I’ve admired Conchita Wurst for almost a year now. A year in which she has given some incredible live performances, with vocals few other singers could pull off, particularly on those amazing high notes. But Conchita Wurst’s performance of ‘Rise Like a Phoenix‘ at Eurovision’s Greatest Hits this week was one of the best I’ve seen — astounding when you think she’s probably sung that song 5,000 times, yet it still sounds so rich and so fresh.
What was fabulous about this performance too was how spot on she was with everything — not just her amazing voice.
Look at that dress. The type of evening gown Conchita Wurst looks better in and sexier in than just about anyone else (And, can I just say, I have no idea why I find Conchita Wurst incredibly sexy when she’s as flat as a board but…..I do).
As for the staging, as usual when she sings ‘Rise‘, she’s on a pedestal. And, while I would normally have issues with her being up on one (you can’t complain about people putting you on a pedestal if you will insist on standing on one) it does work for ‘Rise‘ when she’s on the stage solo, as it makes her whole performance that bit more dramatic.
Pedestal, the colors in the backdrop, the lighting, the dress, her voice, and of course the simple fact she’s drop dead gorgeous —Â it’s sort of like ‘the perfect storm’.
And ‘storm’, to some extent, is how you can describe Conchita Wurst at Eurovision’s Greatest Hits. Because one of the definitions of a storm is this — “a disturbed state of an environment”. And all I can say is Conchita Wurst on that stage looking like she did, and with that incredible voice, certainly more than disturbed that environment.
She hit every note perfectly, her voice didn’t crack once like it occasionally does (although I do love that anyway, as it always seems so ‘real’), and she was so much ‘in the zone’ with her emotions you could feel them just emanating off her. (Watch when she finishes singing, there’s that second or two where she’s still in the emotions of the song and then slowly breaks herself free and……..softly smiles. Just lovely).
It’s no wonder she got the biggest reception of the night.
Then, when you top off that performance of ‘Rise’ with her coming out in the finale hand in hand with Dana International, singing Abba’s ‘Waterloo‘, if there’s a bigger queen of Eurovision, I haven’t seen her yet.
Nor have I seen any other Eurovision winner where I’ve known “this one is going to have a long and very successful career, as she’s nothing short of miraculous”.
Watch her below, and marvel.