The winners of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest were revealed just before midnight last Saturday. However, the excitement had been building throughout the evening. In the chorus of his song, the Lithuanian entry enthusiastically declares, “I’m coming / I’m coming.” Meanwhile, the Australian male contestants invite fans to “Sh-Shake Me Good,” hinting at something akin to a “milkshake man taste.” Notably, the Maltese submission features a phrase that sounds offensive in English, encouraging the crowd to shout “Kant.”
This year’s contest in Basel, Switzerland, saw many artists striving to celebrate love in their pop songs, despite the European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) rules against lyrics deemed “indecent” or “attacking public morals.” The line about what’s acceptable has become rather blurry; essentially, singing about sex is okay, but naming it—especially in English—is often not.
In March, the EBU asked Maltese performer Miliana Conte to amend her song “Kant.”
Now titled “Serving,” the original message was akin to a slang term in the queer community, suggesting a self-aware, almost apologetic, feminine expression. Conte describes it as a celebration of embracing one’s true self, regardless of societal expectations.
Interestingly, while English is one of Malta’s official languages, Conte hasn’t faced backlash in her own country. Reports indicate that the complaints to the EBU originated from the BBC.
The recent YouGov survey identified certain offensive words in English, but in many romance languages, these terms have less impact and can even appear on television.
Conte notes, “What’s considered playful in one culture might be viewed quite differently in another.” This points to the significant role culture plays in shaping our perceptions of what’s considered vulgar or acceptable.
As the competition progressed, it seemed the Maltese entries might receive the same scrutiny as previous songs censored for explicit language.
For instance, Jānis Pētersons, 30, wrote an “Ode to Vegetarianism”—designed to provoke thought. During the live performance, he opted to skip over any problematic terms, allowing the audience to chant instead.
Pētersons shared, “The worst lyrics are forgotten in an instant. It was a play on words, and I still think it was clever. Even my grandma found it amusing.”
The Eurovision performances often begin before the BBC’s 9 p.m. watershed, a move to protect children from potentially inappropriate content. In many other countries, similar regulations come into play after a certain hour.
This means that English-language songs addressing sex must rely on euphemisms, much like the Israeli group Ping Pong did back in 2000.
This year, Australian artist Go-Jo’s “Milkshake Man” is packed with over 40 lines—a sort of homage to Montenegro’s 2017 entry, which compared sex to cosmic travel.
In contrast, songs in other languages can be more direct. The Finnish entry “Ichi Kom” translates to “I’ll come,” managing to evade censorship, while last year’s Spanish entry used the term “Zorra,” which translates literally to “vixen” yet often carries a more derogatory meaning.
French singer Nina Morato’s performance in 1994 included bold lines that danced around vulgarity. Similarly, Moldovan participants in 2006 used suggestive lyrics that pushed boundaries.
Paul Marks Jones, the former president of the official Eurovision fan club, observes that English appears to be more strictly regulated, often due to the influence of English speakers themselves, while continental Europeans tend to be more accepting.
The Swedish Melody Festival, which selects representatives for Sweden in Eurovision, faced criticism in 2017 for perceived frivolous use of sexual themes.
However, much of the feedback tends to come from native English speakers. Producers of the Melody Festival have since adopted a more relaxed stance on language. “We want to give writers and participants greater freedom to express their emotions and thoughts,” said Anderswistbacka.
Looking ahead, it remains uncertain how Eurovision will evolve regarding swearing and sexual content. Will it become more lenient? It’s hard to say.
