Zjerm (Albania 2025)
Well, here goes! Let's review this year's songs! 1/37!
Do note that I am not a music producer, artiste, or expert of any kind - this is only the opinion of one random Asian person who loves Eurovision! So basically, take everything with a pinch of salt :P
I'll be going in alphabetical order, so for this year (as for most other years, lol), my first out of 37 reviews is for... ooh, it's Albania, with Shkodra Electronike's Zjerm! What a strong starter. I think this is easily within my 2025 top 3.
Lyrics: 90%
Composition: 92.5%
Vocals: 92%
Staging: 86%
Vibes: 95%
Overall: 91.1%
Verdict: SHNDRIT.
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LYRICS - Total: 22.5/25 (90%)
Subject Matter: 8.5/10
Effective Use of Language: 4.5/5
Clarity: 5/5
Flow: 4.5/5
Zjerm feels to me like it's coming from a direction similar to Lennon's Imagine - at least, that's what my mind went to first on reading the translated lyrics - with both of them carrying a strong core of hope for a better world.
That said, I actually prefer Zjerm. Imagine lays out an idealized world and Lennon wishes everyone would dream like he does. In comparison, Zjerm's heavier middle section also encompasses the suffering in the world today, reminding us of how far we are from that ideal world where oil can smell like lilac - yet through it all, the undercurrent of hope remains and returns stronger than ever before. Zjerm isn't just about an ideal world. It's about strength and resilience in the face of adversity and about having the courage to continue hoping for that ideal world despite everything we face. That's why I prefer it.
The repeated use of the word "shndrit" (shine) at the end of the chorus, too, is fantastic. It makes Beatriçe's dream of an ideal world feel like a star, shining and twinkling in a sea of darkness. I also want to point out that Beatriçe's Zjerm and Kole's Zjerm aren't the same thing - the "fire" here is used in both its destructive as well as life-giving/passionate contexts - and I found that bit particularly beautiful.
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COMPOSITION - Total: 18.5/20 (92.5%)
Melody/Bass: 5/5
Instrumentation: 4.5/5
Development: 4/5
Coherence: 5/5
The accompaniment in the verse is strong - hypnotic, even, and the instrumentation feels very fitting; the çifteli (I think!) in the first verse sets us up strongly and the strings in the chorus are beautiful - they travel up and dance around the tonic note, continually building tension as Beatriçe weaves and dances in her ideal world - then suddenly resolves by crashing into the darkness of Kole's section.
Beatriçe's dynamic melody/rhythm also contrasts dramatically with the heaviness of Kole's bit. It's like they're fighting - Beatriçe's optimism and dream of a better world shining bright against the backdrop of a dark, burning world, refusing to let the darkness take her fire. It's a great package, two different sections put together very well.
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VOCALS - Total: 23/25 (92%)
Vocals: 18/20
Immersion: 5/5
Beatriçe's singing was beautiful. It had sass, it demanded to be listened to. I do wish Kole's could've been a little lower, a little more growly, but that definitely isn't a technique issue, just stylistic choice I suppose. The only thing that really stood out as strange was that weird little "aaah" moan after the first two lines that sounds like it would've made more sense in Ich Komme.
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STAGING - Total: 21/25 (86%)
The Show: 8.5/10
The Story: 8/10
Outfits: 5/5
If there was anything that Zjerm could've done better, it was in the staging. That's not to say that they did badly - on the contrary, it was still pretty great! Just, this was the bit which I think could've been a little less... well, I don't think "minimal" or "generic" would quite fit here, but it also didn't have the impact that I was really hoping and looking for.
Beatriçe has charisma for days, and her actions were very dynamic, almost like fire or a dancing flame. The contrast between that and Kole's stoic, intense stony expression was fantastic. The duel between idealism and reality (or between optimism and cynicism?) was laid out very well in all aspects of the song - from the lyrics, to the melodies, to the visuals, to their costumes. I just think the red/white/black colour theme, while portraying the fire and darkness theme quite well, still felt quite dark on Beatriçe's side (as opposed to optimism in darkness) and too bright (black and flashes of white) on Kole's.
That said. The view/shot changing from camera to camera every time Beatriçe sings "shndrit" in the first chorus has to be one of my favourite moments of camerawork this season. It's so beautifully done.
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VIBES - 95%
I love it. No other words, really. I'd happily jam to this any day, and I learned Beatriçe's dance routine during the chorus very early on!
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