World Hit Festival 70
 #ChangesAndContrasts | |
| Dates | |
|---|---|
| Date | 12th August 2023 |
| Host | |
| Location | Corola, Achaean Republic |
| Venue | The Chevrolet Hall |
| Presenters | Mannamma and P.P. Galore |
| Executive Supervisor | Tamar de Andrade (AS1) |
| Executive Producer | Tamar de Andrade (AS1) |
| Host Broadcaster | AS1 |
| Opening Act | Marcel - "Complétement Fou" P.P. Galore - "Sabrosa" Manamma - "Lentamente" |
| Interval Act | Domeniku Kaľari - "L’Eklisu" Dorotea Viskovic & Ninad Niksic - "Maja Pisma" Itamar - "Pass Me By" |
| Participants | |
| Number of Entries | 8 |
| Debuting Countries |
|
| Returning Countries |
|
| Withdrawing Countries |
|
| Vote | |
| Voting system | Each country awards a set of points ranging from 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 to their five favorite songs. |
| Nul points |
|
| Winner | Haruhata, 31 points "キスして最後にもう一度" - Blanket |
| Winner's Margin | 4 |
| Runner Up | Elejamie
|
| ← 69 • World Hit Festival • 71→ | |
The World Hit Festival 70 was the 70th edition of the World Hit Festival, an international song contest. The contest was held in Corola in the Achaean Republic, after Normandy & Picardy, winners of the World Hit Festival 69 with the song "Complètement Fou" by singer Marcel, withdrew suddenly after originally opting to host in Caen. Following runners-up Britonisea and third place Scotatrova also announce withdrawals, the contests was therefore organised by the International Broadcasting Alliance (IBA) and host broadcaster AS1 Comunicaciones, inc. (AS1) on behalf of original host broadcaster Les Sociétés de Radiodiffusion de la Normandie et Picardie (snrp), the contest was held at the Chevrolet Hall and consisted of a single live final on the 12th August 2023. The show was presented by Achaean personality and performer Francheska González, better known under the stage name "Mannamma", and Achaean singer Tomás Pérez Jiménez, performing under his drag persona "P.P. Galore".
Eight countries participated in the contest, a drop of 14 with 20 countries withdrawing from the contest after the 69th edition. This was mainly due to a combination of an on-going trend of shrinking participation numbers and general disinterest in the World Hit Festival worsened by the chaotic period of deadline delays and leadership changes that plagued the 70th edition in general. The withdrawals included all but one of the 69th edition's top 5 with winners Normandy & Picardy. Many of these nations declared a desire to return, including some nations not present at the 69th edition, however many of these declarations were long term goals, were later withdrawn or just did not materialise in time for the contest. Despite this the contest actually saw 4 nations, Carrelie, Elejamie, Malta Comino Gozo and Lushansk, all of whom had previously competed but were absent from the 69th edition return to the 70th, and 2 nations, Ealdracaland and Haruhata, make their World Hit Festival debuts.
The winner was debutant Haruhata with the song "Kisushite Saigo Ni Mōichido" (キスして最後にもう一度, Kiss Me One Last Time), performed by Blanket, written and composed by her and Touji Yuki with Maryanne Saihara also having writing credits. The song won with 31 points, earning a landslide 6 top 5 points out of an available 7 and gaining 89% of the point available. Despite this landslide win, the winner's margin was a modest 4 point, with runner-up Elejamie also coming in the top 3 with every set of votes, along with being Haruhata's 5 points, and earning 77% of their available points. The points level out after the top 2 with host Achaean Republic, returning Malta Comino Gozo and debutant Ealdracaland rounding out the top 5 with 18 points, 17 points and 11 points respectively.
