The NDR sends seven songs into the race for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), which will be held in Tel Aviv on 18 May. The sender is again preparing for the ARD the preliminary decision. As every year since 2008, Germany will again compete with an English title.
The selection between the seven acts in the preliminary decision in the television studio in Berlin-Adlershof is made by one-third of the TV viewers, a hundred-member Eurovision jury and an international jury of experts. The points will be announced one after the other in the show.
The German preliminary round will be moderated by Barbara Schöneberger after a break of one year - together with Linda Zervakis, who represented Schöneberger in 2018. The off-comment speaks as usual Peter Urban, as pause acts are the two most successful German ESC representatives of the recent past: Michael Schulte, the 2018 with "You Let Me Walk Alone" after an almost identical selection process as sent this year to Lisbon became where he took a strong fourth place. And of course Lena Meyer-Landrut, the ESC winner of 2010. In addition: Revolverheld and Udo Lindenberg together with Andreas Bourani.
These are the candidates:
Aly Ryan
NDR / Brian Tampol
Aly Ryan
Who is this? At home in Hesse's Oberursel is the singer Alexandra Eigendorf, her mother is ZDF reporter, her father spokesman for Deutsche Bank. But five years ago, she has sought some distance, moved to Los Angeles and became first the red-haired country singer Charly Cole and then the blond pop character Aly Ryan with some success at streaming service Soundcloud.
How does the song sound? To kick off "Wear Your Love" comes a fanfare reminiscent of "The Race" by Yello. Light retro touches continue to pervade the song, but then not so strikingly - a rather catchy disco pop song develops in which Aly confesses that she does not need haute couture, she just wants to be dressed in love. From the rehearsals you can hear that she is going to get out of a long robe and sing along in the glittery body - that's the ESC-logic!
What are the chances? As one of the few up-tempo songs in the German field pretty well. In Tel Aviv it could be considered an Eastern European contribution.
BB Thomaz
NDR / Alexei Bazdarev
BB Thomaz
Who is this? As Béatrice Thomas, she was born in 1984 in New York, at the age of ten she moved to Germany. Under the stage name BB Thomaz, the mother of a young son appeared in "The Voice of Germany" in 2017, where she finished fourth in the final. Her sporty side shows her as a Zumba trainer.
How does the song sound? "Demons" you notice a bit the emergence in the songwriting camp, that the NDR aligned for the second time, because it seems pieced together: In the verse, it is an R & B ballad off the shelf, in the chorus, it is musicalhaft with Queen hints in the guitar riffs. In the text BB Thomaz sings of childhood and youth experiences that you still haunt in the head - but "My demons can go and f-- themselves" she sings under curse word avoidance.
What are the chances? The staging promises to be quite musical, with a large staircase and gray figures as symbolic demons. That might be remembered - more than the song.
Gregor Hägele
NDR / Daniel Hägele
Gregor Hägele
Who is this? Because Gregor Hägele, the youngest in the field, is only 19, you can look at his Instagram account cute youth photos - for the first time in a suit, for the first time in the steakhouse, for the first time in "The Voice of Germany". Since the Stuttgart failed just to BB Thomaz, which is one of his competitors this time. He is one of the soulful types who close their eyes while singing.
How does the song sound? Accordingly, "Let Me Go" is a song that sounds good with your eyes closed. It is about wanderlust, the piano jingles, to the songwriters counts David Jürgens, who has already written for "German poets" as Mark Forster, Max Giesinger or Wincent Weiss.
What are the chances? The German TV audience would probably have a better chance of singing Gregor Hägele in German. But that is undesirable because of the supposedly worse international opportunities.
Lilly Among Clouds
NDR / Katja Ruge
Lilly among clouds
Who is this? Under her cloudy stage name, Elisabeth Brüchner has already released the album "Aerial Perspectives" in 2017 on the renowned label PIAS Recordings. Born in Straubing, the musician lives in Würzburg, but her German indie-electric songs do not sound like a German province, but rather an international self-confidence; the "star" thought of Florence & The Machine and Lana Del Rey.
How does the song sound? The self-confidence is shown in the fact that "Surprise" was self-written by the singer (with a bit of support from her parent producer) and is not a songwriting camp product. Accordingly, the song falls with its dramatic twists and turns between piano intimacy, Mitklatsch transition and orchestral climax of the frame.
What are the chances? Lilly Among Clouds gives the competition a boost in musical seriousness - which will earn her an honorable middle ground and new fans.
Linus Bruhn
Getty Images
Linus Bruhn
Who is this? The Hamburger was a real show kid: he played the young Tarzan in the Disney musical. At the age of twelve, he won an RTL2 double show - as Justin Bieber. Meanwhile, at 20, he is in the service of the producer team Madizin, which last made a hit with "rollercoaster" for Helene Fischer.
How does the song sound? More after Bieber than after Fischer, in the ballad-like verses, the teenagers who admire Shawn Mendes should also listen up. From the chorus remains a pretty car tune melody in mind. The title "Our City" evokes either "We build a new city" from Palais Schaumburg or "We Built this City" by Starship - but Linus Bruhns song is neither as avant-garde as the one nor as relentlessly as the other.
What are the chances? If a break act booked, attracts young viewers, the chances would not be so bad. Much will depend on the stage presence - does Linus Bruhn exude enough son-in-law charm?
Makeda
NDR / Jenny Bartsch
Makeda
Who is this? Makeda Michalke, who has her first name from a mythical Ethiopian queen, is a special case in the preliminary decision box. Because not only does she not have a casting show past, she has even rejected requests from casting shows. For this she goes solo or with her soul band Steal A Taxi around Cologne and Bonn - and even further away: in 2015 the band appeared in China.
How does the song sound? "The Day I Loved You Most" is such a really classic ESC ballad that cries out to be staged with wind machine and fire rain. And as always with such ballads it depends very much on the fervor of the lecture - and that the sounds are hit. The talent for this has Makeda. However, there are no melodic wonders to the composition.
What are the chances? Although some of the classic ballads have done quite well again recently at the ESC: Presumably the juries will prefer a more modern title.
S! Sters
HAYOUNG JEON / EPA-EFE / REX
S! Sters
Who is this? Here was the song before the act: The NDR believed in the potential of "Sister" and sought out an interpreter duo for it. Two casting show veterans were found: Carlotta Truman ("The Super Talent" and "The Voice Kids") and Laura Kästel ("Kiddy Contest", "Star Search").
How does the song sound? Is "Sister" worth the effort? Well, a Swiss-Canadian-Danish team has created a relatively expressive pop song, whose biggest feature is a glockenspiel melody in the chorus. The text is about two sisters mutually apologizing for all the drama and competitive thinking - portraying that also requires a little theatrical talent from the ragtag duo.
What are the chances? The performance is likely to attract attention, but of the two compositions, in which Thomas Stengaard (winner song "Only Teardrops" from 2013, German contribution 2018) was involved, appears for Aly Ryan as the stronger.
" Our Song for Israel ", The First, Friday, 22.02., 20:15