Liara: Cyfarrchio, Urth! Welcome to Urthvision XVII! Altomaré welcomes you to the UNIFIED Republic of Tawuse! I’m ectatic, how about you Ñaqo?
Liara gestures to her cava counterpart
Ñaqo: Hi, Liara. Yes! This year’s show is going to be a hoot. We’ve got plenty of great performers coming onto the stage to bring Urth together in a show of cooperation- different to that of the international forum at least.
(room erupts into laughter)
Ñaqo ruffles her crest and turns to face the camera
Ñaqo: Ultimately, you at home choose the outcome of tonight’s competition!
Liara: The Tawusian people have been vocal about their excitement to host - we’d like to assure the audience here with us in the Carriadian Stadium that every step is being taken to ensure your safety. All measures to prevent the PILF from ruining tonight’s fun have been explored.
(accidental camera pan shows a literal absence of any lupine members of the audience)
Ñaqo: W-Walk The Moon brought pride to the nation thanks to their outSTANDING performance in Andel for Urthvision XVI - who, I wonder, will take the crown home with them this edition?
Liara and Ñaqo: On ON WITH THE SHOW… show
Camera pans out to a waving Tawusian flag on the display, a prompt readjustment followed the raising of Gratultan flags in the audience
Firstly this evening, we have a performance from Asilica! Carina Gronden is singing “Because of you” for us all. Fun fact: Carina is the daughter of the late former Chancellor of Asilica, Lisetta Gronden, who was killed in the terrorist attacks in May of 2021 (Ñaqo interrupts, cough June) Oh June of 2021, my mistake. The Tawusian people understand your pain, Carina. Terror takes those from us we love the most. Carina is a classically trained singer who had previously performed primarily in choruses and with orchestras. She wrote and released this song in light of the abhorrent attacks. The song was her way of dealing with and processing her grief and trauma. Because of You topped the Asilican charts for 17 weeks.
Next up, Tavaris! The Tavari entry is a song titled "Ain't No Lie (Baby, Bye, Bye, Bye)" by 37 Degrees, a Crystal Coast boyband who hearken back to the spectacular dance moves and music styles of the early 2000s. Their retro style has taken the Tavari singles charts by storm, and they even took the country by surprise when they beat out popstar Oda Lita for the spot to represent Tavaris this year. The song has been considered polarizing, but it is hard to deny that it's a bubbly, infectious earworm.
Pls note: performance is 0:31-3:48
Fresh from Packilvania, Ahida proclaims that she wasn’t born without a heart. Her beautiful voice speak son behalf of those who have been betrayed and must now put up a veneer of strength to prevent future pain. This sad ballad speaks to our fear of betrayal and desire for love.
From Iboma, Boniswa rises with this catchy tune. She proclaims her arrival with skittering beats and sleek vocals. In this performance she celebrates the beauty of her golden skin, how her culture and origin are worth celebrating.
Next we have Eyjaria, a close runner up from the last edition! Patriks Jørgson is singing Natschema, a song which aims to raise awareness of issues in Rikevaarland. Wow! A form of peaceful protest, those pesky Paradisians should take a leaf out of Pariks’ book!
The song was top of the charts in Eyjaria, Norgsveldet and… believe it or not, Rikevaarland.
Valhalla is calling from Blåskog! Erik Mirakel and Pyton Borte send their greetings from the far north with this song reminding the citizens of Urth that Blåskog maintains its rich warrior culture!
Time for a familiar face, Blueacia with Social Media Song by Marcella Lando .Marchella Lando is as a Fortunan-Blueacian. She came as a young girl with her family to Blueacia in a time in which Fortuna was having internal troubles. Marchella was raised mostly Fortunan but of course she can speak Blueacian fluently. The song she sings is about the raise of social media in the world. Social Media is a wonderful invention to keep updated with friend you don’t see often, but you should always make sure you don’t start believing that the social media world is the real world. And you should remind yourself to go outside every ones in a while and people in person.
