<p>Sheldon’s Journey Articles<br>
The Journey (I) – Dec 2022:<br>
<a href="https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-decb793f390d" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-decb793f390d</a></p>

<p>The Journey II – Dec 2023:<br>
<a href="https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-ii-b9c5a37b40cc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-ii-b9c5a37b40cc</a></p>

<p>The Journey III – Jan 2025:<br>
<a href="https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-iii-b52fd3ed2fbc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-iii-b52fd3ed2fbc</a></p>

<hr>

<p>PLAYLIST — YouTube Links (Plain Text)</p>

<p>A. When It’s Hard to Be with Yourself</p>

<p>The Roop – “On Fire” (Lithuania 2020)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EAUxuuu1w8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EAUxuuu1w8</a></p>

<p>Diodato – “Fai Rumore” (Italy 2020)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx3ksX7K-1A" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx3ksX7K-1A</a></p>

<p>Blanche – “City Lights” (Belgium 2017)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVZvz3j5AgE" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVZvz3j5AgE</a></p>

<p>KEiiNO – “Spirit in the Sky” (Norway 2019)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1fl60ypdLs" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1fl60ypdLs</a></p>

<hr>

<p>B. When It’s Hard to Be with Other People</p>

<p>Maraaya – “Here for You” (Slovenia 2015)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lWBDm7bm0M" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lWBDm7bm0M</a></p>

<p>Konstrakta – “In corpore sano” (Serbia 2022)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr7E8zK5fF8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr7E8zK5fF8</a></p>

<p>Loïc Nottet – “Rhythm Inside” (Belgium 2015)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JNxeraWCn8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JNxeraWCn8</a></p>

<p>Michael Schulte – “You Let Me Walk Alone” (Germany 2018)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE2oS0NzVbg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE2oS0NzVbg</a></p>

<hr>

<p>C. When It’s Hard to Be with Your Feelings</p>

<p>Salvador Sobral – “Amar pelos dois” (Portugal 2017)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qotooj7ODCM" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qotooj7ODCM</a></p>

<p>The Common Linnets – “Calm After the Storm” (Netherlands 2014)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYOC-wfE5pQ" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYOC-wfE5pQ</a></p>

<p>S10 – “De Diepte” (Netherlands 2022)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0tRdbXVHVk" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0tRdbXVHVk</a></p>

<p>Zibbz – “Stones” (Switzerland 2018)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaI5T0io798" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaI5T0io798</a></p>

<p>Aisel – “X My Heart” (Azerbaijan 2018)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZtG6bUtiE8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZtG6bUtiE8</a></p>

<hr>

<p>Bonus Songs Discussed</p>

<p>Brotherhood of Man – “Kisses for Me” (United Kingdom 1976)<br>
<a href="https://youtu.be/6OW1JJwqVRQ?si=9CuhjWPps1zOjmbX" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://youtu.be/6OW1JJwqVRQ?si=9CuhjWPps1zOjmbX</a></p>

<p>Cesár Sampson – “Nobody But You” (Austria 2018)<br>
<a href="https://youtu.be/a8Yvzo1puoE?si=qvBly9XqIkc_CcsG" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://youtu.be/a8Yvzo1puoE?si=qvBly9XqIkc_CcsG</a></p>

<p>my email: <a href="mailto:eurovisionsongcontext@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">eurovisionsongcontext@gmail.com</a></p>]]>
  </content:encoded>
  <itunes:summary>
    <![CDATA[<p>Open When: Songs for Life’s Hard Moments — Episode Shownotes</p>

<p>Sheldon’s Journey Articles<br>
The Journey (I) – Dec 2022:<br>
<a href="https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-decb793f390d" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-decb793f390d</a></p>

<p>The Journey II – Dec 2023:<br>
<a href="https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-ii-b9c5a37b40cc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-ii-b9c5a37b40cc</a></p>

<p>The Journey III – Jan 2025:<br>
<a href="https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-iii-b52fd3ed2fbc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://shelrochaleal.medium.com/the-journey-iii-b52fd3ed2fbc</a></p>

<hr>

<p>PLAYLIST — YouTube Links (Plain Text)</p>

<p>A. When It’s Hard to Be with Yourself</p>

<p>The Roop – “On Fire” (Lithuania 2020)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EAUxuuu1w8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EAUxuuu1w8</a></p>

<p>Diodato – “Fai Rumore” (Italy 2020)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx3ksX7K-1A" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx3ksX7K-1A</a></p>

<p>Blanche – “City Lights” (Belgium 2017)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVZvz3j5AgE" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVZvz3j5AgE</a></p>

<p>KEiiNO – “Spirit in the Sky” (Norway 2019)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1fl60ypdLs" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1fl60ypdLs</a></p>

<hr>

<p>B. When It’s Hard to Be with Other People</p>

<p>Maraaya – “Here for You” (Slovenia 2015)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lWBDm7bm0M" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lWBDm7bm0M</a></p>

<p>Konstrakta – “In corpore sano” (Serbia 2022)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr7E8zK5fF8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr7E8zK5fF8</a></p>

<p>Loïc Nottet – “Rhythm Inside” (Belgium 2015)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JNxeraWCn8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JNxeraWCn8</a></p>

<p>Michael Schulte – “You Let Me Walk Alone” (Germany 2018)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE2oS0NzVbg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE2oS0NzVbg</a></p>

<hr>

<p>C. When It’s Hard to Be with Your Feelings</p>

<p>Salvador Sobral – “Amar pelos dois” (Portugal 2017)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qotooj7ODCM" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qotooj7ODCM</a></p>

<p>The Common Linnets – “Calm After the Storm” (Netherlands 2014)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYOC-wfE5pQ" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYOC-wfE5pQ</a></p>

<p>S10 – “De Diepte” (Netherlands 2022)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0tRdbXVHVk" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0tRdbXVHVk</a></p>

<p>Zibbz – “Stones” (Switzerland 2018)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaI5T0io798" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaI5T0io798</a></p>

<p>Aisel – “X My Heart” (Azerbaijan 2018)<br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZtG6bUtiE8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZtG6bUtiE8</a></p>

<hr>

<p>Bonus Songs Discussed</p>

<p>Brotherhood of Man – “Kisses for Me” (United Kingdom 1976)<br>
<a href="https://youtu.be/6OW1JJwqVRQ?si=9CuhjWPps1zOjmbX" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://youtu.be/6OW1JJwqVRQ?si=9CuhjWPps1zOjmbX</a></p>

<p>Cesár Sampson – “Nobody But You” (Austria 2018)<br>
<a href="https://youtu.be/a8Yvzo1puoE?si=qvBly9XqIkc_CcsG" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://youtu.be/a8Yvzo1puoE?si=qvBly9XqIkc_CcsG</a></p>