Location
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The 70th World Hit Festival was held in Corola, Achaean Republic. This is the first time the city has hosted the World Hit Festival and the third time the Achaean Republic has hosted the contest, the first time in 3 years and 11 editions, having previously done so for the 54th World Hit Festival in La Cañada and then the 59th World Hit Festival in Orongumilá. This is the nations fourth time hosting a World Hit Festival branded competition, with the nation also previously having hosted the 7th Junior World Hit Festival in Juana Díaz and Urbania. The Chevrolet Hall is the selected venue for the 70th World Hit Festival. Built in 2010 and renovated in 2022 to make the building carbon-neutral and sustainable, Chevrolet Hall has hosted numerous local and international artists, including Bad Bunny, Billy Joel, Britney Spears, Ana Viktoreena, and many more. The Hall usually has a capacity of 23,000 in the main venue, being the largest indoor venue in the Achaean Republic, however based on the green room and stage design alongside safety issues, only 19,000 will be allowed in the main venue for the contest. The Live Allocation Draw will take place in the grounds of the Corola Contemporary Art Museum (Museo de Arte Contemporáneo), a space crafted to celebrate the Achaean Republic’s and Caribbean’s contributions in art, music, and design. Inaugurated in 1988 and renovated in 2018, the MACC hosted numerous international exhibitions from renowned artists and has served as the background for films and music videos. The MACC also hosts the largest collection of Fabergé eggs in the Caribbean, as well as a prestigious Jewish-Achaean cultural embroidery collection and regional mundillo handcrafted bobbin laces from Southern Achaea.[1]
Host country and city selection
The 70th World Hit Festival was originally meant to be hosted in Caen, Normandy and Picardy, the previous contests winner. Theming, logos and venue information had even originally been released publicly through press releases, however after multiple delays and general low interest despite the healthy showing to World Hit Festival 69, Normandy and Picardy simultaneous withdrew from hosting and participating in 70th edition of the contest. Due to this sudden withdrawal and with the absence World Hit Festival 69's second and third place finishers, the hosting duties fell on the Achaean Republic. Due to the sudden nature and the already lengthy period since the last contest, no internal host bidding occurred, with AS1 quickly choosing Corola as host city and securing the Chevrolet Hall for an adequately sized host venue. The originally chosen host venue was Caen's Arène du Parc, a 12,000 seater stadium that was to host 10,000 for the World Hit Festival.[2]
Participants
The World Hit Festival is an IBA associated event, however IBA membership is not required to participate and IBA Associate giving to those from outside the Alliance to participate in it's open events. The only eligibility is to broadcast the contest on the broadcaster's channel(s) and to enter an original song to compete. Numbers for World Hit Festival 70 fluctuated a lot in it's run up, with AS1 eventually announcing 9 nations eligible for the contest in time for the Allocation Draw, this eventually dropping again to 8 after a last minute withdrawal.
| Country | Broadcaster | Artist | Song | Language | Songwriter(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achaean Republic | AS1 | Rodrigo Arenas | "Esferas"[a] | Spanish |
|
| Beepee | BONC | Dottie | "Dangerous" | English |
|
| Carrelie | CRTB | erstwhile bloom | "vandoria" | English | Dahlia Leuweker |
| Ealdracaland | BDO | The Rose Brothers | "Nægld to as Beam"[b] | Ealdracafolk |
|
| Elejamie | CRTS | Lisa Park and her Gang | "Bitan" | English[c] |
|
| Haruhata | HaruTV | Blanket | "Kisushite Saigo Ni Mōichido"[d] (キスして最後にもう一度) |
Japanese[e], English |
|
| Lushansk | LBC/SRL | Taylor Woodward | "The Euro" | English |
|
| Malta Comino Gozo | MCG1 | Konsu | "Valletta" | English | Konsu Farina |
Overseer Election
The 70th edition also mark an election for the next term of the official contest overseer, with the incumbent Normand term coming to an end. Only the Achaean Republic's AS1 put their name forward to take control of the contest. Although AS1 was unopposed, World Hit Festival rules dictate that an election must still take place, with the other option on the ballot either being the incumbent or to reopen nomination, with this election having the latter. Delegations from 5 nations voted in the election and all 5 unanimously voted to approve the Achaean bid for the position. These 5 nations were Beepee, Ealdracaland, Elejamie, Kalosia and Normandy and Picardy. AS1's new head overseer for the contest was named to be Tamar de Andrade.[4]
Production
The 70th World Hit Festival was produced by AS1 Comunicaciones, inc. (AS1) in association with the International Broadcasting Alliance (IBA). The senior managing director of the show was Tamar de Andrade. The budget was shared between Corola City Council and AS1, subsidised heavily by the Achaean government's Department of Culture budget.
