REACTION: Electric Fields - 'One Milkali (One Blood)' | AUSTRALIA Eurovision 2024

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It's a good hook.

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Ah, g'day.

Yes, hello, bloody hell, yes.

Welcome to another
Novympia Eurovision reaction video.

My name is Nova.

Yeah, and I'm Olympia.

Today we are dressed like chicks.

Yeah.

Sometimes that happens 'round here.

Sometimes. Sorry 'bout it.

Mmm meant to tell you about that.

Today we are reacting
to Australia's entry for Eurovision 2024.

"Oh my god!"

Why are they even in it,
they're not even in Europe

(laughs)

Joking, I'm joking

I would just like to say that
Olympia is actually not Australian.

"So you're a liar.
Not only are you fake, you're a liar.

There you go. Ba-boom."

I'm not Australian, no.

That is a lie.

Ah, yes, no I am.

And also, how lovely
to react to my home nation today.

She's a liar.

Yes.

And a fraudster.

Also, just very very quickly,

because I know good goddamn well
there will be comments:

Australia, yes they're not in Europe.

They were invited to take part
in Eurovision in 2015

as a bit of a milestone celebration

'cause they'd broadcast Eurovision
for years and years and years.

And then they were just like,
well we're already in it,

we might as well stay in it.

There are several countries in Eurovision
not in Europe, but they are in the EBU.

The requirement is that you are a member
of the European Broadcasting Union,

and Australia now are.

So they're in it,
and I love that they're in it,

and we're not gonna talk about it
any more.

Now, who is representing Australia
for 2024, Nova?

Are they called Electric Fields?

So, Electric Fields are a duo.

It's electronic music and I know that
the one artist is called Zaachariaha.

Forgive me, I can't remember
the name of the other one.

What I do know is that Electric Fields
participated in Australia's national final

which they haven't had now
for a couple of years,

but they did have one
called Australia Decides.

It was really good.

And they entered into,
I want to say it was 2019

with a song called "2000 And Whatever".

So we are aware of Electric Fields,
and in particular

the vocalist Zaachariaha,

who is an Indigenous artist,
nonbinary artist, has a killer voice.

The charisma that exudes
when they're onstage

A really infectious stage presence.

And the vocal is insane.

So, we have heard the song
they're submitting this year.

We have, I'm also glad
that we're not doing a blind reaction.

I know a lot of you guys
prefer a blind reaction,

but sometimes I think it is best
for us to listen to a song a few times,

do a little bit of research,
and just sit with it.

Because my initial reaction to this
probably wouldn't have been

as positive or a strong
as the feelings I have for it now.

Yes, and I mean, some of the songs
we have reacted to blindly,

some we've sat
and milled over for a while,

so there's gonna be a whole, you know-

throughout the whole playlist
of reaction videos for this year,

there's a bit of a mixed bag in there.

But we thought
"2000 And Whatever" was sick,

I think that would've been
an excellent entry for Australia.

Yeah, I liked that.

Let's watch this one if you're ready to.

Yeah.

And we'll talk about how we feel
that this is gonna go for them.

So the song is called "One Milkali",
which translates to 'one blood'.

I will say, straight off the bat,
that this is a "music video",

if you can call it that.

This is a lyric video, let's be real.

So interestingly, the Eurovision channel
called it "official video".

On their channel,
it's called a lyric video.

Is it? Okay, interesting.

Because - but I've said this, though.

Hang on a second,
let's just pause it before.

I've said this before, though,

Eurovision has a way of defining
how it uploads its videos,

either as "Official Music Video"
or "National Final Performance".

They're very binary like that,

they don't come up
with anything in between.

So they've called this
"Official Music Video",

it's not a music video!

Like, it literally isn't,
'cause they're just sitting there

with the lyrics - it's a lyric video.

Okay, okay.

So this doesn't give away anything,
really, does it?

Okay.

Okay so we've got--

This is the bit where I feel like
we've got like, it starts to get going.

There's literally a digeridoo in this,
which is- I'm obsessed with that,

I love that element

So it's very easy listening

(singing) Milkalila, milkali

When I first saw this,
I was a bit disappointed,

Because again, we're provided
with this visual which looks

incredibly low-budget and very simple,

and I was a bit disappointed with that.

I also didn't initially react very well
to the song, but now I think it's a vibe.

Yeah, I'm not in love with like,
a message song.

They tend to be sometimes
very kind of like, I don't know,

feed the world, or save the Earth,
or we're all one voice, or whatever.

They tend to be sometimes,
a little bit like, an eyeroll.

So the idea is like, we are one blood,
we are one kind of like, human,

and therefore
we should celebrate our differences

rather than be divisive about it.

So, it's a very straightforward message.

They don't tend to do-

I don't think they tend
to do very well at Eurovision though,

I feel like that's something
that people are gonna resist about it.

I don't like the lyrics.

Some of the lyrics are a little...
perhaps a bit clunky.