The Verve is a Zemeprievadain band made in the late 20th century. Their song titled Bitter Sweet Symphony talks about how life is bittersweet where you’re forced to work for money all your life, and you can change your life but you can’t change your mould or personality. Please be warned that this performance contains flashing images.
Mother Mother is an indie rock band in Piorunpreria. Their song titled Forgotten Souls is about people who have been forgotten and they will be okay no matter what adversities they face, just like a garden that can grow in frozen rain. It talks about how you have to have faith and don’t take you eye off of the prize at the end of the pain.
Chosen by the audience during a private audition, Vistaraland’s first entry into Urthvision is Katherine Sparrfelt, Grandaughter of the late Noorvic Folk Singer Vigdis Sparrfelt. Known as Kat to most, this 27 year old performer is rather notable for not being a full-time musician, with her day job being as an aide to the IF Security Council. Devoting her being here to those who supported her in Rilanon and to her Grandmother, her song is called Wiser and Older.
Next we have Alksearia, From WAE’s second album, this rock song is the opening song on the album Tower. While they are a smaller band, they’re song has been topping the Rock charts in Alksearia for 2 months now. The catchy chorus hook and the guitar chords have made this an infectious song to hear on the radio in Alksearia.
From Antora, The Moth and Flame - Only just begun.
From Aivintis, Emperor’s New Clothes by Anxiety! At the Dance Nathaniel Wollstonecraft, a Derrim-born Aivintian musician. Originally released in 2015, The Emperor’s New Clothes has recently received a wave of popularity, and has been featured in a few popular Aivintian television shows. It is named after the fable of an Emperor who was tricked into wearing an “invisible robe that only the wisest people could see”, when in reality there was no robe at all.
From Volscina, Renaissance of Fire is singing their song; Topic!
Vivancantadia proudly sends it’s entry to Urthvision! Please welcome Mhbleni with her song, Qami!
Qami’s pulsating, other-wordly beats are complemented by their lyrics, talking about going to far away places to be who she truly is and how the winds can take her to this ideal state of being. When you reach that peace of mind, don’t let it go for anything in the world. Anyone can reach this ideal, anyone can strive to go to that place and be free of mind and spirit. Vivancantadia will surely take your love away into another world!
The local all human band from Nystatiszna, The Mumford and Sons! Here they play a old tune from ages long ago during the first nekomimi revolt named ‘The Little Lion’. They translated the lyrics in Codexian so that we can all enjoy!
Next up we have the West Borean Federation with a proven hitmaker band, Declaration. The duo put out their first album twelve years ago and instantly took the Kireitan charts by storm. This particular track was written and recorded just two days after the last Urthvision in Axdel, and although they’re no stranger to political polemics, the West Borean delegation has asked me to reassure everybody that this song is completely apolitical and has nothing to do with Kæra’zna, its government’s policies, or their previous interactions with the Urthvision Songfestival. Here is: “Jaded”!
And now, fresh out of Fantøm, we have Sianjesz! Together with the rest of the MAC Music label, this band has pioneered the electropop and synth-rock genres into the mainstream in Aduraszna, and it’s quickly becoming the soundtrack for the post-tsunami Neo-Fantøm rebuilding project. Already topping the charts around western Borea, and now come crashing into Altomaré’s Carriadian Stadium, this is: “Mr Fear”!
From our Victors, Tawuse! Stupid Horse by 100 gecs. Laura Les, part of the duo, is the first openly transgender artist to represent Tawuse at a major music competition and the people stand behind her. Her singing style, representing an ancient style of throat singing from the mountains of the Centro region, captures the excitement of all throughout the union to host this edition. Please give it up for 100 gecs!
Fun Fact: The phrase “Stupid Horse” represents her peers who purposefully misgendered her throughout her transition. Sucks to be them, she’s famous now.
From Tivot, Talia Malakhidze singing Me Da Shen. From a small village between the Ethalns and former Salovia, Talia has hit the ground running, producing many Salovian hits in the past two years alone, and here tonight, she’ll be performing her newest release, Me da Shen! For those of you who don’t speak Salovian, that’s “Me and You” heh heh!