<p>my email: <a href="mailto:eurovisionsongcontext@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">eurovisionsongcontext@gmail.com</a></p>]]>
  </itunes:summary>
</item>
<item>
  <title>Episode 73: Vienna 2026! Helena Steinhart on Vienna in Culture, Inclusivity &amp; ESC</title>
  <link>https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/73</link>
  <guid isPermaLink="false">6c83c853-030f-45c2-a72d-9f62e5315d38</guid>
  <pubDate>Fri, 12 Sep 2025 12:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
  <author>Bradley Dalton-Oates</author>
  <enclosure url="https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/bb1b3a86-681b-4771-9aed-5e5fd06cb3ae/6c83c853-030f-45c2-a72d-9f62e5315d38.mp3" length="138344032" type="audio/mpeg"/>
  <itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType>
  <itunes:author>Bradley Dalton-Oates</itunes:author>
  <itunes:subtitle>Vienna has twice hosted Eurovision and remains one of Europe’s great cultural capitals. In this episode, Bradley talks with Helena Steinhart from the Vienna Tourist Board about the city’s food, culture, and inclusivity — and what fans can expect from a future contest in Vienna. They also revisit four iconic songs: Conchita Wurst’s “Rise Like a Phoenix”, Loreen’s “Euphoria”, Udo Jürgens’ “Merci, Chérie”, and Teya &amp; Salena’s “Who the Hell Is Edgar?”.</itunes:subtitle>
  <itunes:duration>1:11:53</itunes:duration>
  <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
  <itunes:image href="https://media24.fireside.fm/file/fireside-images-2024/podcasts/images/b/bb1b3a86-681b-4771-9aed-5e5fd06cb3ae/cover.jpg?v=1"/>
  <description>&lt;p&gt;Museums &amp;amp; Culture&lt;br&gt;
Sigmund Freud Museum – &lt;a href="https://www.freud-museum.at/en" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.freud-museum.at/en&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Leopold Museum – &lt;a href="https://www.leopoldmuseum.org/en" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.leopoldmuseum.org/en&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art History) – &lt;a href="https://www.khm.at/en" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.khm.at/en&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Funeral Museum Vienna – &lt;a href="https://www.bestattungsmuseum.at/en" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.bestattungsmuseum.at/en&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Cafés &amp;amp; Coffee Culture&lt;br&gt;
Café Landtmann – &lt;a href="https://www.landtmann.at/en/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.landtmann.at/en/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Café Bräunerhof – &lt;a href="https://www.cafe-braeunerhof.at/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.cafe-braeunerhof.at/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Café Sperl – &lt;a href="https://www.cafesperl.at/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.cafesperl.at/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Café Balthasar – &lt;a href="https://www.balthasar.at/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.balthasar.at/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Café Ritter – &lt;a href="https://www.cafe-ritter.at/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.cafe-ritter.at/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Food &amp;amp; Drink&lt;br&gt;
Sachertorte – &lt;a href="https://www.sacher.com/en/original-sacher-torte/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.sacher.com/en/original-sacher-torte/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Wiener Schnitzel – &lt;a href="https://www.austria.info/en/things-to-do/food-and-drink/recipes/wiener-schnitzel" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.austria.info/en/things-to-do/food-and-drink/recipes/wiener-schnitzel&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Viennese Coffee Specialties – &lt;a href="https://www.wien.info/en/shopping-wining-dining/coffeehouses/coffee-339182" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.wien.info/en/shopping-wining-dining/coffeehouses/coffee-339182&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Events &amp;amp; Public Spaces&lt;br&gt;
EuroPride Vienna – &lt;a href="https://viennapride.at/en/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://viennapride.at/en/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Life Ball – &lt;a href="https://www.lifeball.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.lifeball.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Danube Island Festival (Donauinselfest) – &lt;a href="https://donauinselfest.at/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://donauinselfest.at/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Vienna City Hall (Rathaus) – &lt;a href="https://www.wien.info/en/sightseeing/sights/from-s-to-z/rathaus-352254" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.wien.info/en/sightseeing/sights/from-s-to-z/rathaus-352254&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Vienna Experiences&lt;br&gt;
Vienna Vineyards &amp;amp; Wine (Gemischter Satz) – &lt;a href="https://www.wien.info/en/shopping-wining-dining/wine/viennese-wine-342014" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.wien.info/en/shopping-wining-dining/wine/viennese-wine-342014&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Apple Strudel Show at Schönbrunn Palace – &lt;a href="https://www.cafe-residenz.at/en/apple-strudel-show/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.cafe-residenz.at/en/apple-strudel-show/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Viennese Waltz Lessons – &lt;a href="https://www.viennawaltz.at/en/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.viennawaltz.at/en/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Music Helena Mentioned&lt;br&gt;
HVOB – &lt;a href="https://www.hvob-music.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.hvob-music.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Camo &amp;amp; Krooked – &lt;a href="https://www.camoandkrooked.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.camoandkrooked.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Voodoo Jürgens – &lt;a href="https://voodoojuergens.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://voodoojuergens.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Wanda – &lt;a href="https://wandamusik.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://wandamusik.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Eurovision Songs Discussed&lt;br&gt;
Conchita Wurst – “Rise Like a Phoenix” (2014) – &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToqNa0rqUtY" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToqNa0rqUtY&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Loreen – “Euphoria” (2012) – &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfo-8z86x80" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfo-8z86x80&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Udo Jürgens – “Merci, Chérie” (1966) – &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqQY-MmfzDY" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqQY-MmfzDY&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Teya &amp;amp; Salena – “Who the Hell Is Edgar?” (2023) – &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMmLeV47Au4" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMmLeV47Au4&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
</description>
  <itunes:keywords>Eurovision, ESC, Eurovision Song Contest, Vienna, Austria, Conchita Wurst, Loreen, Udo Jürgens, Teya &amp; Salena, Rise Like a Phoenix, Euphoria, Merci Cherie, Who the Hell Is Edgar, Vienna Tourist Board, Eurovision podcast, ESC history, Eurovision culture</itunes:keywords>
  <content:encoded>
    <![CDATA[<p>Museums &amp; Culture<br>
Sigmund Freud Museum – <a href="https://www.freud-museum.at/en" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.freud-museum.at/en</a><br>
Leopold Museum – <a href="https://www.leopoldmuseum.org/en" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.leopoldmuseum.org/en</a><br>
Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art History) – <a href="https://www.khm.at/en" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.khm.at/en</a><br>
Funeral Museum Vienna – <a href="https://www.bestattungsmuseum.at/en" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.bestattungsmuseum.at/en</a></p>