I don't even know if it's clunky,

I just... maybe it's just me
being a miserable sod,

but it's kind of a bit too happy for me,
and I want a bit more of an edge to it.

And maybe the edge is that
this is a queer couple

and that's kind of lost on us,
being queer

I don't know if they are a couple,
I don't know if we can say that

They just went in for a kiss,
they just kissed each other

So? I kiss Char all the time,
what's your point?

(laughs)

The thing is, okay-

The thing that disappoints me-
or, it's not even disappointing,

but knowing the performance that
Zaachariaha gives consistently onstage,

and the vocal,

it's difficult to know exactly
quite how impressive

and how much of a show this is gonna be,
just based on the studio recording.

It's not very much to go off, is it?

It's not much to go off,

and I think a lot of people
have written this off,

but would be foolish to.

Because I think this is going to be-
I mean, the production on this is lovely.

It's not, like,
the most fresh-sounding thing.

There are a few elements
that make it a bit dated in my opinion.

It's very retro, I would say

It sounds a little bit... I don't know,
there's a few kind of like house elements,

or things that are a bit...
not necessarily too fresh.

I hate that that was the way
the song was introduced.

You'd rather nothing?

I would really have preferred
a live performance,

and I find it odd that
they couldn't have scrambled together

to put a live performance together.

Even if it was then
dubbed with the studio cut,

like, I think that would've been
more pleasing to look at.

I think this automatically
makes people go like, no budget, er...

It does feel a bit weird.

I don't know.

Perhaps they're just biding their time
and when it's gonna be done live,

it is gonna be a show

Hopefully.

Because if you go
and watch "2000 And Whatever"-

I mean, I can't undersell
how impressive Zaachariaha's vocal is.

I much preferred that song, I have to say.

And their style of performing
is just very, very impressive,

and it gets- it's like
a party starting kind of like,

I don't know.

It just like, turns everything into like,
an arena - almost - feeling.

'cause it is just like,
very, very impactful.

I like the point of view,
I like that these are queer artists,

Zaachariaha's a nonbinary artist,
I like the Indigenous elements to this,

the digeridoo is sick,
the intention is strong,

and the performance is strong.

I think it will be.

We've got some
Indigenous language as well.

The language - I love that,
especially from Australia.

I don't believe we've had that
from Australia before.

Correct me if I'm wrong,
but I don't think we have.

I'm not sure.

So I love everything about that.

I just wonder if the message angle
about it is a little- some of the lyrics,

yeah, they are a little bit trite.

Again, it might just be me being
super cynical and being miserable,

but I do almost do a bit
of an eyeroll at some of this.

Just because I feel like
it's so positive,

and it's so happy and feel-good.

And that's fantastic,

and a lot of people need
and want this kind of music,

but for me, I would just like
a bit of an edge somewhere.

And I feel like I'm almost getting that
in the production.

Some of the the production I really like
has elements that I'm like,

ooh, that's a nice little twist,

but ultimately,
it's just a bit too feel-good.

It almost borders on cliché to me,
and that's where I personally resist it.

It's- I think this is one
of the bigger question marks of the season

in the sense that
we really just don't know

how this is gonna play out on the stage.

The other thing is, yeah,
in terms of what we're being given

with this studio cut--

We've got no idea.

It's nice, I mean,
we thought it was lovely,

we will listen to it,
but is it going to translate to the stage

in the way that we all kind of want it to
and hope that it will?

It's a little bit of a question mark,
'cause again,

the video's not really giving
anything either.

I've seen a lot of comparisons
to Belgium last year with Gustaph.

I actually really responded well to that

I feel like people described that
as a surprise qualify.

I hated that song (laughs)

I was not surprised to see that qualify,
I liked the song,

and it was staged really well
and performed really well,

but that to me was more of a dance track

I was- I had that kind of access to it,
that it was a dance track.

This - you can dance to it.

It's more mellow.

But it's, yes, it's a bit more mid-tempo.

It's more mellow, I don't think
it's gonna lean that dancey at all.

If this had a faster tempo to it,
maybe that would draw me in a bit,

I don't know, again,
I can only speak

on my own personal opinions
and feelings with this.

It's just there's something about this

that doesn't quite resonate
with me completely.

Yes, I think that it has
every respectable quality to it

where it should qualify,

and might well qualify
based on the performance alone,

which I'm guessing - a lot of this
is obviously guesswork,

but is it actually going to...
it's hard to say at this point.

Don't know. Just don't know.

Who is it up against?

Um- (strained mumbling)

So, I don't know.

It is kind of mid-tempo,
it is kind of mellow.

It is going up against Finland's,
which is obviously very like (low gasp)

(scream)

Um, it's going up against Slovenia
and Portugal.

Ah, there's a quality to them that... ugh.

I don't think there's anything like,
directly comparable to this.

It's in the second half
of the first ceremony,

so it's like a nice slot, but...

Are people gonna pick up
the phone for this?

I think it really is dependent
on the live performance.

Are they going to?

