Leave Eurovision As It Is: America Doesn't Need Any More Music Show Adaptions

The world-renowned Eurovision Song Contest is coming to America in 2022. In all my 12 years of watching Eurovision, I never thought I'd see this particular show come to the States. Before you say it's just another music program, Eurovision is its own entity. Eurovision sets itself apart from all competitive music shows because its main focus is not just the music, but the performance aspects as well. 

What is Eurovision?

For those not familiar with Eurovision, it's an international song competition organized by the European Broadcasting Union. A maximum of 44 countries may participate in the program each year. Singers primarily from European countries compete against each other spanning over several days. Primarily European contestants, though countries such as Israel, Morocco, Cyprus, Russia, Turkey, and now Australia participate.

Each country casts its votes for another countries' songs, and the one with the most votes is crowned the winner. The winner of the contest will then get the opportunity to have their country as hosts for the next years' competition. Overall, Eurovision helps promote the host country and its city as an attractive travel destination. 

Why is Eurovision such a phenomenon outside the United States?

The theatrics, the outlandish outfits, the wacky dances, its what make up the spirit of Eurovision. It goes beyond singing, though it does play a part, it's about everything included; the stage, costumes, special effects, etc. If people weren't talking about your performance then you didn't do it right. 

Also, another thing to note, Eurovision isn't just a music competition, it's a whole event. The show has a special opening, additional musical guests and artists also perform during the competition. Acts such as ABBA, Celine Dion, Mahmood, and other artists have competed in the show and went on to become international artists. 

Watch the video below to get a little feel of what you'll get when you watch Eurovision.

Check out these other clips from various performances over the years.

Alexander Rybak - Fairytale 2009 Eurovision

SunStroke Project - Hey Mamma! 2017 Eurovision 

Hatari - Hatrio Mun Sigra 2019 Eurovision

Jedward - Lipstick 2011 Eurovision

Somehow I just don't see how America can bring this level of entertainment to our screens. It goes beyond performance, the various participating countries bring their own unique cultures to their performances and that is what brings such great moments to the show.

Now that the organizers for Eurovision have achieved success overseas, they want to bring that same success here to America. Martin Osterdahl, the Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest, was quoted saying:

For 65 years the Eurovision Song Contest has connected people far and wide. As owners of this hugely successful format, we have seen how it has found a place in millions of hearts across Europe and beyond.

Now we are excited to have found the perfect partners to share this unique competition and its passionate celebration of music and original songs with the American people.

The problem with bringing another competition show is America already has too many song contests shows like American Idol, The Voice, America's Got Talent, and so on. Some of those shows are adaptions of the original. The Voice, for instance, is based on the original, The Voice of Holland, created in 2010. It spanned an entire franchise with over 145 countries/regions participating. The X Factor is another show that made its way across the pond to the U.S.

Where am I going with this you ask? The U.S. has a problem, and that is taking on too many remakes and adaptions of shows it doesn't need to take on. What makes Eurovision so special is that it's a one-of-a-kind of show. You don't see artists and groups that appear on that stage anywhere else but on Eurovision. The competitors either sing in their own languages or English. The culture and diversity that come across that stage are fun to see. Eurovision celebrates the weirdness, quirkiness, and overall appeal of its artists in a way that America never could.

So America, please don't try to recreate Eurovision, it's an impossible feat. Instead, make American Song Contest as American as you can, that way it'll be something unique to this country and not a ripoff of others.