<p>Cafés &amp; Coffee Culture<br>
Café Landtmann – <a href="https://www.landtmann.at/en/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.landtmann.at/en/</a><br>
Café Bräunerhof – <a href="https://www.cafe-braeunerhof.at/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.cafe-braeunerhof.at/</a><br>
Café Sperl – <a href="https://www.cafesperl.at/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.cafesperl.at/</a><br>
Café Balthasar – <a href="https://www.balthasar.at/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.balthasar.at/</a><br>
Café Ritter – <a href="https://www.cafe-ritter.at/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.cafe-ritter.at/</a></p>

<p>Food &amp; Drink<br>
Sachertorte – <a href="https://www.sacher.com/en/original-sacher-torte/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.sacher.com/en/original-sacher-torte/</a><br>
Wiener Schnitzel – <a href="https://www.austria.info/en/things-to-do/food-and-drink/recipes/wiener-schnitzel" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.austria.info/en/things-to-do/food-and-drink/recipes/wiener-schnitzel</a><br>
Viennese Coffee Specialties – <a href="https://www.wien.info/en/shopping-wining-dining/coffeehouses/coffee-339182" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.wien.info/en/shopping-wining-dining/coffeehouses/coffee-339182</a></p>

<p>Events &amp; Public Spaces<br>
EuroPride Vienna – <a href="https://viennapride.at/en/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://viennapride.at/en/</a><br>
Life Ball – <a href="https://www.lifeball.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.lifeball.org/</a><br>
Danube Island Festival (Donauinselfest) – <a href="https://donauinselfest.at/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://donauinselfest.at/</a><br>
Vienna City Hall (Rathaus) – <a href="https://www.wien.info/en/sightseeing/sights/from-s-to-z/rathaus-352254" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.wien.info/en/sightseeing/sights/from-s-to-z/rathaus-352254</a></p>

<p>Vienna Experiences<br>
Vienna Vineyards &amp; Wine (Gemischter Satz) – <a href="https://www.wien.info/en/shopping-wining-dining/wine/viennese-wine-342014" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.wien.info/en/shopping-wining-dining/wine/viennese-wine-342014</a><br>
Apple Strudel Show at Schönbrunn Palace – <a href="https://www.cafe-residenz.at/en/apple-strudel-show/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.cafe-residenz.at/en/apple-strudel-show/</a><br>
Viennese Waltz Lessons – <a href="https://www.viennawaltz.at/en/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.viennawaltz.at/en/</a></p>

<p>Music Helena Mentioned<br>
HVOB – <a href="https://www.hvob-music.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.hvob-music.com/</a><br>
Camo &amp; Krooked – <a href="https://www.camoandkrooked.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.camoandkrooked.com/</a><br>
Voodoo Jürgens – <a href="https://voodoojuergens.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://voodoojuergens.com/</a><br>
Wanda – <a href="https://wandamusik.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://wandamusik.com/</a></p>