Boon Child, the acclaimed Axdelian Electronic Dance trio from Cypramos, are here today in Altomare to perform a new, never before heard song “Outta Space”! They’re currently riding the wave of success from latest album “Northern Tourists”, a gritty tale of the underworld of Lyrevale.
After the failure of the last edition, New Leganés is looking forward to rise in the table again with the comeback of Urthvision IV's winner, Lórien Talháwi!! Born in the Shamsian town of Beni Badis in 1973, she and her family, of Bardian ethnicity, moved to Privétia Tauríllien when she was 7 years old. She developed a strong singing career in the Cukish capital, until her professional path took her to Furnifold in 2015. In 2018 she tried to enter Tálek Védi in order to represent New Leganés in the fourth Urthvision edition. Her song, Statements, was the audience's favourite, but the program was unexpectedly cancelled and New Leganés did not participate in Urthvision IV due to economical disagreements with LLNTV's producer company for Urthvision. She sent her entry to Furnifold, and she ended up winning the international contest for the country.
Now, 13 editions later and after her victory and the two victories New Leganés has earned, Lórien is finally representing her own country. With “Euphoria”, Lórien brings again a C-Pop sound after the past edition’s folk. The song is produced by Sámi RS and involves a difficult yet impactful stage performance of a deep and up-beat song that will allow Lórien to show her voice’s strength.
Now behold the first Shamsian entry into Urthvision, brought to you by Shakimpe!! Shakira Impelanta ben Nora Alférez was born in the Shamsian capital of Tiziri in 1990 and is daughter of Qaridian and Peragian mothers. She has been all her life between Wed Shams and Peragen: in the latter she has developed most of her musical career, while in the former she spends most of the time with her family. She studied an Arts degree in Arsal and specialised on the Qaridian raqs baladi dance, and she likes to bring together traditional sounds of both her countries in her songs.
Tus Ojos (“Your Eyes”), chosen by an internal selection of Shams 1, is a mix of pop-rock, the style Shakimpe feels the most comfortable with, and the aforementioned raqs baladi, mixed with Qaridian folk instruments. She brings a very visual performance with lyrics that narrate the desire for a man with black eyes, whom the protagonist of the story had found in the desert. Shakimpe brings now her years professionalising in music at the service of Wed Shams’s first Urthvision entry!
Valerita is Royals. Royals can be seen as a satirical piece about the royal family of Varletia and its rulers. At least this is how most of the critics are interpreting Moley's creation. The artist wasn't clear about the symbolism of the song, stating "I wanted to express how I feel, how I live, how I breathe, in my small home in my small city of Mulitrocheu. I spitted out my most profound inner dreams, and everything that comes in my mind when I let myself go by the wind
Fun fact: Her name is Clareis Cheuvalei, but she decided to rename herself “Moley”. As she started to get international recognition, she wanted to have a more viable name for foreigner’s understanding
Coming in from K’undzeti is Kel Basili with Electric Fences. A debut for the small Auroran Nation of K’undzeti into Urthvision, Auterner-K’undzetian Artist Kel Basili performs Electric Fence, a song about growing up in a world that didn’t accept his identity, feeling trapped within what the world wanted to understand - a sentiment shared by many in the young nation, especially in the many diverse communities that often get overlooked within it.
“All Of Me” by Nagatoian singer Jonathan “John” Legend is a urthwide smash hit that dominated the charts in 2013. The song was written by Legend and produced by Nate Silver, and Gloria Victor of Yuki Labels. “All Of Me” is dedicated to Legend’s wife Vanessa. The song was released as a digital download in Gondwana on 12 August 2013 as the lead single from his second studio album, Peace, Love, and Happiness (2013). The single reached number one on the Nagcon Hot 100 of 2013 for 27 weeks, beating “Love Me Again” by Augustian singer James Pullman. The song also became Legend’s second, top-ten hit, and subsequently reached number three on the Nagcon Hot 100 of the 2010’s.
Liara: Wow! This year’s show was once again one to remember, voting lines are now open! Go and vote for the nation that touched your heart!