Ok, the next show!
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Novye Pesni o Glavnom
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Every season Channel One broadcasts the show 'New Songs About The Main Topic', in which new songs are presented. Once a year (the New Year show) we get a super show with 50 songs and almost five hours duration, which assembles together all the great new songs of the year...well, theoretically. In reality we get to see only artists, who are connected to some extent with Channel One. Stars, who are in the scene for many years and have made personal friends with the leaders of the channel, 'employees' of the channel, the whole 'Star Factory' family (they are bound by contract to the channel), proteges of the big production centers, who work together with Channel One etc. So it's no surprise that we see more than 30 of the 50 acts shown the year before in this year again.
Who's missing? All the artists managed by Maksim Fadeev (Serebro, Savicheva, Glyuk'oza, Terleeva, Irakli...), who has fallen out with the big boss of the channel, Konstantin Ernst, and of course independent people like Dima Bilan, Valeriya, Lazarev or the new acts Infinity, T9, or Leonid Rudenko.
Under these circumstances it's almost a surprise that it was nevertheless a decent show, which was even better than RTR's 'Pesnya goda'. Less average age of the participants and slightly fresher music. I've skipped again the performances which we already know and the 40+ repertoire (almost) and also the failures in the charts with one exception (In'-Yan).
Sofiya Rotaru - Ne uhodi: Another song from Rotaru, which became a hit in autumn, not quite as good as ''Ya nazovu planetu', but she's always good when it comes to performing.
Kristina Orbakajte - Solntse net: With all her perfectionism she often forgets to have fun on stage. Catchy song and awesome performance, but she loses her bracelet (1:08) right in the middle of the stage, very inconvenient. Nobody dares to kick that thing away, so it's almost a miracle that nobody scrunches it.
Chaj vdvoyom - Zakoldovannyj krug: Very successful group in Russia, although their songs aren't so really masterpieces. Well-trimmed bodies and a performance with much routine.
Anna Sedokova - Privykayu: It's almost five years that she left VIA Gra and her career since then was quite modest. Now she works for Channel One and in 2008 she had her first successful single in Russia with this song. Seems, that she made the grade.
In'-Yan - Karma: A really good song, but for some strange reason it terribly flopped. The group, formed from four participants of the 'Star Factory 7', is getting better and better at their performances. Nevertheless, long way to go.
Anna Semenovich & Arash - Na morya: Two years ago she left 'Blestyaschie' and there was much more gossip about her than noticeable artistic work, and then - bang - a hit together with Arash. As former worldclass icedancer and ex-Blestyaschie member she knows how to move, and she can count on her greatest (protruding) talents, too.
Blestyaschie - Znaesh', milyj: The year 2007 was close to apocalypse for the group. Three members left and the producer had to build up his team from scratch. It took until summer 2008. This is the not yet released second single of the new line-up. Watching their performance, I would say, the future of the group doesn't look so dark anymore.
Hel'ga - Moj ostrov: Unknown new, young artist with a quite unusual appearance for Russian standards. Let's wait and see if she will be accepted. Anyway, the show got some hoped for variety.
Korni - Pro tebya: A group partly build from the first 'Star Factory'. Strange performance and even more strange the 'work-sharing' in the group. Well, at least the music isn't that bad.
Yuliya Koval'chuk - Tolkni menya: She left 'Blestyaschie' last New Year, but unlike most other girls leaving a group, she was well prepared for a new career. Album ready, although postponed because of the financial crisis, full calendar and her debut song was good on rotation. No great voice, but her dancing is excellent.
A'Studio - Angel: Already an old song, from autumn 2007. Successful in the charts. The behaviour of the band is a bit too much reserved, but the Russians seem to like them.
Fabrika - My takie raznye: A girlgroup lined up from the first 'Star Factory'. Not bad but not really convincing. One of the many modestly talented girlbands in Russia.
Zhanna Friske - Zhanna Friske: Awarded with the plagiate of the year. The retiree from 'Blestyaschie' knows how to keep close to the tops, although you can't call her songs hit material, but she knows how to handle the media and the audience.
Valerij Meladze - Vopreki: Whatever song he sings, the 'last romantic' (self-description) won't fail, always a joy to watch him. And his brother, the composer, got the award for the best song of the year for this.