The big news here in Az is that the country won this year's Eurovision Song Competition. For those who don't know (by which I mean pretty much all Americans, or everyone who reads my blog), Eurovision is a continent-wide American Idol-like competition that has been around since the 1950s, and is responsible for unleashing ABBA on the world, never to be the same again.
The winning duo from Azerbaijan, who won with a momentous 221 points, Ell and Nikko, sang their song "Running Scared." Since the win, a number of my students have asked me what it means to "run scared," to which I pantomime running and screaming. They think I'd be a good actor.
But back to Ell and Nikko, whose real names are Eldar and Nigar. They dominated the finals, and the second place country, Italy, only received 185 points.
According to overthinkingit.com, Azerbaijan is a powerhouse in Eurovision, despite is geographic flexibility ("The song was written by the same team that composed “Drip Drop,” Azerbaijan’s entry last year, which placed fifth overall. (The year before that, Azerbaijan placed third. As it turns out, they are a perennial Eurovision powerhouse.) This song is definitely going to make the finals..."). I never know where to say Azerbaijan is. It's not Europe, but it's not Asia, and it's not the Middle East. Where in the world is Azerbaijan? (Should be sung to the tune of a certain TV game show/video game.)
So, without any further ado, for your listening and viewing pleasure, here is the toast of Azerbaijan, Ell and Nikko, singing "Running Scared."
Now that Azerbaijan has won, they face the daunting task of hosting next year's contest. I can't wait to see how into the contest people here will be then.
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