"Zari" | ||||
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Single by Marina Satti | ||||
from the EP P.O.P. | ||||
English title | Dice | |||
Released | 7 March 2024 | |||
Length | 3:00 | |||
Label | Golden | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
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Marina Satti singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Zari" on YouTube | ||||
Eurovision Song Contest 2024 entry | ||||
Country | ||||
Artist(s) | ||||
Languages | ||||
Composer(s) |
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Lyricist(s) |
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Finals performance | ||||
Semi-final result | 5th | |||
Semi-final points | 86 | |||
Final result | 11th | |||
Final points | 126 | |||
Entry chronology | ||||
◄ "What They Say" (2023) | ||||
Official performance video | ||||
"Zari" (Second Semi-Final) on YouTube "Zari" (Grand Final) on YouTube |
"Zari" (Greek: Ζάρι, pronounced [ˈzari]; transl. "Dice") is a song by Greek singer Marina Satti. It was co-written by Satti alongside eight other songwriters, and released on 7 March 2024 by Golden Records as the second single off her extended play P.O.P. It represented Greece at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, where it placed 11th at the grand final with 126 points.
The song has been described by Satti as a song that aims to tell the "real characteristics" of young Greek people and their culture. The song was met with a heavily divided response in Greece and the international community, with praise being awarded towards the song for mixing multiple styles of music. However, it was also met with heavy criticism, with the song being viewed as confusing. Criticism was also levied on the song's stance regarding the reliance of tourism relating to the Greek economy. "Zari" drew commercial success, peaking at number one in Greece. It was additionally certified quadruple diamond by IFPI Greece.
Background and composition
[edit]"Zari" was written by Gino Borri, Jay Lewitt Stolar, Jordan Richard Palmer, Konstantin Plamenov Beshkov, Manolis Solidakis, Satti, Nick Kodonas, Oge, and Vlospa.[2] The song was created by selecting a few snippets from around 200 submissions and remixing them to create "Zari".[3] It features traditional Greek music, instruments and a "thrumming urban" beat.[4] In the past, Satti had been asked by Greek broadcaster for the Eurovision Song Contest, the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT), three times; however, she rejected all calls until 2024 because she felt that "I felt readier now."[5]
In press statements given out by Satti, she expressed desires of wanting to mix old and new cultures and traditions of Greece.[6] She also has stated that the song focuses on the theme of luck.[7] In statements given to Greek media, she expressed a desire to break stereotypes about Greek culture with the song.[8] The song was released on 7 March 2024 by Golden Records.[6] Musically, Wiwibloggs' Georgia Efthymiadou wrote that the song was about the "sense of uncertainty and a willingness to embrace whatever comes next, even if it brings pain or difficulty", with the die representing how one's life is out of control in the hands of fate.[9]
Music video
[edit]Along with the song's release, an accompanying music video was released on the same day. It was filmed in various landmarks around Greece, including the Acropolis, Plaka, Monastiraki, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Omonoia, Mount Lycabettus, Rafina and the Athens International Airport.[10][11] The music video features Satti along with Scott "the American", a longtime American fan of Satti who had previously appeared in several tourism advertisements for Greece.[12][13] In the video, Scott acts as an Australian tourist[14] while Satti represents a Greek tour guide.[15]
In an analysis by Nicholas Zois of Kathimerini, Zois wrote that the music video poked fun at the reliance of tourism for the country of Greece "without denying it or clearly condemning it", with the tourist presented in the video representing how tourists want "clichés of an outdated national image" when they visit Greece.[16] Despite this, Satti stated that she wanted to show the true culture of Greece that she grew up and loved, stating that "my dream is to show the new Greece of today... [especially] the urban culture [because] we all grew up in the city".[15] In another analysis by Matt Wrather of Overthinking It, he viewed Satti as a tour guide working to gain the approval of tourists by showing them a stereotypical and touristy view of Greek culture by degrading the local people. Nevertheless, the tourist in the end gets shown "the real Greece" when Satti drifts him around in a car, with the tourist enjoying the experience.[15]
