Fame
Eurovision 2022 – when music meets politics
Here to break all the war tension comes the world’s largest music competition Eurovision with its comical bangers and political performances
Taking place in Italy’s northwestern city of Turin, millions of viewers usually tune in to watch 40 countries battle for the winning trophy of Eurovision.
The usually non-political song contest is politically charged this year with Russia and Belarus banished from the show and a Ukrainian band passing through to the finals.
Ukrainian folk-rap group Kalush Orchestra stands as an audience favourite with an energetic performance of their song Stefania.
Written by the group’s lead singer, the song has become a powerful anthem in the wake of war with lyrics like ‘I will always walk to you by broken roads’ touching the hearts of many.
The band received a standing ovation midway and a long applause afterwards as the founding member thanked everyone for supporting Ukraine towards the end of the performance.
The Kyiv government gave the band special permission to leave the war-ravaged Ukraine and perform at the competition.
If Kalush Orchestra were to win on Saturday, it would be Ukraine’s third victory after it won in 2004 and 2016.
Ukraine is among the top 10 to reach the final with other countries like Switzerland, Portugal and Norway also making the cut.
Norway’s Subwoolfer brought the right amount of absurdness to the competition with their giant yellow wolf masks and banana based song, Give That Wolf A Banana.
In contrast to the comical Subwoolfer was Portugal’s Maro who sang Saudade, Saudade, a ballad full of grief dedicated to her late grandfather.
Rijul Baath contributed to this report
Adidas is contemplating a significant financial blow as it considers writing off $320 million worth of Yeezy shoes following its separation from music and fashion icon Kanye West.
The sportswear giant’s decision to sever ties with West’s Yeezy brand has left a mountain of unsold merchandise, threatening to dent the company’s balance sheet.
The partnership between Adidas and Kanye West, which began in 2013, had been immensely successful, with Yeezy shoes becoming a highly sought-after fashion statement.
However, recent controversies and disagreements between West and Adidas prompted the sportswear company to distance itself from the celebrity designer.
The massive inventory of Yeezy shoes now presents a dilemma for Adidas, as it grapples with finding a solution to deal with the surplus stock. A $320 million write-off could significantly impact the company’s financial performance in the short term.
Adidas is currently exploring various options, including discounting, donating, or repurposing the unsold inventory to mitigate the financial hit.
Warner Bros Discovery, has issued a stark warning regarding the ‘real risk’ that Hollywood faces in the aftermath of the recent strikes that have taken a considerable toll on the industry’s financial health.
The strikes, which disrupted film and television production for several weeks, resulted in substantial financial losses for studios, production companies, and countless industry professionals.
Warner Bros Discovery emphasised the necessity for a resilient and adaptable approach to navigate the ongoing challenges and uncertainties facing the film and television sector.
The conglomerate stressed the importance of implementing measures to mitigate such risks in the future, which include fostering better labour relations and contingency planning to safeguard against potential disruptions.
The message underlined the need for the industry to adapt to the evolving landscape of content creation and distribution, particularly in the digital era.
This warning from Warner Bros Discovery highlights the need for the entertainment industry to recognise the ever-changing dynamics and economic challenges, and the importance of preparedness to maintain its prominent position in the global market.
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