Visual Design
The original colour scheme for WHF70 was a red, orange and blue colour scheme made to be reminisent of the Normand and Picard flag. The original logo being an hombre of these colours with a circle in-front creating an eclipse effect. Once the contest ended up being moved to Corola, the logo and scheme was completely changed. Corola, likely due to time and budget constraints, opted for a more stripped back and simplistic logo featuring stylised lettering in the two new themed colours, red and black, with a small light bulb logo above the letter and the new tagline added to the logo as well. The tagline was "#ChangesAndContrasts".
Stage Design
The original stage was designed by Caen-based design suite Hugo Rouselle, having won the tender put out by SRNP after the host city was chosen. The design reflects the theme, with circular elements drawing upon the "sound wave" design central to the aesthetic of this contest, including the moveable circular LED ring, and partial rings about the B-stage. The stage also seeks to embrace and reach out to viewers around the world and encourage them to join in in this important anniversary for the contest. The stage makes use of a large background LED and an LED floor, and lights situated around the stage including in the arches to the sides of the main stage.
The final stage used in Corola was created through a partnership between the Achaean architectural firm Benítez & Associates and students from the Pontifical University of Corola, the stage features simple square and rectangular LED designs that cover the stage. The five pillars in the back of the stage feature LED screens with more than 1.5 million colors and typify the storied Corola skyline and skyscrapers. The stage also uses 214 Solaris Flares from American LED company 214 flares, a rotating LED design, a flexible-transparent projection screen, and typical show fixtures like fog, water, fireworks, regular fire, and light.
Postcards
Both the original and final postcards follow a similar theme of utilising the countries famous historical buidlings, AS1 opting for more culturally authentic spots around Corola alongside the usual tourist traps and iconic landmarks. The following buildings were used for each nation:
| Country | Location |
|---|---|
| Achaean Republic | Torre Correos de Acaya |
| Beepee | Bario Primero |
| Carrelie | Plaza del Mercado |
| Ealdracaland | Universidad de Corola |
| Elejamie | La Guancha Broadwalk |
| Haruhata | Parque de Bombas |
| Lushansk | Baños Constantinopla |
| Malta Comino Gozo | Milla de Oro |
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Presenters
The contest was presented by Achaean personality and performer Francheska González, better known under the stage name "Mannamma", and Achaean singer Tomás Pérez Jiménez, performing under his drag persona "P.P. Galore". Francheska “Mannamma” González is a popular Achaean DJ, dancer, and singer. A lifelong Corolana and a controversial figure she is well known for her divisive antics, her wicked sense of humor, her pointless Twitter fights and the antics she worked alongside her boyfriend Lewis Capelle in the popular reality show Fran & Lewis. Tomás Pérez Jiménez is the birth name of popular Achaean drag queen P.P. Galore, whom has represented the Achaean Republic in WorldVision Song Contests 77 with Sabrosa and 92 with Sonar, achieving third place in the competition. She is also one of the country’s most popular drag performers, hosting every edition of Drag Race Acaya and being slated as one of the contestants for Season Three of Queen of the Universe. She represents the vibrancy and diversity of the Corola LGBTQ+ scene, and will become the first drag queen to host the World Hit Festival. The live allocation draw was also hosted by Mannamma and P.P. Galore.