Critical reception
[edit]Greek media and personalities
[edit]Proto Thema's Michalis Stoukas wrote a negative review on "Zari", commentating that the eight songwriters "worked together to write a song that few understood to which musical genre it belongs... we didn't send a song based on traditional rhythms or even a (t)rap, but preferred a song without an identity".[17] In a commentary by four Kathimerini editors, the song was met with mixed reception. Multiple editors wrote in their reviews that they thought the song was too confusing, with the song's modernistic composition being compared to the discography of Rosalía.[18] Another Kathimerini writer, Dimitris Rigopoulos, wrote that the common reaction amongst the international community was that "Greece finally sent a 'Greek in the soul' song... [it has] won them over, something that they seem to have missed a lot from the Greek entries of the last years".[19] Matt Wrather stated that "the way [Greece] was depicted in the music video", particularly its stance on the reliance of tourism regarding the Greek economy, made many Greeks within the country angry, viewing the song as a sign of disrespect towards Greece.[15]
Eurovision-related and other media
[edit]In a Wiwibloggs review containing several reviews from several critics, the song was rated 7.27 out of 10 points,[20] earning 11th out of 37 songs on the site's annual ranking.[21] Another review conducted by ESC Bubble that contained reviews from a combination of readers and juries rated the song tenth out of the 16 songs "Zari" was competing against in its the Eurovision semi-final.[22] ESC Beat's Doron Lahav ranked the song 18th overall, writing that the song was "one of the most modern songs this year" but also acknowledging that "I found the whole package a bit messy and hard to digest in some cases."[23] ESC Insight's Ewan Spence stated that he thought the song was a "girl bop".[24]
Vulture's Jon O'Brien ranked the song 23rd overall, describing it as a "collage of disparate sounds than a fully formed song, lurching from snake-charming flutes and reggaeton beats to video-game synths and operatic Middle Eastern melodies without any particular focus".[25] On the other hand, Erin Adam of The Scotsman gave it an 8 out of 10, calling it "unique" and pointing out that "there's nothing else remotely like this in [that year's] contest".[4] The Independent's Roisin O'Connor included the song in their ten favourites to win the contest, writing that while it "might sound strange to some listeners", it was a "very contemporary pop jam that could easily make its way onto our summer playlists".[26]
Eurovision Song Contest
[edit]Internal selection
[edit]Greece's broadcaster for the Eurovision Song Contest, the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT), officially announced their intention to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 on 15 September 2023.[27] A month later on 24 October, ERT announced on television show Studio 4 that they had internally selected Satti to represent the country.[28] The songwriting process started the following day,[29] with the song being reported as "Zari" on 13 February 2024.[30]
At Eurovision
[edit]The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 took place at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, and consisted of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, Greece was drawn to compete in the second semi-final, performing in the first half of the show.[31] Satti was later drawn to perform third, ahead of Albania's Besa and before Switzerland's Nemo.[32]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6d/Marina_Satti_Eurovision_Song_Contest_2024_Final_Malm%C3%B6_dress_rehearsal_semi_2_09.jpg/220px-Marina_Satti_Eurovision_Song_Contest_2024_Final_Malm%C3%B6_dress_rehearsal_semi_2_09.jpg)
For its Eurovision performance, Fokas Evangelinos was appointed as the staging director.[33] The performances features Satti along with four backing dancers along with a singular backing vocalist.[34][35] Satti wears a purple dress and skirt, with the background dancers wearing black clothing. The performance starts in a 9:16 screen ratio,[36] which was interpreted by ESC Insight's Ewan Spence as "if we are watching it live streamed from someone’s phone", symbolizing the showcasing of Greek culture from her phone.[24] The majority of the performance was filmed on one camerashot.[36] "Zari" finished in fifth, scoring 86 points and securing a position in the grand final.[37][38]
