Never Never Let You Go

The demo version of Dima Bilan's song for the Eurovision Song Contest is being streamed on his official site. The quality is really bad at the moment, so it's best that we reserve final judgment until the final, CD quality version is presented next week. Never Let You Go sounds like it has potential, although it is nothing compared to Not That Simple, the song with which Dima Bilan came second in the 2005 national selection. It is a rousing-ish ballad, with the line "bone on my bone". I think it could do quite well, definitely qualify for the final. The video is due to be shot on the 19th March in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.

The selection of Dima Bilan to represent Russia is quite interesting considering the anti-Chechen sentiment in Russia at the moment. Dima (real name Viktor Belan) is not from Chechnya, but from Karachayevo-Cherkesskaya Respublika, an autonomous republic just to the West, but there is general animosity towards people from the caucuses and Russian Muslims. They are the favourite targets of Russia's booming skinhead gangs, such as St. Petersburg's 'White Patrol'. Despite this, there are a number of non-Slavs in Russian show business, namely Alsou - a Tatar from Tatarstan, Zemfira - a Bashkir from Baskorostan, and Oskar - a gay Chechen.

The download below is courtesy of the Eurovision Kazakhstan site.

Never Let You Go

Official stream