There’s been a sense that Switzerland are gearing up for a win, after their last two entries ended up in the top 5, and last year’s entry even won the jury vote. So it wasn’t a surprise that they were sticking to an internal selection, and perhaps also not a surprise (but a bit disappointing) that we were getting another male singer with a ballad. And then the song itself. Well, I have some strong opinions.

The first red flag was arguably releasing a song called “Boys Do Cry” on International Women’s Day. Read the room, Switzerland. Then what we were treated to was an incredibly old-fashioned, incredibly slow ballad that sounds like it was written decades ago and retrieved from behind a dusty piano. While the ‘boys don’t cry’ mantra is a toxic one and definitely needs to be addressed, British band The Cure already did this without being on-the-nose about it in the late 1970s with “Boys Don’t Cry”. Sure, Marius Bear has a memorable voice, but that’s the only positive element of this song in my opinion. The lyrics are riddled with cliches and give off a stale, mawkish air. I’ve been trying very hard not to be particularly harsh on songs I don’t like in these reviews, but I’m afraid this one has pushed too many of my buttons.

Having said all that, there’s definitely an audience for this: mainly, some jury members and (older) televoters who feel nostalgia for this kind of music. I won’t be listening to this any more than I need to, and I hope I won’t have to put up with it in the final.