Satti performed a repeat of her performance in the grand final on 11 May. The song was performed in 12th, ahead of Latvia's Dons and before the United Kingdom's Olly Alexander.[39] The performance received mixed reactions. Loukas Yorkas, the Greek representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011, stated in Proto Thema that "[the Greek delegation] presented this year's song in the best possible way".[40] Greek singer Kostas Bigalis, the Greek representative in 1994, stated that although "[Marina] did whatever she could based on her song", it "never plays an actually important role". He further went on to criticize the contest in general and the musical quality of "Zari", stating that the era for Eurovision being based on the quality of music was past, adding, "we called it a 'song contest', as if".[41] Greek representative for the 1987 contest, Thanos Kalliris, also gave positive remarks on Satti's vocal abliities but admitted that "due to my age, I was one of those who did not like the Greek participation... it was like a jumble of many things".[42]
After the results were announced, she finished in 11th with 126 points, with a split score of 41 points from juries and 85 points from public televoting.[43] Regarding the former category, the song received one set of the maximum 12 points from Switzerland. It also received another set of 12 points from the public televote, with it being awarded by Cyprus.[44] In response to her finish, Satti stated satisfaction, proclaiming that "I was glad that in the end the presentation in the final was good."[45] Katy Garbi, representative for Greece in the contest in 1993, proclaimed that "I felt sorry for Greece, I believed in our song and I think we deserved to do better."[46]
Track listings
[edit]- Streaming/digital download – original[47]
- "Zari" – 3:00
- Streaming/digital download – EP[48]
- "Zari" – 3:00
- "Zari" (live from Peristeri, Greece / 2024) – 3:12
- "Zari" (a capella) – 3:00
- "Zari" (instrumental) – 3:00
- "Zari" (sped up) – 2:36
Charts
[edit]Chart (2024) | Peak position |
---|---|
Greece (Billboard)[49] | 1 |
Greece Local (IFPI)[50] | 1 |
Lithuania (AGATA)[51] | 20 |
Netherlands (Single Tip)[52] | 8 |
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[53] | 10 |
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[54] | 99 |
Certifications
[edit]Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Streaming | ||
Greece (IFPI Greece)[55] | Diamond | 10,000,000† |
† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone. |
Release history
[edit]Country | Version | Date | Format(s) | Label | Ref. |
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Various | Original | 7 March 2024 | Golden Records | ||
EP | 10 May 2024 |
References
[edit]- ^ Papadopoulos, Giorgos (28 February 2024). "Ελλάδα: Οι συνθέτες του 'Ζάρι'!" [Greece: The composers of "Zari"!]. Eurovisionfun (in Greek). Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ Helgeson, Justina (7 March 2024). "Greece: Marina Satti's Eurovision 2024 song 'Zari' is out now". Eurovisionworld. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ "Eurovision 2024: Αυτό είναι το τραγούδι της Μαρίνας Σάττι που διχάζει" [Eurovision 2024: This is Marina Satti's divisive song]. Kathimerini (in Greek). 8 March 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ a b Adam, Erin (7 May 2024). "Eurovision Song Contest 2024: All 37 songs reviewed ahead of semifinals, including UK's Olly Alexander". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 10 May 2024. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ Santos, Pedro (5 May 2024). "Marina Satti from Greece: "I want people to know Greeks better"". Eurovision World. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ a b Tudor, Ruxandra (7 March 2024). "Greece's Marina Satti releases her Eurovision 2024 entry 'Zari'". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ Adams, William Lee (15 February 2024). "Marina Satti: Luck is a major theme of my Eurovision 2024 song". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ Efthymiadou, Georgia (20 November 2023). "Marina Satti: Greece's Eurovision 2024 singer wants to break stereotypes about Greek music". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ Efthymiadou, Georgia (26 April 2024). ""And let whatever happens happen" -- Marina Satti surrenders to her own destiny in the "ZARI" lyrics". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ Bijuvignesh, Darshan (5 March 2024). "Greece: ERT Gives Hints For Marina Satti's Eurovision 2024 Song". Eurovoix. