Eurovision 2018 has a handful of excellent tunes. I have said before that Netta’s “Toy” and Mikolas Josef’s “Lie to Me” are a few of my favorites. Let me introduce my third favorite from this year’s batch: Alexander Rybak’s That’s How You Write a Song from Norway.
Rybak is no stranger to the Eurovision competition circuit. He participated in the contest in 2009 with the song “Fairytale“: a sad yet uptempo folk-pop tune written by Rybak himself. He found inspiration from a past relationship and the Scandinavian folklore of Huldra. The song won the top prize at the 2009 Eurovision Contest. He released his successful debut album afterward. Rybak continued to have a fruitful career by releasing new material and taking part in many TV shows.
Many have speculated on why an earlier Eurovision winner would enter the contest one more time. What are his reasons? Does he want to prove something? Whether we know the singer’s actual intention of competing once more or not, you have to admit that “That’s How You Write a Song” is very catchy. It opens with a memorable funky bass line and a bouncy drum beat, then comes to a cool violin riff that serves as the primary melody. That violin makes the song bouncy and feeling good. And the instrument shines around 2:26 mark when it performs a passionate solo.
Speaking of “feeling good”, the lyrics radiate a positive vibe too. The song’s message could be interpreted as a simple discussion on how to write a tune. But if one looks deeper into the lyrics, one can see that the messages of “believing in yourself”, “being creative is easier than one thinks”, and “don’t fear in being creative, embrace and enjoy it” are present – these are valuable to anyone.
It is unknown if this year’s Eurovision will give Alexander Rybak his second win; especially that the current fan favorite is Netta. Things could change from now to the live performances. But the important thing is “That’s How You Write a Song” is an enjoyable, upbeat song that sends positive vibes with its lyrics and melody. Plus, don’t you think the music video is too cute? Check it out below and tell me what you think.
