Ukraine’s entrant for Eurovision 2021 – Go_A – have now released the revamped version of their song that will compete at the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 in Rotterdam.
In early February, Ukraine’s public broadcaster UA:PBC confirmed that Go_A would perform “Shum” at the Contest in May, following a three-song national selection. A jury including prominent singers Jamala and Evgeny Filatov helped to decide the final result.
However, Go_A already released “Shum” in late January, with the total runtime of the song equaling four minutes. In addition, there were claims that the melody and lyrics of “Shum” were directly taken from traditional Ukrainian folk songs. This would be in breach of the Contest’s rules on originality.
.The original version of “Shum” is below, where the music video totals 4 minutes and 20 seconds.
As a result, UA:PBC told Go_A to revamp the song to fit within Eurovision requirements. The band have since been working hard in the studio to produce a three-minute version of the song. The final variant of the song that Go_A will sing in Rotterdam premiered today on the Eurovision Youtube channel.
You can listen to the revamped version of “Shum” below:
Our thoughts
Now that we have the Eurovision version of Ukraine’s entry, what do we think?
Jazzi – WOW, I really love this! It is now pretty dancey all the way through, it seems a little crazy now, and I’m not entirely sure how a jury will respond to this. But I really hope we see “Shum” in the final it would be a perfect final opener.
Rory – It’s a tough choice for me, as “Shum” is currently my #1 in the rankings. I can understand that they needed to change the song to fit Eurovision standards – but the change in melody and even where the melody is placed really has thrown me. I think it will take some time to get adjusted to the new version, but it still is a good song. This will still be high up my rankings, but I do worry that perhaps the song isn’t as strong as it could have been.
Rosie – The original version of “Shum” was competing for my number 1 spot, and all I hoped for was that Go_A would keep true to the energy and uniqueness of the original song in the revamp. They have absolutely delivered. It’ll take me a few listens to get used to the new melody and lyrics, but the blend of folk and electronic music that makes me like their entries so much is still at the core of the song.
This is what we think, but what do you think? Did Ukraine’s revamp surprise you? Do you think the Eurovision version of “Shum” is better or worse than the original? Will the new version keep Ukraine’s immaculate qualification streak? As always, please do get in touch and tell us what you think! You can do this by commenting below or getting involved in our social media channels!