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ Bijuvignesh, Darshan (7 March 2024). "Greece: Marina Satti Releases 'Zari'". Eurovoix. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ Paschalidou, Nina Maria (24 March 2024). ""Ποιος μπορεί να πει όχι στη Μαρίνα Σάττι;"" ["Who can say no to Marina Satti?"]. Kathimerini (in Greek). Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ Kokkinidis, Tasos (1 May 2024). "Meet the Most Famous 'Tourist' in Greece: Scott 'the American'". Greek Reporter. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ Roberts, Dale (18 April 2024). "The tourist in Greece's Eurovision video is meant to be an Aussie". Aussievision. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d Wrather, Matt (22 January 2024). Marina Satti Is Showing Eurovision the New Greece (Video). Retrieved 9 April 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ Zois, Nicholas (12 March 2024). "Ποια εικόνα της Ελλάδας εκπέμπει το «Ζάρι» της Μαρίνας Σάττι; – Η «Κ» ανοίγει τον διάλογο" [What image of Greece does "Zari" by Marina Satti transmit? – "K" opens the dialogue]. Kathimerini (in Greek). Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ Stoukas, Michalis (17 May 2024). "Τα... απόνερα της Eurovision" [The... after Eurovision]. Proto Thema (in Greek). Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ Jannatou, Eleni; Kounalaki, Xenia; Mouhtaridis, Giergos; Tsobanis, Pantelis (8 March 2024). "Πού πέφτει το «Ζάρι» της Μαρίνας Σάττι;" [Where does Marina Satti's "Zari" land?]. Kathimerini (in Greek). Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ Rigopoulos, Dimitris (10 March 2024). "O μεγεθυντικός φακός της Μαρίνας Σάττι" [Marina Satti's magnifying glass]. Kathimerini (in Greek). Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ Team, Wiwibloggs (12 April 2024). "Wiwi Jury: Greece's Marina Satti with "ZARI"". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ Vautrey, Jonathan (7 April 2024). "Eurovision 2024: Reviews and rankings by the Wiwi Jury". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 1 May 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ Juhász, Ervin (23 April 2024). "The Public Reacts to Sweden: Marcus and Martinus – Unforgettable". ESC Bubble. Archived from the original on 2 May 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- ^ Lahav, Doron (16 April 2024). "Eurovision 2024 Songs Review – Part 5 (Armenia, Greece, Georgia, Malta, and San Marino)". ESC Beat. Archived from the original on 14 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
- ^ a b Spence, Ewan (9 May 2024). "Your Spotter's Guide To The Second Semi Final Of Eurovision 2024". ESC Insight. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ O'Brien, Jon (6 May 2024). "Every 2024 Eurovision Song, Ranked". Vulture. Archived from the original on 7 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ O'Connor, Roisin (11 May 2024). "Favourites to win Eurovision 2024: Our Top 10, from Bambie Thug to Baby Lasagna". The Independent. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
- ^ Ilias, Timos (15 September 2023). "Greece: ERT has confirmed its participation in Eurovision 2024 | EXCLUSIVE". Eurovision Fun. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ Vautrey, Jonathan (24 October 2023). "Greece chooses Marina Satti for Eurovision 2024". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ Argyriou, Giannis (13 December 2023). "Ελλάδα: Διαψεύδει η Μ. Σάττι τα περί απόρριψης των περισσότερων τραγουδιών που υποβλήθηκαν στην ΕΡΤ!" [Greece: M. Satti denies having rejected most of the songs submitted to ERT!]. Eurovision Fun (in Greek). Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ Álvarez, Jesús (13 February 2024). "«Zari» será el tema de Marina Satti para Eurovisión 2024 y contará con Fokas Evangelinos como director artístico" ["Zari" will be Marina Satti's entry for Eurovision 2024 and will see Fokas Evangelinos as the artistic director]. ESCplus España (in European Spanish). Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ "Eurovision 2024: Semi-Final Draw results". Eurovision Song Contest. European Broadcasting Union. 30 January 2024. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ Adams, William Lee (26 March 2024). "Eurovision 2024 Semi-Final Running Order Revealed". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 27 April 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ Álvarez, Jesús (12 March 2024). "¿Cuáles son los equipos de trabajo de las diferentes candidaturas de Eurovisión 2024?" [What are the working teams behind the various entries for Eurovision 2024?]. ESCplus España (in European Spanish). Retrieved 12 March 2024.
