❝Welcome back to the greatest party weekend in history!
We now move on to NORGSVELDET! Originally from Atlalandr, ELGERN ØRNKA wrote this song about the loneliness he felt after his wife’s death, and how he felt imprisoned in his own mind. THE MIND became very popular not just in Norgsveldet but also in Ulvrikia; it even won their own song contest in 2022.
Up next we have a blast from the past courtesy of the entry from NAGATO. Ryan Cheddar dominated the Nagcon charts nine years ago – [the host points to someone in the crowd] yes, 2014 was nine years ago – with his band ONEGRANDDUCHY and the absolute barn-burner of LOVE RUNS OUT.
Halfway around the world brings us to NORTH ETHALRIA! Although they made their debut over a quarter of a century ago – [the host points to the same person in the crowd] yes, 1997 was twenty-six years ago – NIXE are only now getting their flowers on the world stage. Welcome to the world of [she squints, pretending to read the words off of her hand] dark-wave medieval pagan folk. This is: GEFIEDER!
Let’s stay in Aurora for this next one. TIVOT’s entry for this edition sings of the woes of the colonial period of Puntalia, and the tragedies that befell the great Puntalian people. PERIA AKHILASHVILI is a Puntalovian, called so due to her joint heritage of both Puntalia and Salovia. LA LLORONA is a folklore classic, and Peria here brings it into the modern world.
Originally formed by the three children of Norgsveltian immigrants to Aldaar – and a friend – the band DELTA RAE (named after the epic stories their mother told them as kids) entered the Aldaari music scene almost a decade ago and quickly skyrocketed to become the most-listened to band in Aldaar. Their songs combine strong messages about freedom with on-point social commentary. Who better to represent ALDAAR during their very first Urthvision? This is: RUN.
Up next is [she pretends to read from her own hand again] a fifty-two-year-old yodler! Actually, FRANZL LANG, fresh from the province of Bäuer, is considered one of NISSERIGE’s best! And here’s one of his best: LEBENSLUST-JODLER.
If anyone in this stadium fancies some genre whiplash, we move directly to CEREBRUM, an indie band formed as a small project in the main singer’s garage in ZEMEPRIEVADAI. They quickly rose to fame after publishing their first album. Their song tonight, MONSOON, was written after the main member of the band lost his sister.
Up next is EXEUNT, a song by folk rock band THE OH GOODBYES, consisting of the brother and sister duo Tyler and Maggie Heath. The Oh Goodbyes are known for the literary and religious references littered throughout their music. Exeunt, the title of this song, refers to a stage direction in theatre to indicate that characters have left the scene. The song deals with themes of saying goodbye and moving on, even when one doesn’t want to, exiting the stage. Originally released eight years ago – [she points to the same audience member a third time] stop arguing, buy a calculator – this song now gets new life as this edition’s entry for AIVINTIS.
We now travel to AUGUSTIAn band DEAD OR ALIVE. This one blew up the Nagcon charts in 1985. YOU SPIN ME ROUND (LIKE A RECORD) was the third song from Yuki Labels to hit number one - and is the second to appear in this edition of Urthvision.
SOFIEL IS’PEKSZA’s name translates to “Sofiel of the mind” - and for a while it felt like she was in fact a figment of all our imaginations. Born in Kireitarenu’a, she never performed live out of fear of the government cracking down on her “counter-revolutionary” music. She fled to ADURASZNA during the war in 2019, and immediately staked her claim in the pop landscape of the border city of Daukvra with: MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR.
THE FORGOTTEN STORIES is a folk band some say is responsible for the folk revival in KORĆETTA. Their latest song comes from a story they heard of a widow living alone in the forests of Korćetta. The story says that she still talks to her husband’s ghost, giving the song the name of LITTLE TALKS.
Our next entry is a real barn-burner courtesy of SUNJENAD. This ASENDAVIAn band is known for their incredible – and extensive – live performances, but not to worry: they’ve promised us that they’ll keep this rendition of KNIGHTS OF CYDONIA to our strict time limit of five and a half minutes.
We now move to VERIA. They’re a newcomer to the Urthvision Song Contest, but they’re off to a very good start. This is TIDE LINES with the slow-builder CANAN NAN GAIDHEAL.
Now here’s one for the history books. Just yesterday, news broke that a certain country will be holding a referendum to change its name. Tomorrow, we host the Sayqidi Grand Prix, and today of course we have the band HÁNIGAFÉ in Urthvision. Either of these could be the last opportunity for the name NEW LEGANÉS to go up in lights. Taurílliener Otomóvir has a shot tomorrow, but here’s their hope for this half of the greatest weekend in showbiz: BONES.
And hey - speaking of the grand prix, there’s also going to be a driver from VOLSCINA. I don’t know what the Series One policy on music on team radio is, but if things go well for MODA tonight, good ol’ Magno “Mango” Martorana might end up driving around Dimangala with LA NOTTE in his ears.
We now go to CORSEAU. From day one, always a nation that knows exactly what the crowd wants. Last time out, Cornelia Jakobs nearly brought the roof down. Today, AURELIE will attempt to do the same. And I look great in concrete dust so maybe I’m hoping she does. Here is: EVIDEMENT!
We’re almost home! But first a layover in PHOENIXIA. Give a big cheer to TIFFANY STONEWELL with a great bop – put your phones down, you can’t vote yet! – this is: RESURREZIONE, or “HOPE CIRCLE”.
And last but certainly not least, do not adjust your television sets! You have not been transported back to the 1960s, that’s a filter. You have been transported to VAKRESTRENDER. This is EDGAR BJORNSON with our final song of the night: ROMANCE SENGEN – and what a bop to end on!
What a fantastic night we’ve had so far-- everybody give a big round of applause to our record-setting twenty-nine performers! And to everybody watching at home: thank you for your patience, and get out your phones, because it’s time to:
