Importance of Performance

The importance of Eurovision Song Contest extends beyond the spirit of competition. This song contest provides a platform for each competing country to make a statement to the rest of the world, and to prove itself not only as a competitor, but as an innovator. For small and misunderstood countries, Eurovision Song Contest generates an annual opportunity for establishing an identity. Just as the importance of this event extends beyond the aspect of competition, each performance holds greater meaning than may be anticipated or expected by a viewer. Serbia’s entries from 2012, 2013, and 2015 will be dissected and analyzed individually and as a cohesive group.  

Serbia’s 2012 performance, “Nije Lujubav Stvarr” is a haunting piece that uses symbolism to engage the audience. Due to his previous musical success, Serbian-born Željko Joksimović was granted full control over this entry, and he constructed the concept of this Balkan ballad. The piece was performed in Serbian, and the title translates to “Love is Not a Thing.” Mystery surrounds this performance, and every angle is meticulously thought out and purposefully included. Viewers are introduced to a mournful melody and the first shot is of the grand piano. The camera then pans out to capture the rest of the stage, which is lit by dark blue and yellow lighting to form a gloomy hue onstage. Colors are a significant facet to this performance, and they are used as a visual form of communication. Dark blue represents seriousness and power, and it is initially projected through lights to set the tone. While yellow is often considered a color of happiness, it also represents betrayal, deceit, and dishonesty — feelings which Serbia holds toward the rest of Europe — specifically toward Montenegro. Montenegro left Serbia to form its own country, and this is a great source of defeat and heartache to Serbia. Viewers are then exposed to the performers, all of whom are wearing black —  a color of mystery, fear, and mourning. Additionally, the two female performers wear red lipstick, a color that is associated with passion, love, desire, and intensity (Color symbolism and culture (n.d.)). During the performance, the camera focuses on Joksimović, yet backing performers grab the attention of viewers as they move stealthily to create new formations onstage. The meticulous manner of the performers generates questions from viewers and feelings of unease. The darkness of the stage, sadness of the melody, slick, sophisticated style of the performers, and staging of each instrument adds to the mystery of this piece. Joksimović’s passion as the ballad continues is echoed in the projection of colors, and a red, fiery background of galaxies emerges. This projection lasts during the upbeat part of the performance, and the vibrant red may serve as a warning or symbol of anger. The ballad ends passionately, and this performance distinguishes Serbia as a nation that is betrayed and heartbroken.  

In the 2013 competition, Serbia’s performance is a paradox to the performance from 2012. The song title, “Ljubav Je Svuda” translates to, “Love is Everywhere,” and it incorporates a story of conflict in the choice of love. The audience can infer that this performance reflects the human conscience, and 3 roles are assigned to each performer. Each singer is dressed for her separate role, and the focal singer wears various pale colors of blue, white, and yellow, with a large, sparkly red heart at the center of her costume. White pearls line the sides of her pants, and this accessory frequently appears on various costumes within this performance. This singer is the human in the story, and she is in distress. The song opens with a performer who is dressed in a pale pink and white striped dress with large, accented pearls covering the shoulders. This character begins by signing to the lead character, and her costume and actions portray this singer as an angel figure. The third singer sharply contrasts the other performers in her costume and actions. She wears a bright pink dress with white polka dots, and accents of white and red appear throughout the costume. Instead of using pearls to emphasize her shoulders, this singer wears spikes. This figure undertakes the role of the demon who corrupts the human character's thoughts. The principal singer carries traits of both the good and evil characters in her costume and in her hairstyle. She possesses the delicate curls of the angel figure and the dramatic frontward curl of the devil figure. There are three backing singers who wear blue dresses covered in large, white pearls, a symbol of purity and integrity. The costuming of the backing singers infers their support to choose love, and every performer on stage seems to contrast the character of evil. Both the angel and devil figures invade the primary singer’s thoughts, and she cannot confide in either performer to help her in making this decision. While the choice of love is not an easy topic, Serbia delivers this piece in a playful manner, and the story exudes a lighthearted ambiance. The song ends with “Let’s Not Fight,” sending a vastly different message to the world than Serbia’s performance from the preceding year of heartbreak. This contrast in performance may have been an intentional attempt to rebuild Serbia’s reputation and to erase European association for Serbia as a hostile and antagonistic country.  

In the 2015 competition, Serbia’s performance, “Beauty Never Lies” imitates the winning performance of the previous year, "Rise Like a Phoenix" in both its lighting and message (2014, Austria). Both performances begin with one performer who is surrounded by lights pointing inward. Similar to “Rise Like a Phoenix,” Serbian singer, Bojana Stamenov is not the stereotypical performer who is represented at Eurovision Song Contest. The piece begins as a serious ballad, and Stamenov wears a silver dress with a purple ring, a color of both wisdom and transformation, and her costume is accented with sparkles, which may represent self-expression. As the song progresses, four backing performers enter, each wearing white, long costumes with white masks. The gender of these performers is unidentifiable, and the only distinguishable feature for each of these uniform dancers are the color of their flags, which are: orange, purple, red, and blue. These colors represent: energy, enlightenment, love, and confidence (n.d.). The characteristics of the backing performers with their flags could influence an observer to associate these performers as Serbia’s national symbol, the double headed white eagle. As the song continues, Stamenov sings, “Here I am,” prompting each of the backing performers to remove their masks and costumes and to reveal their unique identities. This shedding of the bird-like costumes may represent Serbia’s attempt to change as a country and to move forward from its past. The backing performers are made up of two men and two women, and they all wear individual costumes composed of many colors for self-expression. The performers no longer move in unison, but to their own beat. The transformation from a serious ballad into a celebration of individuality and acceptance is meant to inspire the audience, while representing the carefree, loving side of Serbia. 

Each of the three performances contains separate goals for Serbia, yet they all fall under one common theme of love. “Nije Lujubav Stvarr” focuses on a breakup story and intense heartache from the love that ceases to exist (2012, Serbia). Conversely, “Ljubav Je Svuda” tells the tale of the love that surrounds each of us and acknowledges that love is the right choice, though it is not always easy (2013, Serbia). “Beauty Never Lies” encourages viewers to love themselves and others for the beauty from within (2015, Serbia). While love is a common theme throughout the Eurovision Song Contest, Serbia chooses a different approach to the topic of love for each performance partly due to the various performers who represent Serbia. The reoccurring topic of love may allude to Serbia’s desire to be loved and accepted by the rest of Europe.