- ^ "Eurovision 2024: Αναχώρησε για το Μάλμε της Σουηδίας η ελληνική αποστολή – Τι δήλωσε στην ΕΡΤ η Μαρίνα Σάττι" [Eurovision 2024: The Greek delegation left for Malmö, Sweden – What Marina Satti told ERT]. Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (in Greek). 28 April 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ "Eurovision 2024: Με επιτυχία ολοκληρώθηκε και η δεύτερη πρόβα της ελληνικής συμμετοχής" [Eurovision 2024: The second rehearsal of the Greek entry was successfully completed]. Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (in Greek). 2 May 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ a b Lahav, Doron (8 May 2024). "Eurovision 2024 Semi-Final 2: Dress/Jury Rehearsal Live Commentary". ESC Beat. Archived from the original on 10 May 2024. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
- ^ "Eurovision 2024: Στον τελικό η Μαρίνα Σάττι" [Eurovision 2024: Marina Satti in the final]. Kathimerini (in Greek). 10 May 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ Vautrey, Jonathan (12 May 2024). "Eurovision 2024 semi-finals: Detailed results show Croatia and Israel won each show". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 14 May 2024. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
- ^ Vautrey, Jonathan (10 May 2024). "Eurovision 2024 grand final running order: Ukraine in second, Austria closes". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 10 May 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
- ^ "Λούκας Γιώρκας για το «Ζάρι»: Το τραγούδι παρουσιάστηκε με τον καλύτερο δυνατό τρόπο" [Loukas Yorkas on "Zari": The song was presented in the best possible way]. Proto Thema. 24 May 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ "Κώστας Μπίγαλης για Μαρίνα Σάττι: Απόρησα, με αυτό το βιογραφικό γιατί να μπλέξει με τη Eurovision;" [Kostas Bigalis for Marina Satti: I wonder, with this resume why should she mess with Eurovision?]. Proto Thema (in Greek). 14 May 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ "Θάνος Καλλίρης για τη συμμετοχή της Ελλάδας στη Eurovision: Η πρόβλεψή μου ήταν κάτω από 15, δεν μου άρεσε" [Thanos Kalliris on Greece's participation in Eurovision: My prediction was under 15, I didn't like it]. Proto Thema (in Greek). 13 May 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ "Eurovision: Νικήτρια η Ελβετία – Στην 11η θέση η Ελλάδα με τη Μαρίνα Σάττι" [Eurovision: Switzerland is the winner – Greece is in 11th place with Marina Satti]. Kathimerini (in Greek). 12 May 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ "Grand Final of Malmö 2024 - Greece Grand Final Results Allocation". Eurovision Song Contest. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
- ^ "Μαρίνα Σάττι: Επέστρεψε στην Αθήνα η τραγουδίστρια - Χάρηκα που η εμφάνισή μας στον τελικό της Eurovision ήταν καλή" [Marina Satti: The singer returned to Athens - I was glad that our appearance at the Eurovision final was good]. Proto Thema (in Greek). 12 May 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ "Καίτη Γαρμπή: Λυπήθηκα για την Ελλάδα, πίστευα στο τραγούδι μας και θεωρώ ότι μας άξιζε να πάμε καλύτερα" [Katy Garbi: I felt sorry for Greece, I believed in our song and I think we deserved to do better]. Proto Thema (in Greek). 12 May 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ "ZARI - Single - Album by Marina Satti". Apple Music (GB). 7 March 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
- ^ "ZARI (EP) - Album by Marina Satti". Apple Music (GB). 10 May 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
- ^ "Greece Songs (Week of March 23, 2024)". Billboard. 19 March 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
- ^ "Official IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (Local)". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 20 March 2024. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ "2024 20-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. 17 May 2024. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
- ^ "Dutch Single Tip 18/05/2024" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
- ^ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 20". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
- ^ "Marina Satti – Zári". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ "IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (Local) – Εβδομάδα: 28/2024" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ Bijuvignesh, Darshan (8 February 2024). "Greece: Marina Satti to Reveal Eurovision Song in March". Eurovoix. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ "ZARI - EP by Marina Satti". Spotify. Retrieved 20 May 2024.