Nicole is managing the ESC situation.
In 1982, it took just a bar stool, a white guitar, and a woman named Nicole in a high-necked black dress to clinch the "Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson". Her winning song, "A Little Peace", was a soothing ballad, paired with soft tones of harp and acoustic guitar, created by Ralph Siegel.
Fast forward to 2023, and Nicole Seibert (previously Nicole Hohloch) might struggle to draw anyone out of their homes with such a melody in the now revamped Eurovision Song Contest (ESC). And Nicole, who will turn 60 this year, is not afraid to voice her concerns.
During an interview with the portal "schlager.de", she shared her troubling observations. "I'm not quite in sync with recent developments," she admits. "I simply can't keep up. It feels like I've lost touch with my expertise." She finds the competition "overly boisterous, screechy, and sometimes quite unsettling." She doesn't appreciate the winning titles' lack of musical merit – the moniker "song contest" implies quality songs, captivating compositions, enchanting lyrics, and effortless deliveries.
Nicole also takes issue with the contestants' styling preferences, particularly when it comes to female artists. "High-necked dresses would be seen as outdated nowadays. They should at least opt for something more showy. A miniskirt and a wig were also part of the norm. My hair was natural back then, though," she recalls, expressing her dissatisfaction. However, she does acknowledge her deliberate choice of the white guitar. "It wasn't black or brown. White, you see, symbolized peace."
Moving on to the current state of ESC performances, Nicole expresses her frustration with what she perceives as a lack of seriousness. "Sometimes, it feels like performers are treating it as a joke rather than the greatest music show in the world for me at the time," she sighs, reflecting on a bygone era. Additionally, she feels the contest has become overly lengthy – "until half past midnight, I must confess, is something I just can't manage anymore," she says with a nod to her busy schedule and stage exhaustion.
As the pioneering first German winner, taking home the trophy in 1982, Nicole made ESC history. Since then, only one performer that has matched her achievement – Lena with "Satellite" in 2010 – but with quite a different stage persona and presentation style. With her upcoming album, "Carpe Diem", set to hit the shelves in November and a world tour lined up, Nicole's concerts will likely stick to more modest conclusions.
In contrast to her 1982 performance, Nicole might find it challenging to captivate audiences with her musical style in the modern Eurovision Song Contest. She laments the shift towards more boisterous and screechy performances, missing the focus on musical merit and quality songs.
The evolution of Eurovision styling also bothers Nicole, particularly for female artists, as she believes high-necked dresses are outdated and performance elements like miniskirts and wigs are now the norm. Despite this, she reminisces about her deliberate choice of a white guitar, symbolizing peace in her performance.
