Blanche in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017, and comparable past acts

This is a comment reply in a YouTube video comments thread to Blanche's song "City Lights" (BE).

Blanche's advantage is, that her song in its nature is rather subdued, and so differs from the usual Eurovision fare of bawdy ballads, rappy rap, rocky rock, and flimsy folk.

In 2015, for example, my favourite was Boggie (Czemer Boglarka) from Hungary, but her beautiful and also comparably subdued "Wars for Nothing" was bogged down (if you forgive the pun) by the high-register voice of a background singer, and so the song did not quite make it as well as it should have — reaching No. 20 out of 26 entries in the final. I recall, that the other contenders in the 2015 ESC final were much stronger that year.

In 2009 (Moscow), "Is it True?" by Yohanna was superb and executed to perfection: Despite the high notes in important places (I think one of these is called the bridge), it was mostly moderate in terms of power, not too slow and not too fast. Alas, Yohanna lost out to Belarus-born Alexander Rybak from Norway.

In 2005, the Latvian duo Valters & Kaža charmed me with their poignant "The War is not Over", eventually reaching No. 5 in the final of that year. The duo even "sang" in sign language, which was a lovely stunt. The composition was written by Mārtiņš Freimanis, who died in early 2011...

ESC 2017
Several—if not most—songs are rehashes of previous motifs. With many, it's par for the course, but this time, the Italians are so unconfident about their own song this year, that they had to bring a "gorilla". I pity the poor bloke who has to perform in the animal costume, because these are always really hot inside.

Most others' live performances were weaker; either their song was weak, or was the presentation, and only a few performances are up to any standard.

For example, Switzerland's singstress was very, very professional, but didn't make it to the finals. Lithuania was great, but too eclectic for the peevy televoters and juries. And so it usually boils down to regional voting blocs.

Estonia
The 2011 local "Eesti Laul" competition had this beautiful and innovative "Valss" by Orelipoiss, which most unfortnately lost out to the garish "Rockefeller Street" sung by Getter Jaani. Ugh.

The 2015 "Eesti Laul" had a strong contender in Maia Vahtramäe with "Üle vesihalli taeva". She lost to Elina Born and Stig Rästa, who deservedly got to 6th place at the ESC final.

In 2016, Mick Pedaja and his quiet and serene "Seis" should have won the local "Eesti Laul" competition, but lost out to Jüri Pootsmann, and I was happy with glee, when Pootsmann thereafter got about the very last position at the Eurovision.

In 2017, Daniel Levi should also have won the local competition with "All I Need", but lost to local charmeur and chanceuse couple of Koit Toome and Laura. Much to my chagrin, Daniel Levi's live-action video was poor, too.

I mean, there's such a trove of great music that regretfully never made it to the ESC.