It's so dependent on the live.

Which again, I've said all along,
is probably gonna be sensational and--

I also think, though,
that a good live performance

is not gonna be good enough,
it has to be staged well.

Staging has become so integral
to Eurovision, especially this year

where the standard is so high.

I think a lot of great acts
and great performances

are going to be set apart
by how they're staged.

Yeah, it's very very hard to know.

I don't think I'd put this
particularly high,

it's sort of very comfortably
in the middle of the pack for me,

which I suspect will change
once I see a live performance of it.

It's such a question mark, I don't know.

I have ranked this fairly low.

I've got this 30th.

That is low.

And that's not to say I don't like it,

but I don't think I would choose
to put this on.

Again, that's just a me thing.

I think this is a good song,
there's a lot to like about it,

and I'm happy that we're seeing
artists like this.

But, I don't know,
I prefer "2000 And Whatever".

Yeah, it's not a skip,
I think that's the thing.

It's not necessarily a skip.

It's not a skip, no.

Um, I've got it 26th,
but I don't know, I might have to...

Maybe it'll be slightly higher...

And we've said before
that our rankings will change

as we see rehearsal footage,
as we see pre-party footage

They do move around a bit

as we get a better idea
as to how these artists

are bringing these songs to Malmö.

At the moment,
everything's very hypothetical,

we're just going off potential.

It always is. It always is.

I think there's maybe like,
five or so left for us to do,

and we have already gone past the point
where it is now so difficult to know

what's gonna qualify,
even with songs yet to...

or in our timeline
when we're doing this now,

I think there's only one left
to actually be revealed.

Is that- Armenia might be the last one.

Yes

But Armenia, better fucking hope
it's a banger (laughs)

It's so hard, like,

we're starting to look at our prediction
for qualification,

and it is absolutely stacked.

I actually think the second semifinal
might be more difficult to predict

than the first.

But yeah, it's an absolute sort of
mindfuck currently.

Those videos that we're gonna do
are going to be available

only exclusively on Patreon,
Nova, isn't that right?

Yes. Yes, yes, yes.

We've also got the Discord over there,
there's my podcast, all that good stuff.

The address for that will be arriving
onscreen just now.

(vocalising to the tune
of "One Milkali" by Electric Fields)

♪ "Whatcha gonna do with all that ass?" ♪

It's a good hook.

(stifled burp)

Oh.

I'm s- I'd like to apologise.

Right.

I can't confirm
which end that came out of.

"My dr- my dress was probably just tight."

I also wanna say that before people ask us
where these videos are,

we are now towards the end
of reviewing the Eurovision entries,

and we have decided we are not covering
a few countries for various reasons.

A lot of people have been asking,
"where's Luxembourg?"

We have touched on that
in the last review,

and answered in the comments before.

Not doing it.

There are things surrounding
the Luxembourg entry

that we don't feel comfortable
with covering it.

We've tried not to go
into too much detail,

'cause a lot of it is speculation.

A lot of it doesn't have hard evidence.

But we don't feel comfortable
with that entry.

Nah, something's not right there.

We also don't like the song,
so it's been a very easy decision for us.

We're not touching that.

Not doing it.

We're not gonna cover Israel,
for obvious reasons.

We're not gonna cover Azerbaijan,
for obvious reasons.

We've more recently decided
we're not going to be reacting to Iceland.

That song we do not rate,

nothing against Hera personally
whatsoever,

have not a bad word to say
about the woman.

That whole situation is so dumb.

But we do not like that song,
I think that was a ridiculous song.

We believe that that became selected

through really, really suspicious
nefarious means.

Don't like it. Won't be covering it.

Not doing it.

So just to put that out there,
won't be covering those entries.

Yeah, we're not gonna be doing those.

Uh, but there's a couple left to do,
we will be doing Sweden,

we will be doing Georgia,
we will be doing Armenia, I believe.

There might be- oh and Portugal.

Portugal, yeah.

That might be it.

Greece.

Stick around, subscribe.

Oh and Greece, of course,
how did we forget Greece.

Stick around, feel free to subscribe
if you are new here and you haven't.

Just, you know, click it.

You can if you like,
I'm not gonna force you to,

I'm not gonna force you to.

(laughs)

Not gonna show up at your house
or anything.

I will.

"Oh my god."

And we also have a Twitch,
join us for game night.

Why not?

(singing) Game night.

Oh, I did a new song in the last one,
and I can't remember what it is now.

(snapping fingers)
Join us over on Twitch,

(singing) we're playing games.

I don't think it was that.

I should represent the UK or Australia
with "Join us and we'll play some games".

I don't think that would get
any points, darlin'.

Sorry.

♪ ("Legendary Creature"
by Novympia begins) ♪

(Nova) And a 'Anyone for Jarrah?'
to our newest patrons, Nai and Coraline.

What would you sing to represent the UK?

On the spot, now. What's the song?

(singing) I... am here, singing my song.

Oh, you gotta be fucking kidding me.

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