<p>Eurovision Songs Discussed<br>
Conchita Wurst – “Rise Like a Phoenix” (2014) – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToqNa0rqUtY" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToqNa0rqUtY</a><br>
Loreen – “Euphoria” (2012) – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfo-8z86x80" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfo-8z86x80</a><br>
Udo Jürgens – “Merci, Chérie” (1966) – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqQY-MmfzDY" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqQY-MmfzDY</a><br>
Teya &amp; Salena – “Who the Hell Is Edgar?” (2023) – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMmLeV47Au4" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMmLeV47Au4</a></p>]]>
  </content:encoded>
  <itunes:summary>
    <![CDATA[<p>Museums &amp; Culture<br>
Sigmund Freud Museum – <a href="https://www.freud-museum.at/en" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.freud-museum.at/en</a><br>
Leopold Museum – <a href="https://www.leopoldmuseum.org/en" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.leopoldmuseum.org/en</a><br>
Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art History) – <a href="https://www.khm.at/en" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.khm.at/en</a><br>
Funeral Museum Vienna – <a href="https://www.bestattungsmuseum.at/en" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.bestattungsmuseum.at/en</a></p>

<p>Cafés &amp; Coffee Culture<br>
Café Landtmann – <a href="https://www.landtmann.at/en/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.landtmann.at/en/</a><br>
Café Bräunerhof – <a href="https://www.cafe-braeunerhof.at/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.cafe-braeunerhof.at/</a><br>
Café Sperl – <a href="https://www.cafesperl.at/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.cafesperl.at/</a><br>
Café Balthasar – <a href="https://www.balthasar.at/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.balthasar.at/</a><br>
Café Ritter – <a href="https://www.cafe-ritter.at/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.cafe-ritter.at/</a></p>

<p>Food &amp; Drink<br>
Sachertorte – <a href="https://www.sacher.com/en/original-sacher-torte/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.sacher.com/en/original-sacher-torte/</a><br>
Wiener Schnitzel – <a href="https://www.austria.info/en/things-to-do/food-and-drink/recipes/wiener-schnitzel" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.austria.info/en/things-to-do/food-and-drink/recipes/wiener-schnitzel</a><br>
Viennese Coffee Specialties – <a href="https://www.wien.info/en/shopping-wining-dining/coffeehouses/coffee-339182" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.wien.info/en/shopping-wining-dining/coffeehouses/coffee-339182</a></p>

<p>Events &amp; Public Spaces<br>
EuroPride Vienna – <a href="https://viennapride.at/en/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://viennapride.at/en/</a><br>
Life Ball – <a href="https://www.lifeball.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.lifeball.org/</a><br>
Danube Island Festival (Donauinselfest) – <a href="https://donauinselfest.at/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://donauinselfest.at/</a><br>
Vienna City Hall (Rathaus) – <a href="https://www.wien.info/en/sightseeing/sights/from-s-to-z/rathaus-352254" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.wien.info/en/sightseeing/sights/from-s-to-z/rathaus-352254</a></p>

<p>Vienna Experiences<br>
Vienna Vineyards &amp; Wine (Gemischter Satz) – <a href="https://www.wien.info/en/shopping-wining-dining/wine/viennese-wine-342014" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.wien.info/en/shopping-wining-dining/wine/viennese-wine-342014</a><br>
Apple Strudel Show at Schönbrunn Palace – <a href="https://www.cafe-residenz.at/en/apple-strudel-show/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.cafe-residenz.at/en/apple-strudel-show/</a><br>
Viennese Waltz Lessons – <a href="https://www.viennawaltz.at/en/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.viennawaltz.at/en/</a></p>

<p>Music Helena Mentioned<br>
HVOB – <a href="https://www.hvob-music.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.hvob-music.com/</a><br>
Camo &amp; Krooked – <a href="https://www.camoandkrooked.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.camoandkrooked.com/</a><br>
Voodoo Jürgens – <a href="https://voodoojuergens.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://voodoojuergens.com/</a><br>
Wanda – <a href="https://wandamusik.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://wandamusik.com/</a></p>

<p>Eurovision Songs Discussed<br>
Conchita Wurst – “Rise Like a Phoenix” (2014) – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToqNa0rqUtY" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToqNa0rqUtY</a><br>
Loreen – “Euphoria” (2012) – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfo-8z86x80" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfo-8z86x80</a><br>
Udo Jürgens – “Merci, Chérie” (1966) – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqQY-MmfzDY" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqQY-MmfzDY</a><br>
Teya &amp; Salena – “Who the Hell Is Edgar?” (2023) – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMmLeV47Au4" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMmLeV47Au4</a></p>]]>
  </itunes:summary>
</item>
  </channel>
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