Format
In the World Hit Festival each nation sends an artist and a song to compete against other nations and then votes on which nations and therefore their favourites, allocating them points and then the nation with the most points is crowned the contest's winner. The voting system is a 1-5 system of preference. Which means only a nation's top 5 entries will receive points, with 5 points going to the winner of that nation's combined ranking. A nation cannot vote for itself. This system was upheld for WHF70 with no real changes to the process nor the voting for the edition. This edition's format however was unique in having an interval act play as an intermission during the run of competitive acts. Unlike previous edition, this edition of the contest did not include the handing out of the World Hit Festival Awards, where the delegations themselves can nominate other delegations for a range of more specific awards.
Contest Overview
The final took place on 12th August 2023 at 20:00 EDT (00:00 BST). Eight countries participated and voted in the final. The running order draw for the final took place on 31st July 2023. Due to the low number of participants, instead of drawing halves which are then sorted into a running order by the producers, acts instead were drawn directly into their running order position. Both the nations and the positions they drew were done in random order. Haruhata won the contest with the song "Kisushite Saigo Ni Mōichido" (キスして最後にもう一度, Kiss Me One Last Time) with 31 points, performed by Blanket, written and composed by her and Touji Yuki with Maryanne Saihara also having writing credits. Elejamie came second with 27 points. The Achaean Republic, Malta Comino Gozo and Ealdracaland round up the top 5, with Carrelie, Beepee and Lushansk occupying the final 3 positions at the bottom of the leaderboard.
As per Achaean legislation for major sporting or cultural events, the final was technically opened with a performance the Achaean national anthem, however this was not shown in the televised run of the show outside of the Achaean Republic itself. For the televised version of the show, the opening of the final was a short VT of past winner's jubilations in their winning moments introducing a performance by Marcel of his World Hit Festival 69 winning song "Complétement Fou". This is followed by performances by the hosts of the show, P.P. Galore performing her WorldVision 79 song "Sabrosa" and then Mannamma performing her WorldVision 81 song "Lentamente". Kalosian singer Domeniku Kaľari performed a intermission after the 4th nation with his World Hit Festival 51 winning song "L’Eklisu". The interval acts followed the theme of returning past winners, with Izmeduan singers Dorotea Viskovic and Ninad Niksic returning to perform their World Hit Festival 44 winning duet "Maja pisma" and after the opening of the voting lines, Achaean singer Itamar performed World Hit Festival 58 winner "Pass by Me", the nation's most recent winning entry.
| Order | Country | Artist(s) | Song Name | Place | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Carrelie | erstwhile bloom | vandoria | 6 | 9 |
| 02 | Lushansk | Taylor Woodward | The Euro | 8 | 1 |
| 03 | Elejamie | Lisa Park and Her Gang | Bitan | 2 | 27 |
| 04 | Achaean Republic | Rodrigo Arenas | Esferas | 3 | 18 |
| 05 | Beepee | Dottie | Dangerous | 7 | 6 |
| 06 | Malta Comino Gozo | Konsu | Valletta | 4 | 17 |
| 07 | Haruhata | Blanket | Kisushite Saigo Ni Mōichido | 1 | 31 |
| 08 | Ealdracaland | The Rose Brothers | Nægld to as Beam | 5 | 11 |
Spokespersons
The spokespersons announced the 5-point score from their respective country's national combined vote in the following order. The order was randomised bar the host nation, the Achaean Repubic, announcing last.
