Swedish singer Mans Zelmerlow raised the bar when he won the 60th annual Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna last night with his ballad “Heroes” sung against innovative animated digital projections which set a new standard for future contests to beat.
The 28-year-old singer and TV presenter performed the winning song while dancing in front of a black screen with animated children and other special effects. When the European Song Contest was established, singers typically sang alone on a bland stage, sometimes with a backing group alongside. However in the digital 21st century, the overall experience is key and, in this regard, Zermerlow’s performance was the most spectacular of the evening, interacting and supporting the song itself and reinforcing the story behind it. The performance included animations and strobe lights, with Zelmerlow high-fiving graphic figures and moving around lights and balloons.
There had been some controversy earlier in the year when the song won the Swedish competition for the Song Contest with suggestions that the animations were derived from other people, but this seems to have been resolved so that the performance could go ahead last night.
Apparently, the cartoon figure represents Zelmerlow as a bullied child at home. The cartoon guy is called Måns Petter. “It was me, in school when I was bullied buy this guy in my group of friends. From being part of something, I was being left outside. I was ashamed of being alone. And that still lives within me. That’s why I have a need to be seen and scared of being alone. David (Nordström) and Benke (Fredrik Rydman), who are the creative duo behind the show, has done a fantastic job in producing the show and draw the story.” (Måns Zelmerlöw).
Zelmerlöw has set a new standard for an Eurovision Song Contest performance. Does this change the original premise of a 20th century Song Contest to something richer and different for the 21st century?