- Elejamie - Lucía Beltrán
- Haruhata - Yuzuru Akayama
- Carrelie - Sylvia Knudsen
- Malta Comino Gozo - Lewis Sarucino
- Lushansk - P.P. Galore[f]
- Beepee - Nick O'Tyme
- Ealdracaland - Zorro Ledwick
- Achaean Republic - Katherine Guardiola
Scoreboard
The results of the final were determined by combined votes of professional juries and national televotes in all 8 of the nations competing. Due to the smaller size of the edition, the usual two phase system of World Hit Festival was cut down to a single phase where all 5 points were revealed simultaneously to avoid the voting period becoming unnecessarily tedious. The announcement of each set of points was conducted by each nation individually in random order, with each nation's spokesperson announcing their nation's top ranking entry, with the remaining points having already appeared on screen. Haruhata and Elejamie both received points from every other voting nation, barely missing out on this feat by receiving points from all but one voting nation were the Achaean Republic, Ealdracaland and Malta Comino Gozo, being blanked by Elejamie, Carrelie and Beepee respectively. No one received 0 points this edition, with Lushansk narrowly avoiding it by receiving 1 point from Ealdracaland.
| Nations | Voting results (Voting order) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EJM | HHT | CAR | MCG | LSK | BPE | ELD | ACH | Total Score | |||
| Contestants | 01 | Carrelie | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 9 | ||||
| 02 | Lushansk | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| 03 | Elejamie | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 27 | ||
| 04 | Achaean Republic | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 18 | |||
| 05 | Beepee | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | ||||||
| 06 | Malta Comino Gozo | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 17 | |||
| 07 | Haruhata | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 31 | ||
| 08 | Ealdracaland | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 11 | |||
Incidents
Normand Withdrawal
Normandy and Picardy were the original hosts of the 70th World Hit Festival, however they eventually dropped out of the contest altogether. This was also meant to be the last edition with the contest with a Normand overseer, with it being the transitionary edition for the new Achaean overseer-elect to follow the outgoing team and learn the ropes. However, after many delay and postponements, it was eventually announced that the hosting of the contest was moving to the Achaean Republic, and not long afterward it was also announced that Normandy and Picardy would be ceasing their involvement in the competition altogether, leaving the Achaean overseer-elect to become the new fully fledge overseer very quickly, and AS1 having to organise a whole competition in a short amount of time. This shocked the World Hit Festival community, as Normandy and Picardy were considered to be a golden age in the contest, with multiple recent wins and strong finishes. It prompted equal parts concern and criticism towards snrp from fans and media, both domestically and internationally. A mixture of criticism due to regular contest delays, the out-going nature of the Normand overseer position, low funding due to multiple recent hostings and general burnout from sustained high rate of effort and pressure have been suspected to have all been causes that led to the sudden withdrawals, however an official statement was never released from snrp themselves.
Teesdexxian Withdrawal
Teesdexxia was originally touted to have been returning to the contest for this edition, having a valid song chosen and were even feature in the live allocation draw by AS1. Unfortunately, when the actual date of the contest came around, Teesdexxia had been removed from official listings and did not end up performing 5th like they had been allocated, with an interval act taking their place and everyone after them being moved up a spot. It was briefly mentioned in an interview that this may be due issue during rehearsal week which caused the team to withdraw at such a late date, however a full explanatory statement from TBA is yet to be released. They did however confirm their intention to still return in the future.
Notes
- ↑ transl. "Spheres"
- ↑ transl. "Nailed to a Cross"
- ↑ Title is in romanised Korean (transl. "Heartbreak") but this does not feature in the actual lyrics of the song
- ↑ transl. "Kiss Me One Last Time"
- ↑ Specifically Haruhati Japanese
- ↑ Due to technical issues, connection to the Lushanski broadcaster was unsuccessful, causing their points to be announced by the hosts instead, with P.P. Galore announcing their 5 points specifically.
References
- ↑ T. P. Jiménez (4 July 2023). "¡Bienvenidos a Corola!". NationStates. AS1. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
- ↑ C. Périault (29 April 2023). "Bienvenue À Caen". NationStates. snrp. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
- ↑ K. Osia (1 January 2021). "IBA Members". NationStates. IBA. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
- ↑ T. de Andrade (6 June 2023). "¡Buenos Días from Your New Overseer! And Updates..." NationStates. AS1. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
- ↑ T. de Andrade (9 August 2023). "And The Winner Is..." NationStates. AS1. Retrieved 10 August 2023.